Crate training is a wonderful part of an overall family training program if handled correctly. Your puppy will feel secure in his space if you make it a pleasurable experience from the very beginning by following these 14 tips.

1. Get a crate large enough to allow your pup space to turn around, stand up and lie down for a nap.
2. Put a soft blanket in the crate, preferably with his mother's scent on it when you bring him home.
3. Make sure to put his toys for chewing and a treat or two in the space furthest from the "door".
4. Put the crate in a corner of the room where he can feel out of the way, yet have access to you.
5. Let your pup wander in and out of the crate to get a feel for it, the crate makes a nice "den" for your puppy and he will likely take to it for comfort and solace when he is tired, over-excited or worried.
6. Remove your pet's collar(s) before closing the crate to avoid any choking.
7. Have a bottle of water with ice hooked to the crate if you will leave your puppy for more than an hour.
8. When it's time to be crated, tell your puppy "Crate" or "Bed" and show him to the crate. You may put a treat in there if you have been training him with treats.
9. Don't ever scare him into the crate, put him in there as a punishment or otherwise encourage a negative connotation to the crate.
10. Practice this several times a day during his first few weeks home. Leaving him in the crate for short intervals while you leave the house. He will soon realize that you come back and let him out.
11. If your dog needs something to chew, make sure you give him a toy that he cannot shred, break or otherwise harm himself with. If he is an aggressive chewer, I recommend the Galileo Bone by Nylabone.
12. When you let your puppy out of the crate, immediately take him outside to relieve himself. For very young puppies, this will likely be every 4 hours. On average a puppy needs a break in as many hours as he is months old - if your puppy is 4 months, please give him a potty break every four hours.
13. When you are leaving, or putting him in the crate, give him his command "Crate", praise him gently when he complies (but do not get effusive - you don't want him to get all riled up) and then leave without a commotion.
14. Upon returning, open the crate and let your puppy come out at his own pace. Don't make a big fuss, simply praise him gently, put on his collar and leash and take him outside.

Crate training is a valuable asset to any training program for new puppies and can help enhance your relationship with your canine pal. A happy and comfortable puppy will mature into a well-mannered and loving companion.

The condition or disease described in this medical article can affect both dogs and cats. If you would like to learn more about how this disease affects cats, please visit this page in the PetMD health library.

Symptoms and Types

In order to maximize the odds of conception with properly timed breeding in dogs, it is best to pin-point, as close as possible, the day of ovulation for the bitch. Symptoms of estrus-onset in the bitch are evidenced by reduced swelling in the vulva, and the appearance of vaginal discharge. The male animal, or stud, will show interest in the female, and she may exhibit “flagging,” by which she will respond to being stroked at the genital region by elevating the tail to one side. A vaginal exam, however, serves as a better indicator of a fertile period than the aforementioned physical and behavioral signs.

Causes

Breeding timing and related fertility-maximizing techniques may be utilized for a number of reasons. This may be deemed necessary if there is an apparent failure to achieve conception in the female dog (also referred to as bitch).

Diagnosis

The most reliable method of determining the ovulation cycle is via vaginal exam and vaginoscopy in order to examine the vaginal lining and determine if the bitch is in estrus. Hormone levels, such as LH, and progesterone, will be tested to determine when fertility levels are peaking. Additionally, an ultrasound of the ovaries may help verify ovulation.

Treatment

To maximize fertility when breeding dogs, it is necessary to estimate the female's day of ovulation. Because of this, a luteinizing hormone (LH) may be given to female dogs in order to control ovulation and regulate the bitch’s cycle, allowing breeding to be timed accordingly. The period of maximum fertility occurs approximately five to six days after the LH peaks. In this time, multiple breedings may be done by inseminating the bitch up to three times per week after progesterone levels rise. Frozen semen, though less likely to work than fresh chilled semen, may be used to inseminate the bitch – a single insemination five or six days after LH hormones peak is common. It is important to time insemination based on progesterone levels in order to improve chances of conception.

Living and Management

After initial fertility-maximizing measures have been taken, a follow up pregnancy examination can be done to determine the success of the procedure. This can be done via vaginal specimens. The gestation period for dogs lasts approximately 63 days from ovulation.

Size Matters

First, consider your available space. If you live in an apartment, you can rule out large dogs. Look for dogs in the Toy group, such as Yorkshire Terriers, or some of the smaller dogs in the Terrier group, like the Miniature Schnauzer.

If you have children, you may want to rule out very small dogs, such as Chihuahuas or Maltese. They are delicate and can be accidentally injured by young children. On the other hand, very large dogs, such as Boxers or Saint Bernards, can be overly boisterous and can accidentally turn your child into a human bowling pin. Consider medium-sized breeds, such as Fox Terriers or Lhasa Apsos.

Exercise Essential

Next, consider how much exercise you can give your dog. If you have a home with a fenced yard, your dog will be able to get some exercise on his own.

However, dog breeds in the Sporting, Hound, and Herding groups are very high-energy animals, and they will need intensive daily exercise. Plan to take a lot of long walks with your dog or go for a daily romp in the park. After all, these dogs were bred to work hard, and they don't do well unless they have a job to do or a way to burn off excess energy.

To Groom Or Not

Also, don't forget to consider grooming needs. Some breeds need only half an hour or so of grooming a week, while others require an hour a day. If you are short on time, don't buy a Standard Poodle or a Maltese -- unless you plan to take your dog to a groom. Breeds like Boston Terriers or Whippets are good choices for people who don't have time for a lot of grooming.

Puppy Problems

Once you decide which breed you want, you will need to consider the age of the dog. Many people opt to buy a cuddly little puppy instead of an adult. While puppies have the advantage of not yet having developed any bad habits, it will be up to you to be sure your puppy is housebroken and obedience trained.

Do you want to buy a puppy? If so, you will need to find a reputable dog breeder who has a litter of the appropriate breed. Often, a good breeder will have a waiting list for puppies. If you aren't the patient sort, you may be tempted to buy a puppy from a pet store. A word of caution -- many pet store puppies come from puppy mills and have genetic health defects, bad temperaments, and other problems. It is usually safest to buy a puppy directly from the breeder. Older dogs are usually housebroken and frequently have some obedience training. They are also less likely to be hyperactive and destructive. However, they can have behavioral problems or health problems that prompted the former owner to find them a new home. If you are interested in an older dog, you may want to visit your local animal shelter or call a breed rescue. These groups evaluate the dogs' health and temperament before adopting them out. Once you've picked the breed and the dog, you have one more important decision to make -- what to name your new best friend!
 

For example, when walking your pet in a neighborhood, it is not courteous to allow your dog to walk on people’s front lawns, or urinate on their mail boxes or landscaping. Instead, a more appropriate way to handle your pet is to walk him in the street or on the sidewalk and allow access only to “rough” areas to eliminate. Should your neighborhood not have such an area, it is still inappropriate to allow your pooch to pee on people’s property… keep him to the strip of grass that’s between the sidewalk and street and steer clear of people’s plantings and posts.

Picking up is another issue of concern. Dog walkers, please, don’t even leave your house without a plastic bag for picking up after your pet! And don’t forget to use it! I’ve had three different people tell me recently that they’ve seen people make a great show of pulling out their plastic bag when they see neighbors driving past, only to stuff it back in their pocket once the “coast is clear,” leaving the pile behind anyway.

Have an excited dog? Keep in mind that not everyone may be as much of a dog lover as you are. If a passing person wishes to greet your pet, you will be able to tell, as they will approach you and ask if they may pet your dog. Don’t assume that every man, woman and child wish to pet your pooch as you allow him to drag you over to them and pounce upon them in greeting. Some people are afraid of dogs, or may not be in the mood to be jumped on. Perhaps they’re out for a jog and prefer not to break their stride. Either way it should be their choice to greet or not to greet.

The same holds true for other dogs. True, most people out walking their dog are interested in allowing their pet to socialize with other dogs. But be sure to gauge their interest before approaching. If your dog is barking, most people prefer not to let their dog be the “test” of whether it’s aggression or not. Further, if you have a little dog who barks and may snap, don’t assume it’s okay to allow that just because the other dog is bigger. Having firsthand experience with this, I can assure you that my dog doesn’t enjoy being bitten regardless of the fact that he is 80 pounds and his “attacker” may weigh only twelve.

Last but not least, remember that walking your dog means personally walking your dog on a leash. Numerous readers have contacted me about neighbors who simply “send their dogs out” to do their business, which inevitably ends up on their property for them to clean up. While you may not mind the piles in your yard, your neighbors should not have to worry about it in theirs.

Of course, all of the above rules of dog walking etiquette don’t only apply in your neighborhood. The same courtesies should be followed at parks, shopping centers, the vet’s office or any other place visited by you and your pet. By working together to be responsible pet owners, we can all help keep our neighborhoods and parks a fun place to be without the need for authorities to implement overly-restrictive dog laws. Happy walking!

submitted by Deb West, Brownwaterdogs

Our tax rate has been increased from 6.825% to 7.675%

Thank you,
RFC Labs

FC - Field Champion
AFC - Amateur Field Champion
NAFC - National Amateur Field Champion
NFC - National Field Champion
A letter preceding the title indicates the place of origin if a foreign title i.e. CFC - Canadian Field Champion.

These titles are awarded to the retrievers winning a required number of points in competitions against the best field dogs of the entire retriever breeds. These titles are difficult and expensive to attain and indicate the dogs are of superior intelligence, athletic ability, and have a very high desire to retrieve.

CH - Champion - Conformation or Bench Champion - this title indicates that the dog has won a required number of points in competition judging conformation, against the best looking dogs in its breed group. The dog is an almost perfect looking specimen and moves correctly according to the breed standard. It gives no verification of field ability.

DC - Dual Champion (Show & Field - CH & FC) - The most coveted title awarded to retrievers. The dog is both a Field Champion and Conformation Champion, this indicates that the dog is among the best looking and best performing in the field. There has not been a DC in AKC for over 30 years.

TC - Triple Champion (Show, Field, & Obedience - CH, FC, OTCH) OTCH - Obedience Trial Champion

The Field Championship titles appear before the name. They are AKC's competitive Field work titles-simulating hunting. Similar to the Hunt Tests but usually much further distances and more demanding tests. (We generally breed to Field Trial dogs because they are the best of the best due to the competitive nature of the test and need for intelligence and trainability.)FC - Field Champion, can be handled by either a professional trainer or an amateur handler. AFC - Amateur Field Champion, dog can only be handled by an amateur person, usually the owner of the dog.Points are awarded for placements. At least one win is required and then the accumulation of enough points for the title.NFC - National Field Champion, only 1 dog per year earns this title - a sort of Super bowl playoff between top dogs of the year.NAFC - National Amateur Field Champion, same as NFC above but handled by an Amateur person.*** or QAA - Qualified All-Age. This is not a title but indicates a dog has earned either a 1st or 2nd place in the Qualifying event and is now capable of running the FC or AFC events.Derby Points - Competitive tests run for dogs under 2 years of age. Points awarded for placements.

The Letter "C" before any of the following titles indicate that the titles were earned in the Canadian Kennel Club sponsored events rather than AKC. For Example CNFC is Canadian National Field Champion. This is not the official CKC manner of Titles it is the Americanized version.

Field Trial titles are the highest competitive AKC test for a hunting retrieving dog. They simulate difficult hunting situations often at long distances requiring excellent marking, trainability and drive from the dog. Dogs retrieve multiple land/water marks at the higher levels and are handled with whistle commands to retrieve birds that the dog has not seen fall (blinds). Points are awarded for placements and the dog needs at least one win and enough points to title. Points are assigned for placements. Only the best dogs title. There are different divisions for amateur handlers, young dogs and an Open division which is open to all, including professional trainers. Each year a National test is held for the Amateur and Open divisions for qualified dogs. The winner of that test is essentially the American retrieving dog of the year. All Field trial titles appear before the dogs official AKC name.

FC - Field Champion to earn this title a dog needs at least 10 point with at least one win in the Open division. 5 points are awarded for a 1st place, 3 for second, 1 for third and 1/2 point for 4th place. This test can be run by either an amateur handler or a professional and the division is called the "Open".

NFC - National Field Champion Only 1 dog per year earns this title. It is the highest AKC retrieving title.

AFC - Amateur Field Champion. The amateur refers to the status of the person handling the dog. A total of 15 points plus a win are required to earn this title.

NAFC - National Amateur Field Champion. Only 1 dog per year earns this title and is handled by a person with an amateur status (not a professional that received money for training).C in front of the title- Canadian title (CFC-CNFC-CAFC-CNAFC). This is how most Americans note the titles, they will not appear on AKC papers since they only keep track of American titles.

AAQ - All Age Qualified- the dog won in a qualifying division Field Trial and is now able to compete in the Open and Amateur divisions.

DERBY - division for dogs under 2 years of age. Points are accumulated and a derby dog of the year is noted with the highest points. Generally those with 10 or more points will make the annual Derby list.

TITLES APPEARING AFTER A RETRIEVER'S NAME

JH - Junior Hunter
SH - Senior Hunter
MH – Master Hunter

These titles indicate that the retriever has passed a required series of retrieving and hunting exercises in a field situation at AKC regulation meets. Real hunting situations are closely simulated. Although not competitive, the dogs are tested thoroughly on land and water and must do blind retrieves responding to hand signals. Briefly the Hunt test titles appear after the name of the dog. These are titles given to a dog for achieving a standard of simulated hunting performance. Any dog that meets the required level in a Hunt Test will earn a ribbon as opposed to only 1 dog in the Field Championships taking a 1st place. Hunt test titles do not differentiate whether a professional or amateur handler runs the dog.

JH - Junior Hunter. Requires basic retrieves of singles (one shot bird) to hand. SH - Senior Hunter. Requires dog be steady to shot, retrieves double marks to hand, capable of running blinds to retrieve birds the dog has not seen fall by taking commands and hand signals, ability to handle diversion shot birds, hidden guns.

MH - Master Hunter. Requires ability to handle multiple shot birds at once as well as all of the Senior Hunter requirements. Generally the tests will set up much more difficult situations than the Senior.

MHR - For dogs that earn 5 Master tests in a year they are able to run the Master National Test. If a dog passes a Master National test at least 2 times, it earns the MHR title

AX - Agility Excellent
MX - Master Agility Excellent
NA - Novice Agility
OA - Open Agility
CD - Companion Dog
CDX - Companion Dog Excellent
TD - Tracking Dog
TDX - Tracking Dog Excellent
UD - Utility Dog
UDX - Utility Dog Excellent
VST - Variable Surface Tracker

Obedience and Tracking titles appear as suffixes, and are earned by performing and passing a required set of trained exercises at official AKC meets. They indicate that the dog is very trainable and intelligent but not necessarily birdy.

HRC is affiliated with the United Kennel Club, Inc., Kalamazoo, MI, who carries the registry for the HRC. The UKC offers 5 coveted titles to the HRC program:

SHR - Started Hunting Retriever
HR - Hunting Retriever
HRCH - Hunting Retriever Champion
GRHRCH - Grand Hunting Retriever Champion
UH - Upland Hunter

In keeping with the philosophy of HRC, titles earned are awarded as a prefix to the dogs name on its pedigree as opposed to a suffix to the name. The United Kennel Club, Inc., established in 1898, is the second largest all breed dog registry in the United States, registers over 250,000 dogs each year and licenses 10,000 challenging, fun, relaxed, family-oriented events annually. HRC maintains its common sense, hunting realism in testing Hunting retrievers. There are five ability-based (not age) categories that the dogs may enter in the HRC Tests: Started, Seasoned, Finished, Grand and Upland. Unlike field trials, these are not competitive 1st, 2nd and 3rd place events, but tests where all dogs are judged pass/fail against a "Hunting Standard". These are events that are great fun where everyone can root for the other person’s dog and help each other with their training. The judges must be experienced Hunters and must pass HRC administered tests, apprentice as judges, have gun safety training, attend judging seminars, have handled and passed a dog in the category that they are judging and meet other HRC requirements. Good Hunting-oriented judges are the key to having tests with Hunting realism. The tests are directly related to hunting the retriever in the field for waterfowl and upland game. Unlike field trials, the bird throwers and guns in the field are not exposed and dressed in white, but are hidden as in real hunting situations and dressed in appropriate hunting clothing.. The Handler must wear camouflaged or other hunting attire. Gallery members must also wear appropriate camouflaged or other hunting attire due to creating distractions for the working dog. In the three upper levels, the Handler handles the shotgun (firing blanks), and works his/her dog from a blind or perhaps a boat, and may be required to quarter the dog in a pheasant or quail field. Seasoned, Finished and Grand dog Handlers must direct their dogs to birds the dog did not see fall (a blind). HRC stresses actual Hunting realism and gun safety in the hunting tests. The Grand Hunting Tests are held twice a year and are open only to those retrievers that have attained their Hunting Retriever Championship title. While there are over 4,500 Hunting Retriever Champions, there are only 333 Grand Hunting Retriever Champions (GRHRCH). These Grand tests are considered the Retrievers Super-bowl. In 1996, a new Upland Hunt Test program was added to the HRC/UKC hunting program. The Upland test consists of a simulated walk-up with a subsequent quartering or tracking test. The Upland dog is required to honor another dog, be steady to wing and shot and will be presented with a minimum of two birds to flush in the quartering test. Successful completion of each test earns the dog ten points. Upon attainment of 40 points an Upland Hunter (UH) title is awarded.

POINTING LABRADORS

There has been some movement toward establishing versatile dogs with a pointing quality. It is my belief that one still needs a good all around dog which would include the AKC titling and health certification. If one can pull in the pointing quality and still maintain a well bred Field Dog then it only adds to the great nature of the Labrador. We would encourage you to look at the full pedigree and performance of a dog, not just the pointing quality, when you make your choice for your dog. Here is some information about the Pointing Lab Associations.

AMERICAN POINTING LABRADOR ASSOCIATION TITLES

CP - Certified Pointer
MP - Master Pointer
GMPR - Grand Master Pointing Retriever

Information from their site: The American Pointing Labrador Association was founded on April 10th 1991 It is a volunteer, nonprofit organization created to pursue the development of the most versatile hunting dog ever: the Pointing Labrador Retriever. The association is governed by a set of by-laws, elected officers and an elected Board of Directors. The goal of the American Pointing Labrador Association is to enhance the Pointing Labrador's upland game skills while maintaining their water and retrieving abilities. The APLA was created by Labrador owners across the United States who had a common interest in developing and improving the Labrador as an all purpose hunting dog. Through the practice of certification trials, the APLA will strive to identify those dogs possessing natural pointing instincts as well as the traditional retriever traits. To become certified, the dog must meet the minimum standards for pointing and retrieving on land and water. The APLA offers the opportunity for those dogs holding the title of CERTIFIED POINTER to earn the title of MASTER POINTING RETRIEVER. The Master Pointing Retriever format is designed to test dogs on a noncompetitive basis for reliability in pointing, retrieving, hunting, nose, stamina, desire, cooperation and obedience. The test will be challenging, but representative of true hunting conditions. By achieving at least two prize category finishes, with one of those being a Prize One category finish, that Retriever can also earn the designation as Grand Master Pointing Retriever. Dogs performing at this level are outstanding performers. The APLA also offers hunting trials for those dog holding the title of Certified Pointer. A team consisting of one dog and two hunting participants compete in a trial with various game birds planted. The dogs are scored on pointing ability, retrieving and efficiency. Prizes are awarded, based on a point system of the dogs performance in the competition with the other participants. These test are designed to be "fun hunts" for members of the organization

 
Deb West
101 Paul Simon Dr.
Waterloo, IL 62298
618-980-2931

1. In the living room there is no TV, radio or computer. It is just a quiet place to read, meditate or just talk to other families going through the same situation with hospitalized loved ones. Families tell us their greatest source of comfort is just talking to other families in the house.

2. From the parking lot to the most distant bedroom on the second floor, there are no steps. In fact the greatest obstacle for a wheelchair is the small lip at the entry to the bathroom (to keep the water from seeping into the bedroom). Every thing is wheelchair accessible.....in the kitchen, the laundry room, the bathrooms, etc.

3. We don't allow food or drink (except for water) in the rooms. The primary reason is that we want the families congregating  and supporting each other. I'm sure you saw the strorage cubicles in the kitchen and the refrigerators to store their personal food items.

4. The Navy Seabees have laid a foundation for a playground behind the house. Hopefully we can complete it when the weather improves.

5. As you know the families will stay here absolutely free of charge and for as long as their loved one is hospitalized, whether that is 3 days or 3 months. Over the next decade, this one house will offer 73,000 nights of free lodging to the families of hospitalized Veterans.

6. If the Veteran is at John Cochran, then the family may ride the VA shuttle back and forth each day. This is needed since many of the older Veterans and their spouses are afraid to drive in downtown St Louis.

The RFCLabs Dog Blog will feature our latest training events, progress on our dogs, specials on our great Rainforest Coastal Labs products, updates on our latest visits to groups such as veterans groups, elderly care facilities and so much more.  Check back here for the most current information.