Reflection on the Labrador breed, breeders and buyers
I have been observing and listening for over 35 years and it seems to me important to share my perspective and particularly help pet owners make sense of the vast information made available to them.
One of my first points will be about breeders who too often aim at an excess of conformation and have dogs unable to do the job they were created for, and the breeders who don’t care what their dog looks like so long as they can aim at an excess in working. Then you have those who don’t care and just breed because they like their dog and have no thought in what they are breeding with and to what they are breeding to. Somewhere in this sea of people who have lost our breed, there are a few who don’t care about winning with excess and just concentrate on keeping as close as possible to the breed, improving only on health. Yes, because the Labrador that was around years ago was excellent, just unable to benefit from the health improvements that science has allowed us to make. This traditional Labrador is what a lot of pet owners remember, and that is why they feel so at odds with what people are breeding and offering.
There are some who attempt to breed a ‘dual purpose’ Labrador Retriever but ironically, they consider that looking like a Labrador is a purpose in itself, while the other one is that of being a retriever… I fail to see where this leaves the ones that are naturally Labradors and retrieve… but also do one of the many extra ‘jobs’ that Labradors magically achieve. Multi-purpose Labradors?
Let’s talk of the excess… the show Labrador, sometimes called the English Labrador is a bulky Labrador, with short legs, too deep a chest, too much open coat, an open-brush tail, excessive bone, excessive weight, the head of a Rottweiler, lips that remind you of another breed, eyes that have lost the expression they had, excess droopy skin, a temperament that is wilful, selfish, and a challenge for the puppy buyer to raise, a biddability that is gone.
The working dog is no closer to the traditional Labrador. It starts with a lack of bone, a lack of coat, a tail that is so thin (lack of fat and proper covering) that it splits and this can lead to amputation, a poor topline, no front, a temperament that is shy, unsure in its daily life, but robotic and unable to think for himself, ears sometimes too big and a head lacking stop. A dog also unable to work for another handler and turning around to ask every two minutes ‘what next’ rather than show initiative.
Amongst these excess breeders of all types I find a vast number who claim they are right and that their breeding is the right one, who don’t know anything about the positives of the other side because they have never actually lived with both excess and discovered the positives and negatives of both sides. They chase wins in their discipline giving their breeding apparent legitimacy to the layman and then sprinkle health testing for good measure. I would much rather have a dog placed but not 1st in show and work competitions than a dog that can only achieve a first in one discipline.
Health tests are used conveniently by the breeders. Fully health tested. These are the words that mean nothing and yet people buy into them. Those who test for what they know they will pass with a clear result, those who only submit what will come out good, those who test for 130 different conditions when we know that only 7 to 10 are of actual relevance to the breed and aren’t necessarily in the 130! There are even breeders who say that their dogs are fully health checked and you find out that they had a basic check over by their local vet and those who say they don’t test because they know their dogs aren’t affected… of course the puppies will be Kennel Club registered and because they are, people think it’s a label of quality and go for it without even understanding the implications and the risks.
People don’t think of ensuring that parents are health tested. They feel overwhelmed and decide that if it’s KC registered then that means it will be good. Sadly, the KC doesn’t select what it registers. The Kennel Club is solely interested in the cashing in of £20 for each puppy registered by the breeder and then another £20 for each transfer of ownership from the puppy owner. It’s such a lucrative income that the KC have closed their eyes on cross breeding and are even happy to register brindles, dilutes, merles, etc. £40 per puppy is worth it to this organisation. Pet owners will also say that because they have no intention of breeding from the puppy it doesn't matter if the parents are tested.
Health… what should you be looking for? A litter where both parents have been tested with x-rays on hips (don’t go for a litter where either parent has a total over 14) and elbows (don’t go for a litter where either parent has a score over 0), a yearly clear eye test less than 12 months old, DNA testing for PRA, HNPK, EIC, CNM, SD2, STGT and MCD. But also ask the relevant questions like has either parent had corrective surgery for entropion, ectropion, cruciate ligament, is the line affected by sudden death or ectopic ureters, etc.
Don’t start speculating on your dog’s hips or elbows because of the strange way he lies, gets up, sits, runs, or walks. If it were that easy to identify, breeders wouldn’t be putting their dogs at risk of an anaesthetic to get x-rays done. If your dog is lame worry, if your dog is over-exercised worry, if your dog is too fat worry. Don’t speculate because he bunny hops or sleeps like a frog…
And of course, don’t be the fool who is easily parted with his money, who pays more for something rare… if it's rare it’s not a Labrador, it’s a deceitful breeder/greeder prying on your gullibility. It might have KC papers but if it’s silver, charcoal, champagne, white, brindle, spotted, merle, etc. there’s undoubtably a cross somewhere, behind the scene. It can be DNA tested and will come back as a full Labrador because genetically, beyond 3 generations, it can’t be picked up. Same goes for people labelling their yellows as ‘fox-red’. Most of these puppies are never going to be fox-red despite assurances that they will grow darker. Fox-red is exactly that: a very deep copper and is recorded as yellow by the Kennel Club. Yellow ranges from cream to fox-red and they all get registered yellow. Imagine the mess if we had gold, sand, cream, beige, white, golden, fox-red, buttercup, lemon…
Lately we are seeing puppies advertised as ‘reduced’. These are from breeders who thought they could make a quick buck and are left stuck with unsold puppies that they don’t want to keep. To get ‘shot of them’ they are promoting a price drop. If anything, as a puppy grows, it gets more expensive as there’s food, vaccines, worming, house training and general training added on. And if the job is well done, you will get a puppy that just slots into your life effortlessly. If it’s badly or not done, you will have a steep hill to climb. If the puppy is reduced don’t think you are getting a good deal – you are just dealing with a greeder not a breeder. You get what you pay for and there’s no such thing as a good deal. There’s a fair price for a good puppy.
What’s the good of having excellent health if the dog is going to be a nightmare to live with for years and years? This is why I believe it’s even more important to ensure that the dogs have excellent temperaments. Imagine having them in your house and think… “is this what I want for my family?” If there’s anything that bothers you, walk away. See how they react with children, how they greet you, if they are happy for you to come to them straight away, how well trained and calm they are, how they react to other dogs if you can go on a walk with the breeder and them… People will ask for a survey on a house, an AA report for a car but not think twice about who they introduce into their family, to who they entrust their children and grandchildren.
Temperament is all very well but the adult you are going to have will also depend on how good a trainer the owner will be. How many times do I read people concerned with their shark puppy, unruly, uncontrollable, biting, destroying, pulling on the lead, no recall, peeing on the sofa, etc. A lot of them follow the politically correct technique of positive rewarding, turning their back or removing the dog from a situation. Few people think of how dogs communicate between them, and what the mother of the puppy would do to keep her puppy in check... She certainly wouldn't implement any of the above mentioned but would undoubtedly give a warning growl and follow it up with pinning her puppy to the ground if he kept on doing what he was warned not to do. The puppy would likely squeal as though he had been deeply wounded and even had his skin scalped but this is his natural reaction to a ticking off, letting the 'enemy' know that he is going into submission. He won't have a single hair out of place, but mum will have passed the message and he will remember not to repeat whatever action triggered his mother. Yet humans now think that turning their back or removing the dog will sort the problem...
Training starts on day one and is with two basic commands within the safety of the garden and house, during the four weeks you must wait for his booster: sit & recall. Then as soon as he is allowed to go out, you let him free in a safe place. He is at the age where he will need to rely on you for reassurance and will come to you as soon as told or as soon as something puts him off. Use that time to take the roll of pack leader. Recall with the slip lead, put it on and free him immediately with a release word such as ‘go play’ so he realises that the lead does not mean loss of freedom. And start introducing small bursts of lead walking on a slip lead. Don't go worrying about him strangling himself. He will very quickly learn to walk on the lead and if you started very young, he won't question it. Every time he pulls, action a harsh tug back combined to the word heel. While he is at your side praise him with ‘Good dog/boy/girl/xyz, heel’. Don't wait until he is too confident, too heavy, and too strong-willed to try and teach him manners. This will inevitably fail, and you will then be one of the many who thinks that the harness or the long line is the solution. But once your puppy is a fully grown dog, the harness or the long line will be used to tract you and you will be crying for something miraculous to help you and your half-dislocated shoulder. Some will then suggest a Halti which he will fight... while others will, rightfully, say to go back to basics with a slip lead. You cannot skip training... sooner or later it catches up with you... and your puppy.
A bugbear of mine is the question of bathing/cleaning your dog. If you need to clean your puppy when he leaves the breeder, you chose the breeder badly. If you can't stand the smell of a wet dog, you should have bought a soft toy, not a Labrador. By going to a groomer, you are opening yourself to unnecessary treatments that go against the good of your dog: the Labrador should have a harsh coat and part of this is through its natural texture, part of it is through the natural oils it has, to protect from animals, plants, and water. It might make you feel better that he is 'clean' but it is not good for him. At best you treat a fox roll topically or rinse under the cold hosepipe. That is all your Labrador will need. When it's shedding you might want to brush him - I have them swim every other day as this seems to help more than brushing. Also, when you go to the groomers or the vet that’s when someone will suggest emptying their anal glands. Labradors do not need this doing to them – it’s just another money-making scheme and once you start having them emptied you tend to have to continue, and it can lead to infections and other problems.
Crate training… the owners see their puppy as fragile and needing support… they want to put soft bedding in the crate when the puppy should have newspapers to absorb wee and no stuffing on which he could die if ingested. Along with this they don’t like the fact the puppy is crying, and the puppy understands this and plays on the emotions of their owner. Some will give in and move the crate in their bedroom or free the puppy from the crate… This is not good for the puppy and the establishment of you as the pack leader. Oh, and your puppy does not need an extra-large crate… just a crate able to house him once he’s adult. It’s not a park it’s a crate – for Labradors 36 inches is plenty enough.
In the same vein, people think they should establish night house training by setting alarms multiple times through the night. As you can imagine, the puppy slept through the night when with his breeder. And it’s not because he’s lost mum and litter mates that he suddenly needs to go out every 3 hours. Let him whine and stay in bed. You might get a wee the first night or first few nights, but he won’t like being dirty and will soon stop. If he associates his crying to you coming down, why wouldn’t he abuse it! In the morning, make him your priority, get him out before anything else. Don’t feed him straight away as he will associate barking on a morning to getting out and getting out to eating… your puppy is smart – try and be smarter than him!
A massive issue people are having nowadays is jumping, nipping, mouthing. Because the ground rules aren't put in place immediately, as his mother would do. He grows in confidence and becomes the pack leader. Jumping is a firm no, if you need to, there is no harm in giving a small tap on his nose or holding him firmly by the skin of his neck or using a strong deep growling voice. Same goes for mouthing that often evolves to nipping. If he does it, he has no respect for you and sees you as a playmate, a littermate. I have never had my arms, hands or legs scratched and bitten even with a litter of 12 and owning 8 Labradors!
Walks... yet another issue... people wonder how long a walk should last. Often you read people advising to 'wear the dog out' when all they are doing is building the stamina of the dog at the risk of damaging its joints or to only walk him once a day to protect his joints. I believe that when they are 3 months old it is good for them to have 15 minutes exercise up to 8 times a day. This allows for fun, training, and lots of rest. By the age of 6 months, puppies can have 30 minutes exercise up to 6 times a day. At nine months old the puppy could be having 45 minutes exercise up to 4 times a day and at a year old the puppy can have a good hour of exercise 4 times a day but can have more in one burst if wanted. By this I mean I could easily do 1h in the morning, 2h at lunch and 1h in the afternoon with a 10mn walk just before bedtime. You are making his body slowly muscle up and ligaments & muscles tighten up around his bones. It's regularity that does it, with regular rest periods too. The walks are the perfect training moment too, to teach him 'leave' for every dog you pass. If you let him go and play with dogs when he's a baby, don't be surprised he ignores you when he's big. He knows he can just run up to anything and everything he wants. I teach my puppies to come on recall, slip lead on, sit and a treat along with 'leave' said regularly to have his focus. One of the good ways of walking is making sure the dog looks for you and not you for him – I start when they are puppies, recalling them when hiding behind a bush or a tree.
Don’t be the lazy owner who thinks that his dog gets his quota of exercise by running behind a ball that he will throw with a ball thrower, without even having to bend down to pick it up. The champion lazy owner will do this from the top of a hill making sure his dog has to run not only beating the ball thrower but the steep decline while he has time to go on his phone… Don’t be the ignorant owner who doesn’t realise that a dog needs to be out on a walk to stroll, sniff and investigate more than running at high speed, stopping abruptly, chasing, and sometimes jumping for a ball. Of course, he will look as though he's enjoying himself because he’s just following his natural instincts of chasing to hunt… but when he’s doing it in the wild, he’s not doing it over and over again with no warmup and no break. This ball chasing puts excessive strain on your dog’s joints, muscles, and cartilage. Because your dog is following his instincts, he is not listening to his body giving out signals of pain, warning him to slow down and stop… Be the smart owner who does a nice warm-up walk, does a hide and seek game with a tennis ball in high grass to engage his dog’s brain, throws the ball half a dozen times on flat grown with his arm, let’s his dog sniff and enjoy his gentle stroll and uses this time to bond over training such as sit, leave, go play, stay and recall. On a side note, never throw a stick for your dog as he can easily impale himself causing substantial damage, even death.
Don’t hesitate to find your voice and tell people if you are not happy with their dog’s behaviour. A dog that comes to you is not OK. The owner should always have control of him and even if he happened to disobey just on this occasion, the owner should display swift action by running up to his dog to get him under control. If the owner says: ‘it’s ok, he’s friendly’ – ‘he just wants to play’ – ‘he’s never done that before’ – ‘oh my dog doesn’t like black/big dogs’ – ‘well your dog is off the lead too’ – ‘they are just being dogs’ : do not accept it. Insist that their dog is under control as per the law. Your dog is off the lead by your side and under control. Your dog did not engage with their dog, their dog is bothering/disturbing your dog/training. You might be perceived as unfriendly but that is the price you pay to have some peace. I have been told that I am cruel to stop my dogs engaging with others… I just tell them if they want a playmate for their dog… to just get another dog of their own!
When a bitch is in season feel free to go your normal life until they are 8 days into their season. From then on make sure you have control over them. When you see a dog in the distance, just ask them to keep their dog under control and make sure you have recalled your bitch too. Don’t hesitate to have her on the lead while you are crossing path with other dogs but don’t go mad about it, just make sure you have the courage to ask others to control their dog too. If she’s close to you, you will be able to fend off any dog wanting to come close to you. They aren’t sex predators, and you will have time to move away or shoo off any dog coming too close to you for your liking. Don’t go into panic mode and just be firm both with your dog and other dog owners. And if you are the owner of a male teach him to ignore bitches and be ready to grab your dog if you need to. He’s unlikely to run a mile away because he can sniff a bitch in season. Dogs who do that are dogs left in a garden, who get bored of being alone. And don’t start feeling sorry for your bitch thinking she’s suffering because she’s in season – she will milk it, playing on your emotions. As for the owner of a male, don’t think whining and crying is either normal or acceptable. Be firm and tick your dog off until he behaves.
Food routine starts with the (good) breeder who should have introduced sit for his food from 6 weeks old. Once you get home, you can step up the training. Sit for his bowl while it is in your hand to then sit for the bowl when it's on the floor, then sit and stay for a few seconds, then sit and stay extending the waiting time. All along allowing the eating to take place only for the name followed by eat: 'xyz eat' - this will make the outdoors training easier too! I find that a sit instilled as a puppy is a bombproof start for the outside distractions. Also quickly start introducing sit and stay with treats on the floor. Never reward him for his sit by allowing him to go and pick the treat up himself. You then pick one treat up and go and give it to your puppy who is still sitting. You extend the distance of the treats: very close to very far as both are a massive temptation. You vary the way the treats are put on the ground: at first deposited carefully with a 'stay' or 'leave' command and then thrown or slid passed him on the floor.
Food is always a big subject. Everyone wants to do right by their dog and their budget. I think the most important, although I feed raw, is that people believe that what they are feeding is good for their dog. I am often surprised at people getting a dog from a breeder and wanting to change the puppy’s food asap. Why get a puppy from a breeder you think is not feeding his dogs correctly? The only time I can understand changing food is if you wish to switch from raw to kibble, or kibble to raw. Why change his food and risk upsetting his tummy?
Some dogs suddenly go off their food. The first mistake people make is to handfeed and start coaxing the dog to eat. The dog discovers he holds power over his owner by not eating… Give him 5 minutes and get the bowl up. Do not start changing foods! Your dog will not starve himself to death, but I do acknowledge that it will stress you out with worry. If you have a greedy eater, you can bulk his food up by adding a tin of cooked carrots or broccoli or spinach in his bowl. These are healthy digestible fillers. Puppies up to 6 months usually need 3 meals, puppies up to 12 months usually need 2 meals and depending on each dog, somewhere between 12 and 18 months they go onto one meal a day, on the evening. This diminishes the risks of stomach torsion due to heat or exercise. When your dog gets old you revert to 2 and then 3 meals a day to help him digest and assimilate better as it is easier when they are old to have 3 smaller meals.
When it comes to quantities, don't go trusting your vet to let you know if your dog is fat or thin - I have a feeling they are sick of telling owners who then ignore them. Don't go asking on the internet. Look at your dog and ask your breeder. Your breeder should know and you should be happy to follow your breeder's advice since you bought your dog from him/her. You liked his dogs and what they looked like and would want to end of with the same type of dog which is why you chose this breeder. Ask him. For a healthy weight of a well bred labrador you should expect a bitch to weigh between 26 to 32kg whereas a make should weigh between 30 to 36kg. But this weight depends on how tall your dog is, how well boned your dog is and if he's more show or working bred.
Sofas should be a big no until they are a year old. Jumping up and down (especially down) is very bad for their joints which is why we also restrict stairs as the downwards action puts all the strain on the shoulders. When on the move, 60% of the shocks go through the elbows with the hind legs only getting the remaining 40%. This is why ensuring your dog's parents have got 0-0 BVA scoring on their elbows is so important. Of course, it does not guarantee that your puppy will have excellent elbows, but it does reduce the probability greatly, providing you raise your puppy with the correct amount of exercise. The no sofa policy also ensures a hierarchy, with you as the pack leader, no accidents on the sofa, and no chewing of the sofa. If, once your puppy is adult, you wish to invite him onto the sofa, it's on your terms. Mine come when they have a protective blanket on the sofa, they know it's the ok they need. There is, of course, no play fighting on the sofa.
Let's talk of the cringe worthy 'pants for bitches in season' - You have decided to have a bitch, not a male. You have made the decision knowing full well that a bitch comes in season for the first time between 7 months old and 18 months old on average. You know that, on average, they come in season every 6 months. For hygiene purposes they need to lick themselves so putting pants that will keep dirt cumulating is not good for them. Let them be dogs, lick themselves and just either limit their quarters while in season or clean up more after them.
It is not advised to castrate a dog or spay a bitch when they are young. Unless there are real health issues such as 2 phantom pregnancies for a bitch, spaying is not recommended as research has evidenced that spaying young increases risks of cancers and joint issues. Come 8 years old it becomes more dangerous to not spay as you have a high risk of pyometra and old age cancers. As for males, castrating can alter the temperament of your dog, research proving that it's more often in a negative way. People have the belief that castration sorts out aggression or boisterous temperaments but it actually plays on the dog's temperament and can actually make him more aggressive. Also some bitches and dogs will leak for the rest of their life... is it worth it ? I have come to believe that vet's recommend it as early as 6 weeks of age because they want to make sure people don't breed irresponsibly. It's either that or they don't have a specialisation in reproduction.
With all this being said, you also have to be kind to yourself. Raising a puppy is tiring. It's like having a child going through the terrible twos stage. The ‘First Dog Process’ means you will go wrong sometimes. What goes wrong is harder to rectify than getting it right first time round. However, your breeder should be your first port of call to get sound advice. If you feel you are going through a wobble, call your breeder and ask for help. That is part of the price you are paying for your puppy: the invaluable knowledge of a good breeder.
STOP FINDING EXCUSES – HAVE A LONG HARD LOOK AT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING WRONG. Your puppy is not difficult or hard, he’s just very smart and was able to sus you out in under 10 days. From then, his cleverness and determination will grow and he will be the pack leader. Make time for bonding and training, and be firm. Never give an order that you aren’t prepared to carry out.
Kira Leith-Ross
Shork Labradors
September 2023
One of my first points will be about breeders who too often aim at an excess of conformation and have dogs unable to do the job they were created for, and the breeders who don’t care what their dog looks like so long as they can aim at an excess in working. Then you have those who don’t care and just breed because they like their dog and have no thought in what they are breeding with and to what they are breeding to. Somewhere in this sea of people who have lost our breed, there are a few who don’t care about winning with excess and just concentrate on keeping as close as possible to the breed, improving only on health. Yes, because the Labrador that was around years ago was excellent, just unable to benefit from the health improvements that science has allowed us to make. This traditional Labrador is what a lot of pet owners remember, and that is why they feel so at odds with what people are breeding and offering.
There are some who attempt to breed a ‘dual purpose’ Labrador Retriever but ironically, they consider that looking like a Labrador is a purpose in itself, while the other one is that of being a retriever… I fail to see where this leaves the ones that are naturally Labradors and retrieve… but also do one of the many extra ‘jobs’ that Labradors magically achieve. Multi-purpose Labradors?
Let’s talk of the excess… the show Labrador, sometimes called the English Labrador is a bulky Labrador, with short legs, too deep a chest, too much open coat, an open-brush tail, excessive bone, excessive weight, the head of a Rottweiler, lips that remind you of another breed, eyes that have lost the expression they had, excess droopy skin, a temperament that is wilful, selfish, and a challenge for the puppy buyer to raise, a biddability that is gone.
The working dog is no closer to the traditional Labrador. It starts with a lack of bone, a lack of coat, a tail that is so thin (lack of fat and proper covering) that it splits and this can lead to amputation, a poor topline, no front, a temperament that is shy, unsure in its daily life, but robotic and unable to think for himself, ears sometimes too big and a head lacking stop. A dog also unable to work for another handler and turning around to ask every two minutes ‘what next’ rather than show initiative.
Amongst these excess breeders of all types I find a vast number who claim they are right and that their breeding is the right one, who don’t know anything about the positives of the other side because they have never actually lived with both excess and discovered the positives and negatives of both sides. They chase wins in their discipline giving their breeding apparent legitimacy to the layman and then sprinkle health testing for good measure. I would much rather have a dog placed but not 1st in show and work competitions than a dog that can only achieve a first in one discipline.
Health tests are used conveniently by the breeders. Fully health tested. These are the words that mean nothing and yet people buy into them. Those who test for what they know they will pass with a clear result, those who only submit what will come out good, those who test for 130 different conditions when we know that only 7 to 10 are of actual relevance to the breed and aren’t necessarily in the 130! There are even breeders who say that their dogs are fully health checked and you find out that they had a basic check over by their local vet and those who say they don’t test because they know their dogs aren’t affected… of course the puppies will be Kennel Club registered and because they are, people think it’s a label of quality and go for it without even understanding the implications and the risks.
People don’t think of ensuring that parents are health tested. They feel overwhelmed and decide that if it’s KC registered then that means it will be good. Sadly, the KC doesn’t select what it registers. The Kennel Club is solely interested in the cashing in of £20 for each puppy registered by the breeder and then another £20 for each transfer of ownership from the puppy owner. It’s such a lucrative income that the KC have closed their eyes on cross breeding and are even happy to register brindles, dilutes, merles, etc. £40 per puppy is worth it to this organisation. Pet owners will also say that because they have no intention of breeding from the puppy it doesn't matter if the parents are tested.
Health… what should you be looking for? A litter where both parents have been tested with x-rays on hips (don’t go for a litter where either parent has a total over 14) and elbows (don’t go for a litter where either parent has a score over 0), a yearly clear eye test less than 12 months old, DNA testing for PRA, HNPK, EIC, CNM, SD2, STGT and MCD. But also ask the relevant questions like has either parent had corrective surgery for entropion, ectropion, cruciate ligament, is the line affected by sudden death or ectopic ureters, etc.
Don’t start speculating on your dog’s hips or elbows because of the strange way he lies, gets up, sits, runs, or walks. If it were that easy to identify, breeders wouldn’t be putting their dogs at risk of an anaesthetic to get x-rays done. If your dog is lame worry, if your dog is over-exercised worry, if your dog is too fat worry. Don’t speculate because he bunny hops or sleeps like a frog…
And of course, don’t be the fool who is easily parted with his money, who pays more for something rare… if it's rare it’s not a Labrador, it’s a deceitful breeder/greeder prying on your gullibility. It might have KC papers but if it’s silver, charcoal, champagne, white, brindle, spotted, merle, etc. there’s undoubtably a cross somewhere, behind the scene. It can be DNA tested and will come back as a full Labrador because genetically, beyond 3 generations, it can’t be picked up. Same goes for people labelling their yellows as ‘fox-red’. Most of these puppies are never going to be fox-red despite assurances that they will grow darker. Fox-red is exactly that: a very deep copper and is recorded as yellow by the Kennel Club. Yellow ranges from cream to fox-red and they all get registered yellow. Imagine the mess if we had gold, sand, cream, beige, white, golden, fox-red, buttercup, lemon…
Lately we are seeing puppies advertised as ‘reduced’. These are from breeders who thought they could make a quick buck and are left stuck with unsold puppies that they don’t want to keep. To get ‘shot of them’ they are promoting a price drop. If anything, as a puppy grows, it gets more expensive as there’s food, vaccines, worming, house training and general training added on. And if the job is well done, you will get a puppy that just slots into your life effortlessly. If it’s badly or not done, you will have a steep hill to climb. If the puppy is reduced don’t think you are getting a good deal – you are just dealing with a greeder not a breeder. You get what you pay for and there’s no such thing as a good deal. There’s a fair price for a good puppy.
What’s the good of having excellent health if the dog is going to be a nightmare to live with for years and years? This is why I believe it’s even more important to ensure that the dogs have excellent temperaments. Imagine having them in your house and think… “is this what I want for my family?” If there’s anything that bothers you, walk away. See how they react with children, how they greet you, if they are happy for you to come to them straight away, how well trained and calm they are, how they react to other dogs if you can go on a walk with the breeder and them… People will ask for a survey on a house, an AA report for a car but not think twice about who they introduce into their family, to who they entrust their children and grandchildren.
Temperament is all very well but the adult you are going to have will also depend on how good a trainer the owner will be. How many times do I read people concerned with their shark puppy, unruly, uncontrollable, biting, destroying, pulling on the lead, no recall, peeing on the sofa, etc. A lot of them follow the politically correct technique of positive rewarding, turning their back or removing the dog from a situation. Few people think of how dogs communicate between them, and what the mother of the puppy would do to keep her puppy in check... She certainly wouldn't implement any of the above mentioned but would undoubtedly give a warning growl and follow it up with pinning her puppy to the ground if he kept on doing what he was warned not to do. The puppy would likely squeal as though he had been deeply wounded and even had his skin scalped but this is his natural reaction to a ticking off, letting the 'enemy' know that he is going into submission. He won't have a single hair out of place, but mum will have passed the message and he will remember not to repeat whatever action triggered his mother. Yet humans now think that turning their back or removing the dog will sort the problem...
Training starts on day one and is with two basic commands within the safety of the garden and house, during the four weeks you must wait for his booster: sit & recall. Then as soon as he is allowed to go out, you let him free in a safe place. He is at the age where he will need to rely on you for reassurance and will come to you as soon as told or as soon as something puts him off. Use that time to take the roll of pack leader. Recall with the slip lead, put it on and free him immediately with a release word such as ‘go play’ so he realises that the lead does not mean loss of freedom. And start introducing small bursts of lead walking on a slip lead. Don't go worrying about him strangling himself. He will very quickly learn to walk on the lead and if you started very young, he won't question it. Every time he pulls, action a harsh tug back combined to the word heel. While he is at your side praise him with ‘Good dog/boy/girl/xyz, heel’. Don't wait until he is too confident, too heavy, and too strong-willed to try and teach him manners. This will inevitably fail, and you will then be one of the many who thinks that the harness or the long line is the solution. But once your puppy is a fully grown dog, the harness or the long line will be used to tract you and you will be crying for something miraculous to help you and your half-dislocated shoulder. Some will then suggest a Halti which he will fight... while others will, rightfully, say to go back to basics with a slip lead. You cannot skip training... sooner or later it catches up with you... and your puppy.
A bugbear of mine is the question of bathing/cleaning your dog. If you need to clean your puppy when he leaves the breeder, you chose the breeder badly. If you can't stand the smell of a wet dog, you should have bought a soft toy, not a Labrador. By going to a groomer, you are opening yourself to unnecessary treatments that go against the good of your dog: the Labrador should have a harsh coat and part of this is through its natural texture, part of it is through the natural oils it has, to protect from animals, plants, and water. It might make you feel better that he is 'clean' but it is not good for him. At best you treat a fox roll topically or rinse under the cold hosepipe. That is all your Labrador will need. When it's shedding you might want to brush him - I have them swim every other day as this seems to help more than brushing. Also, when you go to the groomers or the vet that’s when someone will suggest emptying their anal glands. Labradors do not need this doing to them – it’s just another money-making scheme and once you start having them emptied you tend to have to continue, and it can lead to infections and other problems.
Crate training… the owners see their puppy as fragile and needing support… they want to put soft bedding in the crate when the puppy should have newspapers to absorb wee and no stuffing on which he could die if ingested. Along with this they don’t like the fact the puppy is crying, and the puppy understands this and plays on the emotions of their owner. Some will give in and move the crate in their bedroom or free the puppy from the crate… This is not good for the puppy and the establishment of you as the pack leader. Oh, and your puppy does not need an extra-large crate… just a crate able to house him once he’s adult. It’s not a park it’s a crate – for Labradors 36 inches is plenty enough.
In the same vein, people think they should establish night house training by setting alarms multiple times through the night. As you can imagine, the puppy slept through the night when with his breeder. And it’s not because he’s lost mum and litter mates that he suddenly needs to go out every 3 hours. Let him whine and stay in bed. You might get a wee the first night or first few nights, but he won’t like being dirty and will soon stop. If he associates his crying to you coming down, why wouldn’t he abuse it! In the morning, make him your priority, get him out before anything else. Don’t feed him straight away as he will associate barking on a morning to getting out and getting out to eating… your puppy is smart – try and be smarter than him!
A massive issue people are having nowadays is jumping, nipping, mouthing. Because the ground rules aren't put in place immediately, as his mother would do. He grows in confidence and becomes the pack leader. Jumping is a firm no, if you need to, there is no harm in giving a small tap on his nose or holding him firmly by the skin of his neck or using a strong deep growling voice. Same goes for mouthing that often evolves to nipping. If he does it, he has no respect for you and sees you as a playmate, a littermate. I have never had my arms, hands or legs scratched and bitten even with a litter of 12 and owning 8 Labradors!
Walks... yet another issue... people wonder how long a walk should last. Often you read people advising to 'wear the dog out' when all they are doing is building the stamina of the dog at the risk of damaging its joints or to only walk him once a day to protect his joints. I believe that when they are 3 months old it is good for them to have 15 minutes exercise up to 8 times a day. This allows for fun, training, and lots of rest. By the age of 6 months, puppies can have 30 minutes exercise up to 6 times a day. At nine months old the puppy could be having 45 minutes exercise up to 4 times a day and at a year old the puppy can have a good hour of exercise 4 times a day but can have more in one burst if wanted. By this I mean I could easily do 1h in the morning, 2h at lunch and 1h in the afternoon with a 10mn walk just before bedtime. You are making his body slowly muscle up and ligaments & muscles tighten up around his bones. It's regularity that does it, with regular rest periods too. The walks are the perfect training moment too, to teach him 'leave' for every dog you pass. If you let him go and play with dogs when he's a baby, don't be surprised he ignores you when he's big. He knows he can just run up to anything and everything he wants. I teach my puppies to come on recall, slip lead on, sit and a treat along with 'leave' said regularly to have his focus. One of the good ways of walking is making sure the dog looks for you and not you for him – I start when they are puppies, recalling them when hiding behind a bush or a tree.
Don’t be the lazy owner who thinks that his dog gets his quota of exercise by running behind a ball that he will throw with a ball thrower, without even having to bend down to pick it up. The champion lazy owner will do this from the top of a hill making sure his dog has to run not only beating the ball thrower but the steep decline while he has time to go on his phone… Don’t be the ignorant owner who doesn’t realise that a dog needs to be out on a walk to stroll, sniff and investigate more than running at high speed, stopping abruptly, chasing, and sometimes jumping for a ball. Of course, he will look as though he's enjoying himself because he’s just following his natural instincts of chasing to hunt… but when he’s doing it in the wild, he’s not doing it over and over again with no warmup and no break. This ball chasing puts excessive strain on your dog’s joints, muscles, and cartilage. Because your dog is following his instincts, he is not listening to his body giving out signals of pain, warning him to slow down and stop… Be the smart owner who does a nice warm-up walk, does a hide and seek game with a tennis ball in high grass to engage his dog’s brain, throws the ball half a dozen times on flat grown with his arm, let’s his dog sniff and enjoy his gentle stroll and uses this time to bond over training such as sit, leave, go play, stay and recall. On a side note, never throw a stick for your dog as he can easily impale himself causing substantial damage, even death.
Don’t hesitate to find your voice and tell people if you are not happy with their dog’s behaviour. A dog that comes to you is not OK. The owner should always have control of him and even if he happened to disobey just on this occasion, the owner should display swift action by running up to his dog to get him under control. If the owner says: ‘it’s ok, he’s friendly’ – ‘he just wants to play’ – ‘he’s never done that before’ – ‘oh my dog doesn’t like black/big dogs’ – ‘well your dog is off the lead too’ – ‘they are just being dogs’ : do not accept it. Insist that their dog is under control as per the law. Your dog is off the lead by your side and under control. Your dog did not engage with their dog, their dog is bothering/disturbing your dog/training. You might be perceived as unfriendly but that is the price you pay to have some peace. I have been told that I am cruel to stop my dogs engaging with others… I just tell them if they want a playmate for their dog… to just get another dog of their own!
When a bitch is in season feel free to go your normal life until they are 8 days into their season. From then on make sure you have control over them. When you see a dog in the distance, just ask them to keep their dog under control and make sure you have recalled your bitch too. Don’t hesitate to have her on the lead while you are crossing path with other dogs but don’t go mad about it, just make sure you have the courage to ask others to control their dog too. If she’s close to you, you will be able to fend off any dog wanting to come close to you. They aren’t sex predators, and you will have time to move away or shoo off any dog coming too close to you for your liking. Don’t go into panic mode and just be firm both with your dog and other dog owners. And if you are the owner of a male teach him to ignore bitches and be ready to grab your dog if you need to. He’s unlikely to run a mile away because he can sniff a bitch in season. Dogs who do that are dogs left in a garden, who get bored of being alone. And don’t start feeling sorry for your bitch thinking she’s suffering because she’s in season – she will milk it, playing on your emotions. As for the owner of a male, don’t think whining and crying is either normal or acceptable. Be firm and tick your dog off until he behaves.
Food routine starts with the (good) breeder who should have introduced sit for his food from 6 weeks old. Once you get home, you can step up the training. Sit for his bowl while it is in your hand to then sit for the bowl when it's on the floor, then sit and stay for a few seconds, then sit and stay extending the waiting time. All along allowing the eating to take place only for the name followed by eat: 'xyz eat' - this will make the outdoors training easier too! I find that a sit instilled as a puppy is a bombproof start for the outside distractions. Also quickly start introducing sit and stay with treats on the floor. Never reward him for his sit by allowing him to go and pick the treat up himself. You then pick one treat up and go and give it to your puppy who is still sitting. You extend the distance of the treats: very close to very far as both are a massive temptation. You vary the way the treats are put on the ground: at first deposited carefully with a 'stay' or 'leave' command and then thrown or slid passed him on the floor.
Food is always a big subject. Everyone wants to do right by their dog and their budget. I think the most important, although I feed raw, is that people believe that what they are feeding is good for their dog. I am often surprised at people getting a dog from a breeder and wanting to change the puppy’s food asap. Why get a puppy from a breeder you think is not feeding his dogs correctly? The only time I can understand changing food is if you wish to switch from raw to kibble, or kibble to raw. Why change his food and risk upsetting his tummy?
Some dogs suddenly go off their food. The first mistake people make is to handfeed and start coaxing the dog to eat. The dog discovers he holds power over his owner by not eating… Give him 5 minutes and get the bowl up. Do not start changing foods! Your dog will not starve himself to death, but I do acknowledge that it will stress you out with worry. If you have a greedy eater, you can bulk his food up by adding a tin of cooked carrots or broccoli or spinach in his bowl. These are healthy digestible fillers. Puppies up to 6 months usually need 3 meals, puppies up to 12 months usually need 2 meals and depending on each dog, somewhere between 12 and 18 months they go onto one meal a day, on the evening. This diminishes the risks of stomach torsion due to heat or exercise. When your dog gets old you revert to 2 and then 3 meals a day to help him digest and assimilate better as it is easier when they are old to have 3 smaller meals.
When it comes to quantities, don't go trusting your vet to let you know if your dog is fat or thin - I have a feeling they are sick of telling owners who then ignore them. Don't go asking on the internet. Look at your dog and ask your breeder. Your breeder should know and you should be happy to follow your breeder's advice since you bought your dog from him/her. You liked his dogs and what they looked like and would want to end of with the same type of dog which is why you chose this breeder. Ask him. For a healthy weight of a well bred labrador you should expect a bitch to weigh between 26 to 32kg whereas a make should weigh between 30 to 36kg. But this weight depends on how tall your dog is, how well boned your dog is and if he's more show or working bred.
Sofas should be a big no until they are a year old. Jumping up and down (especially down) is very bad for their joints which is why we also restrict stairs as the downwards action puts all the strain on the shoulders. When on the move, 60% of the shocks go through the elbows with the hind legs only getting the remaining 40%. This is why ensuring your dog's parents have got 0-0 BVA scoring on their elbows is so important. Of course, it does not guarantee that your puppy will have excellent elbows, but it does reduce the probability greatly, providing you raise your puppy with the correct amount of exercise. The no sofa policy also ensures a hierarchy, with you as the pack leader, no accidents on the sofa, and no chewing of the sofa. If, once your puppy is adult, you wish to invite him onto the sofa, it's on your terms. Mine come when they have a protective blanket on the sofa, they know it's the ok they need. There is, of course, no play fighting on the sofa.
Let's talk of the cringe worthy 'pants for bitches in season' - You have decided to have a bitch, not a male. You have made the decision knowing full well that a bitch comes in season for the first time between 7 months old and 18 months old on average. You know that, on average, they come in season every 6 months. For hygiene purposes they need to lick themselves so putting pants that will keep dirt cumulating is not good for them. Let them be dogs, lick themselves and just either limit their quarters while in season or clean up more after them.
It is not advised to castrate a dog or spay a bitch when they are young. Unless there are real health issues such as 2 phantom pregnancies for a bitch, spaying is not recommended as research has evidenced that spaying young increases risks of cancers and joint issues. Come 8 years old it becomes more dangerous to not spay as you have a high risk of pyometra and old age cancers. As for males, castrating can alter the temperament of your dog, research proving that it's more often in a negative way. People have the belief that castration sorts out aggression or boisterous temperaments but it actually plays on the dog's temperament and can actually make him more aggressive. Also some bitches and dogs will leak for the rest of their life... is it worth it ? I have come to believe that vet's recommend it as early as 6 weeks of age because they want to make sure people don't breed irresponsibly. It's either that or they don't have a specialisation in reproduction.
With all this being said, you also have to be kind to yourself. Raising a puppy is tiring. It's like having a child going through the terrible twos stage. The ‘First Dog Process’ means you will go wrong sometimes. What goes wrong is harder to rectify than getting it right first time round. However, your breeder should be your first port of call to get sound advice. If you feel you are going through a wobble, call your breeder and ask for help. That is part of the price you are paying for your puppy: the invaluable knowledge of a good breeder.
STOP FINDING EXCUSES – HAVE A LONG HARD LOOK AT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU ARE DOING WRONG. Your puppy is not difficult or hard, he’s just very smart and was able to sus you out in under 10 days. From then, his cleverness and determination will grow and he will be the pack leader. Make time for bonding and training, and be firm. Never give an order that you aren’t prepared to carry out.
Kira Leith-Ross
Shork Labradors
September 2023
