Kylie and the black Lab

I thank you all for your advice. I have also emailed our breeder and they advised the following: Slow gentle walks for max 30 mins with training incorporated are OK. Based on what they have said and all of your advice, we have altered Jedda's walks to the following: 20 mins morning + 15 mins play time in yard 20 mins evening + whatever play she wants. During her walks she stops at every corner, stops to sniff things and "talk" to other dogs and she is always walking on a combination of grass and a footpath (moreso grass). Blacklabrador - you don't have to be so stroppy. I am only asking questions so I can do the best thing by my dog. I have always had Rotties in the past and walked them for up to half an hour - none of them had arithrytis.

Hi Sandgrubber, We can definitely see a waistline - she has quite a beautiful profile from the side. I think she is just a big stocky box head lab like her daddy. As for the exercise, thanks for putting my mind at rest a bit. Like I said previously - the walks are nowhere near strenuous, she actually comes home from them and runs like a loonie - from my point the walk is more a mental stimulus for her and some training. We have been very careful to avoid stairs, wrestling and jumping, so I'd still like to think we are doing the right thing by our beautiful girl. Cheers, kylie

Hi Paw Paw, What are your thoughts on exercise. Did you walk your lab prior to 12 months old?? Thanks for the weight advice. i will give her a feel over tonight too.

Breeder didn't really say anything about walking. I still don't really get it as when she runs around the yard - constantly and with vigour - isn't that "pounding" on her joints. Her controlled walks seem to take that "edge" off the psycho energy which I would think is where she could injure herself. I am always very careful with her.

To me that makes no sense - as the offlead stuff Jedda does is much more vigourous than the fat ass walk she does with me every day....... Having a VERY energetic lab - would drive her and us totally nuts if she wasn't walked....she waits for it every morning and night... Puppy school and jnr school actually recommended us walking her because she is so energetic and full of life. She has learned to walk on lead well, no pulling and sits at every corner before crossing the road. Going for walks is the highlight of her day!

Hi Showdog I split the walk into morning and evening - usually 40 mins morning, 30 mins evening. She is never jogging, only walking at my fat ass pace (which ain't that fast .... is this OK???

Hi all, Just wondering what the average weight of an 8 month old female lab is? Jedda is very broad across the chest and rear legs and her head is getting broader too. Her back is past my knee in height but she isn't overly tall. Some days she looks a bit porky but other days very slick. We are quite strict with her diet and she is walked for 1.5 hrs daily and played with for at least another 1-2 hours. She is 23kg's at present. Cheers, Kylie & Jedda

I was just wondering if dogs know when the weekend is? I know they are creatures of habit but yesterday I had a day off sick. Jedda thought I had left with her Daddy at the usual time but I was still in bed. When I came downstairs at 11am and she woke up and realised I was home, she wen't nuts. Even though I played with her in intervals, she would not settle and sat at the back door and barked at me all day!! Could she sense I was sick or was it just the change in routine??? She doesn't sit at the back door and bark on the weekends when we are home, just yesterday and she drove me nuts! It was such a miserable day with rain that we couldn't walk and I was sick anyway. I ended up putting her in the car and going for a drive to the pet shop to buy her a raincoat and a toy! When it got to 6pm when we usually get home, and the usual routine kicked back in, she switched back to "normal Jedda" and played and say outside like a good girl, not barking at all. ??? Has anyone had the same thing happen. This is more of a curiousity thing than a problem, although next time I am sick I may just come to work!!! Cheers, Kylie & Jedda

Yeah - the reason we got the lap and cap gates in the first place was for safety, security etc. Given she is so beautiful (not biased at all), I wouldn't want her to get stolen or fed etc either. (She isn't a huge barker by the way. ) Jedda has heaps of toys on rotation, kongs, hidden schmacko's etc, so I personally dont think she needs visability to the road. Thanks heaps to those who have replied so far.

We have lap and cap gates which have a few small gaps - but after Jedda has spent two weeks at Grandma and Grandpa's who have iron gates with heaps of visability to the road, my dad believes Jedda will get bored without the large visability to the road. I was always under the impression that the only a small gap was better as the dog would get frustrated with staring at stuff going past without being able to get to it and then possibly bark quite a lot more when we aren't home. What is the opinion and consensus on this one. Iron gates or lap and cap????? Cheers, Kylie and the now getting very large Jedda.

and a big thanks to Sidoney as well :p . I really appreciate all of your assistance. Until we get a chance to get the crate on the weekend. I messed up the routine a bit thismorning by making a coffee and moving around the house before letting her in for a walk. She barked at the laundry door - I then did the "grrrr" noise - after the second one of these, she was quiet, so after 5 minutes of quiet I let her in. She did seem a bit like "hey what's going on here!" My hubby was joking saying he would open the bedroom window and go "grrrr" whenever she barks at the AM!

Thank you to everyone who has helped me (especially Roo, Hugapuglet & dogs4fun) you have all put my mind at ease about using a crate. I think this is definately the way to go and I think we will put it in the loungeroom too so it is her "den". Where do you recommend we buy the crate from - ie the online sites or just go to a pet wholesaler? Thinking we will start the crate training thisweekend with our bubba. Again, thanks everyone, will keep you posted. Any more ideas or comments, please let me know!! Cheers, Kylie (&Wayne & Jedda)

Thanks everyone. i will discuss the crate option with hubby tonight... couple of questions: 1. is it just me or does my apprehension come from the fact that a crate looks like a jail cell??? 2. What size should I buy if we get one? 3. Wont she still need to pee/poo at 6am anyway??? 4. when she is used to the crate, should we always shut the door at night or leave it open?? cheers, Kylie

Weekdays Jedda's routine is: 5.45 bark bark bark let in (when quiet) and play/walkies/ food until 8am 8am to 12.30 - sleep time and roam around yard. each day she has treats hidden for her to find and rotated toys to play with ( although when we are home she sleeps most of this time anyway) 12.30-1.15 - home for lunch, play time and a snack 1.30-6ish - sleep time and roam around yard 6-7pm - walkies 7pm - dinner 7-10pm - inside relaxing with us and getting lots of attention. 10pm - outside to hound house - patted and said "in your bed" she voluntarily goes in and makes no noise Tues nights - goes in car to visit grandparents Wed night - jnr dog school Weekends - pretty much stays inside and follows us around wherever we are. Aren't generally out for long periods of time so she isn't alone for more than 4 hrs on a Sat or Sun. Also if we go anywhere, like golf or beach or outdoor cafe she comes with us. Hence, I just don't understand why she barks as we always get up around 6am. Even on weekends, I get up on Saturdays and my husband on Sundays. And in rain hail or shine! Basically whenever she barks in the am - we try and ignore her for half and hour at most, but she is persistent and we then open the door only when she is quiet. SHe is always included as a part of our family (fur child syndrome!) She has a very special place in our family, but I'd like the human/dog boundary to have a slight impact!! cheers, Kylie

back again - thing is..... once she is let in, she is totally fine!! She sits calmly waiting for me to go the loo etc. Follows me around until around 15 mins later we go for a walk. Of course she is excited at first so I rub her belly and give her pats...but there is absolutely no barking.. Given I need to leave for work at 7.45am, changing the routine isn't really an option as showering before walkies isn't really the go.... and I can't fathom getting up much earlier thatn 5.45!!!! so is it fair to think that it may be the "baby" thing like Bruno and Rachelle are also experiencing - or is this a bad behaviour that is going to get worse????? On weekends she doesn't instantly go for a walk, it can be up to an hour of just tinkering around inside before we walk her..... so her routine is mixed up a bit on weekends.... Also, given she has her own totally enclosed, waterproof houndhouse - which she voluntarily goes to for comfort, sleep etc..... would she really benefit that much from a crate... We have brought her inside on the odd night when whether is really bad and she has slept in the laundry but she has still barked????? thanks everyone! Kylie Oh yeah - she gets walked in the evenings as well!!!