Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Caring For The Labrador Retriever Face & Ears

by Leave a Comment

After a day of hunting or a run in overgrown terrain, a Labrador Retriever should have their eyes and ears inspected for signs of embedded objects or scratches. The ear can be easily inspected with the aid of a small flashlight to help you see the upper interior.

It is quite easy for burrs to become entangled in or around the ear canal, or for tiny seeds to work their way under the eyelids and irritate the eye. The Labrador Retriever will react to such irritants by pawing at the spot, often causing more damage by scraping the surface raw and inviting infection.

————————————————————–

Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

————————————————————–

If the Labrador Retriever is continuously rubbing these areas and no cut or embedded object is visible, there may be an abrasion that will require a salve to remove the sting and aid in healing.

Ear troubles are also indicated when a Labrador Retriever constantly shakes its head, rubs its head against the ground, produces an excessive amount of visible ear wax, or if there is a foul odor from the ear’s interior.

If the dog reacts violently to an inspection of the ear or if there is redness or swelling, it probably is suffering from an inflammation that must be treated topically by your veterinarian (antibiotics are sometimes required also). Such inflammations can be the result of a variety of causes, such as parasitic mites or bacterial infections, so an accurate diagnosis is imperative.

You can help to alleviate the normal buildup of wax and dirt in the ear by routinely swabbing the easily accessible areas of the ear with a cotton ball wet with a little warm water. Ointments made specifically for cleaning the outer ear can be purchased from pet shops, grooming parlors, or your veterinarian if cleanliness is a continual problem.

Avoid oily compounds, as they may leave a sticky residue that will retain dirt. Do not probe into the ear canal during cleaning, as this can be very damaging and extremely painful for the dog. Clean only the exposed area. If you suspect that the ear is becoming clogged, bring the dog to the veterinarian for a more thorough cleaning. You should ask for instructions on how to perform this procedure at home if the problem is chronic.

To remove small amounts of discharge that may collect around the corners of the eye, carefully dab it away with a damp, clean, lint-free cloth. If the dog continues to blink excessively or if the eye is red, consult your veterinarian. Minor irritations can quickly become serious on a Labrador Retriever, so special attention must be paid to any tearing or discharge from these sensitive areas.

Caring For The Labrador Retriever Coat

by Leave a Comment

Caring for the coat of a Labrador Retriever is not much of a problem. The short, dense hair is easily groomed with a daily application of a hound glove or bristle brush. The coat is basically dirt and water repellent, and seldom becomes offensive.

There is little shedding, even though the Labrador Retriever loses its undercoat once or twice yearly. Coat trimming is unnecessary (although sometimes resorted to by show competitors who feel tidying is necessary to highlight this or downplay that aspect of conformation).

Bathing should not be a routine matter, but should only be undertaken when absolutely necessary (such as that unexpected meeting with a local skunk, a roll in the mud, or the presence of an accumulated “doggy odor” from the oils in the coat). Washing a Labrador Retrievertoo frequently eliminates too much of the natural oils that give the outer coat its desired harshness. Soap residue can also dry out the skin and be irritating to the dog.

Yellows may need to be bathed a little more frequently than blacks or chocolates, as their coat may pick up some discoloration from grass and dirt. This can often be taken care of by spot washing only the main contact points – the lower legs and thighs.

When bathing is needed, be sure to use a very mild soap designed especially for the dog’s coat – not commercial products for humans, which are much too drying for a dog. When bathing the dog, work the water down through the dense outer coat to the skin. Afterward, be very careful to dry the dog thoroughly.

It may sound silly to worry about a Labrador Retriever getting a chill from a bath, when a hunting Labrador often spends many hours diving in and out of icy waters without so much as a shiver. However, the bathing process temporarily removes some of the dog’s natural water-repellent oils and gets the dog wet at the skin. At this point, even a water dog is vulnerable to temperature extremes, so be cautious.

A word of caution: Should you notice a change in coat appearance, such as a dulling of the normal sheen, inspect the skin closely for signs of parasite infestation or other skin disorders.

If the dog begins to scratch incessantly or chew its coat and skin, there is an irritation present that must be diagnosed by a competent veterinarian. Recent nutritional studies have shown that many such skin problems can be ‘traced to allergic reactions to food additives or other substances. A change in the natural oils of the coat’ may point to metabolic problems involving the liver, kidneys, or the digestive tract.

The loss of hair may be tied to hormonal imbalances, or could be due to infectious mange. The point is that the coat is often an indicator of general health and should not be overlooked just because the Labrador Retriever is lucky enough not to need much attention paid to it.

Labrador Retriever – The Beloved Companion and Therapy Dog

by Leave a Comment

By far the most common use of today’s Labrador Retriever is as a home companion, a role at which he excels. Surprisingly, the Labrador Retriever was rarely kept strictly as a house pet until several decades after the breed’s introduction to the united States. The initial fanciers of the breed became acquainted with him through knowledge of the shooting game.

When the breed was well established as a sporting companion, his docile, brainy nature won his way out of the kennel and into the home.

————————————————————–

Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

————————————————————–

The Labrador Retriever’s ability to quickly adapt and respond to instruction made the transition quite easy. Today, puppies raised in the home actually become so entwined in the lives of their owners that they often suffer when relegated to the kennel life. (If you are planning to keep a kennel of Labradors, select puppies that are properly socialized but still familiar with kennel life.)

As a companion, the Labrador Retriever is good-natured and gentle enough to accept the roughhousing of youngsters without returning it. If properly socialized while young, a Labrador will share his “home with another dog, providing there is enough affection for all. It is more common for a Labrador to misbehave out of jealousy than out of dislike for another animal.

Labrador Retrievers are long on self-control and loyalty, but they do not make the most avid watchdogs. As a rule, they are not overly suspicious of strangers or highly protective of loved ones, and when natural instincts are not stimulated they can be inattentive to such a task. Always keen for a scent or sound, a Labrador Retriever would certainly give voice at the approach of an intruder, but he might be won over by a friendly gesture or a luscious piece of sirloin.

If left on duty, a Labrador Retriever may wander off in search of a scent that has caught his attention. In short, he is a people-dog. If you really need a watchdog, get your Labrador a German Shepherd friend!

The value of companionship with this breed should not be underestimated. In recent years, obedience-trained Labradors as well as other breeds are being used as Therapy Dogs to enrich the lives of nursing home residents and even emotionally disturbed children.

The process is simple: a group of experienced dog handlers, such as those trained by Therapy Dogs International, bring their dogs to visit, perhaps put on an obedience performance for the audience, and then let animals and humans mingle, if conditions permit. The dogs are all obedience trained and have proven themselves to be extremely gentle and outgoing.

Their job is to make people feel wanted, and it works wonders for alleviating the loneliness and depression that often burden such lives. The Labrador Retriever loves people and the few hours Therapy Dogs share with others enrich both dog and man.

The Labrador Retriever: An Intelligent Working Dog

by Leave a Comment

As the breed name clearly points out, the Labrador Retriever was bred originally to assist in the hunt by retrieving downed game. However, as years passed, their roles did not change but rather expanded to include numerous tasks and services.

No service rendered by a dog can surpass the role of Guide Dog. Through the work of these highly skilled animals, a blind individual is able to move in the mainstream of life, guided by the “eyes at the end of the lead.” Such a human-dog bond reaffirms the valued place canines have assumed in our modern world. A Guide Dog and his owner share a special relationship, a dog that lives to serve and an owner who is able to live life to his fullest aided by the service of a life-long companion and friend.

————————————————————–

Click Here Now – -and watch Chet’s Free Dog Training Video.

————————————————————–

The Guide Dog program originated in Switzerland in the 1920s under the leadership of Mrs. Dorothy Eustis. The original Guide Dogs were strictly German Shepherd females, bred by Mrs. Eustis at her Fonunate Field Kennels. Over the years, Labradors as well as Golden Retrievers were also recruited into the program. In Great Britain, approximately 70% of the Guide Dogs are the Labrador Retriever, and Australia uses only Labradors for this task.

In the United States, The Seeing Eye was the driving force of the Guide Dog movement. This organization started in 1929 by Mrs. Eustis and is currently headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey.

It has maintained its own breeding kennel since 1941, producing 327 puppies in 1986, 117 of which were Labradors. Of a breeding stock of 40 adults, there are 15 female Labradors and four male Labrador dogs. Only the very finest dogs are selected for this special breeding kennel. They must have successfully completed the rigorous training program designed by The Seeing Eye and exhibited stellar qualities in temperament and conformation. Labradors are commended as easy breeders producing large litters.

The Labrador Retriever excels as a Guide Dog primarily because of his size, working ability, well-rounded temperament, and ability to get along so well with people. The Labrador also has a small streak of stubbornness that the people at The Seeing Eye find useful.

While this makes the Labrador Retriever slightly tougher to train, this quality sets the breed apart from most in that a Labrador can take charge and refuse a command when confronted with an emergency situation—such as when a blind owner commands the Labrador Retriever to move forward and a hazard apparent only to the dog lies in the way.

A History Recording Of The Labrador Retriever

by Leave a Comment

In the 1920’s the Labrador Retriever began gaining popularity with American sportsmen. Although a few “English retrievers,” as Labradors were called in 19th century America, had made their way to our shores, few could be located in American shooting kennels prior to the 1920s, as setters and pointers were the dogs of choice in those days. In 1917, the first Labrador Retriever registered by the American Kennel Club was imported from Scotland. Her name was Brocklehirst Floss.

The style of shooting in United States at that time was different from that practiced abroad. A group of wealthy enthusiasts on the East coast with ties to Britain began developing the Labrador Retriever among themselves in order to carry on the style of pass shooting to which they were most accustomed and partial. To aid in this, they not only imported fine dogs but also lured noted Scottish trainers to America.

In 1931 the Labrador Retriever Club of America was founded and sponsored its first field trial in December of that year. The competition was held in Chester, New York, with a total of 16 entries – all but one of which were imports. The winner was Carl of Boghurst, a yellow owned by Mrs. Marshall Field. This annual event would spur popularity in the sport to the point where today there are more than 150 trials a year held for Labrador retrievers!

It was not until May 18, 1933, that the first specialty show for bench competition was held by the Labrador Club of America. From an entry of 34, Boli of Black was chosen as best. Boli, owned by Franklin P. Lord and purchased from the British breeder, Lady Howe, was the first American bench-champion Labrador retriever.

The Arden kennels of W. A. Harriman became the driving force in the field, claiming the first American field champion in Blind of Arden and the first female American field champion in Decoy of Arden who were litter mates. Mr. Harriman’s talent for breeding top-quality Labradors from his stock earned him the recognition of having developed the finest American kennel to date.

His credits include four dual champions, five field champions, eight bench champions, and scores of champions that descend from this line. The shining star among the Arden Labradors was Shed of Arden, owned by Paul Bakewell. He embodied all that a Labrador should: talent in the field, beauty and intelligence, and the ability to produce quality offspring.

A mating of Mr. Harriman’s Decoy with Dr. Milbank’s Ch. Kaffles of Earlsmoor produced a litter from which Earlsmoor Moor of Arden emerged. Moor went on to win the Labrador Club of America Annual Specialty in 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1943.

Winning a national specialty five times for a Labrador Retriever is an astounding accomplishment that may never be repeated again by any dog of any breed.

————————————————————–

Dog Training Tips To Get Your Labrador Retriever To Obey!

If you’d love to discover EXACTLY how to get your dog to stop urinating on your carpet and actually ring a bell when he needs to potty. . .

Train puppies to NEVER chew on furniture or expensive rugs – even when you aren’t there to supervise. . .

Learn simple techniques for getting any dog to stop barking at strangers or from begging you to let him back inside –

Plus a TON more step-by-step dog obedience strategies THOUSANDS of regular people are already using, check out –

The Hands Off Dog Training Method

————————————————————–

Recent Blog Posts