AboutLabman Expertise I can help you with your new dog. I am experienced in, and trained in techniques the average person can make work with dogs, especially puppies. I strongly believe in obedience training and the need to give your dog proper leadership. I have been raising a new puppy every year since 1991. I know housebreaking and protecting the puppy and the house from each other. I can explain the the feeding regimen you can easily follow to give your dog the same long, active life life as highly valuable dog guides. I try to give answers you can make work.
The mark of a real expert is knowing the limits of his knowledge. I will not try to answer questions on breed standards, AKC registration, etc. PLEASE DON'T SEND ME MEDICAL OR BREEDING QUESTIONS. An internet forum is not the appropriate place for them. Even if I could tell what was wrong from a handful of symptoms, you would still need to get the medications from your local vet.
Breeding should be left to those not needing to ask simple, basic questions. Books have been written about it. Rather than ask me a question, start reading. Those unwilling to do the work it takes to produce quality puppies should spay/neuter their pets at 6 months. I will not answer questions that sound like a poorly prepared breeder.
Experience Like many, I grew up around dogs, but never realized how much I had to learn before my family started socializing puppies for a large dog guide school. The school shares their experience from thousands of dogs with the people they entrust to raise their puppies. Their recommendations on training, feeding, and care come from a large, well documented program. After it is a year old, they X-ray every one of the hundreds of dogs they breed every year. I continue to attend monthly training sessions with trained volunteers and professional staff. I share experiences with others doing the same. The school must have sturdy, healthy, well behaved dogs, that will have a long, active life. If that is what you want too, I can help you. In addition I have done extensive reading, and the 4 years my daughter was in 4-H were a real learning experience for Dad too. That exposed me to more breeds than the Labs, Shepherds, and Goldens in the dog guide program.
Question my puppy is 7weeks old and her poop went from normal to runny &yellow.
Answer Unless you changed the food suddenly, she may have picked up a parasite or even foraged something indigestible. If it doesn't clear up in a day or 2, have the vet check a stool sample.
If you changed its food, try going back to waht the breeder was feeding. Even if it is hard to find or outlandishly expensive, it is best to go through a good sized bag before making a gradual switch over a week. For the larger breeds, I would feed the breeder's puppy chow to 4 months and then switch to adult food to build sturdier joints.
Sometimes you have to go to a bland diet until its settles. If a dog is having trouble keeping anything down or continuing diarrhea try this out of the manual I have from a large, knowledgeable dog guide school.
Bland recovery diet for dogs.
3 parts cooked rice, one part boiled hamburger or chicken, or cottage cheese. I think you can substitute boiled potatoes for the rice. Once in an emergency, we bought a plain baked potato from Wendy's.
This is meant for short time settling a dog's digestive tract. It is not the complete and balanced diet they need long term. I have seen it work.
Once the stools firm up, you can make a gradual switch to a regular puppy chow.
