You can start training your puppy practically as soon as you get him home. You can take him to puppy training classes of course, but it isn’t so difficult to learn puppy training techniques and teach him yourself. Dogs are like children and learn quickly through games. Try to play with your puppy as often as you can, and if possible get down on the floor with him. That way a bond will be established between you and the puppy and you can strengthen it through training. When he is about eight weeks old your puppy will be old enough to start learning how to retrieve things, bring them to you and lay them at your feet. He will find this fun and enjoy playing “fetch” for the rest of his life.

The best way to teach him this game is to keep him on a 10-foot leash. Rather than using a stick, use a toy he is familiar with or a soft ball. It is important to ensure that it isn’t too small, to prevent him from swallowing it. Take the toy and wave it in the air around his head to catch his attention, and then throw it at a distance of about 5 feet. Be careful not to throw it further than that or he might injure himself when he suddenly reaches the end of the leash. Make sure you use his name, for example “Prince, fetch!”

Run after him as he goes after the toy and give him a bit of praise, especially if he picks it up, but do not praise him too much at this point. If he fails to pick it up with his mouth, shake it in front of him until he does, and then return to where you were, trying to get him to follow you. Should he drop the toy you must make him pick it up again. When he brings it back, get the toy out of his mouth saying “Out” as you do so, so that he will learn to recognize this command. After that you can lavish all the praise you want on him.

It is important when training a new puppy to make sure he always has fun with this game and that it is not a source of stress for him. Little by little he will begin to understand what you want and what he needs to do to get praise from you. Once you no longer have to move towards the toy to get him to retrieve, you can begin to throw it in other directions.

Although Labrador retrievers are good swimmers, this is something they need to learn, and they need to strengthen their swimming muscles through exercise. It is not a good idea to push your puppy into the water or make him go in. When he is about three months old you can encourage him to enter a pond or lake and he will quickly understand what to do. You can help him get started by wading in with him at the beginning, and if he sees other dogs having fun in the water that will encourage him to get in on the fun.

Puppies that are raised by the sea become great sea-lovers, but you have to be sure to protect a young puppy from big waves. Take him to the shallow part of a sheltered bay to begin with. When you throw an object make sure it does not fall into deep water as it is easy to misjudge distances and your puppy might not be able to swim back if the object is too far away, and risks drowning from exhaustion.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s safe to let your puppy swim in your pool. He might go in alone when you are not looking and not be able to climb out when he gets tired.

“Black Labrador Retriever” it reads. Surprised, you ask a clerk about the puppy, and are assured that it is indeed a purebred black Labrador. Purebred? Can black and white Lab puppies be purebred? The price certainly is “purebred” price!

As luck would have it, your children want that very puppy. You hesitate, and finally ask for the puppy to be held until the next day. Back home, you decide to do a little research. You go online, and search the Internet for “black & white lab puppies info”.

So Sorry

If the information you find is honest, you will learn that black Labradors do not come in black and white. Any dog billed as a white and black Labrador Retriever is of mixed blood. Unfortunately, disreputable breeders are working to convince the public that these mongrels are AKC registered dogs. Indeed, with a bit of dishonest paperwork, some may become registered as black Labradors, but their registration will not endure scrutiny.

Realizing that the puppy in the pet shop is far over-priced, since it is not purebred, you decide to look for a real black Labrador.

AKC Color Standard

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives just 3 colors for Labrador Retrievers:

1. Black Labrador

2. Yellow Labrador

3. Chocolate Labrador

Any other color – or a combination of colors – disqualifies a dog for registration as a Labrador Retriever.

A black Labrador may have a small white spot on the chest and meet the standard, but even that is considered undesirable.

A black Labrador should be all black, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail. There should be no streaks, spots, or flecks of other colors. If the dog is older, and has a few white “age” hairs, that is fine. A young black Labrador, however, should be completely black.

The Color Genes

The black Labrador Retriever’s color is determined primarily by 2 genes.

1. The first gene (B) decides how dense a black Labrador’s coat pigment granules will be. When pigment granules are dense, the coat will be black. When pigment granules are sparse, the coat will be chocolate. If this were the only gene involved, there would be only chocolate and black Labradors.

2. The second gene (E) makes the difference. It determines whether any pigment is even produced. Regardless of the B gene, if a dog has the recessive E, there will be little color. It will be a yellow Labrador.

Variations in a number of other genes control subtler color details.

A black Labrador’s nose matches its coat – black.

Blue, Charcoal, Grey, and Silver

Unscrupulous breeders have come up with new names to fit their puppies that do not meet the officially recognized standard, telling people that it is a new line of “purebred” black Labrador.

The most blatantly pushed of these four colors is silver. This is a very light color and, since it is sought by some who do not adhere to the standard, disreputable breeders describe unusually light colored yellow and chocolate labs as “silver” labs.

Sharon Wagner, molecular biologist and geneticist of wigwaglabradors.com wrote an analysis, which concluded “Silver breeders also blatantly lie. They have information on their websites that talk about DNA testing done by the AKC … AKC never did any genetic mapping of silver Labradors nor do they have any plans to do so since they are a registering body only and the Labrador Club of America writes the standard for the breed.”

Dogbreedadvice.com states in a Labrador FAQ: “‘Silver’ Labradors are purely a scam and are either crosses with Weimaraners or very light chocolates.”

A black Labrador Retriever’s color should never be any of these shades.

Are You My Father?

Imagine that you mate 2 black Labradors, and nine weeks later a litter of squirming little puppies arrives. Three are black Labradors, as expected, but 2 are chocolate Labs, and 4 are yellow Labs. Ahem! Will the real father please stand up!

You know the real father – no question – so how did this happen? It all goes back to genes. A Lab with one gene for dark and one for red-yellow pigment will appear to be black or chocolate, depending on other genes that control black or chocolate color. Each parent of a litter with some yellow puppies must have at least one gene for red-yellow pigment.

We know we mated 2 black Labradors, so each of them must have had one gene for dark pigment and one for red-yellow pigment. If both parents had been yellow Labs, neither could carry the gene for dark pigment. None of their puppies would have been chocolate or black Labradors.

Black Labrador Retriever color is important to many people, as are the short, dense, weather resistant coat; the “otter” tail; and the clean-cut head with broad back skull.

More important, though, is that your lovable Labrador be happy and healthy.

By: Anna Hart

Choosing the right puppy food is just one of the hundred ways to show a loving puppy care, however the most important decisions when raising an incredible puppy. Differ from humans, dogs have the tendency to get their complete nutritional intake from just one type of food. Feeding your dog with proper diet can greatly extend its life span. However, the puppy dog food market is wide and sundry. As a pet owner, how do you decide what type to use? Which of those diverse options suitable for your puppy? Is it organic puppy food, commercial puppy food or home made puppy food?

Your puppy deserves a best puppy care possible, so for you to be able to succeed in this endeavor, you should always talk to your vet about which of those types of puppy food appropriate for the new member of your household. Keep in mind that puppy diet is not the same as the older dogs. Avoid a trip to the grocery store and just grab a bag of dog food to feed your puppy. This is not good for your pet’s health since it can’t meet the required nutritional of a healthy puppy diet.

When it comes to puppy food, you have several choices to consider. First, make sure that the food you’re picking is good for puppies. Older and adult dogs have different nutritional needs and their dietary requirements are different.

Puppies need bigger calories intake compares to older dogs. Since they burn more energy, they need more protein to keep them active.

You should also consider the type of breed you have: Labrador, Shih Tzu, Dachshund, German shepherd and others. There’s a particular formulated puppy food for different breeds, and even if you choose not to devote extra money on specific breed formulas, understanding what makes your breed’s food different is valuable when seeking for food options.

Premium dog food could be one of your alternatives. This type of dog food is highly recommended by many vets because they tend to be more nutritionally sensible. You’ll be spending a heavier price for your dog victuals, however the additional dietary value makes worth spending. Not only the nutritional benefits that count, also premium dog foods are easier to digest because of fewer fillers content. This means your puppy will eat less while getting more as compared to a cheaper priced meal.

Do you like the idea of all natural ingredients but not the thought of devoting so much of your time in your kitchen preparing a home made food? Then organic puppy food might be the right alternative for you. Not only all-natural dog food encourage health and long life in your puppy, but can also lessen digestive disorders, probably remove skin problems or allergies, helps to maintain a healthier weight, give more energy, and build a stronger immune system for your pet.

Now that you know some of innovative information, how do you start to limit your options and select the right puppy food? Well, the first step would be seeking some of your friend’s recommendations and consider their experiences with their puppies. Get a diversity of opinions from your vet, local puppy shelters, dog owners you know, and breeders of your certain kind of pup.

Then go and surf the Internet and do some research about some of the puppy food you’re keen on and read the reviews and opinions of other dog owners.

Lastly, regardless of what advice you get, the best puppy food for your new pet will be anything you are willing to spend, have an easy access to, and anything that would be effective for your pooch.

There’s no right or wrong answer when searching for puppy food, though you might be needing to do some exploration with a little different kinds before deciding on a type of food that works.

Try to choose organic puppy food… There’s no harm in trying anyway. Show your tender loving puppy care; feed him food not to sustain hi his taste buds but anything that will sustain his dietary requirements. This is more of giving him what he wants.