I had a black lab for 11 years, Dickens (1985-1996), but after that I moved into an apartment in a city [Jacksonville] which as far as wide open public spaces are concerned is pretty lacking. [When I had my dog he could run wild in my neighborhood along the river and in my large front yard]
So now I’m retired and living in Cleveland, 5 minutes from some huge fields, the apartment complex here has a small dog park, and a large public one is 10 minutes away, so have the time now and the space to make it work with an active breed like a lab. I may be moving in 6 months or so into an actual house, note.
So without further ado:
Food recommendations? I guess I did okay with Purina back in the day, but definitely want something that is healthy and nutritious for a growing body.
I plan to use pads at first then transition him to going outside.
Currently doing a ceiling to floor cleaning spree in here, may have to ask the management here if they’ll allow kitchen cabinet locks.
Learned my lesson from years ago and will provide a number of hard chewables.
May get a third camera in here, two way with voice, so I can keep tabs on him when I am gone. Want to avoid separation anxiety.
Any further recommendations of puppy-proofing things?
I have to say, so far all my dogs found me. I never prepared, so to speak.
I guess I’m just always ready for animals and folks needing a place.
Don’t know how or why. Just is.
But I would get a crate right up front.
May as well get a big one. Not gonna be a small dog.
It will greatly expediate potty training.
And clean up will be easier.
Get a good quality food. I’d let a Vet recommend me one.
Training. Take classes with a professional trainer.
We got a puppy about 18 months ago. Great Pyrenees / Australian Shepherd mix. Took her to puppy classes; took her to beginning classes. Still planning on intermediate classes. This has made such a difference between her and our previous dogs.
Socialize your puppy. Find reasons to take them out. Allow them to meet new people and new dogs. I think the training classes helped with that, too.
If you have them, pick up your bathroom & office trash cans or get ones with lids.
I agree that crate training right away is the best way to go. Also training. People need training as much as dogs.
Remember that if you leave something out and your dog chews it, it’s your fault not theirs. Always set your dog up for success.
Don’t leave them alone with chewables that can be destroyed/ingested like a rawhide or Nylabone. Those are only for supervised play. But yeah, Kongs are a good idea.
Nylon or leather leashes only. No retractable leashes.
I don’t agree with puppy pads. It’s never acceptable to pee on the floor. Don’t teach them that it’s ok to pee inside now just to change it up later. If your dog pees inside that’s on you. Peeing indoors should only be an accident. I really like Resolve spray for accidents. And I keep old rags around for cleaning up - blot with one, spray, then wipe. Paper towels tend to just get ground into the carpet.
I really dig Wet Noses treats for my dogs. Super simple ingredients. Their bulk bucket is 20% off right now, I think. Coupon BUCKET20.
If possible, get your puppy 12 weeks old or older. They’ll have a lot better bladder control, and will probably have had more socialization time with their mother and littermates.
If you’re intending to let the dog run loose in those “huge fields”, make sure you investigate first who owns them and what’s in them. Letting a dog not trained for behavior around livestock run loose in pastures, for instance, is a recipe for disaster; including quite possibly disaster for the dog.
Get a Lab pup tested for hip dysplasia. There may be ameliorative measure available if started early; or so my vet. told me. (My half-lab tested no problems, so I didn’t look into that further.)
Don’t let them do now anything you won’t want them to do when they’re full grown. If you want that cute puppy on your lap but you won’t want the adult dog on your lap: resist the temptation.
And what you probably don’t need to be told: pat that pup!
My personal preference is goldens, but I’ve known MANY labs. Some will feel the exact opposite, but my experience is that I’ve known more “problem” young lab than goldens. Just a lot more destructiveness and hyperactivity. As adults, MOST (not all) seem to mellow into excellent dogs (tho many seem to tend towards obesity - likely the owners’ fault.)
I would imagine adopting a 2-3 year old lab which is already house trained and mellowing out would be far preferable to trying to raise a pup in your apartment. I would expect training on pads and then outdoors would be quite challenging - but it is not anything I ever had to do or would try to do. I would think once a dog is used to messing in the house, that is something that could always come back.
If I lacked a house with a fenced yard, I would probably consider something other than a lab pup.
I learned that lesson with my 1st lab: down to the elevator in my mom’s condo, let it go all the way out, curved hallway, arrive at the elevator: and the lead is inside and the door is shut. I was absolutely dreading seeing the thing shoot out of my hand and shatter against the door, but soon the door opened on my floor and he trotted out like nothing happened, with a kindly neighbor inside saving him from my idiocy.
So the crate is a better alternative than leaving him out when I am gone, precisely because he likely won’t go inside the thing?
The “fields” are city-owned ballfields, that nobody ever plays ball on. I know of one far back from the main road, and maybe an overzealous ranger will chew me out, shrug. Plan to get him chipped and with a radio collar when he is out and about. Understand my 1st lab absolutely loved fielding fungos all over the diamond.
I don’t mind the lap dance at all.
At his prime there wasn’t an ounce of fat on my 1st lab’s frame, 70 lbs. of solid muscle. I could play with him all day long, yard or pool, and he wouldn’t get tired. Hate to say this but something very screwy happened the year that he died, he quickly lost a ton of stamina, and died overnight the morning I was going to pick him up after a bladder operation. I ordered an autopsy and they found that his atrium was bigger than his ventricle; I asked the vet when that would ever develop, and he insisted he was born with it. Horsecrap given the things he could do, thru age 10.
The mini doggie park here is fenced, as is the bigger city one down the way.
Crates are awesome because dogs love dens, so once they’re used to being in it they really love being in there. And it keeps them cozy and calm while you’re gone. And it keeps them from being able to cause destruction in the house from being bored or anxious, which means it’s more safe for them and more safe for your house. And yes, they will typically not potty in their crate - but hey if they do at least you know where to find it!
Lots of dogs will chill in their crates with the door open even when you haven’t put them there. It’s their safe place.
At least, when the Large Yellow Cat isn’t in there. (The cat doesn’t want to be shut in, though; the dog is just fine with it – he always gets a treat when I close him in.)
I’m not sure why he doesn’t go in when the cat is in there; he washes that cat all the time. But the cat may have told him that the crate’s not large enough for both of them. (It would be, but not if they both wanted to stretch out separately.)
I never intended to be crating him this long; but he does so love chewing on the furniture.
If you’re getting a house in 6 months, it’s probably best to wait until then to get the dog. You’ll save yourself so many hassles not having to deal with all the issues of having a puppy in an apartment. You never know what kind of destructive trouble a puppy will get into. I got a puppy 2 weeks before I moved out of my apartment and she ended up tearing a section of carpet the day before my final walk through.
We’ve crated our dogs and it works out great. It seems like it would be awful from a human viewpoint, but the dogs seem to truly be content to be in the crate. One thing I did to help them get used to it at night was to sleep next to it. Otherwise, they’d whine when I left them alone. After a couple of nights sleeping next to them, they were fine. You could also put the crate in the bedroom and then move it somewhere else once they are used to it.
Some, maybe most. But not our Golden. Maybe we didn’t try long enough, but he hated the crate. He was very easy in every other way, so we abandoned the crate idea and he’s been fine ever since.
I decided on timing it for the spring because the warmer weather will mean more chances for exercise as he grows, vs. growing up in the fall/winter and him looking at me with sad puppy eyes as I point out all the rain and/or snow outside which means we can’t go out that day. Or that week. I want him to be full-grown before having to have him deal with winter here.
My lab is pushing 14 and MY heart has all kinds of rare and serious problems.
It is entirely possible that Dickens had a genetic predisposition to something like Canine DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy) that could manifest later in life and could cause atrial dilatation.
I’m quite sure you didn’t do anything wrong or anything that brought it on.
Yeah not every dog takes to it! And not every family is good at doing the training. My Grady came to me with severe anxiety and his canine teeth were worn away from trying to chew out of a cage, so I wasn’t about to try to cage him. I literally just stayed home for the first 6 months I had him It actually was a disservice to him because the few times I had him boarded overnight, it did not go good. He woulda been much better off if he understood caging.
It’s always always always good to try, and try hard. Sometimes it fails (and happy fails because your dog is ok loose anyway yay!) But cage training is so good for dogs, ESPECIALLY if you’re going to be leaving them home for long stretches. It’s the safest thing.
We never used a crate for our goldens. We use one now for our goldendoodle. Not for damage, but he barks too much at passersby (or nothing!) and we don’t want him to be one of “those dogs” when we’re gone.
You had a lab before that didn’t want to go out because it was raining/snowing?
My lab laughed at rain, would zoom through deep puddles like it was nothing, would then stand there dripping wet with a goofy look on his face. I just want him to be full-grown before I have to worry about cold weather again, since this is Ohio not Florida this time.
OK. I’m in Chicago. Have owned dogs all my life. Don’t understand why you would “worry about cold weather.” IMO, spring mud season is more of a hassle.
It actually was a disservice to him because the few times I had him boarded overnight, it did not go good. He woulda been much better off if he understood caging.