WELCOME TO
"FOR THE LOVE OF LABRADORS"
My goal with this blog is for you to enjoy your time here. Most of the posts talk about my experiences raising my two yellow Labrador Retrievers, some are just for fun, and others share the best dog related information and products I have found.

Use the tabs above for quick navigation. I have imbedded links for as much as possible so that you can find the resources easily from this blog. The links in the side bar are for websites that have been helpful to me. I hope that you find them useful for you and your canine "family member"

Monday, July 23, 2007

More interesting facts about Boric Acid

I originally posted our summer ear care solution recipe here: "Summer + Labrador's + Water = No Problem!!". I was making up some new ear solution today as summer swimming in full swing, and I have been running low.

I decided to do a little research as the bottle of boric acid said it was orthoboric acid. Here's a link that explained the different boric compounds and why alcohol works so well as a medium to administer it as an ear cleaning protective solution. In a nut shell here's what I learned:

"It is poorly soluble in cold water but dissolves readily in hot water, in alcohol and glycerine."
That explains why our holistic vet recommended to dissolve the boric acid in Vodka. As a very pure, distilled alcohol it is clean and stable with great shelf life in which to contain the boric acid for administering. Vodka will also evaporate relatively quickly leaving the light coating of boric acid in place to prevent the growth of yeast and bacteria.

Thank God for vets that are willing to think outside the box. Here's to happy, healthy fun filled water days for all you out there who have dogs that love the water as much as mine do.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

You asked . . .

Taking a cue from a fabulous dog blogger over at "Pappy's Dog Blog" and his post: "Pappy Answers Your Search Term Questions" I have gathered some of the questions that have brought some of you here to "For the Love of Labradors". I offer no apologies for my sarcastic humor - it's just the mood I'm in.

Q: How much does Bark Busters cost?
A: Proprietary dogma is always over priced.

Q: Why keep my Labrador Retriever in a crate?
A: Depends how badly you want to have to remodel your house.

Q: What age do Labradors hit adolescence?
A: Much too soon and it lasts for much too long.

Q: What's really in pet food?
A: Have you been living under a rock this year?

Q: How do you hug a dog?
A: With your eyes open.

Q: How dangerous are Labradors?
A: How dangerous is the Labrador's owner?

Q: Where are Labradors on the dangerous dog list?
A: May be you should be asking, where are humans on the dangerous species list?

Q: When are Labradors not hyper any more?
A: When their owners no longer over react to their antics.

Q: Why does my Labrador love me?
A: Because he/she is a Labrador. It's what they and all dogs are born to do if we let them.

~~
J: You want answers?
K: I think I'm entitled to them.
J: You want answers?
K: I want the truth!
J: You can't handle the truth!
~~

Monday, July 16, 2007

Because we can't stay away!

Well, I'm long over due for a new post. Sorry for my MIA status of late. The summer so far has been busy and adventure filled with too many diversions to devote extra time to blogging.

While at the beach yesterday I was reminded of our last time there and my last post here. With this week finally slower than all those in between I decided to do some catch up.

June started off with our second, now annual, tradition of a week in Mendocino at our favorite dog friendly Bed & Breakfast. (Yes, they have cottages with enclosed attached fenced yards!!) This year we were actually brave enough to take the dogs canoeing with us. I can't say they were overly thrilled but it was fun to take them with us. We kept them leashed even in the canoe. Between the two beavers and the seal we saw up "Big River" I was glad they could not get any stupid ideas of getting a closer look themselves.

Cottage Fenced Yard
Labrador Frisbee Fun
We returned Friday, and Saturday found me in bed all day with a 102° fever. By 5 pm I knew something was very very wrong. The doctor in urgent care confirmed my worst fears that strep throat had gotten the best of me. With glorious pain killers and my first dose on penicillin on board I finally got a good nights sleep Saturday night.

The next day my 13 year old niece flew in from Virginia. Ten days on penicillin is not my idea of fun. When I wasn't out drinking coffee so we could paint the streets red ( we went every where), I was napping off the side effects of penicillin. Lombard Street By forth of July I had finally ditched the drowsy, though much necessary drugs, and we were headed to Monterey for the fireworks. It was the first time the dogs were going to experience fireworks up close and personal but I was optimistic. True to their calling, my even tempered "gun dogs" took it all in stride. Shelby in fact snuggled in under a blanket with one of the teenagers with us and went to sleep. Nutmeg snuggled into my husbands chest and kept him warm from the cool ocean air. Not a single startle from either of them despite the "ooooohhhhs," and "aaaaaahhhhhhhs" all around us, not to mention the ground shaking noise of the exploding fireworks.

Our two weeks with my niece ended much to soon and the dogs and I found ourselves sulking as we missed our too soon departed companion. Fortunately my nephew's and family were down this weekend and a trip to the beach was just what the doctor ordered to cheer the dogs and I up. We all had a blast - as if there is any other option available when at the beach. It was a sunny, warm, and best of summer pacific ocean days. The water was even warm - of course you have to really love the ocean and live on the north west pacific coast to appreciate the subtlety of how warm it was. [subtlety: so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe]

The past two months have flown by much faster than any other's this year. Through it all our dogs have been my constant companions. Now able to take my dogs every where with me, we are all enjoying the freedom that well trained dogs afford. I was reminded of this today as I was stopped in the parking lot of Trader Joe's (for those of you who do not know about Trader Joe's I am so very sorry!!!). I was giving the dogs some water and the back of the SUV was open. A lady came up and had to say "Hi" to the dogs. She laughed at Shelby's crazy over excited greeting and was impressed as he calmed himself down with a little coaching from me. Nutmeg of course charmed her in two seconds flat with her sweet soft gentle kisses of "hello". She was so surprised to hear that the dogs were siblings. Yes, they are siblings I reassured her, and no different than two children in a family, each with their own personality.

Despite the ease of the last several months, nothing is ever truly easy with a sensory driven overachieving dog (a very nice way of describing Shelby). Of course nothing of any value in life is ever easy. Nutmeg is my reassurance dog, reminding me every day that even though I may have gotten side tracked I didn't cause him to be this way. Shelby is the dog he was meant to be, and both dogs have a lot to teach me.