Labs are gregarious dogs. They love people and other dogs. If they get bored
they are going to look for people and dogs. When they are looking they may be
wandering, when they are wandering they are bound to get in trouble. A busy
road, a neighbor's burn pile, livestock to chase, all mean trouble. If they are
confined and can't wander, they will dig, if they can't dig they will chew if
they can't chew they will bark...... a bored dog is going to get in trouble and
that will usually lead to a health/well being issue. Lab owners need to be one
step ahead all the time. If someone can't be home all the time maybe a playmate
might be a good alternative.
Surprisingly, there is no secret to good health care for your Lab. Many of the
other resource areas on this website contribute directly to your partner's well
being. Feeding, exercise, training, grooming, safety, etc. All these things
added together will provide the very best environment for your dog. The menu bar
to the right will highlight all the areas, when taken together, will help to
insure a long and beneficial relationship between you and your Lab.
Common Problems.....
In all our years of tending livestock as well as breeding, raising and
training dogs, the resources we have to work with describes disease and
conditions, often in great detail. What care most about is
not knowing all about the disease, but how to make our animals well again, and
keep them that way.
We are not vetinarians and often we have a situation that we simply
can't handle, that's when we turn to our local trusted vetinarian. We do not encourage self diagnosis
beyond your capability or knowledge and urge you to consult your vet immediately
when concerned with any problem with your dog.
That said, over the years we have gained a fair
amount of practical knowledge that has helped us treat our animals at home,
often saving much money and always imparting the care and love that simply
cannot be institutionalized. The internet is full of information about what the
problem is, we try to share what we do to fix the problem. Exotic disease or
situations involving required surgery or cancer treatment is beyond us, but most
of the problems you will experience are the same ones we have experienced, and
we are glad to let you know how it worked for us.
If you have experienced a problem with your Lab that you think others may
benefit from knowing about, please send us an email
with details. We will do some research and include it below.
|
