dig by dog

Once you have decided that a Labrador Retriever is the right dog for you and your family, you are now ready to begin the search for a puppy that will hopefully be an ideal pet for the entire household, one that will be fun training to retrieve and can be used as such during the hunting season.

Whether it would be a male or a female is something that you need to decide before buying a Labrador Retriever. For those who want to acquire a hunting dog, a male is preferable because a female may come in heat just when she is needed as a retriever. However, in other circumstances, there is really not much difference; each sex has advantages and disadvantages. Either will wander if enticed away by neighboring dogs, or stay at home to be
with their family.

For the prospective dog owner, a good way to find the right Lab is to go to dog shows. There are dog magazines that you can buy that list the shows with dates and where they are going to be held. At a dog show, talk with as many people as possible, especially with those who will put you in touch with active breeders. Unfortunately, many successful breeders are
"kennel blind," believing so strongly in their own type of Labrador that they do not see the faults in their stock. However, breeders are flattered when a serious beginner asks their advice; and the more intelligent the questions asked, the more interest there is in helping the new breeder to get started. The successful breeder is the one with many satisfied customers, and it is important for the beginner to talk with owners of Labradors from some of these kennels before visiting the place.

This is a big country, and you may end up buying a high-priced puppy from a person you have never seen, so you have to make sure that you will get what you are paying for. This involves talking with a great many Labrador owners and breeders and eventually deciding
upon a breeder whose advice you believe to be trustworthy. No one is infallible; miracles rarely happen and we never get perfection, but with proper research and planning, mistakes can be minimized when buying a puppy which you hope will be a superior, all-purpose pet.

At first, the beginner can rarely see the difference between one puppy or dog within a breed and another, especially if they are all the same color. It takes constant training of the eye to distinguish various differences between the Labradors one has the opportunity to see. Also, there is more involved than visual appearance in selecting the ideal puppy. A beginner will be more capable in choosing the right breeder than the right puppy and should rely upon the breeder to make the selection.

Coming when called, or the �recall�exercise, is an important step in a dog's training school. If the class is working in a circle, it is done the first time toward the center of the circle and the second time away from the center toward the outside walls. To teach the recall in class, the instructor tells the group:

�Handlers face the center of the room with dogs sitting at heel position. Command your dog to stay. Face him to the full length of the leash. Hold the leash in your left hand. Stand up straight with your feet spaced apart to prevent the dog from darting off to one side! Call your dog by name! 'Sparky, come!' or 'Sparky, front!' Gather the lead up with both hands and when he is close, command 'Sit!' Praise and pat him immediately! Say 'Stay!' and move back again to the end of the lead. Call your dog! Keep your voice happy! Coax your dog to come!

When he obeys, tell him with more authority to sit! Praise him! If the dog doesn't respond the moment he hears his name and the command to come, snap the lead quickly, but loosen it at once. It is done with a motion similar to snapping a whip. You will hear the collar click when you do it correctly.

Don't pull or drag your dog to you or he will never want to come! Use a cajoling tone of voice after the command and after each correction. Use the lead to make the dog sit square
and as close as possible, and to prevent a dash in the opposite direction. Next, make your dog go to heel position! (The handlers will now have their backs to one another, ready to
call their dogs in the opposite direction.) Tell your dog to stay and face him to the full length of the lead! Now circle back to heel position. We'll alternate the recall with the sit-stay exercise.

This will teach your dog not to anticipate your command by coming before he is called. Tell your dog to stay and face him again. Stand up straight! If you lean over, the dog will crawl in instead of coming gaily. Call your dog! Use his name! If your dog doesn't come on your first command, snap the lead hard and then coax him in the rest of the way! Keep your hands low and in front of your body. Gather up the leash in a hand-over-hand motion."

The instructor should watch to see that the command to come is given first, followed, if necessary, by a sharp snap on the lead, which is loosened immediately. The dog must want
to come of his own free will. Remind the owners: "Stand erect with your feet apart to discourage the dog from darting off the one side. Gather up the leash as the dog comes forward. Command 'Sit!' when the dog comes in front and correct him if he sits crooked. Don't forget to pat him."

Dalmatians are considered old when they reach seven years of age. There are certain changes that occur as dogs age that changes their nutritional requirements. As they age, their metabolism slows and must be accounted for. If maintenance rations are fed in the same amounts while metabolism is slowing, weight gain may result. Obesity is the last thing a dog owner wants for his Dalmatian, since it increases his risk of several other health-related problems.

As pets age, most of their organs do not function as well. The digestive system, the liver, pancreas and gallbladder are not functioning at peak effect. The intestines have more difficulty extracting all the nutrients from the food consumed. A gradual decline in kidney function is considered a normal part
of aging. Elderly dogs need to be treated as individuals. While some benefit from the nutrition found in "senior" diets, others might do better on the highly digestible puppy and super-premium diets. The latter diet provide an
excellent blend of digestibility and amino acid content, though many are high in salt and phosphorus than the older pet really needs.

Older dogs are also more prone to developing arthritis and therefore it is important not to overfeed them since obesity puts added stress on the joints. For Dalmatians with joint pain, supplementing the diet with fatty acid combinations containing cislinoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid can be quite beneficial.

A little spoof training

Pc Hagen at the front the PD Flack and Pc Wallace with PD Brett, 16 October 1981. Part of a search in north Nottinghamshire.