Best products from r/labrador

Sorry in advance for a long post, but here we go...

I highly recommend a harness for walks or when you want to take him/her to the park or some place. This is the one I use and it’s the best harness I’ve come across yet:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01MZ9CM13/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1516026042&sr=8-1-spons&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ruffwear+harness&psc=1

For sure get a grain free dog food. Make sure first ingredient is a meat. A lot of bags will say if they are grain free. I use Petco’s Whole Hearted dog food. It’s a good quality and fair priced.

As I’m sure you know and everyone has most likely said, daily exercise is required. Once you get your pup to fetch it will be so much more easy/fun for both of you. My lab loves fetching both balls from the chuck it and a rubber dog frisbee. If your pup isn’t good at staying with you or on voice command yet for an open yard/park, I used to always go to a nearby school with a fenced in baseball field and play there until puppy learns and can be trusted.

Make sure to get a good variety of toys texture wise. Labs are very mouthy dogs and having different types of toys to play with keeps them entertained and their mouths off things that are not toys. Also, other treat dispensing toys are a good way for your dog to be entertained and be a mental stimulus in addition to training. Mental stimulation is just as important and physical exercise.

For treats I would get a Kong and fill it with a little bit of peanut butter (xylitol free!) and some kibble. It is also worth trying ice cubes as treats. My dog LOVES them and it’s a free and zero calorie treat. Some people recommend baby carrots or pea pods as healthy treats. Actual dog treats are fine too, but the key is for the dog to not have too high of calories.

Take your doggy everywhere with you that you can. Socialize them so they are good and well behaved with meeting new people and other dogs.

I urge you to never give up on him/her. Remember that if your dog is driving you crazy, and they will at times, they are still learning and consistency is key. Positive reinforcement works great so kill them with kindness. On the flip side if they do something that warrants a time out, be sure to keep that rule active so they learn what is and is not allowed.

Lastly, HAVE FUN! You are gaining a great companion/friend and they journey and efforts you take will be well worth it. Enjoy the moments you have together.

I also have this because I have cloth seats in my Jeep and labs shed like crazy. It's great for hiking and river adventures and keeps him from tumbling around. It's held up really well so far.

My lab is the same age and he loves to walk around and stick his head out the window. He rarely lays down but he will once he gets tired enough. Trust me, your boy should be the same way lol. If possible maybe exercise him really good the day before/morning of? That way he's already burned off some energy and isn't so wound up. Of course bring plenty of water. Amazon also has a dog water bottle that is absolutely fantastic and compact.

Gulpy

We bought a Goughnut which our vet recommended after our pup had to have obstruction surgery. I'm not sure if it's truly indestructible but its held up very well. They are pricey but much cheaper than the cost of surgery if your pup swallows part of a toy like ours did. Also, if she is an aggressive chewer be careful with the plastic tray in the crate if you use one. Our girl started chewing it up, and that hard plastic will not pass very easily. You can order metal trays online. Again, it is expensive upfront, but it can potentially save a life and/or thousands on surgery. Good luck!

I use this one and I love it. I know a lot of people use the Furminator but I never found that one to be very good on my lab. The bristles on this brush are a little sharp, so you have to be gentle on the belly (which my dog LOVES to be brushed on lol.....ummmm that's not really the part that's shedding, buddy), but that's the only drawback that I've found.

Beautiful pup, I have the same breed, a female. She had similar symptoms and we were actually using the same food you mentioned. I tried several different brands and animal proteins but she had the best results with Pinnacle Grain Free Dog Food in the Salmon formula.

Amazon plays around with the price but chewy.com has the same food and offers a discount if you autoship it every month.

Bathing a dog isn't solving the problem, it's just getting rid of the dandruff that's present.

As others have mentioned, start giving your dog some fish oil in his/her food. This is the one I get. It can be pricey, but it lasts quite a while. I put 1 or 2 squirts on top of the food each day. My dogs love it and their coats are great. I live in a very cold, dry climate too.

If you are going to shampoo your dog, use a shampoo with an oatmeal base. Something like this. As for frequency, you should refrain from bathing your dog as much as possible. In the spring, when it's muddy out I just rinse my labs with water in the tub. Once it starts to dry up outside, I give my dogs a good bath as they start to stink. That's probably the only bath (with shampoo) they get all year and they swim in a river everyday from April-October. Their natural oils will repel water and keep the stink off. The more your bathe your dog, the more you strip those oils and end up with a stinkier dog.

Yikes, food allergies are super difficult:/ I'm so glad you were able to find a food that she tolerates well. Luckily the yeast infections are easy to manage. We use an anti-fungal otic wash in her ears to keep the yeast at bay. Gotta love floppy ears :P

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008EJROZ8/ref=pd_aw_sim_199_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=71C99ZP4PHY1MZ9H0G0D&dpPl=1&dpID=61kg0J5kZoL

I'm sure you know this already, but it can't be said too often--consistency is KEY for dogs. You (and your family) have to be more stubborn than she is, every time. Whenever anyone gives in, she learns that her behavior is effective and acceptable.

Before bringing more food into the mix (as this may just excite her more), try to ignore her/push her away at every meal for at least 2 weeks and see if there's any improvement in her behavior at that point. Our new dog (picked him up mid-January, just turned 2) was all about it when we were eating, but he has already stopped bothering us at meal times (took about 1 week for the worst of the behavior to stop, 2 weeks for him to actually completely leave us alone). Best of luck!!

P.S.: My last thought would be maybe to give her something to entertain her while you are eating (something like this ). We haven't tried this, but if the barking/jumping is really unbearable, this might be a way to encourage her to ignore you while you eat.

RC Pet Products Packable Dog Rain Poncho Sunshine - XX Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005SJAZ44/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_lWrRCb49JXWCX

It’s this raincoat in XXL I think. He’s on the smaller side at 65 lbs and it fits him pretty perfectly.

For any labs, treats, treats, treats! You can buy some good ones at any pet store, or make your own.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/133123/peanut-butter-and-pumpkin-dog-treats/

Also, this breath freshener is awesome. My dog seems to enjoy it and his dragon breath is gone:

https://www.amazon.com/Tropiclean-Breath-Plaque-Remover-Additive/dp/B0054WTPBY/ref=pd_nav_hcs_bia_t_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=H4MHKDS7AAC9FM82XVK4

oh, he is so cute!!! I let mine sit up front in my lap when he was tiny and now he always tries to sit up front, even though he is way too big.

There is a great little seat belt for dogs that clips onto their harness and into the seat belt itself. Great for car rides and gives them enough room to stick their head out the window.

We have the full buffet of chew toys - shin bones, various nylabones, deer antlers, and the most recent addition, a water buffalo horn.

Our lab goes back and forth in her chewing habits and seems to like the variety. The latest fav is an x-large bacon Nylabone. It's getting a lot of attention.

Anyone got recommendations for an 80lb heavy chewer? We like to keep things interesting for her.

You could try a car seat cover. This helped our pup like the car much better. That way they can't fall and have more support when laying down.

Something like this:

https://www.amazon.ca/seat-covers-cars-YoGi-Prime/dp/B01DZXYSJC

These drops Got rid of my dogs infection in about a week, they worked really good for me, if your medicine doesn’t work give these a try! Good luck to you both

It's listed for $35 now but honestly I'd pay $50 for it. It survived our trip and then the washing machine, and kept them from getting in the front seat.

BarksBar

You would be correct, that would be my Christmas present from last year. My Toro Lawn Striping Kit. And as long as the birthday boy gets some love too, i'm fine with lawn talks lol - https://www.amazon.com/Toro-20601-Lawn-Striping-System/dp/B004ZKXYUO

Fulfill her retriever side by doing just that, retrieving. In addition to long walks, try playing fetch with a frisbee or tennis ball. I also like giving mine a treat ball to keep him busy/entertained/thinking.

You can look into getting a kong brand donut that goes around their neck instead, I used it for my pup and he hated it but it worked like a charm and it looks just like those travel pillows you use on planes.

KONG Cloud E-Collar, Dog Collar, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045Y1JGG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_eb12CbVFZ8SHB

These are great http://www.amazon.com/ChuckIt-Medium-Ultra-2-5-Inch-2-Pack/dp/B000F4AVPA/

They float too.

It's a ChuckIt brand. I got it at the local PetCo, but you can find them on Amazon. It's the only thing she hasn't ever been able to chew through. She's had that same ball since she came to live with us (4 months old). Highly recommended!