FAQ'S AND INFORMATION LIBRARY
We have created this information library to assist you, our adopters, as well as applicants with important FAQ's that will provide you hints on feeding, introducing your pet to your homes, crate training and what to expect from a rescued dog. We plan on updating this area of our website with more information frequently so check back often!
What to Feed Your Dog
Here is an article written by our vet and rescue partner, Dr. Genevieve Keillor. Most people don't know this, but many skin and coat problems are caused by allergies to corn, wheat and soy, which are some of the main ingredients in the dog foods sold at most grocery stores. She gives lots of good pointers in her letter below.
"I typically give my clients some general feeding and food guidelines to prevent allergies, skin problems, ear issues, digestive upset, etc. I had to learn these things the hard way, so I want to share them with everyone I can because they truly work.
First of all, I tell people to avoid corn, wheat, or soy, as these ingredients are not digested well by dogs and tend to promote an imbalance of the proper bacteria in the intestines. This, in turn, can lead to chronic toxicity that promotes skin and gastrointestinal issues, as well as premature aging. The liver and the kidneys are detoxifying organs, but so is the skin. When the skin is dealing with impurities from the inside, it becomes much more susceptible and sensitivities to problems from the outside (ie. allergens). So whenever I see a skin problem I always want to look to the gastrointestinal tract as well. Avoiding these ingredients, though, wards off so many skin and other issues right off the bat.
Also, try to go low starch in the food. Dogs in the wild don't eat fillers at all. The better carbs are sweet potato, potato, and brown rice, because these typically digest well. I always tell people to look at the first ingredient in dry food and it should be the meat meal. Notice I did not say "meat". Just like us, most of meat is actually water. Once it is cooked and processed and extruded, the meat portion moves way down on the ingredient list, whereas with the meat meal, that is the dehydrated component and a true picture of how much protein is in the food.
Also, try to gradually rotate the proteins. I switch my dogs and fosters gradually from something like lamb, to chicken, to fish (then they feel like they are eating cat food!), to venison, etc. This mimics what a dog would do in the wild with migration of prey animals and seasonal changes. This is excellent for the gastrointestinal tract, as it brings in different trace minerals, gives certain enzymes a rest, and also gives our dogs some variety and prevents the intestines from sensitizing to certain ingredients. Imagine if we ate the same sandwich every meal, every day for the rest of our lives. Eventually our bodies would start to reject it (and we sure would get sick of it as well!)
If you don't have a Costco nearby, I tell my clients to always check ingredients, but you may want to look into such brands as Blue Buffalo, Innova, Wellness, Natural Balance, Pinnacle, Avoderm, Solid Gold, Lassie, California Natural, Orijen, Nature's Variety, Nature's Logic, Primal, etc. I also use for my dogs and fosters an enzyme supplement called "Nupro Gold", available on the internet (www.nuprostore.com). I stumbled across this product a few years ago and I am hooked and tell all my clients about it. It has fish oils, antioxidants, probiotics, and enzymes for excellent overall health." Best regards, Genevieve Keillor, DVM
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What to Expect from a Rescued Dog
Your new dog may have been abandoned, found as a stray, surrendered by a
previous family, abused or neglected, or from a puppymill. The dog had to
adjust to life at a foster home and is now going home to a new, unfamiliar
place with strangers. Kind of scary if you think about it!
Being gentle, considerate, kind and patient will help ease your new dog into
his/her new life with you. Some rescue dogs may be very friendly at first
while others may be reserved until they get to know you. Let the dog come to
you – don't force him/her to do anything until you better understand
his/her personality and behaviors.
No dog is going to be "perfect" and due to their past history, rescued dogs
may require special consideration.
Rescue dogs have a higher chance of being very reserved or submissive at
first due to their past history, but then tend to "come out of their shell"
within 1-2 weeks.
Don't feed pets in the same room together until they are showing no
aggression or jealousy at mealtime. A dog that has been starved, or forced
to give up food to other dogs in the past, may be very protective of the food you give it.
*WHERE AM I? *
Your dog might be afraid and unsure of his new surroundings. If he appears
to be scared, keep him in a small, quiet area to start, and take it slow.
Don't allow children to bother the dog if he is afraid; fear can result in
nipping. Instead, give your dog plenty of time to adjust to his new
surroundings, taking it one step at a time. Don't give up! Don't leave your
other pets or small children unsupervised with the new dog until they are
used to each other.
*OOPS! I'M SORRY *
Even a potty trained dog can make mistakes in a new home! Expect this to
happen. He doesn't know which door to go to or how to ask his new family
what he wants.
Keep a very watchful eye on your new friend and *confine him when you can't
watch him*. The worst thing you can do is to physically reprimand a dog.
This teaches the dog that
he must go someplace you can't see him to eliminate. A firm "no" when you
catch him in the act and placing him outside or on papers will teach him
where it is appropriate to go. Some experts say not to place the dog exactly
where you want him to go when you take him outside, but nearby and calling
it over to that place. *The main thing is to reward good behavior and use
firm verbal cues for bad behavior. *
**It is not advised that you let the new member of your household free reign
of the house when you are away for long periods of time. ** Use crate
training as a positive way to confine your new dog for short periods of
time.
*NEW RULES *
Your new dog had a whole different set of rules in his
previous home. He may have been allowed to sleep in bed or beg at the table.
It's up to you to teach him your rules. Teaching proper behavior takes time
and patience.
*ADJUSTMENT PERIOD *
Allow several weeks to adapt to his new surroundings and
up to four months to fully adjust (older dogs may take longer than young
ones). Adopting a pet is a lifetime commitment. We assume that you will make
a patient and concerted effort to achieve a successful placement. Sometimes
rescued dogs may exhibit behavioral problems that could include house
soiling, destructive behavior, mild aggression toward other pets or humans,
submissive urination, clinging behavior, licking behavior, and hiding or
cowering in bed. All rescued dogs will exhibit some behavior when entering a
new home. Most of the time, bad
behavior is of very short duration as the animal becomes used to its new
surroundings. L.A.B Rescue and/or your dog's foster parent will advise you
regarding any behaviors that have been observed while the animal was in
foster care.
These are some of the situations you may possibly run in to with your
rescued dog. For the majority of adopters, however, after an initial few
days of adjustment they find that they have adopted a truly wonderful little
dog that wants nothing more than the touch of your hand, the sound of your
voice, and the love of your heart.
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*SUGGESTED DOG TOYS*
Toys can be torn apart by a heavy chewer. A neighbor of one of our directors had this happen to her 2 yr. old lab. $1,200 later the Kong part was removed from the intestine.
Ball: Planet Dog Orbee Glow For Good Ball
Dogs (puppies or adults) can’t tear it apart or get a piece out of it. I like this particular ball as it glows in the dark – big help when playing and looking for the ball in the dark (not so sure about snow!) This ball also fits in to the standard size ball chuck. Any of the balls on the Planet Dog website that are rated “5 Chompers” are acceptable. I also like the blue “Adopt” ball.
Nylabone: Only purchase the Nylabone Non-Edible for Powerful Chewers. Here’s a photo of the Nylabone I purchase. Best price is at Wal-Mart. A lab under one year will need a smaller Nylabone. Just make certain it’s a Dura-Chew bone.
Rope Toys: Readily available at most pet stores. Depending on the age of the lab, will determine what size rope toy you want. The heavier and bigger rope toys can be used for labs 9 months and older. Generally the best have 3 knots (one at each end and one in the middle)
The ball and Nylabone can be left inside a crate unsupervised. Rope toy will be OK, but check often to make sure it hasn’t started to become unraveled.
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Transport and Introduction
The manner you introduce your new pet to your home can have a long lasting effect on your relationship with your dog. Getting things off to the right start is well worth the time. Dogs begin learning about you and your expectations the moment they meet you.
If your dog arrives via ground transport, they may be constipated or suffer from loose stools. Some dogs have trouble relieving themselves during transport and their systems become backed up. Or the food they are fed during transport may be causing "food change" issues which can trigger loose stools. Dogs transported via air may have become frightened from the flight and this can trigger loose stools. A suggestion to bring to transport:
- Unflavored Pedialyte
- Bowl
- Blanket or towel
- Treats
- Leash (dogs will already have collars) **Do not change leash or collar until your dog is secured in your car**
- camera
Plan to give your dog a long walk at transport pick up. Exercise can stimulate the bowels and relax your dog. During this initial walk, your dog may be quite excited, (he just met you!) and may try to pull you around on leash. It is important to not allow your dog to pull you. When you feel a pulling tension on the leash, you should pull back (telling him in dog language you don't want to be pulled) and quickly release the tension after the pull. For some dogs, you may feel like you are pumping brakes on wet pavement, pull and release, pull and release, be patient, this is an important lesson. For dogs new to leashwork, this can take a couple of weeks to get results you want - a dog walking next to you without pulling you. Stay relaxed and patient to get better results.
When you arrive home, before taking your dog inside, take him on another long walk and make sure to visit the area that you expect him to use to relieve himself. Now lets take that dog inside!
Hopefully, you have read this before your dog's arrival and have had time to plan out your welcome home strategy. Your plan should be consistent with your desires and what physically works in your home. Always, always, it is best to redo housebreaking and take the time to teach the dog your expectations. To your dog, your home is a new, unknown territory without any established boundaries or procedures. During your initial days you want to establish your expectations, boundaries and procedures. Dogs love schedules and love knowing what will happen next - (okay, not so much the dogs that dread vet visits).
You have an incredible opportunity here to set the pattern for your dog's life with you.
Now if your plan is to just let the dog walk in and do whatever, wherever, whenever, save yourself some time and stop reading:) You should do what you feel suits your lifestyle the best.
Your dog has relieved itself, possibly by several bowel movements if they were backed up, and you are now ready to head inside. Keep your dog on leash and next to you. Some of the dogs may automatically stop at the door's threshold and wait to be invited in - some may freeze up if they are feeling overwhelmed, pull, release, pull release. Some people like to always have their dogs pause on the threshold, you enter first and they wait for permission to enter - in the long run this does prevent the racing for the open door habit.
For best results, initially, you should limit your dog's access to your entire home. You are trying to establish that this is your home, you run things and have expectations. If you want your dog to come in and take charge, I must ask, why are you still reading?
(People with males - keep a close watch as some males may try to mark upon arrival. Quick pull on leash and a firm "no". Repeat as necessary.)
Dogs have a natural instinct to not relieve themselves in their immediate area. This is the principle that makes housebreaking successful. Housebreaking works to turn this aversion into a habit. As you may have to do other things in life and need to put that leash down sometimes, you need a place to put your dog that is small enough to work with those natural instincts. Many people use crates, many use baby gates, it all depends on what your home is set up to support. Laundry rooms or mudrooms right off of kitchens or main rooms, keep your new dog visible and your firm "no" if they try to challenge the baby gate is a wonderful way to establish your consistent authority and expectations. A toy or chew saved for this time and space helps them occupy themselves.
If you have unusual doorways and can't get your gates properly secured, many people have found success by propping baby gates. They say the clatter of a baby gate on a tile floor is a good dog deterrent.
For the first few days, pepper your dog with walks to the place you would like them to relieve themselves. Begin reducing the outside opportunities to eliminate the extra walks gradually and leave just your planned future scheduled walks in place. Dogs love knowing what to expect and plan accordingly. But they do count on those opportunities so make sure your schedule is a schedule you can maintain.
Gradually enlarge their open access to your house and have monitored inside off leash time immediately after walks. The whole family should discuss ahead of time the plan and everyone's roles in the plan. If the dog won't be allowed on furniture or beds, everyone must be consistent with the expectations. Your dog will learn his role in your home quickly.
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Crate Training
Labs are companion dogs because their brains are wired to be so. When labs apply themselves to solving problems they are quite successful. We don't want your dog to see the crate as a problem to be solved. We want him/her to enjoy his/her crate - of course you can't take him with you everywhere.
Putting him in the crate while he's anxious about your departure, creates a problem. He is enclosed and feeling anxious about you leaving, he possibly sees it as blocking his access to you - (hey they are only so bright) or he just doesn't like being enclosed. We want him to be relaxed in a crate and in a calm state of mind. Dogs should enter crates relaxed and remain calm while in their crates. It takes practice. Crating him calmly while you are at home and practicing being crated in a calm state of mind will make leaving him crated while you are gone possible.
Start with a high reward treat, generally the highest reward treats are liver bits or cheese cubes. Use them only for the crating experiences. First step - get yourself totally relaxed- you want him to feel your relaxed energy and -slow down your movements. Let him get a whiff of the treat, and place one in the back of the open crate. You want him to enter the crate and turn around - if he tries to back out, calmly push him forward to encourage the turnaround. When he turns around, put your hand in the stop sign position and tell him "stay", be calm and firm and block any early exits, without getting excited. When he stays and becomes calm and relaxed, offer him another treat. Then invite him to leave with your calm permission. Do it several times. When you feel he has it, add closing the door slowly and rewarding with a 3rd treat after the door is closed.
Always nice to leave them with a favorite chew - pig ears are often popular. Start by having crated time when you are home so he has the habit of being calm inside his crate. Of course if there is another dog crated, that's how you should practice. Some people like to start with small periods of enclosure and add time as needed.