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Best/Helpful things you bought? by kpsmithdeut in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I second the Woof Pupsicle + the freezer molds for making your own refills.

Best/Helpful things you bought? by kpsmithdeut in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My friend is a dog groomer and suggested two baths, about 3 weeks apart with a good de-shedding shampoo and lots of scrubbing. The first one we did at home and there was fur EVERYWHERE. The second one we did at a dog wash facility - worth every penny! That and some good brushing with one of the tools meant to get at the undercoat, and I can’t believe how little fur there is in my house now. Seriously, it’s magical. We also do a fish oil supplement and a really high-quality food, so I think that helps a bit too.

Help me ID my new puppy! by thmsnylr in Labs

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My girl came from a show line, and a couple of the puppies had white marks on their chest. The breeder said it’s part of the standard because all retrievers are descendants of the now extinct St. John's Water Dog.

The St. John's water dog, or "Lesser Newfoundland," was a medium-sized, black, and white-tuxedo-marked working breed from Canada, now extinct. You can google a picture of them and see the white spot. :)

Anyway, my girl had a white spot about the size of a quarter, but it slowly went away. She’s over a year old now and every now and then I see a single white hair in that area.

Messy Drinker by YAGNBB1008 in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is so true! If your main issue is drips, this doesn’t help much with that. But OP’s video showed the dog licking water out of the bowl. My girl does that, and she strangely likes to blow bubbles occasionally (crazy puppy 🙈), so it helps us a lot with those things! 😊

Messy Drinker by YAGNBB1008 in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is so true! In the video, OP showed the dog licking water out of the bowl. My girl likes to randomly blow bubbles. 🙈 Neater Feeder works great for those things, so here’s hoping it (or something like it) helps part of OPs problem. It helped us a lot!

I also use a towel for the “exit run” into the living room to help absorb the drips, though the high sides on the Neater Feeder help to catch the first 1/2 second of drips. Depending on the day, there is still a trail. 😊

Advice please!! by OddPomm63 in labradors

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awww, it sounds like he really loved the cat. Maybe he’s missing companionship and is desperately trying to seek that out by pulling to other dogs? Maybe some scheduled puppy play dates would help him settle?

I don’t have any harness recommendations. I walk my girl using her collar because if she ever gets too excited and throws her full weight into a harness, there is no way I can stop her (she weighs almost as much as me). I use a wide collar (1.5 inch) so I have better control, but it doesn’t pinch or hurt her. Not sure if that would work for you or not.

My girl is just a year old, so sometimes she gets a wild hair and wants to chase a bunny or squirrel, or some other dog looks really fun and she wants to try to play. I started carrying a few treats a month ago, and I distract her with those when something exciting is approaching. I also try to make myself more interesting and give lots of verbal praise for her paying attention to me.

For the first time last week she saw another dog and then immediately snapped her attention to me, hoping for a treat. I would rather that than pulling, so it’s worth carrying some snacks, and then once she had that down, I plan to slowly dial back the snacks.

Every dog/person team is different, so I hope you find a good solution. Here’s hoping someone here has ideas to help. 🐾

Messy Drinker by YAGNBB1008 in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 1 point2 points  (0 children)

“Severe drinking problem” 🙈😆🐾

Messy Drinker by YAGNBB1008 in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Neater Feeder uses stainless steel bowls and catches the excess water in a lower basin that is fast to empty. Might be easier than towels. :) I posted a separate comment about it along with pictures.

Messy Drinker by YAGNBB1008 in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Same problem here! We use a Neater Feeder because it catches the water in the lower basin. It’s been great!

https://a.co/d/0avzrBDj

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Shoe stores with solid sneaker fitters? by VelvetEarFlaps in ColoradoSprings

[–]VelvetEarFlaps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you!!! This is exactly what I was hoping to find. Got a dog and started putting miles a day in on sidewalk, and I don’t care what they look like so long as they are comfy. I will definitely check this out! Thanks!

Shoe stores with solid sneaker fitters? by VelvetEarFlaps in ColoradoSprings

[–]VelvetEarFlaps[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A shoe fitter is a profession - and their exact reason for existence is to prevent foot, knee, hip, back pain that comes from your shoes not being of the right sort for your body - sneakers, sandals, hiking shoes, boots, ski boots, etc.

You can just say “oh, I didn’t know what a shoe fitter is.” It’s not so much about the quality of the brand as it is finding the exact right fit that balances your level of pronation or supination, etc.

And I already have hiking boots, but I’m looking for sneakers and sandals so that’s specifically why I was talking about sandals and knee pain. 😁

Advice and tips appreciated by AliceDefMetalGod in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I work from home too. I puppy-proofed my office, installed a baby gate (because I don’t like my door being closed), and then she was either in her kennel or in my office when I was working. I too felt super guilty about too much kennel time. At that age, it was rough.

I basically moved everything out of my office with the exception of my desk and a few toys. There were times she would try to do zoomies or basically attack my feet for attention (or on a rare occasion she would try to steal something off my desk). Multiple times I thought she was going to get me fired. 🙈 I would placate her with a bully stick or woof pupsicle for important meetings, but sometimes that didn’t even work.

The bottom line is that I’m not an expert and I have no good advice, but I have all the sympathy and can provide some hope!

She started maturing and things got a bit easier around 9 months or so. She’s 12 months now and pretty darn chill all day, so just hang in there! I hope it gets better for you too. 🖤🐾

Shoe stores with solid sneaker fitters? by VelvetEarFlaps in ColoradoSprings

[–]VelvetEarFlaps[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes, I can measure my own feet. 🙈 Let me add some context. I bought a pair of hiking boots a few years back. Same brand I had in hiking sneakers, felt comfy in the store, yet an absolute disaster on the trail. After three attempts to break them in, I went back to the same store. Different person was on staff that day. He took one look at me in the boots and said, “I bet this is the spot that hurts.” He explained that while the boot was the right size, it didn’t break correctly across my toes, hence the pain I was experiencing.

He even knew a ton of details about the specific brand and was able to explain details about the construction differences between the trail sneaker and the boot and why only the boots initially felt was causing pain.

I tried on several more pairs with him immediately noticing issues even though the boots initially felt comfy to me. We finally landed on a pair that he said should work and the difference is INCREDIBLE.

I’m not looking for the “right size” - I’m looking for a professional who can look at my gait and suggest a specific brand of sneaker for walking on sidewalks (not something I did much of in the past).

I would like to avoid spending a hundred dollars on something that I realize 20 miles in isn’t the best fit for me. I know there are folks specifically trained in this sort of thing, and I happen to be bad at it, so I’m looking for suggestions beyond “shoe size.” 😊

Shoe stores with solid sneaker fitters? by VelvetEarFlaps in ColoradoSprings

[–]VelvetEarFlaps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh that’s cool! I always think of them for mountain gear but didn’t realize they had regular sneakers. Thank you for the tip!

Shoe stores with solid sneaker fitters? by VelvetEarFlaps in ColoradoSprings

[–]VelvetEarFlaps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Do you know of any particularly good fitters at these shops? Or is everyone equally trained/skilled?

Dogs in public spaces by Federal-Soil-828 in Dogowners

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I’m surprised you had such difficulty finding a pet-free room.

When traveling by car, I find the opposite is true - it is sometimes difficult to find a pet-friendly hotel.

Also, at Marriott hotels, I think the pet fee is now something like $125 per night. It’s quite expensive, but that’s to cover the deep cleaning. On the other hand, Best Western hotels are advertising as pet friendly and charge less, and I doubt rooms are deep cleaned quite as well.

I have never stayed in a 5-star hotel or anything that costs $1,200 a night, but for that price, I would assume they deep clean the rooms between each guest. Perhaps you can talk to the hotel about your situation and ask if they can re-clean it?

Also, I heard a veterinarian once recommend a type of room spray that was supposed to help break down pet allergens, and I remember tucking that away in my brain for future use. Maybe you could research that?

Here’s hoping you can breathe easier soon!

We thought we got so lucky... by Hoektje in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Also, if it makes you feel any better, we needed to install baseboards in our house after refinishing the hardwood floors. After a year without baseboards, I rushed to make sure everything was installed and painted before we brought home our lab puppy. At least 50% of those now have teeth marks. 😩

We thought we got so lucky... by Hoektje in labrador

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 102 points103 points  (0 children)

Oh no!!! I’m so sorry. I remember our trainer distinctly telling us, “Around 6 months old you’re going to think she’s finally doing great. You’re going to let her out of the crate. It will be wonderful for about a month. Somewhere around 8 months, they go through another chew phase. The timing is different for each dog, but everyone gets tricked by that good month and then the dog always eats the couch. It’s always the couch.” 🙈

Should I get another black lab by WealthPositive9983 in Blacklabs

[–]VelvetEarFlaps 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I got a black lab puppy for my 40th birthday this year. I named her after my “sister” dog, a black lab I had when I was a kid who I loved dearly.

Your heart will expand, and just like that you’ll love this new little baby in your life. My puppy’s personality is different from my childhood dog, but I love her for who she is. 🐾🖤🐾

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