Our new Donzi Dog!

[harbormaster]

Last Thursday I had to put my beloved dog "Bud" down due to bone cancer. It was really tough. He was an awesome dog. I truly miss him.

This last Saturday some dear friends surprised Kim and I with a chocolate Lab puppy. He is 7 weeks old and is named "Rowdy".

He is alot of work but just as adorable.
Any one have any Lab training tricks? (celene?) We keep him in a crate at night so as to limit the destruction.
I want him to be a boat dog.

Here he is.
http://www.donzi.net/photos/rowdy.jpg

[abelchinewalker]

Sorry to hear about your dog Scot, I dread the day that something happens to my dog.
The new one is a cutie tho'

[ToonaFish]

Awesome, Scot, he'd make Bud proud. (And I've lit a candle in his memory... thought a margarita scented one might be appropriate.)

Lots of hints, but most of the Labs I've known and worked with were pretty much obedient wet from the womb. (Puppy antics and their attendant ultra energy aside.) Crate training is the absolute best gift you can give to a dog... it's his sanctuary and your peace of mind. Be sure to feed him in it and make it a place that he really feels is his own little home.

Food treats and praise work equally well with Labs... but whichever you decide to use, make sure that the behaviors you accept right now are still going to be acceptable when he weighs 60 plus pounds. (Biting is forever cured at this age by taking his lip and inserting it between his teeth when he tries to nibble your hand.)

An easy baby trick that he can learn is popcorn tossing... use his name and a command that indicates you want his attention ("Watch Me", "Pop", anything really.). Use this word consistently with any trick or treat and he'll soon associate it with paying attention and semi-obedience. When he is consistently catching the popcorn, move on to a "Wait" command... when he is lying down, place the food just out of reach, restrain him while giving the command, "Rowdy, Wait", then release him. Less restraint each time and eventually you'll be able to put the food on his outstretched paw and he'll wait til you tell him it's okay. Makes your meal times easier, too, if he knows that food is not something you lunge for. (Well, I've never eaten with you, I'm assuming that you don't lunge for food at the table.)

Big no-no's: calling him to you for punishment, feeding him canned (wet) food and then expecting his baby bladder to hold it, and disciplining him for a housebreaking accident that you didn't catch him in the act of committing. (Take a folded up newspaper and wack yourself on the head for letting him out of your sight or rub your spouse's nose in it for their particular lack of supervision.)

A great thing to teach him is a come command separate from the normal one. The normal one is pretty optional, it indicates that you'd like his presence and you use it around the house, when you'd like him to come in from the yard, generally at times that he might be having more fun than what you are proposing. The different one is a matter of life and death (and it might be on a busy road)... use a unique word for the command, one that has a distinct sound (mine is "Pig Pony", I don't know why, the dogs just love the way it sounds). Use it at least once a day, when he is a good bit away from you and not really paying attention to you. Yell, "Rowdy, Pig Pony" and run away from him. He should chase you, and when he catches you, fall to the ground so that you are completely at his level and his mercy, and make squealing, happy noises. Have fabulous treats ready for him and make a huge fuss over what a great guy he is. (Girls, this trick works with many men, too.) This command has saved my dogs lives on several occasions. (You can eventually stop rolling on the ground, by the way, but for whatever reason, it is irresistable to most dogs.)

The best puppy is a tired puppy; there is no such thing as tossing the ball too many times with a Lab. Since you are planing on boating with him, teach him now where on the boat he will be allowed... and you need to be religious about toenail trimming. (I doubt that BiltRite has manufactured a Lab nail proof interior.) Trimming his nails super short now (yes, they will bleed - use QuikStop from Petsmart to staunch the flow) will allow you to keep them short as an adult (the vein will be short too). And don't spare the expense, buy him doggie lifevests sized for each growth stage, or borrow them from friends.

I know I'm forgetting a ton, please feel free to ask any questions... mostly, just congratulations on finding a new friend... he's absolutely lovely and most deserving of the wonderful new home you will give him.

Bunches,

Celene 'Kleenex dividends are going to be huge this quarter'

[boxy]

Scot, sorry to hear about the loss of your friend, the new pup looks great, hopefully he'll ease your pain, but maintain your memories.
Take care

[Fish boy]

Scot, I am truly sorry for your loss. I hope Rowdy brings you and Kim lots of Joy.

Best regards,

Jody and Laura

[Marie]

Scot and Kim, I'm very sorry to hear about your loss, I know he'll always be in your heart though. But Rowdy is a CUTIE PIE!! Don't know if you know it, but I'm a big-time dog lover (Jim and I have 6 dogs!). Don't know a lot about training labs though. But I am willing to volunteer my services of petting and cuddling the new baby. Congratulations!

Janet Marie

[TD]

Scot,
I feel your pain, but your friend is looking out for you. I had to put my best friend down 10 years ago. Jezzi(a black lab) I was holding her when the vet gave her the shots while she was laying on a bed in my house. It was a very sad time, but soon another dog was hanging around the house which eventually replaced her. I now love this one as much and sometimes think about what is eventually ciming again for Jasper.
That being said, on to training. There is an excellent book on training labs by a man named Richard Walters called Gun Dog. Even is you don't use Rowdy as a retriever, it has many training ideas and tips for training any puppy for a lifetime of happiness. Setting precedence now for acceptable behavior, will ensure a future filled with happiness for you and Rowdy.
Good luck,
your very lucky
Terrell

[RedDog]

Sorry about the loss of your "Bud." I have had 2 Chocolate Labs - great dogs but very distructive for the first few years - build a concrete fence around your Donzi and anything else you cherish :D - he's cute now but there is going to a lot of cussing around your house for at least the next year or 2 or 3

My first one stayed in the water so much he actually would mildew. But hey, he was a good fisherman - saw him dive under once and come up with a trout in his jaws!

My other one would grab vegetables out of the garden, drop them in the pool deep end, and run around to the pool steps to swim in and retrieve. Of course the kids were little back then and he like to retrive them too - I guess it helped make them tougher :D

[FASTEDDIE]

Scot,good luck with Rowdy, I notice he has the same color hair you do. Have your Vet ASAP put an indentifing chip under his skin so that he can be brought home if he's lost or stolen.

[Silver Streak]

Scot,
You have my deepest sympathy on the loss of your dear friend. Those of us who have given ourselves fully to a canine companion understand how difficult it is to make the decision to end their time with us. I am very sorry about Bud. I’m sure your life was as enriched by his presence as his was by yours.

The puppy looks terrific. And Ms. Fish has given us a very helpful synopsis on dealing with a puppy. I’ll save it for my next one.

I do worry about one thing, though. That blue and white crate looks too small. And are you sure you’ve poked enough air holes in the top? Labs have big noses and need lots of air! :D

Rick

[MOP]

Many great point in above posts, sad about your old dog I know the heart break. But once that little bugger you have now settles down you will see they are a very special breed he will fill your heart back up! Hang in there!

[olredalert]

Scot,

------You could bowl me over with a feather that reading about the passing of your "Bud"would affect me as much as it has.Jan and I had to put down our Bouvier (Buckley) three years ago and I usually try not to think about it,but Im sitting here as misty as a guy can get.I really feel your pain.
------With that said,your new pup looks absolutely COOL,and,boy,did he ever find the perfect home.We have been doing quite a bit of traveling since Buckley left us and Jan has taken up rescuing cats.Never thought Id get the hang of liking cats,but these 6 little guys grow on you.
------The best of luck to your family and its new addition...........Bill S..........ol red!

[HyperDonzi]

Scot,
Sorry to hear about your last dog. As for the new dog, I wish you a lot of good luck. We got a new one last year....Still crazy!!

Tommy

[Terry0341]

Scot, sorry to hear about your loss. The new puppy is great have fun!

[Walt. H.]

Hello Scott, I know the feeling sorry to say!and I share your lost. Aug.5th 2001 I lost my 2-1/2 yr. old Akita to cancer after a 6-7 month attempt to cure, not knowing at first that it was the big "C". I lost all trust in veterinarian's >mis-diagnose and charges galore! She was the purist form of the word unconditional love. This was a puppy I waited 19 yr's to get after my 8yr old shepherd died from the "Parvo virus"in 1980, also in the month of aug. My Shepherd died on a sat. My mom got so upset over the lost, she had a fatal stroke the next day. I can honestly say i've never had a bad week end ever since. As much as I would love another try, I dare not risk the hurt. And my wife doesn't want us to be tied down from travel etc. with the responsibility that goes along with haveing a furry member of the family. But I kept her memory alive by naming my boat after her "SHADOW GIRL". She was or is the incentive to continue the restoration progress for this boat. With that being said, sorry for the length. My congratulation to you with your new addition to your family and may she fill the void you felt in your heart! Stay Happy! Walt.

[florida gator]

Scott, very sorry to hear of your loss. As far as boat training goes, Labs come that way.

[Formula Jr]

You could not have picked a better breed ; well maybe a chessy, but that's a Maryland debate. Labs are the Marines of the dog world. They love water, they come that way- as was said before. Introduce puppy to as many other trained dogs as possible while young. They have to develope social skills too. Celene is right on the mark with you should never recall the dog in anger. That is probably THE biggest mistake we do to dogs.

I'm trying to change Henry's attack command to "Pearson" but its not working out so well. I'm sure you will have better luck with this fresh slate. :)

-------------------------------------------------------
The best way to think out of the box, is to live in a sphere......

[Cuda]

I'm sorry for your loss, believe me, I get tears thinking about it.

On to a brighter subject. Labs are fantastic dogs. They are bright and easy to train. They love nothing more than pleasing their owner. I'm on my second lab, Dixie. Lab pups are notorious for chewing up everything you own. The best way to keep this to a minimum is to keep them tired! Lots of playtime with them. I don't know if they chew because they are bored or pissed because you aren't playing with them. I got lucky with Dixie, because I had two pit pups that were a month older than her at the same time. They tended to keep themselves occupied.
The worse thing to do is to overdisipline a puppy, nothing worse than seeing a dog that has had the spirit beat out of them, which is a lot easier to do than to spend the time training them. The time spent with the pup in the next few months will pay huge benifits for years to come.

Labs love the water. It's hard to keep them out of it when they see it. Nothing quite like an 85 pound soaked dog jumping in your truck on a 30 degree morning! :) Labs will eat most anything. Corn cobs, watermellon rinds, swimming pools, shoes, etc.

I use Dixie for waterfowl and upland game hunting, but mostly for floor decoration.

They are very people freindly and good with children. They can sometimes be aggresive towards other dogs.

I have both Ken Wolters books on Labs, Water Dog, and Game Dog. The only thing about those books is the ages he claims they have to be trained at. Even Wolters in his later years said it didn't have to be that early. If you would like to read them, send me your address and I'll mail them to you.

Good luck with your newest member of the family! :D