The Costs and Responsibility of a Dog.

Our Newest Foster Boy Tiny

It seems that lately I find myself quite frequently in conversations with people about the cost and responsibility of having a dog as a member of your family. I therefore consider it prudent to discuss it a little here on this blog.

Critten at Work

In the paragraph above I describe the dog as a "member of your family". I think this is important because this is truly the manner in which you need to consider your little canine buddies. When we take on the responsibility of adoption, we assume the responsibility for this beautiful creature for its entire lifetime. This is something that should never be taken lightly! These little guys are God's creatures and it is our responsibility as their guardians to care for them to the best of our ability. This is what we agree to when we adopt one of these guys.

Food is expensive, but this is not the only monetary cost that needs careful consideration. It has been said that time is money. Well regardless of the breed or age, your dog requires a considerable amount of your time. You can not just leave the little guy at home by himself for 12 hours a day. It is not fair to him and will absolutely ultimately lead to behavioral issues!

Here are a few monetary costs ( remember this is not an all inclusive list feel free to comment with additions):

• Food
• Grooming
• Heartworm tests and preventive medication
• Pet Sitter for vacation
• Crate
• Bedding
• Toys
• Treats
• Training
• Medication
• Vaccinations
• Flea/Tick control
• Collar, Leash,Harness, Pet Tag, Microchip
• Fence for yard
• Pet Gates for home
• Dog proofing (Beagle Proofing) the home.
• Misc.Supplies

I mentioned time. It is important that you walk your dog frequently. Take them with you whenever possible on errands, etc. This is important for their continued social development. Also do not underestimate the amount of time required to feed, water, and let out for exercise. You also need to take sufficient time for ongoing training.

I am not telling you any of this to discourage you from having dogs. It is just really important to realize and understand the costs and responsibility before your welcome a new dog into your pack!

The Lovely Shane and Cuddles

That being expressed, there are some really great advantages to living with dogs! A dog never judges you and us generally always happy to see you! They really do become emotionally attached to their people! For instance, the Lovely Shane got a really bad stomach virus from our grandson who was also sick. She spent the night away from the dog training shack to be with our grandson and to attempt not to spread the virus to me (I am eternally grateful for this particular gesture! It was a really nasty bug). Our newest adopted dog, Trigger the Dachshund, was not happy about this at all. He looked for his mommy all night. He was visibly anxious. When she returned the next day, she got a very enthusiastic greeting from the entire pack! By far, the most enthusiastic was little Trigger! She also got an enthusiastic greeting from the Dog Trainer .... I miss that awesome lady when she is away!

A few of our happy pack

Sleepy Copper

The point I am attempting to convey here is that dogs are a responsibility. We must care for them. This is not just a responsibility when they are convenient or fun. It is a responsibility that lasts for their entire life! It is a wonderfully rewarding responsibility! I must admit that I get much more out of my relationship with the dogs in my pack than I put into it. But, I do put a great deal of effort into my dogs. If you are considering bringing a dog into your home, you will have to put in effort as well.

If you are looking for a new dog for your pack, please let me know. Our Foster Boy Biscuit the Basset Mix is available for immediate adoption. We also have a new foster Beagle named Tiny. He is a very small Beagle. We just got him from the Fayette County Shelter. We are treating him for what we think is a respiratory infection. So he will likely not be available for adoption for a couple of weeks. He is a cute little guy. He seems to be an adult but a young one. Probably around a year old.

If you have questions regarding the responsibility and cost of dogs, or If you have any training questions, please contact me at any time!

Also, If you need a fence for your back yard, I own a handyman business and would be happy to provide you with an estimate!

Till Next Time

-William-

William Moore

William Moore Canine Training

678-702-4791

fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

Copper at Work

William Moore Lawn and Handyman Services

678-702-4791

fayettelawnmoore@gmail.com
http://fayettelawnmoore.blogspot.com

Trigger

Biscuit

Meet the Breed: Labrador Retriever

 The Labrador Retriever, or simply abbreviated as "Lab", is one of my favorite breeds.

The cute little girl on the front seat of the truck belongs to my brother Stan Moore. (By the way, if you need a sign of any type, he is about the best in the business). This little girl is Bailey. She helps my brother with his sign business. She is very often on the front seat of the truck next to him or in the shop supervising his work.

The black Lab in the other picture with her belongs to my niece, Olivia and her fiancee, Dale. His name is Buck.

The Labrador Retriever is a member of the group that we refer to as sight hounds. They were bread to retrieve birds.  Generally they love nothing more than chasing things. They love to play with tennis balls and flying discs. They are generally very energetic little guys/girls.

The adult male Lab height is about 23 inches. The females are generally a little smaller. The adult male weight is generally about 70 pounds with the females being slightly lighter.

There are four colors of Lab. They are Black, Yellow, Chocolate, and Silver. Buck is a Black Lab, Bailey is a Yellow Lab, and the patriotic pup in the picture is a Chocolate Lab. The little guy standing in front of the privacy fence is a Silver Lab.

In my experience, these dogs are generally great fun to train. For the most part, the ones I have had the pleasure of working with, have been very intelligent. They are generally very eager to please the people. They seem to really want to learn.

They also seem to really need the dog/human interaction. They love people and are loyal. They are also generally very affectionate and good with human children.

Because they are so energetic and affectionate, it is really important to begin socialization and training early. They are good with people but sometimes, as puppies, they can be a little nervous around people so, the socialization needs to begin early.

As puppies, these guys have, in my experience, been very easy to housebreak.

In my experience, the adult lab (male or female) is pretty strong. For this reason, it is important to train them to walk properly on-leash early. It is also important to address the typical puppy behavior (nipping, jumping on people, etc.) early while they are still relatively  small physically.

These little guys need a lot of exercise. They also need the person to be in control. They really look for the leadership of people and they need this leadership.

Please understand, by leadership I do not mean be abusive, violent or physical with them. I simply mean that it is important that you remain assertive. For instance, the Lab loves to play. You have to be consistent about not letting them jump on you or do any other impolite behaviors. I can teach you methods to control them and make them polite dogs without hurting them.

Since the Lab is a relatively large dog and needs a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation, it may not be the best choice for apartment dwellers.

I tell people that the Lab remains a puppy for several years. I do not mean that they are physically a puppy this long. What I mean is they act like a puppy for several years. They remain very energetic and playful well into adulthood. This is one reason I like the breed so much!

Because these dogs learn so quickly and are so eager to please, they are often trained as service and therapy dogs.

If you are searching for a dog that is easy to train, fun to play with, and very loyal, the Lab is certainly worth consideration for an addition to your pack.

I have found that mixed breed dogs that are part Lab generally keep most of the Lab traits (of course this varies from dog to dog).

I could not end this post without a picture and mention of one of the sweetest dogs I ever had the blessing to have in my pack. The dog on the bed in the picture is my old buddy Critten. Critten was a Lab mix. We think she was mixed with one of the so called "Pit-Bull" breeds. Although we were never certain of what her ancestry consisted.

Critten was full of energy well into her adult years. She was also about the most obedient and easy to train dogs I have ever seen.  I had to exercise her a lot! She loved to play fetch with anything and could literally play for hours.

Well, as I always tell you, if you are considering adding another member to your pack, please, please, please, consider adoption. There are many really good Labs and Lab mixes that need forever homes and would love to go home with you and join your pack!

There are plenty of good Labrador Rescue Groups, if you want a purebred Lab. There are also plenty of good general Canine rescue groups. See my earlier posts on the heroes of dog rescue for more information.http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-local-heroes-of-dog-rescue.html and http://fayettedogtrainer.blogspot.com/2013/06/another-local-dog-rescue-hero.html

Please understand, I am not bashing breeders here. There are some very good ones. And like with any other business there are also some very bad ones. If you decide to buy from a breeder please research them well. Talk to other people who have bought dogs from them. Visit their facility if possible. Ask to see the parent dogs.

When you get your new pack member, please contact me for any training needs or other questions that you may have. I specialize in adopted/rescued dogs and would love to help you and your new pack member! I also have a great deal of experience with new puppies so, if you buy from a breeder, feel free to contact me at any time as well!

Till Next Time

-William -

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
678-702-4791
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com

What can I do about my shedding dog?

 Well, it is summer here in the western hemisphere of our planet. With the warmer temperatures, your little buddies will shed more than in the winter months.

Certain breed also tend to shed much more than others. German Shepherds and Labradors tend to shed larger amounts of fur than some other breeds. The Lovely Shane may not believe this based upon the hair that accumulates around the Dog Trainer shack, but, Beagles are fairly moderate shedding dogs. Cuddles, our Corgi mix barely sheds at all.

I once had a lab/pit bull mix named Critten. She was a big time shedder!

A little more hair shed this time of year is normal. However, excessive shedding can, in some cases indicate a medical problem. This is particularly true if there are also other symptoms such as excessive scratching, skin irritation, etc. Our friends at the ASPCA have some information on their website that lists other symptoms for which to be on the lookout. The information may be obtained at http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/dog-care-shedding.aspx .

I have mentioned before that our Whopper Beagle, Copper has a thyroid problem that we treat with medication. Before he was diagnosed, one of his symptoms was excessive shedding. Since he has been on the medication, he does not shed nearly as much and his coat is much brighter and softer.

Excessive shedding can, in some cases, be caused by insufficient nutrients and can be treated through diet or supplements. Only your veterinarian can diagnose this for certain however.

There are things that can be done to control the normal summer time shedding.

I have found that regular brushing is a very effective way to cut down on the amount of shed hair that we find in the shack. The Lovely Shane and I do our best to routinely brush our little guys. The way we do it is that we brush them on the back porch just before they come in to the shack. I use a slicker brush(similar to the red one in the picture)

. It is the type of tool that I have used for many years on Beagles. You must be careful not to scratch the dog's skin with the bristles but once you get the feel for it you will have no trouble.

The slicker brush however, is not the tool that most professional groomers that I know recommend. Most groomers that I know recommend a tool like the Zoom Groom (the blue one in the picture). It is made of some sort of rubber like material. The bristles will never cut into the skin.

There is a great deal of hype about the Furminator (the yellow tool in the picture). It is a good tool but I can not justify the outrageously high price for my use. I have also been cautioned by some of the groomers that I know to be very careful with the blade on these things because they can be rough on the skin.

When I worked for Petco we did a remodel. As a result of this remodel we replaced some of the items that we previously carried with similar items in different sizes. There was quite a good clearance sale on much of the stuff we were no longer carrying. I picked up a bottle of spray on conditioner that was suppose to control shedding. I got it for almost nothing. I tried it and in my experience the stuff works very well. Petco still carries it in a different size than I purchased. The same sort of stuff can also be sourced from many other places.

The Lovely Shane and I have very little carpet in the shack here. Our goal is to have no carpet at all. We have mostly wood and vinyl flooring. This may be extreme for you and I am not suggesting it for everyone, we just find that it makes clean-up exponentially easier.

Something that I do recommend is changing or checking your central air conditioning filters very often this time of year. You will probably be surprised how much dog hair get sucked up by the returns on your AC system.

Remember, if you have any dog training needs or dog related questions or concerns, please contact me at any time.


Till next time

-William -

William Moore
William Moore Canine Training
fayettedogtrainer@gmail.com
678-702-4791