got a new chocolate lab pup for my girlfriend...and now she wants to go out and do the 5 star treatment and get her everything that she might need. I know I am just going to order the deluxe retreival kit from Cabela's and that is all I will need. But if you were my g/f what would new toys would you get the dog and what brand of food is the best (I always bought science diet but my other lab doesn't like it anymore for whatever reason).

I've always fed Pedigree small crunchy bites. I also feed my current dog the Pedigree Choice Cuts in Sauce along with it. Eats like a horse and has NO fat on him at all. Even at 8 years old.

Get plenty of toys to chew on. And some rawhide treats. And get ready to replace them often.

If you are looking for a training guide, the best is by Richard Wolters. He has two different retriever books and several other hunting dog books.

I would steer clear of Wolters books. There are a lot more updated (and better, in my opinion) training books and materials. I would suggest picking up a few different books, such as 10 minute retriever, and smartwork. I'm training my first pup and smartwork is much easier to follow than Wolter's books.

As for food, I use pro plan large breed puppy. She seems to like it (then again, lab pups will eat ANYTHING), and it is the food that was suggested to me by a few trainers.

I second the lots of toys, mine is constantly on the prowl for something to chew on and it seems like I never have enought toys laying around.

Also, you might want to hold off on buying a deluxe training kit until after you have read some of the training materials. You might not need some of that stuff, and can probably find some of it cheaper elsewhere.

It is best to have 4-6 toys. Too few and they get the furniture, too many and they think everything is a toy. Also, make sure the toys are too big to swallow or won't break off pieces that can cause an obstruction. There are a lot of good diets out there (Science Diet, Purina One, Eukanuba, etc). Go with the large breed puppy, and you only have to feed it until the pup is 6 months old, then switch to an adult diet. Also, talk to your vet as they can give you a lot of good advice about raising a puppy. Doing it right now will make life for both of you much more enjoyable in the future.

[This message has been edited by bmfvet (edited 6/25/2006 11:57p).]

I like Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance dog food, if you look at the ingredients, it has wonderful quality.

For toys, I agree with the people above, make sure you have plenty of toys. I personally like the kongs and nylabones because my dog can't have rawhides. I also suggest have some cheap, stuffed toys around just in case he gets in the destructive mood. Then he can destroy those instead of your stuff.

"But if you were my g/f what would new toys would you get the dog and what brand of food is the best (I always bought science diet but my other lab doesn't like it anymore for whatever reason)."

The amount of money you spend is directly proportional to how good looking your girlfriend is and how whipped you are by her. If she looks like my girlfriend, Ol'Roy dogfood and a tennis ball will suffice.





You scratched my anchor.

That's funny right there.

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Ol'Roy dogfood and a tennis ball will suffice.

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You are still talking about the puppy, right?

I would buy a variety of books , Waterdog, 10 min, Smartwork There also are some very good free training lessons online at http://www.dobbsdogs.com/library/retrievers/index.html. Choose what works best for your dog.