Wheezer

One of the newest interesting elements I’ve faced in bringing up Jazz is reverse sneezing. Sounds weird right? But it is actually a very common phenomenon in dogs according to Veterinary Partner.com. It’s described as a rather “disconcerting event” where dogs make a series of wet, wheezing gasps as if the dog is choking, or in fact sucking sneezes back into their mouths.

Odd, eh?

The Bark.com lightheartedly refers to it as “Dog Honking”.

It’s again a pretty alarming sight the first time you see it, especially when you are watching your own dog endure a gasping fit. The first time Jazz “reverse sneezed”, we had just come back from a walk, and I was under the impression she just had some dust in her nose and was trying to “blow” without sneezing. I passed it off as nothing the first time, but in the days that followed, I saw her continuing to have these little “fits”. I was almost tempted to check for a 24 hour vet’s office, but instead regarded myself to simply investigate the situation online.

Turns out as I mentioned earlier, it’s a pretty common symptom in dogs, with according to All Dog Health.com no particular known cause, outside of common sinus/nasal irritation. It’s also a non-lethal condition that requires no special treatment, just a couple of suggested actions to ease the dog’s “suffering” by pinching their nose shut while massaging their throat, causing them to take a quick breath upon release and ending the spasms. I also found gently blowing at Jazz’s nose when she’s mid fit, seems to end the sneezes as well. 

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Go Get It!

One of the best ways to exercise a Labrador pup is by playing fetch with them. It is a great bonding exercise, and according to the "Labrador Site", its not very physically demanding of the animal. Since Labradors were originally bred as retrieval dogs (hence the name Labrador Retriever) for game hunting (birds, hares, etc) they have a natural instinct to chase things down. The catch, is training them to bring the thrown item back.

There is no firm method to teach, I, with Jazz lucked up with a puppy that was already brimming with playfulness and teaching her to fetch was nearly effortless. I did find an interesting video on YouTube from "The Cottonwood Hunt Club" that provided some interesting additional tips to properly train a Labrador to fetch.

I also happened upon a dog training blog called “Dog Training in Delhi” which also gives some very helpful hints to training Labs to properly play fetch.

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Grooming the Pup

I like to take Jazz on frequent walks as mentioned in last weeks blog post. I felt it would be good to touch on grooming Labradors for this week's blog. The "Labrador Site, which I frequent often for answers state that "Labradors are incredibly energetic and curious animals" naturally. This curiosity aspect gets amplified 10-fold when they are outdoors.

When walking a dog, it's common for the animals to "involve" themselves in the environment they're in. Involve themselves I mean, by playing in mud, puddles, chasing other animals, etc.. From research and observation, I’ve found Jazz , like most Labradors, is very fond of playing in any water we come across on a walk. Some of the most muddy and stagnant water puddles, in our neighborhood are common targets for Jazz to hunt down and indulge herself on our walks. These targets are focused on more often if I ever let her off her leash to get more freedom to run around in unpopulated empty areas. 

Luckily Labrador’s have what are considered “dirt resistant” coats. I found that on the "Dog Writer's" website many helpful tips on how to keep you're Lab clean. Usually, when I bring her back from a long walk that she’s played in puddles and the like, most of the dirt and filth has shaken off by the time we get home, and the remainder can be simply wiped away with a damp cloth.  Several websites provide quick do’s and don’ts about grooming Labradors. One of which is to not bathe them too often as it tends to dry out their skin. It's also advised to brush them often to help remove excess dirt from their coats. 

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The Long Walk

As I myself am attempting to motivate myself to get out more and engage in some form of cardiovascular exercise daily, I figured it would be a good idea to take the new Lab with me for the benefit of us both. I normally try to walk at least 3 miles an evening, with 6 to 10 mile hikes on Saturday mornings, and figured since I did this same routine with my previous dog (a 7 year old Chow Chow), Jazz would get a kick out of it, and it would give her a chance to learn the neighborhood in case she ever got free. Our first long hike went without a hitch, 6.5 miles around the neighborhood on a not so hot Saturday morning, and Jazz, as predicted was thrilled to be able to stretch her legs, and explore new areas. I figured it would be good to try another route the next weekend, and about 1 mile into the walk, I notice I as I was walking, Jazz was not. I looked down to check on her, and she had laid down in the shade of a mailbox and refused to get back up.

Curious about her lack of energy for this walk and especially for her health, I got Jazz back home and immediately began researching walking techniques for puppies under 1 year old. I saw a good tidbit of information on The Labrador Site on suggested guidelines on how to properly walk a young pup based on the dog’s still developing body. After reading, I learned to cut back on the amount of long walks I took Jazz on, especially without sufficient hydration both prior to and during the walk. I also learned that it is actually a good thing for the puppy’s body to take long walks in moderation, and should tailor my scheduled walks to take her along.

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Bite Worse Than Bark

Another interesting aspect in the adventures of raising a Labrador puppy, is getting over their natural instincts to bite and chew everything in sight; including their owner's hands. The fascinating thing that you learn very quickly, either from research or simple word of mouth from other Lab owners, is that there are one million and one methods to remedy a chewer, you simply need to find the one that works for you. "Crating" as punishment is a commonly spoken solution. Another somewhat peculiar one I heard from a Vet's nurse was dipping fingers in bleach when in contact with the dog. Somewhat brutal in my opinion, but what works for others is their business.

Me for example with Jazz, started with simply shouting "OUCH!" any time her teeth touched skin. Normally if Jazz was biting me for no apparent reason, it was because she was craving attention, so another way to avoid biting puppies is to give them as much attention as possible. Puppies will be puppies and biting is essentially just another form of playing to them, so it's not advised to be too negative with reinforcement of punishment for biting. It's a "phase" they may or may not grow out of, especially with Labs, and its best to examine new ways to find a solution rather than make matters worse with aggressive responses.

Another interesting tip comes from Joseph Doughtery with Ecology Photographic:

"Training a puppy not to bite or chew is actually quite simple: each time the dog nips a person, place your thumb and forefinger over the muzzle. Push down on the dog's upper lips until they curl in and you can feel they are over the sharp little upper canine teeth... then give it a little squeeze. This lets the puppy know just what it feels like when it uses its teeth on soft skin... and soon the nippy puppy learns to reserve its sharp little teeth for the tennis balls and chew toys."

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Reinforcement Is Key

As most books and websites will tell you, the basis for training an animal is reinforcement of commands and disciplines. Lab puppies like Jazz are no different. Like human children, helping you're dog identify what is "right" and "wrong" early in life is essential to their training. I learned early with Jazz that a puppy's curiosity is what guides their natural decisions, and if left unchecked, can lead to a disastrous relationship. In order to curtail her natural curiosities and destructive playfulness, I chose the route of constant attention that was rewarded with treats and more attention when Jazz followed commands, instead of punishing her for anything and everything she did wrong. As noted on the "Dog Training Secrets" website:

"This philosophy believes that animals are much better behaved and easier to train when they’re earning rewards and praise than if they’re being punished. Punishment and negative reinforcement training has actually been proven to cause aggression and unwanted behaviors. "

Given that that logic applies to all living creatures, I thought it made for an interesting, and later fulfilling piece of advice to follow in training my Labrador.

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