How to Raise, Feed and Care For the Australian Labradoodle

Rutland Manor ASD Australian Labradoodles

"Born to Serve"

How to Raise, Feed and Care for Your Australian Labradoodle

Be Sure to Scroll all the way through this page for links to excellent reference material on many raising and care issues.

First, Let's Talk About the Immune System !

A Strong Immune System deflects sickness and disease. You can help keep your puppy's immune system strong! Think of the immune system as a pie.

There are only a certain number of slices that can be used before the whole pie is gone. Each stress to the immune system of a puppy represents a slice of that pie. Once all the slices are gone, the immune system is weakened and disease can strike. Some stresses can not be avoided and are a necessary part of a puppy's raising processes.

Some Stresses to young puppies Include -
Worming
Vaccination
Sudden Change in Diet and/or water
Change in environment (change of home)
Feeding cold food or drink out of the refrigerator

Worms in Puppies

Worming treatment is a stress on a puppy's immune system, but is necessary. At the centre your puppy is wormed at two weeks of age and then each two weeks until leaving. If the due worming date coincides too closely with the departure to a new home, then that worming treatment is avoided so as to not overtax the immune system with too many stresses at the one time. Treatments kill the hatched out worm larvae but not the eggs.

The most common worm in very young puppies is ascarids or round worms. the lifecycle of the worm is 21 days. So within a few days of treating for worms, more eggs have hatched out and new young worms are already maturing inside the puppy. So if your vet finds worms in your new puppy, don't be alarmed nor concerned, because this is to be expected. Speak with your vet about the frequency of worm treatments in your area. As the puppy matures, worming will be needed less frequently.

DO NOT OVER - VACCINATE !

It is not only un necessary, but can so weaken a puppy's immune system that serious health and bone problems can result. Spread the word! Suggest to your own vets that they check out the latest research. Links are below.

Up to twelve weeks of age, vaccinations are not reliable as they 'fight' with the receding antibodies your puppy has received from its mother. One puppy may be fully protected yet another in the litter may not.

It is for this reason, that regardless of what vaccinations have been given prior to twelve weeks, it is necessary to vaccinate at or shortly after twelve weeks of age.

Shopping Centers and Vet Clinics are notoriously high - risk places. At the vet, hold your young puppy on your lap. The floor can be a cocktail of latent killers-in-waiting. Make sure your vet has disinfected the surgery table since the last patient.

Rutland Manor Puppies

Your Rutland Manor puppy has received vaccination against Distemper/Hepatitis/Parvo Virus for age.

DO NOT ALLOW YOUR VET TO RE-VACCINATE FOR THESE UNTIL YOUR PUPPY REACHES 12 WEEKS. OF AGE.

Important Caution - Over vaccinating is as dangerous as under vaccinating. When you take your puppy to your vet for the first check up, take the vaccination record with you, which came in your puppy envelope and the special letter we have included to take along to your vet on your puppy's first visit after arriving.. Make sure that your vet does not re-vaccinate for diseases which have already been inoculated against at the Centre. This can be critical! Tell your vet that your puppy is from Rutland Manor and has been vaccinated for the following:-

Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvo Virus. There is no Rabies in Australia.

Ways to Minimize Stress When Your New Puppy Arrives Home

WAIT AT LEAST 24 HOURS before introducing your puppy to neighbors and friends. Your puppy needs to know who are family and establish familiarity in your home before being overwhelmed by a lot of different people.

Offer a large spoonful of natural unsweetened yogurt

Use bottled water first and gradually add tap water over a few days

Feed cooked chicken with a little cooked brown rice and carrots - for the first twenty four hours ONLY or until stools are consistently firm if they have been loose. At any time in the future when your dog may have loose stools, revert to feeding this meal . DO NOT FEED COOKED BONES....EVER.

If you will be feeding kibble (we hope you don't) introduce it GRADUALLY over the first few days. Your puppy has been raised predominantly on the fresh raw food as described on this page.

DIET

There are many different methods of feeding your dog. Basically it will come down to what you feel most comfortable with. At our Centre we prefer to feed an all fresh raw diet to the dogs and puppies.

Feeding fresh natural food to your dog need not be difficult or expensive! As you will see from the following, it is so easy and inexpensive to add good wholesome natural ingredients to your dog's daily menu. Some vets are against raw fresh food feeding. But it may help to understand that most nutrition training that vets do (if any at all) is sponsored by the Dry Kibble Food Companies.

Dogs are frequently called carnivores (meat only eaters) yet in reality they are omnivores and enjoy fruits, berries, dairy, vegetables and eggs. Try them and see for yourself ! Dogs are not able to extract nutrients from vegetables unless the cellulose is broken down by blending or crushing first, and green peas are difficult for them to digest regardless of how they are fed.

It is the variety in the diet below which prevents loose stools, too - hard stools, and keeps the dog's system healthy on the inside.

Pick and Choose from the wide variety of foods below. With such a variety of foods it's so easy! As you prepare the food for your family it's "One for them, one for me.....and one for the dog!"

If you are sure you want to feed kibble, the WholeDog Journal provides a list of kibbles which it has researched and recommends.

WholeDog Journal Check it out or Subscribe

EASY HYGIENIC WAYS TO FEED FRESH RAW MEAT

Worried About Feeding Raw Meat?

Use Human Grade rather than Pet Food

Never Feed Cooked Bones of Any Kind

Feeding The Easy And the Healthy Way

		(Photo courtesy of Monica Magic and Suzie NSW Australia)
Chopped or Minced FATTY Beef or Chicken. Human grade takes the worry out of hygiene issues.You can sprinkle grated cheese over the top or add some chicken stock or broth for added flavor.	Human Grade Raw chicken thighs, breasts, legs or wings If feeding wings, hold one in your fingers while a puppy chews to prevent him 'inhaling' rather than chewing the small object.	Raw Chicken Backs. (Frames)Every scrap will be crunched up and eaten. Provides rich nutrients including calcium/phosporus in perfect synergy for absorption in the gut.Chicken Backs (or Frames) are used for soup making in Australia & are on sale in supermarkets.

Veal pieces with bone Just pop a few in the bowl. Feed outside, in the crate or in laundry	These are veal rib bones. your dog will chew up and devour every morsel.	Beef rib bones. Big dogs will chew up every morsel. Small dogs will grind away as much as they can.

EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE TO FEED DRY DOG FOOD - KIBBLE - ( AND WE SINCERELY HOPE YOU DON'T! ) YOUR DOG WILL BENEFIT GREATLY FROM ONE OF THE ABOVE, GIVEN TWICE OR THREE TIMES EACH WEEK. STRONG SPARKLING WHITE TEETH, EMOTIONAL SATISFACTION, ENJOYABLE PRE-OCCUPATION FOR HOURS, AND CALCIUM/MINERALS IN PERFECT SYNERGY ARE THE BENEFITS! FEED FRESH RAW FOODS AT A DIFFERENT MEAL TIME THAN KIBBLE. DIFFERENT DIGESTIVE ACIDS AND JUICES ARE PRODUCED BY THE BODY, TO DIGEST KIBBLE THAN ARE PRODUCED TO DIGEST WHOLE FRESH FOODS.

EASY WAYS TO FEED DAIRY EGGS AND VEGETABLES


cubes of cheese make healthy treats, or grated cheese can be sprinkled over the bowl of chopped meat.	Spoon some some plain non - non flavored, unsweetened yogurt into the bowl and watch your dog lap up this health giving daily food. Very important to feed during & after any course of antibiotics	Raw egg - just crack it into the bowl and watch your dog's delight! Or scramble, or soft boil. Just add one for the dog when preparing for your family. Couldn't be easier! Two to three eggs per week are sufficient.

FRESH FRUITS - COOKED VEGETABLES - SUPPLEMENTS
	Many dogs love to nibble, or 'graze' on small portions of fresh fruit. I have had quite a number of dogs who would leap up to 'pick' a peach, apple or plum from the tree, or who would nibble blackberries from the bushes during a walk and eat them with relish. When the family is enjoying strawberries, watermelon, banana, apple, pear, plum, mandarin or cantaloupe pieces, try offering your dog a small piece or two. It's as easy as that.
	CAUTION: Grapes and Raisins should not be fed to dogs. Chocolate should also not be fed to dogs.
	Cooked mashed pumpkin, either fresh or canned is a miracle worker for either diarrhoea or constipation, provided there is no bacterial or viral infection causing the problem.
	COLD PRESSED Flax Seed Oil is a valuable aid to healthy skin and coat. It is also a natural anti-inflammatory and combines the essential Omega 3 along with the Omega 6. Some other oils are lacking in the Omega '3' One tablespoonful of cold pressed Flax Seed Oil for a large dog, a teaspoonful for a little dog, given two times a week provide essential omegas. It is also a natural anti inflammatory. Do NOT give every day to a healthy dog.