Puppy Tips

• A relationship with a very good dog friendly vet, better yet, hunting dog friendly vet, not a pocket pet vet.
• A good well balanced Large Breed puppy food,  we have been quite content with Purina Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy, Salmon flavor, No corn, No wheat, No soy;  we like the way our puppies look and act while on it!   We also suggest to avoid Peas and too many fillers.  Meat should be the first ingredient.   
• Another great food we have been hearing about is The Honest Kitchen Puppy Food.  We suggest avoiding the grain free options.   Our vet also recommends Purina Pro Plan.   If you decide to switch foods, we will send you home with enough puppy food to make the switch gradually. 
• We highly recommend an enclosed intermediate size Ruffland kennel, or a large size with a divider to  increase the size as the puppy gets larger.  Good for nighttime, traveling, and for when puppy will be by itself for a period of time. 
• A Medium 30 inch size wire crate by Midland is handy as well for hanging out in the daytime. 
• A safe enclosed area for exercising outside (exercise pen-  when she/he is small, and you cannot be with her/him and when she is not in her crate)
• A training lead.  We recommend a product you can order from Standing Stone Supply called Easy Lead
• Please avoid extra “treats” you buy… just like babies… too many other ingredients can mess up a puppy’s digestion.  Use pieces of their own kibble for treats and training rewards.  High quality food rewards should be plain cooked chicken breast pieces and non seasoned steak pieces.  ( We like to cook up ahead, chop up and store in the freezer to easily pull out.)   A couple of tablespoons of Plain pumpkin is a great additive to a food during times of stress, changes and food changes. 
• Chew toys should be hard like Nylabones or Kong toys for chewers.  Avoid Rawhide and Bully sticks… these can possibly cause an intestinal obstruction.  Watch for broken off pieces and stuffing from toys and throw them away.  

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• ​If you are a newbie to labrador retrievers, a good training guide, and/or dvd’s, websites are in order… some suggestions:  Standing Stone Kennel,  The Wildrose Way Retriever Training DVD with Mike Stewart ,  George Hickox Training the Upland Retriever DVD,   Gun Dog: Puppy Training with  Jeremy Moore.   Check out  GunDog Supply for their large selection of training Books and DVD’s and materials.