Today I fell into a trap that I should never have allowed myself to get into. I actually trusted my dog, my Nikki, a 3 year golden retriever.
Nikki is an amazingly affectionate dog, even more than normal for a golden retriever. She is gentle, good natured and behaves pretty well.
She loves going out for car drives, and she is a very well behaved dog in the car. She sits beside me, head hanging out the window and gently watching the world go by. She never gets agitated, restless or excited, even when she spots another dog out the window.
The other day, I took both Nikki, and Benny my black lab out for a drive. This time Benny was sitting in the front. Nikki was in the back. As usual I had the back and front window open.
I drove around the corner, and pulled into my driveway. And, what do I see…Nikki, sitting by the front gate. She must have jumped out the back window as I was pulling around the corner and ran to the gate.
I had absolutely NO clue she had even jumped out. Never before did she ever show any signs of jumping out.
Needless to say I was freaking. I mean, with a little imagination, I could imagine what could have happened.
Rule number one: Don’t trust your dogs. No matter how well behaved your dogs are, they are still dogs. Look out for their safety. Always make safety your first priority.
I should have known better. I try to make dog safety and dog training and dog nutrition my priorities. I have 3 dogs, 2 black labs, and my Nikki, a golden retriever. Dukie, one of my black labs is blind. Oddly enough, when I walk my 3 dogs and my neighbor comes and joins me with her dog, Dukie behaves the best. He loves walking and going for car rides. If you are observing him, you would never know he is blind.
The Labrador retriever (”Labrador” or “Lab” for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and are the most popular breeds of dog (by registered ownership) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The breed is exceptionally friendly, intelligent and good natured, and as a rule these qualities mean that Labs love people, handle children well, and therefore make excellent family and service dogs. Benny, my black lab and Nikki are both Certified Therapy Dogs. They visit the elderly in homes.
Labradors are relatively large with males typically weighing 60 to 80 lb (27 to 36 kg) and females 50 to 70 lb (23 to 32 kg). They are energetic outgoing dogs, and are black, yellow, or brown (called “chocolate”) in color, in that order of frequency. Their fur is usually fairly short and straight, and the tail quite broad and strong. The otter-like tail and webbed toes of the Labrador retriever make him an excellent swimmer. Their interwoven coat is also waterproof, providing more assistance for swimming. The tail acts as a rudder for changing directions. Yellow labs can have black or pink noses; chocolate and black labs’ noses match the coat color.
As with some other breeds, the English and the America lines differ slightly. Labs are bred in England as a medium size dog, shorter and stockier with fuller faces than their American counterparts which are bred as a larger dog. I have both, one English, My Benny, and one American, my Dukie.
Famous Labs
• U.S. President Bill Clinton’s pet labrador was called Buddy.
Reasons to train your precious lab and golden
Here’s a Small Sample of What You Should Learn:
1) Make sure your dog knows why you are trying to correct him? Learn how to make him understand what you want of him.
2) Learn from the Pros. You can teach your dog at home, but learn from the pros. Do not learn mistakes from amateurs with opinions.
3) Teach your dog NOT to fight with other dogs
4) Curb your dog’s aggressiveness, before it even has a chance to start.
5) House train your dog without getting aggravated
6) Teach your dog NOT to jump up on people.
Remember, a well trained dog is a happy dog and a safe dog. A well trained dog is received with joy by neighbors and friends. Don’t let your puppy/dog become an aggravation; teach him to be a socially well behaved dog.
And, if you have the time and inclination, look into dog therapy visiting with your dog. It is an extremely worthwhile activity. And guldens and labs are wonderful at this job. Just do a search on the internet for “Dog Therapy” groups and organizations in your area.
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Regardless of what kind of dog you are looking for you may want to consider a lab mix puppy. The only type of dog that really does not work for a lab mix puppy are dogs from the toy category. In general these dogs are desirable because of their small size, but when you mix them with a Labrador they will no longer retain that tiny size. However, just about every other class of dog will work in for a lab mix puppy.
Black Dog Omen
Black dog syndrome is used by people who work or volunteer in animal shelters. For some reason, all black dogs, even purebred black Labrador Retrievers are almost always passed over in favor of other colored dogs. Any other color dog does better - even if they are the same breed. This also happens to black Labrador Retrievers, especially in shelters. A golden, yellow, white or chocolate Labrador Retriever will almost always be picked over black Labrador Retrievers.
Superstition
Although we claim to not believe in superstitions, our subconscious proves we do. Quite often, we pass over anything black because of the negative bias towards the color black. The only things that seem to escape this bias are diamonds and horses. However, there are a lot of myths, legends and stories about black dogs being somehow bad. One of these is that vampires can change into black wolves - or black dogs (even black Labrador Retrievers).
Probably the most famous bad black dog was the Hound of the Baskervilles, which went after the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Many scholars and psychologists think the reason why the Hound of the Baskervilles is so famous is because a large black dog fits our subconscious idea of what an evil creature looks like, even a dog with floppy ears like a black Labrador Retriever.
Hecate And Paganism
In some pre-Christian pagan religions, black dogs were seen as sacred. One of the most powerful and respected Goddesses (still worshipped by modern day Pagans) is Hecate (or Hekate), known as the Goddess of Witches. One of her symbols was the black dog. It was said that She could appear to people in the form of either a black snake, a black mare or a black dog.
Whenever Christianity overtook paganism, anything associated with the old Deities was immediately demonized. This is probably what happened to all black dogs, even in this modern day and age, causing the black dog syndrome seen today in pet rescues and animal shelters.
A Good Dog Is Never A Bad Color
If you are considering adopting a dog (and good for you), then please be sure to take a second look at all of the black dogs in the shelter. Perhaps they will look ordinary, but that’s only on the outside. If you specifically want to adopt a Labrador Retriever, be sure to tell the breed rescue or animal shelter that you would accept a black Labrador Retriever. You will certainly gain not only the shelter worker’s respect, but the friend of a lifetime.
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Our beautiful Golden Retriever Sasha brought to the world 9 Puppies. She needed our assistance during the process. It was one of the most beautiful experiences in life I’ve ever witnessed. Hope you like it the same way we enjoyed the whole process.
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Brecken (short for Breckenridge), the Golden Retriever, is spending his winter where winter really exists. He really enjoys snow.The snowbirds have flown south to avoid it. Music: Jump in the Line (Shake, Shake Senora) by Harry Belfonte
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im looking for animal shelters in chicago that have golden retriever puppys..but i am having no luck looking for one any suggestions..how much would it probably be?
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Monk the Golden Retriever at Crate Escape in Belmont, MA. www.crate-escape.com
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It is unfortunate that one of the most favored pets, the Golden Retrievers are high risks for eye and heart diseases. These can be hereditary and also non hereditary. Some of these are irreversible, and require constant attention to check the onset, and if possible some treatment can be prescribed. The heart is also afflicted by heart disease.
In cases of the Golden Retrievers having one or more of these diseases, it is recommended that they should not be exposed to breeding, because these defects can be passed from generation to generation.
Eye and Heart Diseases are common to the Golden Retrievers. Mostly, it is hereditary, and cataracts develop as a common problem. While this may not result in significant loss of vision, in some it does cause considerable loss, and sometimes total vision is affected.
This disease also is caused by other factors, apart from hereditary factors. Only a certified veterinarian will be able to judge how serious the cataracts are really. Apart from this eye disease, some families of this breed carry genes for central progressive retinal atrophy, which means that the retina on which the image is reflected for the brain to pick up and show the 3D image, shrinks, and will result in permanent blindness, often, at even young age. The severity of the cataracts can only be judged by a qualified veterinarian. It is recommended that a veterinarian ophthalmologist examines your pet, since he would have the experience and equipment to correctly identify the progression of the disease.
Some of the problems with eye lend themselves to surgical repair, such as eyelids rotation, inside or outside, eyelashes rubbing the eye, experts strongly recommend that breeding should not be allowed, and they are not allowed to participate in the American Kennel Club shows.
Another disease which afflicts most of the Golden Retrievers is heart disease. During the annual examination, or if you notice anything peculiar you should take your pet to the veterinarian to check for heart disease by a cardiologist, who will carry out tests to rule out heart disease. The most common heart disease seen in this breed is the Subvalvular Aortic Stenosis, which means simply that the heart function is affected, and sufficient oxygen, the author is subject to correction, is not being absorbed by the blood and subsequently, it spread rapidly
It is strongly recommended to the owners of the Golden Retrievers that in the event of any of the above disease is present, they should not, repeat consider breeding their pet. There is every possibility that it may turn out to be a disaster, either by the carrying forward of the disease, or resulting in fatality for your pet.
Itis better to be safe rather than sorry later. It’s a great pity, but who can cavail against nature? At the moment there is no remedy. We can only hope that your pet does not suffer too much and cause anguish and pain to you. We understand your pain and can share it somewhat, but we can never feel the same level of anguish and pain that you have, even though we are equally fond of Golden Retrievers. Having been through that trauma, we can at best commisserate with you.
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Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, mixed retriever breeds as well as all water dogs can have more enriched lives by learning training techniques used by duck hunters.
Once the owner of a retriever has learned the skills to teach his dog all he can be in the field a new world opens up. Training your retriever can become a highlight of family activities and at the same time give the retriever all the exercise he needs.
Too often retriever owners make the mistake of assuming only hunting dogs need to be taught marks and lines. But it is these exercises that keep the dog exercised and at the same time fulfills the basic need to retrieve. Not just throwing a toy a few feet but rather retrieves from a distance. This is referred to as a mark. The dog watches the dummy as it is thrown and then marks the location of the fall. Training dummies are used for this activity and can found at dog supply stores.
A single mark is the best exercise to teach the dog to mark. You will need a helper to throw the dummy. It is best to start with one person helping. Having two or more helpers in the field can cause the dog to gaze back and forth and disrupt his marking ability.
Double marks can motivate the dog to return quickly to retrieve another mark. Have your helper throw a dummy in one direction (approximately 50 feet to begin) and another helper throw a closer mark. Having your dog retrieve the last mark thrown is the usual order of pick up. Place the helpers so that there is no chance of going to the wrong mark. The more distant mark is often referred to as the memory mark. The dog will learn to judge distance if you vary the location of the helpers at each new marking lesson.
You will have a very enjoyable training session as long as each participant knows his job. Here are the steps to keep in mind. The handler places the helper in the field and decides where the starting line should be. He then heels his dog to the line holding him by a rope attached to the collar. He signals the helper with his free arm to throw. The dog must follow the flight of the dummy until it lands and only when the dog is intently fixed on it does the handler send the dog. The helper should remain silent facing the mark as the dog makes the retrieve.
When you are first beginning, find a park-like area with mowed grass and always try to use white dummies since dogs do not see red. Initially, do short marks about 50 feet or less. After a few weeks the training exercises can include water work. So if you are at a pond, lake, or river you can have lots of fun with marking retrieves across the water giving the dog a chance to do what he was bred to do. Once your retriever has successfully retrieved a mark it can be repeated without the helper. This is referred to as giving the dog a line.
The requirement to accomplish the above exercises is basic obedience. This must include the ability to return to the hander to deliver the dummy. Fun short marks can be introduced as early as four months old. Most dogs need a number of months to prepare for marking lessons.
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Golden Retriever dogs at World dog show in July 2008, in Stockholm. Field Trial Class. Judge: Mr. Filip Jonsson.
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The trend is sweeping the nation as more people discover the wonderful world of horses. Participation in horse events is at an all-time high. Nearly 2 million Americans own horses, and millions more would like to.
In fact, a recent survey found three out of five adults would be happy if they were given a horse as a gift. And, a majority is interested in horseback riding while on vacation, attending a rodeo and going to a horse race.
With interest in horses on the rise, it’s no surprise that more Americans are finally getting involved. They are taking vacations at dude ranches, going on relaxing trail rides to de-stress after work, skipping gym workouts to fulfill fitness routines on horseback, and even using horses to teach kids responsibility and confidence.
And more importantly, they are finding affordable options.
“Getting involved is easier and less expensive than you might think,” said Bill Brewer, executive vice president of the American Quarter Horse Association. “With our nationwide network of professional horsemen, AQHA can connect people - regardless of interest level, age or income - with horses. It’s what we do best.”
Brewer mentioned several cost-effective options for enjoying horses without the cost of ownership, such as leasing, time-sharing, vacationing at a ranch or taking lessons.
“With these affordable options, there has never been a better time to get started,” he said.
AQHA is making it easier than ever to get involved by offering a gift set for $30. The set includes a Breyer model horse, a book about American Quarter Horses and a certificate good for one free riding lesson from a local professional trainer in your area.
“This gift is an easy way to make a dream for a horse come true,” Brewer said. “A lesson on a dependable breed like the American Quarter Horse, which we call the ‘golden retriever of the horse world,’ is a fun and safe way to be introduced to the joy of a life with horses.”
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