anything advice for a first time dog owner?

ok well make sure Not to feed your dog graps cuz they can get Very very sick. Iams is a great brand of dog food thats waht my vet told me i have 2dogs a black lab and a Bichon Frise. and if u are goin to give him a bone make sure that it is a pressed bone becuz some other bones can sit in there insides for a long time. and also make sure that u have all mouse traps and stuff like that away becuz my dog got into that and its not good. Well good luck with your dog and have fun!!!!

Just be Patience with your dog be sure to walk him every day. Don't give him no table food, A good dry dog food would be good, O.N.E is good and Pedigree is fine also, make sure he has plenty of water, you have a very loyal breed, and smart. Just give him love and he'll give it in return.....congrats on your life long friend,

Table scraps in general should not be fed on a regular basis unless you want a fat dog. as a treat in moderation is fine. As far as dangerous foods: chocolate like you said and onions is another. What you should do even thought your dog is current on his shots take him to the vet in your area. There is a wealth of information for you there. you can also go back to your local shelter and ask questions. they will help you because they want your dog to keep his new home. As far as a good food at a good price Purina Brand dog foods meet veterinary standards for dog nutrition and are found even at your local grocery. Others are eukanuba, proplan, science diet all of which can be kinda pricey but can mostly be purchased at your vet or a petco/petsmart type store

As far as food you shouldn't change his diet, keep feeding him what the previous owner was. It could upset his digestive system if you change his food, if you must change it mix the old food and the new food half and half for a few days and then make the switch. As far as toys, raw hide of any kind in a bad idea it can get lodged in there intestines. Nylabones are pretty good, my Lab loves them and also greenies. I also bought her a ball that you can put treats in, they roll it around and the treats fall out of it. This keeps her entertained for hours. Watch his ears labs can have problems with ear infections. You can clean them with alcohol and gauze.

First of all, your Lab needs to run. Get him use to water. It won't take much. As for table scraps. None is good for the dog. If your child feeds the dog from the table, feed the child from the floor. Dogs need to be walked, they also like treats as raw hide, pig ears, chews. They also like to play tug o war. I recommend that you use rope for this. Never give your dog any type of bones that are cooked. This can splinter in the dogs throat, and cause them to bleed.

Okay first - don't do the table food thing. You're asking for pancreatits. 2nd, dogs don't need veggies in their food. They are carnivores. Things to look for in the food is the amount of digestible material and the value of it. My food that I use and recommend to clients is Nutro - Natural Choice. Do some surfing on website to find out about what is good in a dog food and what is not. 3rd - Love your dog, spoil your dog, after he has earned it. If you give him things because he is cute he will rule you and your toddler. Make sure you take him for good walks. A dog like that needs plenty of physical and mental stimulation. I would do at least 2 45-60 min walks per day, at least. Check out dog parks, and important part of dog life is socializing, so he needs to be able to adapt to new situations. Offer him chew toys before he gets into trouble; things like the Kong Toy are good for hard chewers, stay away from Rawhide unless you are there to watch. Just like your toddler, he shouldn't be swallowing things that are too big for him to pass through his intestinal tract, rawhide is not digestible.Brush his teeth at least 1-2x/week, dogs get gum disease and gingivitus just like people. Get him Heartworm prevention after you get him tested at your vet. Just take a trip to a vet to do a wellness exam and they'll take it from there. Don't bathe Duke more than once/month unless you're directed to do so by the vet or are using a soap free shampoo.Posionous foods and plants are everywhere. Check the website below for education and lists.Tug is an okay game, you need to win more often than not. He can learn that his play behavior wins him a toy so he'll try tugging and play growling to get things from you and your toddler. Work more toward fetch - the classic lab game.

try giving him dog treats insted of choclate,and taking him on walks,or teaching him to play fetch.and don,t worry i have 4 dogs at home

Patience, Love, and Time! Oh and some money for the vet checkups! Seriously lots of patience dogs are great companions but they need attention or they get depressed like people doand become destructive. They also need a firm but loving hand to guide them. Remember there is no such thing as a bad dog only bad owners. NO BONES!!!Chicken bones as well as rib bones and some others splinter and can cause internal bleeding. There are some safe bones but you need to ask your vet exactly what they are. I think but don't take my word for it that the big center bone of a ham and big beef knuckle bones are ok. Also Chocolate can be harmful as well as any type of sweet treat although your dog may love it it can cause diabetes and chocalate breaks down an enzyme that dogs need. Just keep in mind if its not that good for you its probably not that good for your dog either. I allow my dogs some table scraps once in a while but only meat or chicken (no bones). Remember to measure your dogs food they can and will overeat like some people do and become overweight which can cause a whole plethera of health problems. car4423 is completely wrong with the wash your dog two or three times a week!!! Ask a vet you really should only bathe your dog if necessary they need the oils in thier skin for a healty coat and skin! Flea bathes when necessary but your best bet is a monthly spot on treatment like Frontline or Advantage. Heartworms!!! OMG Please put your dog on a preventitive like Sentinel or Heartguard I have used both and live in the south and never had the problem except with the stray we adopted and it cost over $1,000.00 to get him healthy again! Or he would have died a slow and agonizing death. Oh and about the food thing you can buy stuff and cook it for your dog too like boiled chicken with brown rice and veggies no salt though they don't need it . Also dogs are omnivores I noticed someone said dogs were carnivores. Contrary to popular belief although most of thier diet is meat dogs like veggies too some of em amyway thye need em for vitamins and to aid in digestion of the meat. Ever notice a dog eating grass? Thats usually because they have a tummy ache or aren't getting enough veggie in thier food.

Something very important to keep in mind is that if you spoil him too much you are going to end up with a dog that has behaviorial issues! Make sure you keep the role of the leader. Dogs are pack animals that need to have leadership. As far as toys, stick to one or two at a time otherwise the dog will just get confused. Keep a few stashed and rotate them occasionaly so he won't get bored. I would get him something to chew on (a rawhide bone with knots) and something that you can play with. A ball or something you can throw. Play with him but also make sure you take him for at least an hour a day, that will also help avoid behavioral issues. I would strongly suggest you NOT give the dog any type of people food. That only makes for an overweight dog and avoids the risk of anything making him ill. If you really want to give him treats, get some dog treats that really is the best thing for him. Alot of people really want to humanize their pets (I am one of them!) but it is not in the best interest of the animal. As far as food, I highly recommend Nutro brand, it is available at pet stores and for a grocery store brand Pedigree is best. Nutro will give him an unbelievable coat.good luck!

Well congratulation.You have certainly come to a hotspot. I think you 2 will have a great time learning about each outher an doing classes together. I Wish yourself an duke a happy an wonderful life together. Let your dog be a dog With your guidence Remember its a very different worldout there for your pup.http://www.doggiebagonline.com/

Oh that is so good you have a doggie. Dogs are great for kids too. They say that having a dog makes children better people because they learn to be kind to animals. You do need to teach your child to be kind to your dog. It is important that your dog does not get any chocolate or any chicken bones. They can really hurt a dog. Chocolate is poison and chicken bones can puncture there intestine. I would be really careful of all bones.As for really good foods Nurto is a good one because is does not have corn or wheat which is bad for dogs. Oats and rice are good. Nurtro is full of vitamins so it is good. You can purchace other good ones a the natural market. Stay away from Iams and Science Diet. They look good, but they are not. Of course Purina and all that grocery store stuff is horrible as well. You can get Nutro at a pet store like one of those huge ones like petsmart or petco. Wysong is another good one. Nutro has all different kinds and will have one for large breed dogs like your lab. I have a pug and he gets some for small dogs from nutro. They have all kinds for all levels of life. It is great.An important thing for all dogs is training. They will teach you how to work with your dog. They will also teach you things a beginning pet owner needs to know about her dog. It is also important to have a well trained dog around a child. Also since your dog is older and needs to be good because you do not know what his previous life was like. I am glad he is nice so far. Dogs can be wonderful members of the family. Perhaps you can read about teaching your child about respect for animals. It is important. It will help your child be a better person. Also your dog should not eat shell fish like crab or shrimp or onions for some reason it makes them sick. They do love things like carrots and green beans. They cannot eat too many carrots because they have sugar, but green beans do not have as many calories. It will be nice with having a messy toldler to have a dog to clean up, but just no chocolate. Get the number of your local poison control center posted for both your dog and your child. Also get ready with some syrup of ipacec enough for the weight of the dog and the child. You will need several bottles in case you need it if it is advised by poison control or the vet, but only use it if they advise because there are many times when it should not be used especially in children. It is important to have on hand so you do not have to go to the store to get it. On dogs you can also use hydrogen peroxide to make them vomit, but not on kids. Have something to measure that. I found that chicken bones and chocolate are a big problem at parties and required people to have boneless chicken the next year because they were too messy and no chocolate. These were some students using my home for a student organization party.

Hi! Congratulations on your new pet and Friend! Dogs can be very loyal and loving when nurtered with the same affection. You didn't mention obedience classes and not knowing how well behaved he is, thought I'd make mention of it.You say he's current on his vaccines so does that include checkup with the Vet?He will need regular exercise so a walk around the park or neighborhood on a leash is a great start. Leash laws may vary where you live but here they are no more than 6ft in length due to the pit bull act. Does he have a fenced in yard and a place to go outdoors with ample water that he can't knock over and plenty of shade and shelter from inclement weather?Pedigree makes a great Chew bone. It has a waxy feel to it but isn't wax so it's strong enough for his teeth, dogs seem to love them.Chicken bones are very bad for dogs and cats but a good healthy beefy steak bone or pork chop bone is good and they love the taste!You really shouldn't feed your pet table scraps as changes to their diet can upset their digestive tract and cause diareah. The same rule applys for dog food. He sounds healthy so a good dry food complete with all the essential nutrients and oils would benefit him nicely.There is a lot of brands out there like IAMS, SCIENCE DIET and the health food pet stores that consist of heatlhy things not to include scraps from other animals. I've heard that Purina and the above do that. I would suggest researching it and making your own decision on what you think is best. If you would like I could hook you up with someone who could help you there. Aside from my favorite website of: www.wolfcreekranch.com Doug at: Emailpet_health_alternatives.com Shoot him an email, he is very informative in that area and would love to help guide you in the best possible healthcare for your new pet. Amille sent youBest Wishes! Enjoy one another!

I think the most important thing new dog owners should know is how to train their dogs to always come to them when called. Most owners actually train their dogs NOT to come to them. The most important rule is never scold your dog when he comes to you, even if he has been very bad. You can scold when he's far away, but always switch to praise and caresses as soon as he is within your reach. This is hard to do when you're angry, but I once read in a dog training book that "if you can't control what you do, you will never be able to control what your dog does." My rule is "Always good for coming!" and my dogs learn to trust that they can always come to me and feel happy about it. I think you were asking for advice on food and toys, but I think this is very important, too. Have fun with your new dog!

Oh that is so good you have a doggie. Dogs are great for kids too. They say that having a dog makes children better people because they learn to be kind to animals. You do need to teach your child to be kind to your dog. It is important that your dog does not get any chocolate or any chicken bones. They can really hurt a dog. Chocolate is poison and chicken bones can puncture there intestine. I would be really careful of all bones.As for really good foods Nurto is a good one because is does not have corn or wheat which is bad for dogs. Oats and rice are good. Nurtro is full of vitamins so it is good. You can purchace other good ones a the natural market. Stay away from Iams and Science Diet. They look good, but they are not. Of course Purina and all that grocery store stuff is horrible as well. You can get Nutro at a pet store like one of those huge ones like petsmart or petco. Wysong is another good one. Nutro has all different kinds and will have one for large breed dogs like your lab. I have a pug and he gets some for small dogs from nutro. They have all kinds for all levels of life. It is great.An important thing for all dogs is training. They will teach you how to work with your dog. They will also teach you things a beginning pet owner needs to know about her dog. It is also important to have a well trained dog around a child. Also since your dog is older and needs to be good because you do not know what his previous life was like. I am glad he is nice so far. Dogs can be wonderful members of the family. Perhaps you can read about teaching your child about respect for animals. It is important. It will help your child be a better person. Also your dog should not eat shell fish like crab or shrimp or onions for some reason it makes them sick. They do love things like carrots and green beans. They cannot eat too many carrots because they have sugar, but green beans do not have as many calories. It will be nice with having a messy toldler to have a dog to clean up, but just no chocolate. Get the number of your local poison control center posted for both your dog and your child. Also get ready with some syrup of ipacec enough for the weight of the dog and the child. You will need several bottles in case you need it if it is advised by poison control or the vet, but only use it if they advise because there are many times when it should not be used especially in children. It is important to have on hand so you do not have to go to the store to get it. On dogs you can also use hydrogen peroxide to make them vomit, but not on kids. Have something to measure that. I found that chicken bones and chocolate are a big problem at parties and required people to have boneless chicken the next year because they were too messy and no chocolate. These were some students using my home for a student organization party.

First off, congratulations on your new family member! Labs are fun, but can play a little rough if they aren't taught differently. As far as table scraps, don't let him have soy beans, chicken bones, and any sort of caffiene (soda pop, tea packets)...I'm sure you're thinking "Why would I give my dog these things?" but I've had a few run ins with pet owners who didn't know this could hurt their dog. On the upside, you can give your dog the bones from porkchops, this will help clean his teeth. Toys for labs...they love to fetch so frisbees, tennis balls, and hard chew toys would be the best, stay away from the soft squeaky ones since labs tend to be very determined and rough on their toys and will only shred these. I've just switched to Purina One for my dogs, I have a coyote/Border Collie mix who has some health problems and the rice in Purina One helps keep her stomach calm. It also uses some fatty acids which has really brought her coat into a full shine. Another good choice is Beneful. My dogs both loved it and they use vegetables and meat in their products. Good luck with Duke! On a side note, if you have open trash cans around your house, you may consider covering them. Dogs for some reason love to eat used pads, tampons, and anything that has that scent.

PLEASE do not feed those low quality foods that the majority of people are recommending. STAY AWAY from popular commercial brands of food. Foods like Beneful, Puppy Chow, Pedigree, Science Diet, Iams, Purina, Royal Canin, Eukanuba, etc. ALL use low grade by-product and fillers that are dangerous to a dogs health.Here, take a look at the Pedigree and three other "popular" brands and then compare it with Innova which is smaller company that produces the Healthiest pet foods on the market.Pedigree:-GROUND WHOLE CORN (should NOT be in pet foods, low grade filler, not digestible by dogs)-MEAT AND BONE MEAL(should NOT be in pet foods, this is the renderings from dead, diseased, decaying animals including euthanized cats, dogs, cows, pigs, horses, rabbits, porcupine, poultry, etc. These are NOT fit for consumption)-CORNT GLUTEN MEAL (low grade filler, pastey residue left after corn is processed)-CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL (chicken feet, feathers, beaks, organs, NO meat, not digestible by dogs)-ANIMAL FAT (unidentified source, company is hiding something)-preserved with BHA/BHT (cancer causing preservative)-CHICKEN (good but too low on ingredient list to offer any nutrition to dog)-RICE (good but too low on ingredient list to offer any nutrition to dog)-WHEAT FLOUR (no nutirition, just a filler)-DRIED PEAS (good but too low on list)-DRIED BEET PULP (cheap filler)-WHEAT MILL RUN ("shell" of wheat, no nutritional value, filler)-SALT (Should NOT be in pet foods)So there is NO beneficial nutrition in Pedigree. It is a cheap food that is made of ingredients that have been deemed unfit for human consumption so instead of getting rid of them, companies salvage them and them into pet foods.Here are the ingredients of Iams, Science Diet and PurinaIams:-CHICKEN-CHICKEN BY PRODUCTS (the feet, feathers, beeks, undeveloped eggs, ograns of dead, disease, or dying animals)-CORN GRITS (low grade filler with not nutritional value, causes skin irritations)-CORN MEAL(more low grade filler with no nutrition)-FISH MEAL (undetermined type of fish)-DRIED BEET PULP (undigestible filler)-DRIED EGG PRODUCT (egg shells or those unfit for humans)Sience Diet (this is the vet prescribe diet)-BREWERS RICE (rice fraction)-CHICKEN BY PRODUCTS-CORN GLUTEN MEAL-PORK FAT (dogs do not digest pork)-CHICKEN LIVER (contains high levels of toxins)-preserved with BHA/BHT (this is a CHEMICAL preservative proven to cause cancer)Purina:-CHICKEN-BREWERS RICE-CORN GLUTEN MEAL-POULTRY BY PRODUCTS (they don't specify what type of meat)-WHEAT FLOUR (no nutrition, common allergen)-BEEF TALLOW (low grade fat for flavouring, no nutrition)-CORN-WHEAT GLUTEN (the startch from the wheat)-FISH MEAL (unspecificed source)Now, the previous four foods are seriously the same as eating McDonalds everyday for humans. They have NO nutritional benefits and ALL have ingredients that are linked to poor health outcomes like obesity, cancer, diabetes, skin irritations, etc. Feeding these low grade foods may seem like an economical way to go but when you have to start paying the vet bills for a sick dog you'll wish that you would have spent a little more money on good food to prevent these things from happening.Now, here is Innova which is the HEALTHIEST pet food on the market. Notice that the company uses only whole, fresh human grade ingredients. there is nothing in this food that we wouldn't eat ourselves. the companies that I mentioned above have not evolved like other companies and DO NOT produce good foods.Innova Adult:-Turkey (good)-Chicken (good)-Chicken Meal (Excellent)-Ground Barley (good)-Ground Brown Rice (great)-Potatoes (good)-Natural Flavors (good)-Ground White Rice (good)-Chicken Fat (okay)-Herring (good)-Apples (great)-Carrots (great)-Cottage Cheese (good) -Sunflower Oil (good)-Alfalfa Sprouts (great)-Egg (excellent)Animals are so much like humans in the fact that a healthy diet and exercise will prevent the deadly illnesses that they face. Use your common sense. When you see things like "by-products""corn""animal" you know that the company is using questionable ingredients and only has money on its mind. If you truly care about your pets health and want them around for a long time, you need to provide your dog with a nutritious diet PS Good quality foods like Innova actually cost about the same as the low quality bags of food but you feed less so you actually end up saving money.

feed him with ur hand when u r bord the dogs love that so so so much