# My new wood cutting buddy



## Badfish740 (Jan 17, 2010)

I got a call from a friend this morning-he said that he had won a dog in an auction at a waterfowl hunting event.  He got him home and decided that he just couldn't keep him because he's a single guy and he works long hours, etc...  My wife and I had been wanting a dog for a while but weren't sure what kind.  Needless to say once we saw this little guy it was love at first sight:







His name is Hank and he's just getting used to his new surroundings.  He's our first dog and is going to be a lot of fun.


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## gibson (Jan 17, 2010)

That's a good lookin' dog.  Chocolate lab, right?  My black lab pup is now about 5 months old.  Since this is your first pup, I hope you have a crate (large) and plenty of chew toys.  The crate is a must have for training and your sanity.  The chew toys will protect your belongings.  They also love to chew kindling.  Damn, he's gonna be a big boy.  Enjoy.


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## Badfish740 (Jan 17, 2010)

Sen. John Blutarsky said:
			
		

> That's a good lookin' dog.  Chocolate lab, right?  My black lab pup is now about 5 months old.  Since this is your first pup, I hope you have a crate (large) and plenty of chew toys.  The crate is a must have for training and your sanity.  The chew toys will protect your belongings.  They also love to chew kindling.  Damn, he's gonna be a big boy.  Enjoy.



Yep, chocolate lab.  He's 9 weeks-not sure how much he weighs now, but I'm calling the breeder to find out how big mom and dad were.  We've got a crate for him and lots of toys.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 17, 2010)

Or pup is 6 years old now. 
Crate and chew toys are absolute necessities. Some training now will pay off when he is 80+ pounds.


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## ohio woodburner (Jan 17, 2010)

That's a fine looking pup you got there.  Watch out though...he'll be chewing on that coixal cable next


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## tfdchief (Jan 17, 2010)

Melts my heart.  Dogs are truly mans best friend.  No agendas, no conditions, just love you!  He will make a great wood cuttin companion.  It will be hard to tell who is having the most fun.


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## Badfish740 (Jan 17, 2010)

tfdchief said:
			
		

> Melts my heart.  Dogs are truly mans best friend.  No agendas, no conditions, just love you!  He will make a great wood cuttin companion.  It will be hard to tell who is having the most fun.



Absolutely.  Labs are born companions too, so he'll be going everywhere with me.  Ever since I bought my first pickup I always wanted a four legged buddy to ride shotgun with me-now I have one.  The little guy is sleeping right now in the same spot the picture was taken.


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## savageactor7 (Jan 17, 2010)

Nice pup...Young Labs require lots of chew toys or they'll be chewing the legs off your furniture. As far as a cutting companion goes I hear ya... out in the woods I keep my dog on a short rope when felling a tree then take him off when I'm finishing up.


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## PapaDave (Jan 17, 2010)

Wow, what a cool pup.
Looks just like our Abby when she was about 9 weeks.
Her daddy was 110 lbs., so we're thinking she'll be about 90. She was 52lbs. at 5 months. She learned sit right after we got her. Smart, oh, and somewhat stubborn. :lol: 
Get chewtoys. LOTS of chewtoys. I had to give a pair of older running shoes to her and her buddy. Well, actually, they took 'em.


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## PapaDave (Jan 17, 2010)

Here's Abby and her partner in crime, Cooper. They've decided the chair behind them is their favorite play spot. It rocks and swivels, especially when they're in it. :ahhh:


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## Bobbin (Jan 17, 2010)

Start yourselves out right, get thee to puppy socialization classes and then move on to Obedience classes.  He's a good lookin' rig and this is the time get him totally on board with proper manners.  All it takes is 20 minutes of practice a day.  Really.  

I'm a huge proponent of obedience training.  And obedience training isn't for the dog, either; it's for the humans!  We have a shelter dog who was surrendered 3 times by age 1 1/2 (100 lbs. and out of control) and taking classes was the best thing we've ever done; our dog knows where he stands in the household pecking order and will do anything he's asked to do.  He responds equally well to hand signals.  We rarely use food to reward compliance and we enforce commands within 3 seconds (no repeating the command).  He is still a handful but he's smart and willing.  

Friends of our's have 2 Labs and they're nearly 4 yrs. old now.  For all intents and purposes they are untrained and are basically out of control.  They want to do the right thing (because they're Labs) but there has been no consistency from their owners and the result is two 80+ lb. dogs that still jump on people and cannot obey a simple command like, "Down" or "Sit" for longer than it takes to down the food reward (bribe).  They are, quite simply, obnoxious.  And it's not their fault.  

Discipline, exercise, and love.  In that order always.  And your adorable puppy will be beautifully behaved and good ambassador or his species.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 17, 2010)

Bobbin said:
			
		

> Start yourselves out right, get thee to puppy socialization classes and then move on to Obedience classes.  He's a good lookin' rig and this is the time get him totally on board with proper manners.  All it takes is 20 minutes of practice a day.  Really.
> 
> I'm a huge proponent of obedience training.  And obedience training isn't for the dog, either; it's for the humans!  We have a shelter dog who was surrendered 3 times by age 1 1/2 (100 lbs. and out of control) and taking classes was the best thing we've ever done; our dog knows where he stands in the household pecking order and will do anything he's asked to do.  He responds equally well to hand signals.  We rarely use food to reward compliance and we enforce commands within 3 seconds (no repeating the command).  He is still a handful but he's smart and willing.
> 
> ...



Yup!


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## PapaDave (Jan 17, 2010)

Bobbin said:
			
		

> Start yourselves out right, get thee to puppy socialization classes and then move on to Obedience classes.  He's a good lookin' rig and this is the time get him totally on board with proper manners.  All it takes is 20 minutes of practice a day.  Really.
> 
> I'm a huge proponent of obedience training.  And obedience training isn't for the dog, either; it's for the humans!  We have a shelter dog who was surrendered 3 times by age 1 1/2 (100 lbs. and out of control) and taking classes was the best thing we've ever done; our dog knows where he stands in the household pecking order and will do anything he's asked to do.  He responds equally well to hand signals.  We rarely use food to reward compliance and we enforce commands within 3 seconds (no repeating the command).  He is still a handful but he's smart and willing.
> 
> ...



Bobbin,
Couldn't agree more. Best dog we ever had was a golden/lab mix. We took her (and ourselves) to obedience training. It was the best money and time we ever spent. She REALLY "disliked" the down command, since it's such a submissive stance, but would do it begrudgingly. She's gone now (put her down @ 14 1/2 yrs.), but we've already begun the process with our 2 new ones. Owners fault for bad behavior, .....always.


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## Bobbin (Jan 17, 2010)

Our dog is a German Shepherd crossed with something big and brindle (bull mastiff, pit pull, dunno).  His personality is to mind everyone else's business and he's basically always "on guard".  Not mean, but always watchful and had he been mistreated I can easily see how he could have turned "ugly" and been euthanized early.  He's smart and he's willing but you have to be "in charge" with him.  Not a "beginner dog".  I always wonder what he'd be like now if we'd had him as a puppy.  

Badfish, the most important thing you can ever teach your puppy (after his name) is the command, "Watch me".  You want the dog to look you in the eyes and hold your gaze for a few seconds before rewarding him lavishly with praise and some lovin'.  Once you have a dog that will instinctively turn to look at you when you call to him you the rest of his training will be a breeze.  And it's easiest to teach that to puppies, I think.  

Our dog had things his own way for his formative years and even now, if he's got something in his sights that intrigues him and he "locks on the radar" he can't be relied upon to automatically turn and look to  me for guidance.  He will respond but not always in the time frame I'd like.   We train every single day and I practice, "Watch me" regularly.  That's really the only command for which I'll reward him with food, and I don't use it all the time, saving it for times when we're training "with distractions".


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## SlyFerret (Jan 17, 2010)

I had a yellow lab when I was a kid.  He was such a great dog.  I now have two lab mixes, one lab-beagle and one lab-chessie.

I'll second what has been said about kennel training the dog.  Not only does it let you be sure that the puppy isn't destroying the house when you're not home, it also gives the little guy some space of his own.  We don't put our girls in the kennel anymore when we leave (they're 6 now), but we still have the kennel setup for them in the laundry room.  They frequently go in there and lay down.  It's their space, and when they're in there, we don't bother them.

With large dogs, obedience training is important too.  If you start socializing them with other dogs and other people early, and start working on training early, they will grow up to be very friendly, well behaved, well adjusted dogs

I really suggest not allowing big dogs like labs on the furniture.  If you teach them young that they aren't allowed up on the couch, you'll thank yourself later.  I had friends who ignored my advice when their lab was young.  They said "It's no big deal, our furniture isn't fancy, and he's not that big yet, and we like to cuddle with him while we watch TV".  Well... they eventually got decent furniture, and the lab grew to well over 100 pounds, but by that point, it was too late.  It became a real battle to keep him off the couches.

-SF


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## Dix (Jan 17, 2010)

He's lovely  Super congrats !!

We had a black lab when I was a kid that someone bought for my Mom at an auction she was running for someone who had been paralyzed in a car accident. Scjatzie. He was awesome !! Took him a few years to grow up, though   ;-)


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## PapaDave (Jan 17, 2010)

Bobbin said:
			
		

> *Our dog is a German Shepherd crossed with something big and brindle* (bull mastiff, pit pull, dunno).  His personality is to mind everyone else's business and he's basically always "on guard".  Not mean, but always watchful and had he been mistreated I can easily see how he could have turned "ugly" and been euthanized early.  He's smart and he's willing but you have to be "in charge" with him.  Not a "beginner dog".  I always wonder what he'd be like now if we'd had him as a puppy.
> 
> Badfish, the most important thing you can ever teach your puppy (after his name) is the command, "Watch me".  You want the dog to look you in the eyes and hold your gaze for a few seconds before rewarding him lavishly with praise and some lovin'.  Once you have a dog that will instinctively turn to look at you when you call to him you the rest of his training will be a breeze.  And it's easiest to teach that to puppies, I think.
> 
> Our dog had things his own way for his formative years and even now, if he's got something in his sights that intrigues him and he "locks on the radar" he can't be relied upon to automatically turn and look to  me for guidance.  He will respond but not always in the time frame I'd like.   We train every single day and I practice, "Watch me" regularly.  That's really the only command for which I'll reward him with food, and I don't use it all the time, saving it for times when we're training "with distractions".



Bobbin, my wife took a look and suggested maybe great dane. Some are brindle with ears like that. He looks quite........large.


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## Bobbin (Jan 17, 2010)

Dane makes sense, he's big and has rather thin, long legs, and he can really move when he's got a mind to.  I'll have to research Danes, he could well be a "sight hound" since once he's focussed on something his attention is hard to break.  But his face is definitely GSD and he has that same intelligence and willingness to cooperate and protect.  I'm a "cat person", but this dog has really touched me in a very deep place.  He's a ton of work but it's work I don't mind doing.  Working with him reminds me of training a young horse; patience and persistence ALWAYS.  

Badfish, I can't wait to hear how Hank's training (I mean YOUR training) progresses.    You're in for a really fun ride.


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## gibson (Jan 18, 2010)

Bobbin, I don't think you'll have to worry about any unwanted intruders.  Beautiful dog but I wouldn't want to cross it.


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## firefighterjake (Jan 19, 2010)

I'm not a "dog person" but that puppy is absolutely adorable.


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## PapaDave (Jan 19, 2010)

Badfish740 said:
			
		

> Sen. John Blutarsky said:
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Badfish, 
Curious about any more info from the breeder. How is he adjusting to his new home. How are YOU doing, too.


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## ozzy73 (Jan 19, 2010)

I was considering another addition to have all the 3 colors ( Chocolate, Black, Golden ). 
Their favorite game : snatch a piece of wood out of the stack and have me chase them.






Enjoy the new addition to the family.


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## joat717 (Jan 19, 2010)

I have a year and a half old chocolate male. He is the best companion a guy could ask for Gotta agree with the chew toys being a MUST!!


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## joat717 (Jan 19, 2010)

A bigger version.


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## Adios Pantalones (Jan 19, 2010)

Too cute!  Good training now, and plenty of time to run around.  Chocolate labs can be a handful if you don't start them right.


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## PapaDave (Jan 19, 2010)

joat717 said:
			
		

> I have a year and a half old chocolate male. He is the best companion a guy could ask for Gotta agree with the chew toys being a MUST!!



One question. Has he calmed down yet? :ahhh:


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## PapaDave (Jan 19, 2010)

ozzy73 said:
			
		

> I was considering another addition to have all the 3 colors ( Chocolate, Black, Golden ).
> Their favorite game : snatch a piece of wood out of the stack and have me chase them.
> 
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Nice lookin' labs.
There's now a silver color too.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 19, 2010)

My 6 year old Black Lab is just starting to calm down. Maybe when he is 10?


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## Flatbedford (Jan 19, 2010)

They say the silver ones are just very light Chocolates. There are also those who say they are crossbred with Weimaraners.


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## Bobbin (Jan 19, 2010)

That tail in motion says it all, Steve.  A tennis ball and your time and all's well with the world for them, huh?


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## Flatbedford (Jan 19, 2010)

They sure are easy to keep happy.


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## PapaDave (Jan 19, 2010)

Flatbedford said:
			
		

> They say the silver ones are just very light Chocolates. There are also those who say they are crossbred with Weimaraners.



Evidence of inbreeding too. N/M about those.


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## joat717 (Jan 20, 2010)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> joat717 said:
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He was never real wild so to speak. He gets plenty of run time outside and he is a house dog Which leads me to the only problem i still have with him. He is jealous and very much enjoys company from me or my girlfriend. he was doing real good at not chewing anything but his toys untill this past holiday season when he was left alone more than he's used to and he reverted back to his old shoe fetish!! Grrrrr! I strongly believe he does this to get back at whoever was the one to leave him home alone. if i was the last to leave it'd be my shoes or even worse work boots drug out and chewed on if it was her vise versa. I have no clue how to break him of this. it's gotten much better we were even to the point where we felt comfortable leaving shoes out not put in the closet but here lately he's been overcome by temptation when he's alone. I've tried everything from yellin at him to rubbin his nose in the shoe while scolding him to smackin him with it to showin it to him and kickin him out for the night and nothin works. you can tell he knows its wrong cause as sooon as i get home he's tail tucked and just acts wierd. he can't hide it. So as long as you remember to put the shoes in the closet and SHUT THE DOOR when you're gone he's a real treat to have around.


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## Bobbin (Jan 20, 2010)

Unhuh, Joat, you've got it wrong.  Dogs live in the moment (which is why they can be such fun!), they aren't duplicitous at all and they don't plot "to get back at us".  Destructive behaviors are simply reactions to stress and insecurity, nothing more.  When our dogs are destructive it's because they feel unsure of their status within the "pack" (our household).  Nothing more.  When you leave your dog he isn't secure that you will come back; he doesn't understand why he isn't with you and it's stressful for him.  And he does what dogs do to burn off energy... he chews, he digs, he looks for food.  That he chews the shoes of the last person to leave the house makes complete sense, really... he's going to the items that smell most like the person that has "abandonned" him.  The chewing is a way for him to burn off excess energy and be "near you".   He is comforting himself by chewing and he's chosen something that smells most like you.  

I know I sound like a broken record but I'll bet your dog would benefit tremendously from ON LEASH obedience work with both you and your lady.  Dogs like being bossed around, they're hard-wired for strict hierarchical rules.  They crave attention and they need to know "their place".  Obedience work gives all of those things to them.  Dogs like being on a leash because it guarantees that YOU ARE ON THE OTHER END.  And when they know where you are, they know where they are in the pecking order.  This is why walking on a leash is such a great way to establish a bond with your dog.  It's important for a dog to run, too, but your undivided attention is every single bit as important, probably more so.  

Rex used to do all sorts of destructive stuff until we knuckled down on the obedience work.  Once we began to see "Mr. Leash" as our friend and ally (instead of nuisance required for an untrained dog) and began using it regularly and effectively the naughty behaviors began to disappear.  Really!  We still confine him when we go to work to "save him from himself" with respect to cat food and particularly attractive trash items, but he hasn't "ruined" anything since his first 6 mos. in our home.  That was 5 yrs. ago now.


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## PapaDave (Jan 21, 2010)

Bobbin said:
			
		

> Unhuh, Joat, you've got it wrong.  Dogs live in the moment (which is why they can be such fun!), they aren't duplicitous at all and they don't plot "to get back at us".  Destructive behaviors are simply reactions to stress and insecurity, nothing more.  When our dogs are destructive it's because they feel unsure of their status within the "pack" (our household).  Nothing more.  When you leave your dog he isn't secure that you will come back; he doesn't understand why he isn't with you and it's stressful for him.  And he does what dogs do to burn off energy... he chews, he digs, he looks for food.  That he chews the shoes of the last person to leave the house makes complete sense, really... he's going to the items that smell most like the person that has "abandonned" him.  The chewing is a way for him to burn off excess energy and be "near you".   He is comforting himself by chewing and he's chosen something that smells most like you.
> 
> I know I sound like a broken record but I'll bet your dog would benefit tremendously from ON LEASH obedience work with both you and your lady.  Dogs like being bossed around, they're hard-wired for strict hierarchical rules.  They crave attention and they need to know "their place".  Obedience work gives all of those things to them.  Dogs like being on a leash because it guarantees that YOU ARE ON THE OTHER END.  And when they know where you are, they know where they are in the pecking order.  This is why walking on a leash is such a great way to establish a bond with your dog.  It's important for a dog to run, too, but your undivided attention is every single bit as important, probably more so.
> 
> Rex used to do all sorts of destructive stuff until we knuckled down on the obedience work.  Once we began to see "Mr. Leash" as our friend and ally (instead of nuisance required for an untrained dog) and began using it regularly and effectively the naughty behaviors began to disappear.  Really!  We still confine him when we go to work to "save him from himself" with respect to cat food and particularly attractive trash items, but he hasn't "ruined" anything since his first 6 mos. in our home.  That was 5 yrs. ago now.



Bobbin pretty much nailed this.
The stress and insecurity might be reduced if, like Bobbin has suggested, you will LEASH train this guy. He will then learn his role as NOT pack leader. Sounds like maybe he's a little confused on this point still.
Her point on living in the moment is pretty right on too. After the fact scoldings don't accomplish anything, except to confuse the dog. You'll just end up with a dog that's afraid of you.
YOU and your s/o are pack leaders, or ALPHA. He's an underling. Don't let him forget it. This does not mean beating him or anything, just that when he's commanded, he should respond and follow command. Life is simpler for him that way.
Try some crate training as well. He may not like it at first, but will eventually use it on his own. 
Our Cooper comes to get me some times just so I'll put him in the room with the crate. He gets in on his own when he's ready to rest.


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## joat717 (Jan 21, 2010)

PapaDave said:
			
		

> Bobbin said:
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This all makes sense to me because durring the period of time when i thought he had given up his bad chewing habits he was on the leash a lot more with it being summer time and nicer weather more we were on the go more so he was on the leash more at places such as camp grounds parks in town at my moms house but now with winter and all we don't get out as much and i just really never seen the point to put him on a leash at my house as i live on a gravel road with the nearest neighbor over a half mile and probably not more than a dozen cars passing by in a days time.

also just messin with tryin to figure out the posting pictures thing so here's try number two of my pup the first one aint so great.


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## Bobbin (Jan 21, 2010)

Great looking dog, Joat.  I love the shot of him swimming through the duckweed and with it all over his face.  No doubt about it, they're made for the water.  

Have a friend who used to complain all the time about her Lab. going in the the water and then being all "smelly".  (shaking her head in disbelief, why have one if it can't go in the water??)


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## Flatbedford (Jan 21, 2010)

I think my Lab is part Otter or Seal maybe. I have heard of the occasional Lab who does not like water. Weird huh?


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## joat717 (Jan 21, 2010)

mine has always loved the water but wouldn't swim on his own till about ten months. Now if there's water around he's in it if it's iced over he's trying to dig through and get wet.


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## Flatbedford (Jan 21, 2010)

they don't seem to mind the cold water at all.


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## Bobbin (Jan 21, 2010)

Never bothered the Springer Spaniel we inherited either.  She'd go off the rocks into the ocean in January... and she was some pretty in the water, definitely designed to swim!  (and stink afterwards, lol)


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## WES999 (Jan 31, 2010)

Great looking pup, I used to have a black lab/GSD mix. Before Bella( in my avatar).
Some very good training advise from Bobin. Start early with puppy class. I did not do enough early socialization and now my dog is somewhat dog aggressive.

Another thing look into NILF - Nothing in life is free - dog training - 
http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-dog_nilf.htm
Here is a link to one article. I am sure you can find many more.

Basically anything the dog wants he has to earn.
Example, Dog want to go out, he must sit until you say OK.

Good luck.


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## mbcijim (Feb 10, 2010)

Ebay.  Tennis Balls.  You can buy worn out tennis balls (GREAT for labs) in quantities of 50-250 whatever you want.  You can generally pay $.25 a piece for them on Ebay.  My lab just turned 9, and I am on my 3rd box.  I only figured it out 3-4 years ago.  

Yard Sale stuffed animals also make great toys.  I usually offer $5 for a big cardboard box full.


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## nojo (Feb 11, 2010)

Great dogs everyone!  

We lost our 3 year old lap/dane/ridgback cross a few weeks ago. 

We are still super sad and miss him a LOT. He was the coolest dog ever. 

Let me know if the pics dont show up.











One of my best friends painted us pictures of him so we could remember how happy he was 






love that dog.


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## edison38 (Feb 12, 2010)

Beautiful puppy. In November I adopted an English pointer from rescue. She is 5 months old now and has been in puppy socialization class and obedience since she was about 12 weeks old. I agree that crate training and socialization with obedience are essential to the dog's development.


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## savageactor7 (Feb 12, 2010)

Yeah nojo he looks like a pretty cool dog...that's a great shot of him watching the road with the both of you.


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## nojo (Feb 12, 2010)

Thanks Savage, he was great.


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## firefighterjake (Feb 16, 2010)

Loving those eyes Edison . . . loving those eyes.


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