We got a dog!!!!!!

[ducks4you]

Since we're sharing pictures..."Pygma" (b. November, 2007), whose mother was a Lab.

I LOVE this one--she looks so vicous, but just playin'!

That's her sister, "Rose" that she's playing with.

The black on the ears and muzzle is from GS in her.
Aw, C'MON, Pat--get Baking Soda a dog friend!!!

 

[keljonma]

Pat, congratulations on the wonderful new addition to the family! I think getting an animal from the shelter is a wonderful idea - especially if true to breed. My brother & sis-in-law used to raise labs. They were crate trained and did really well with obedience training. The last lab they had (Jet) would walk through town without a leash and never leave my brother's side. Jet was also very protective of my niece while being very gentle with a toddler. After they moved to a farm, Jet also got along with the neighbor's chicken flock, but I think my brother gave Jet specific training for that..

 

[kcsunshine]

I'm almost positive your hubby wouldn't go for Baking Soda if he didn't like Buddy, but I think it's cute, too. I like Baily and Baker also. Or go with a manly name like Thor. My husband's idea for dogs names were things like P. Hordigan Flueger and Speagle Beagle - so don't mind anything I say.

Here's my Speagle at a much younger age.

 

[SKR8PN]

The current pack members.....


Gracie Sue.

Ginger Snap

Shirley Ann on the back of my, no, HER chair!!

This post made me realize that I didn't have good frontal shot of Shirley!!

I do NOW!!!

 

[tortoise]

Can I recommend that you hold off on calling him by a name?

What does a name really mean? It means "look at me, come to me."

Using a dog's name all the time - and especially when you're upset - undermines this!

I challenge all of you dog people to try not calling your dog by name for a week.

Then teach your dog what it really MEANS!

Almost all of my dogs are donated and come with names. I have NEVER kept the same name. God knows WHAT the dog thinks the name means?! I don't worry about making the name similar - there is no reason to do that!

 

[pioneergirl]

I know we all have different views of training, and I have to politely disagree with you Tortoise on the name issue. Teaching a dog its name, for me anyway, means "Look at me, wait for the command"...as in "Ben! Come!" If I were to just walk outside and say "Come!" who am I talking to? And if you have many dogs, specifying with a name designates who you want to come and who you want to stay.

Of course, my many many years of dog training and yours probably aren't the same.

Pat, I say do what you think works for you and your new pup. Give it a new name to go with his new life!

 

[SKR8PN]

I challenge all of you dog people to try not calling your dog by name for a week.

Then teach your dog what it really MEANS!

ALL of my girls have known what their name is ALMOST from the day they come home.
I can tell Ginger to "Go get Gracie" and she will go find her and bring her back. She will bypass Shirley to find Gracie.
I can call Shirley, and she is the only one that will come to me......unless I have FOOD!
Gracie Sue knows when she hears the words "Swamp Collie" that we are talking about HER....she will not come to it, but her ears sure do perk up when we say it!

It is amazing just how much of a vocabulary they learn! We have to SPELL the words: Bye-bye, treat, toy, ball and play. They understand "breakfast" and "dinner" and "basement".
They also understand what it means when I grab a collar/leash.
All THREE of them will "pee" and/or "poop" on command!

Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Heal, Pass, Wait, Play, Stand, In, Out, Up, Car, Truck, Leave It, Drop it, NO!, Off, Go get it, Go night-night.........

NAMES?? Pfffft that was the easy part.

 

[Farmfresh]

Skr8pn you live with your pack much like we do. They basically understand and even try to speak English!

My sis was trying to name her dog one time and people had LOTS of suggestions for her ... his final name - Norman Harley Howard Puppydog!

 

[Beekissed]

With my first dog...the best dog in all the world and also a yellow lab pound puppy throw away...I just tried out different names as we drove home in the car~stopped when he got excited about one name in particular..maybe a former owner? JIM

So from then on he was officially Jim Dandy, which described him to a T.

I really like Baking Soda...and Soda for short. Can't say it isn't original!

 

[me&thegals]

Congratulations! What fun for the kids We are also in the market for a puppy. Had a Lab for about 12 years, and we haven't had another dog since she died about 6 years ago. Love those Labs!!