Family Affair
Who will care for your new Lab? The kids, who have been begging for a dog for months and promising that they'll do all the work involved in caring for it? Or the parents, who are ultimately responsible for the dog's welfare? The answer is that everyone needs to be involved in your Lab's care and training. Even if he's being acquired for a specific family member, he'll be interacting with everyone, and all family members should know how to treat him properly.
As the adults, it's your job to ensure that your new Lab gets plenty of exercise, eats right, learns his manners, and stays groomed and well cared for. The kids — depending on their ages — certainly can and should participate in his care, but it's a well-known fact that children have short attention spans and need constant nagging when it comes to dog care. It's great to involve the kids in the dog's care, but an adult needs to ensure that meals are given on time, water dishes are kept filled and refreshed daily, and grooming is done. The dog shouldn't suffer because of a child's forgetfulness or activity schedule.
If you get a Lab for the kids, it should be because you want and will enjoy having a dog too. It's not fair to the dog to rely on youngsters' promises to take care of it and then to get rid of the dog when they don't follow through.
Decisions you as the parent must make include where the dog will sleep, whether it's allowed on the furniture, and who is responsible for the various elements of dog care: feeding, training, grooming, and so on. To help keep things running smoothly, make a Lab-care checklist with everyone's responsibilities and post it in a prominent area, such as on the refrigerator or by the front door. That way, no one can say “I forgot” or “I didn't know it was my turn.” Include the following items on your checklist:
Mealtime: As a rule, schedule three meals daily for puppies, switching to two meals daily at six months of age.
Potty time: Puppies need to go out as soon as they wake up, after every meal, after playtime, and just before bedtime. Your Lab should have an opportunity to relieve himself every two to four hours.
Playtime: Start with ten-minute walks, gradually increasing the distance as your Lab matures. Free play in the backyard is fine, too, but limit jumping until the dog is eighteen to twenty-four months old.
Grooming: A weekly brushing will keep your Lab's coat shiny and healthy.
Training: Training classes usually meet weekly, but your Lab puppy needs daily practice in two or three five- to ten-minute sessions.
Health: Note any upcoming veterinary visits for booster shots or exams, as well as who's responsible for taking the dog to the vet.
Children who are at least six years old can perform such tasks as feeding the dog, keeping its water dish filled, and brushing the dog. Children who are ten and older can be responsible for taking the puppy out first thing in the morning and last thing at night if the dog sleeps in their room. They can also attend training class with an adult and learn how to handle the dog. The whole family should take turns at home practicing commands so the dog will understand that he should respond to every family member.
