Red Fox

Just a little...

Never thought of that. I didn't name her. 2 more days...

If your dogs don't have fleas then you don't need to treat them. Just get Interceptor for large dogs which is much cheaper than Sentinal - same thing without the flea component. You can give it 6 weekly, it covers all intestinal worms plus heartworm.

Hope you are on the mend though?

Actually it's called management.

Depends on how you define "socialise" and what you want out of your dog.. I do think dogs need to be exposed to other dogs. I don't think they necessarily need to interact with other dogs.

Yep, she flies in on Friday afternoon!! :D

These may be of some use to you: http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=717 http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=591 http://leerburg.com/flix/videodesc.php?id=262

Your dog is not engaged with you ;) . Work on that first in short fun sessions, once you have a good level of engagement (focus) under low to no distraction then you can build it up - both the duration and the distraction level. ...but then I'm not a big fan of how (most) obedience are run classes anyway....

My neighbours brats climbed the fence a few times - AFTER we extended it to 6ft. Talking to the parents did nothing, neither did trying to explain that my dog doesn't like children, so the next time I caught them up there I yelled "OI GET DOWN NOW!" so loud that they fell off the fence. They haven't it tried since...

Or trialling, or understanding your dogs genetic make-up...

Turn off the computer, go to a dog show and speak to some breeders..

no; that wasn't my intention. I believe it is an expensive exercise to purchase/own a dog in general though. I thought i had made it clear: "there are lots of things that i've spent money on that aren't essentials, but even the essentials alone are an expensive outlay". Though I understand it wasn't your intention that is what I got from your post too.. Yep I agree.

I don't interpret labs as awful; yes they are hard work though....work that i'm willing and able to commit to. I don't think their reputation of being great family dogs is misrepresented...but it takes a great deal of work to develop the pup to the great family dog. Perhaps the hard work isn't adequately represented by the media? It wouldn't be the first time the media failed to represent a breed adequately or truthfully would it? And like you, i've experienced other breeds that weren't half the work. I don't know how the media represent labs, I've never really taken much notice. But I am in my 50's and in the neighbourhoods I grew up in labradors were about the most common household pet. Families were large with lots of kids close in age, the puppy/dog played with the children unsupervised, there were no obedience classes or puppy schools and we considered the dog clever if it could sit on command and a veritable genius if it could shake hands. They were great dogs, and there was no paranoia over whether they'd knock the kids over or nip them.......they did because they were puppies and the kids dusted themselves off and got on with play. I can't recall anyone being warned off from getting a lab because their kids were young......in fact quite the opposite. Thats the thing though.... dogs were treated as dogs.;)

Some of these things are necessities but most aren't. $100 raw and $60 training treats would last my large breed adult dog 2-3 months. Toys can be cardboard boxes to shred and plastic bottles filled with kibble - they don't have to be fancy or expensive. A large sized decent quality steel crate retails for around $100, heartworm/worming combo chews are <$10 per month and I can tell you that I've never spent $100+ on a dog bed!

Vebopet sell them. http://shop.vebopet.com.au/store/plastic-dog-tray-x-large.html

I don't think it would be impossible by any means but I do think it would be difficult. If you are capable of crate training the dog, enforcing boundaries for children and dog, are able to give the dog adequate excercise, training and supervision, can afford the added expense of food and vet care, can find the extra time required to teach manners, entertain and house train the pup, can commit to ongoing obedience training, etc and can deal with the destruction should you turn your back for more than a minute then you should be fine... Children are time consuming, puppies are time consuming. You may find yourself stretched very thin in dealing with both. Especially if you plan on having another baby soon. If you decide to go for a Lab pup choose your lines extremely carefully and don't rule out the idea of an older pup or adult dog. Keep your options open.

Yep normal. Gross, but normal

Seperate your dogs when you aren't there to supervise and intervene. Feed seperately (in crates if you can). Train your dogs to sit at the door and wait for a release command so that neither is pushing through. You are allowing your male to bully your female which is not fair on her at all. Hire a reputable professional trainer who can teach you how to ramp up your leadership a little more before the problem escalates. http://www.k9pro.com.au/pages.php?pageid=100 This may help too.

Dry food is not toxic for dogs. Do a search on hotspots for more info but if it's bothering your dog and/or not healing you need to take him to the vet.

Reputation, word of mouth, research. How are that breeders dogs doing in your chosen area (sport, show, etc)? Go to shows and/or trials. Speak to other breeders. Speak to owners. Research the lines you like... Yes it is, but you can't deny that the initial outlay does hit the hip pocket hard for the average person. Though if you want the dog you save for it. Just like anything else in life.

Find what you like and pay what it costs. When it comes to a good pup from the right breeder a few hundred dollars either way should not sway your decision. If a breeder is charging an inflated price (ie twice the average cost or more for that breed) then ask them why. If they can't give you a reasonable answer as to why then look elsewhere. *eta, 'rare' coat colour or pattern is not a reasonable answer.

Soft pens and Lab puppies...? Errrrrr You need something like this: http://shop.vebopet.com.au/store/6-panel-tube-pet-dog-exercise-pen-extra-tall.html or http://shop.vebopet.com.au/store/120x120x120-pet-dog-exercise-pen-run-kennel-enclosure.html I bought one similar to the first type for my Ridgeback and found that while it is very solid he could jump up over the sides. So got the second (lidded) type for my Malinois pup. They are generally used for when you can't supervise but want to give the pup a bit more space than a crate. The pens I have linked are the biggest and sturdiest (IMO). There are more types and sizes available from that seller if you click on the 'dog pen and dog run link' at the top of the page.

With kids? YES

The dog has no idea what is a suitable surface and what is not. If you want to her to go only on grass you need to confine her to grass when she's alone and supervise 100% in between. She won't just figure it out on her own..