1st time Labrador Puppy
- Thread starter Alleeluna
- Start date
So of the three Forthglade foods there - the bottom one is complementary, so you can't feed a lot of this as it doesn't include all the vitamins and minerals needed for a compete balanced diet. But, if you feed it as a quarter or less of her food, then it is fine. (I use the complementary food, I buy the purple, mixed flavour packs)
Of the top two, both are complete so you could feed this instead of kibble if you wanted - both are good, one's grain free, the other isn't - I'd probably go for the butternut squash one, just because dogs don't really need rice as an ingredient, - although again, many decent foods have rice in them, including one I feed
. Most important thing is that it suits her - just buy one pack and see how you get on for now - if poos are well formed and she gains weight at a steady rate, that's all you need.
Of the top two, both are complete so you could feed this instead of kibble if you wanted - both are good, one's grain free, the other isn't - I'd probably go for the butternut squash one, just because dogs don't really need rice as an ingredient, - although again, many decent foods have rice in them, including one I feed
. Most important thing is that it suits her - just buy one pack and see how you get on for now - if poos are well formed and she gains weight at a steady rate, that's all you need.
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Also, most importantly, don't forget to have Luna introduce herself over in the Kennel Club: The Kennel Club - no hoomans allowed!
- Location
- South Wales
Welcome welcome welcome! From me and my giant yellow Labrador Pongo in south Wales.
Naya
Moderator
- Location
- Bristol, UK
Hi and welcome from me and 7 year old girl, Harley. Harley hated her crate from day 1. She would go in if I was going out, but overnight she wanted to be with us. We tried her bed next to ours for a few days, then my OH put her on the bed one night when I was getting ready for bed. She fell asleep and OH said she was too cute to move.........she’s been there ever since, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
my daughters puppy loves her crate and sleeps there every night (unless she is at our house
).
We feed nutriment as her only food and she loves it. We struggled with lots of kibbles due to her sensitive tummy.
my daughters puppy loves her crate and sleeps there every night (unless she is at our house
). We feed nutriment as her only food and she loves it. We struggled with lots of kibbles due to her sensitive tummy.
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Hello and welcome from myself in Sydney Australia and Maxx who will be 3 on Monday. This forum saved us because Maxx was an absolute nightmare puppy and we very nearly gave him back to the breeder thinking we were doing something terribly wrong. So please ask as many questions as you like.
We first had Maxx in a box beside our bed for a few days and then in a pen in the loungeroom and one of us slept on the couch so he could see and smell us. Like others, he now sleeps where he pleases - either on our bed, a couch, the spare king size bed or - just sometimes - in his own bed!
Luna is so adorable - more pics please!
We first had Maxx in a box beside our bed for a few days and then in a pen in the loungeroom and one of us slept on the couch so he could see and smell us. Like others, he now sleeps where he pleases - either on our bed, a couch, the spare king size bed or - just sometimes - in his own bed!
Luna is so adorable - more pics please!
** Pupdate..so last night at 10 I set up her little bed in my room with my t shirt and a pillow she likes..she got in it..then got out and laid on my husbands work clothes and slept Until 1.30.
Brought her down for a wee and she was playful so kept the light off and ignored her and laid on the sofa. She then laid on the sofa with me and slept until 6.
She was such a good girl
What a difference 3 hours solid sleep makes!
I have been training her and she has taken to it so well I can’t believe it. My worry is I will give her too many treats. She does sit so well and now we are doing don’t try and kill the cat im using a lot more. Any advice
Brought her down for a wee and she was playful so kept the light off and ignored her and laid on the sofa. She then laid on the sofa with me and slept until 6.
She was such a good girl
What a difference 3 hours solid sleep makes!I have been training her and she has taken to it so well I can’t believe it. My worry is I will give her too many treats. She does sit so well and now we are doing don’t try and kill the cat im using a lot more. Any advice
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Atemas
UK Tour Guide
- Location
- North Cambridgeshire
I have a daily allowance of food for my dog and take so much out for treats. As a puppy she had very little at meal times and more throughout the day as treats (although I never put any food in a bowl for her first year; I’d scatter food, use those ball things you can put food in, KONGs). Now at 3 she gets very little treat wise and more at meal times. She also has 3 KONGs spaced out over the day.
By having a daily weight allowance, it stops any over feeding
By having a daily weight allowance, it stops any over feeding
Sorry update..I think between the over worrying and no sleep I cried!! She won’t leave the cat alone and he bites me now every time I pick him up. I tried putting Luna in the other room so I can check on the cat and she managed to jump off the sofa, somehow knock down the pet gate and got to Alan again before I did 
. I am doing the clicker so when she goes for Alan she wants back to me but she goes for him when I’m out or upstairs. Urgh sorry rant over! Think I need a nap 
. I am doing the clicker so when she goes for Alan she wants back to me but she goes for him when I’m out or upstairs. Urgh sorry rant over! Think I need a nap 
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
Have a nap whenever you can, thats my advice ! I was 71 when I had Reuben as a puppy , I`ve had labs before plus other rescues so I told myself that it wouldnt be too bad , I knew what I was doing 
I now freely admit that I was shattered , totally shattered for the first few months whilst he , oblivious to it all , romped away, biting and generally being a little sod to the point that I wondered what the hell I had done ! We all feel like this, honestly we do , keep the faith, it gets easier x
I now freely admit that I was shattered , totally shattered for the first few months whilst he , oblivious to it all , romped away, biting and generally being a little sod to the point that I wondered what the hell I had done ! We all feel like this, honestly we do , keep the faith, it gets easier x
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Morning @Alleeluna I echo Kate above- I too struggled with Cassie as a puppy but it almost hurts to say that now - at 4 she is the loveliest dog and everything i could wish for.
I have learnt so much from folk on here (and the one before) so stay with us.
I am not a dog trainers but from what you say I wonder how you are using the clicker? I think perhaps you need to be marking and rewarding for calm behaviour around Alan?
We have knowledgeable trainers on here @snowbunny @Joy @Beanwood I am sure they can help !?
I have learnt so much from folk on here (and the one before) so stay with us.
I am not a dog trainers but from what you say I wonder how you are using the clicker? I think perhaps you need to be marking and rewarding for calm behaviour around Alan?
We have knowledgeable trainers on here @snowbunny @Joy @Beanwood I am sure they can help !?
- Location
- South Wales
....which is the same for every Labrador puppy owner I know. Good god, I remember Pongo's puppy days. It gets better, really it does....you will soon be looking back and going "do you remember when....". And then you'll be on this forum saying the same thing to another new Labrador mum!
By the way, has anyone told you to take lots of photos? Not just because we want to see them (!) but you'll want to look back at them for years and years - it is impossible to have too many puppy photos!
Thank you. When she goes to go to Alan I click and she comes back to me and she gets a treat. I keep doing this but this is what I worry about her eating too much treats. She knows what the click means but she is relentless with going back to him. Alan is such a good boy and doesn’t claw her
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
I think perhaps you should click for not going to Alan -- someone who can be of more help will be along soon I am sure !!
What a dear boy Alan is !
What a dear boy Alan is !
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Hey @Alleeluna. OK, so first off, I think you're a bit muddled about the use of the clicker. It's not a distraction or "come to me" signal. It's a signal that "what you're doing right now is what earns you a treat". So that's one really good reason to stop using it in this situation, because if she understands it that way, then you'll be reinforcing the pestering behaviour, making it more likely to happen in the future, rather than stopping it. If she doesn't yet understand it like that, and thinks of it more as a "come to me" cue, then you have a different set of problems: firstly, you won't be able to use it as intended going forwards and secondly that you're "poisoning" the "come to me" cue by asking her to do it when she's having fun.
So, what to do instead? The first rule in any situation like this is that management is key. When you're not specifically training for something (and we can't all have our training hats on 24/7) you need to ensure that you have your environment set up so that she can't practice the behaviour you don't want. That can look very different for every situation. It could be that Luna is in a play pen when you can't be watching her, or you use doors and/or (sturdy ) baby gates to separate them. Maybe she's tethered to you with a house lead for short times.
That's your first step. The training part is separate to this, but I don't think you should be swamped with too much information at one time. So go away and think about what management techniques could be practical in your situation and write them down here.
Ditch the clicker for now, until we have it clear in your head how it should be used going forwards.
Then we'll come back to training afterwards.
We have your back, and we all really understand what little gits Labrador puppies can be at times. But we still love them
So, what to do instead? The first rule in any situation like this is that management is key. When you're not specifically training for something (and we can't all have our training hats on 24/7) you need to ensure that you have your environment set up so that she can't practice the behaviour you don't want. That can look very different for every situation. It could be that Luna is in a play pen when you can't be watching her, or you use doors and/or (sturdy
) baby gates to separate them. Maybe she's tethered to you with a house lead for short times. That's your first step. The training part is separate to this, but I don't think you should be swamped with too much information at one time. So go away and think about what management techniques could be practical in your situation and write them down here.
Ditch the clicker for now, until we have it clear in your head how it should be used going forwards.
Then we'll come back to training afterwards.
We have your back, and we all really understand what little gits Labrador puppies can be at times. But we still love them
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Remember we mark behaviours, not lack of behaviours. "Not going for Alan" does not pass the Dead Dog Test
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
@Alleeluna, you need to reward Luna for not going to Alan, so you need to catch the thought she has BEFORE she goes for him. Have you been doing the 'leave it take it' with the clicker? She can then understand 'leave Alan' eventually.
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
I think I kind of meant reward for calm , or something!Remember we mark behaviours, not lack of behaviours. "Not going for Alan" does not pass the Dead Dog Test
Erm what is the dead dog test ?
I
- Location
- Essex, U.K.
Oh yes, I was never prepared for the manic whirlwind of a beast that I ended up with, but 3 years later she is just the calmest, most balanced and affectionate dog and I love her to bits. At times early on I really didn't like her at all and I remember reading the advice given to me on here and wishing the time away until Maisy was a calm older dog - but don't, try and deal the best you can, ask questions, prepare yourself, enjoy those puppy months and take lots and lots of pictures. It goes by so quickly and remember - everything is a phase and will eventually pass (mostlyHey @Alleeluna.
We have your back, and we all really understand what little gits Labrador puppies can be at times. But we still love them
).