Behind each dog on the web-site sits a whole story. The (usually) unknown story of the background the dogs came from, the volunteers and professionals who care for the dogs in the pounds, the dog transporter network that runs across Australia, the massive amount of unseen communication, administration, IT expertise and support, the vet care “donated” at almost cost price and finally the homes and families who welcome the foster dogs in for as long as it takes. Each carer also usually has a supportive partner and children and pets whose lives are often bent around the needs of the Labrador rescue operation.

One of the things we are so grateful for at Lab Rescue is the donation and support we get from the public. I want to take some time out to thank the generous donations of Casey, Janice, Alison, Karen and the Austen’s who made our recent training day over Easter possible. Your donation has helped me become better equipped as a foster carer to train ‘difficult dogs’ like Anna.

As a small token of my thanks, I want to share with you my recent experience as a foster carer at the training day. 

On Good Friday I headed out to Katherine’s place with Anna (classified as difficult dog) secured in the back seat. We had consulted with Grant re Anna and Abbie (one of the girls rescued from the infamous pig farm ) months before so I was looking forward to meeting him. I was also looking forward to meeting the other carers in person. 

Like many similar not for profit organisations, we know each other only by phone calls; usually to swap dogs or supplies around. We meet for fleeting moments at dog drop off/pick up times. Meeting for a day to share experiences and getting to know each other was a huge bonus. Many foster carers brought along their partners too who again are often an overlooked part of the lab rescue story. 

Grant provided us with the specific information based in years of personal experience but also international research around dog behaviour. Much of it we knew or guessed at based on our own experiences but it was great to hear it presented logically and in a way that connected all the pieces together rather than having to sort through the jigsaw of our own observations. 

Also present at the day were Katherine’s own dogs, the last of the pig farm survivor girls (still not ready for adoption), Anna (not ready for general adoption after 14 weeks so now adopted by us) and a couple of other difficult dogs who are in long term care with us due to ongoing work on a number of issues the dogs have been left with due to previous poor experiences.

It is very safe to say that not only did this day make a significant contribution to the capacity of the foster carers, this one day also allowed several of our “difficult” dogs to make significant progress. Let me use Anna to illustrate. Anna is (now) a gorgeous gleaming healthy looking 6 year old chocolate lab. She didn’t always look like that. When she came into care she was significantly overweight, her coat was dry, brittle and a nasty tawny light brown colour instead of a dark gleaming chocolate. This was due to the high level of stress she had been living under.

Anna has been used to breed many litters of puppies from, earning a high income return for at least 5 different owners before being sold to the people who eventually surrendered her to us. Her highly fearful behaviour of any strangers and especially men, tells its own story. Although a gentle loving dog who has fitted in beautifully to our family, it has been very difficult to get Anna to interact calmly with people. She usually panic barks and/or growls and tries her best to hide. She sits shaking, peering sideways at the “scary people” who have “invaded” her home hoping they will soon go away and she will be safe. As you can see, not the easiest dog to present to would be adopters!

At the seminar however, Anna, always beside me on lead found herself sitting next to a whole range of people who knew how to deal with a scared dog and after the first few hours, she trotted along next to me without caring WHO was on her other side. She allowed women and MEN!!! To give her treats, without crawling on the ground. In the “dog social” paddock at break times, although Anna IS very dog social, her stress level was so high, she hung along the fence line or followed me wherever I went and ignored the wonderful chance to run and play, all the other dogs indulged in.

When I made a point of leaving her to get some lunch, (peering nervously around the corner to see how she’d cope) it was fantastic to see her head over to Monica and seek her out as her safety net. 

What amazing progress for this lovely dog in just one day! Grant made a difference to the knowledge base of the carers. He gave us food for thought around some of his ideas and techniques. Sharing stories and experiences with other carers also gave us an expanded knowledge base. The organised safe proximity of so many people and dogs has made a difference to Anna, Kayla, Tasha etc it has given their owners, carers renewed hope for their eventual total rehabilitation. 

We owe a debt of thanks to Grant and Deb, Katherine, Monica for organising the event. The tips shared in this event will stay with us throughout our many more foster dogs. 

Puppies often come into our care needing training. All of our dogs get toilet trained because they all live inside the house. Linda kindly wrote down a few tips on toilet training that I thought I'd share. Feel free to add your own in the comments below. 

Toilet Training ideas from my experience that might help you with new dogs - Linda

Body Language 
Learn the body language your dog exhibits before toileting. This can only be done by observation. Watch your dog until it toilets.

Constant Supervision
While housetraining a dog not to toilet inside, constant supervision is a must. If you can't supervise for a time pop the dog in a crate or outside while you're busy. Remember not to leave the dog in a crate for too long as you want to set up the dog for success not failure . If you keep getting distracted tie the dog to you with a leash so you don't forget (Labs won't mind a bit)! If you are supervising you will be able to catch the dog in the act of toileting, then you make a loud sudden grrowly sound , 'no' or 'bah' to shock the dog into stopping and take it quickly outside following the toileting routine below. 
Note: You cannot punish a dog for toileting inside if you find the evidence more than 10 seconds later, it will have no idea what you're trying to teach it!

Routine
Develop a toileting routine. Dogs generally toilet after a meal, after a drink, upon waking or becoming active after a period of relaxation, like greeting you. At these times take your dog to the same door and walk out with them to the garden and take the same route to the general area you'd like to encourage them to toilet in. Keep wandering around slowly and watch your dog's body language until it goes. When finished give the dog a treat and some lavish praise or a game of fetch or something you know the dog loves.
If you get sick of waiting for the dog to toilet , take it back in and continue the constant supervision while inside, put a timer on and go out again in about half an hour, keep doing this until the dog toilets either inside (and interrupt it) or outside (and praise it). 
Hopefully the dog will start to follow that routine before it toilets and you will notice it trying to tell you that it's time to go. Give yourself a pat on the back when you realise you can understand what the dog is trying to tell you .

Cleaning Up
For a dog that is new to toileting outside on grass, you may like to clean up the mess and transfer it outside to an area of the garden to get an area to start smelling like a dog toilet. If that is not necessary then wipe up inside and spray with vinegar. This will neutralise the smell so that the house doesn't smell like a toilet to the dog.

About a week ago we got an email from someone asking how expensive it was to have a lab. I though this would be a great opportunity to write a blog post on the expected costs of labradors. 

I've only owned a lab for 9 months, before then I'd never owned a dog. My hubby and I are still learning what to put aside for the dogs so there was no way I could write an article based on my own experience. So instead, I asked a few foster carers with dogs of their own to tell their stories. 

Some foster carers don't own their own labs, some own golden retrievers, some curlies some wolfhound crosses. But they are all relatively big dogs with similar common health issues.

So firstly I'll introduce everyone. 

Kim - Kim is a holiday foster carer, helping out when we're really busy in the holidays. Kim's recently adopted Bronson to befriend her lab Ella. 

Linda - Most of you will already know Linda, she's the one who matches dogs with people. Linda owns a Brittany, a Curly Coated Retriever and a tabby cat, all who have seen many fosters over the years. Linda's passionate about responsible dog ownership and loves reading and sharing her dog training tips.

Kylie - If you have ever adopted a dog off us, you would have recieved a congratulations email. Kylie finalises all our adoptions and sorts out our paperwork. She's adotped two labs off us, Bella and Zippah who joined Sammy J and Emma, Kylie's other labs. She also owns two rabbits and a cat. I think it's fair to say Kylie knows a thing or two about the costs and benefits of keeping animals!

Frances - Frances is one of our more experienced foster carers. She's had many through her doors and has lots of stories to tell. She and her family all love dogs, you just have to hear her strategy of walking three dogs at one time! Frances has a cocker spaniel who teaches fosters manners, and sadly has recently said goodbye to her beloved goldie. Frances also has a cat.

Karen - Karen's a foster carer we pinched from Golden Retriever Rescue! She has a 9 year old goldie and a gorgeous king charles spaniel. Like Frances, Karen has been with lab rescue for a while, fostering many dogs. She's always a sucker for a good dog story and loves to hear how her fosters are going in their new homes.

Carole - Carole is our WA rep who adopted Roxxi and flew her all the way from Canberra to Perth. After spending all that money transporting Roxxi, Carole quickly found out she had an ectopic urethrea. Despite all that, Carole's family love Roxxi to bits and think every cent is worth it. Carole helps out by responding to emails in our email box. She's often everyone's first contact with Lab Rescue. 

Shalini - Shalini is a foster carer and event organiser for Lab Rescue. She's got two boofy lab boys Lynx and Viper and if she had her way, she'd have a lot more! Since Shalini's joined Lab Rescue late last year she's organised a stand at the pet expo, rehomed half a dozen labs, made countless trips around Sydney and Canberra and various phone calls. Shalini's passionate about rescuing labradors and has a real soft heart for them.  

Food

How much do you spend on food every week? How many dogs does that cover? What is it that you buy them?

Kim: We buy the biggest bags of dog food, which last about a month or so - $100 a bag? I must admit I don't keep close track of how long it lasts although with our new lovely Bronson we are certainly going through the food. Extras would be $10-15 per wk on top of the dry food, max.  

Linda: Our Pet Barn bill came just under $900 (generally food, toys & grooming needs for 3 dogs & cat) which adds up to about $12/week/dog. Food varies from low end Bonnie or Supercoat to high end Eukanuba or Nutro

Kylie: We have Royal Canine (Obesity) for our oldies $140 for a 20kilo bag, with joint formula but Supercoat $20 10 kilo (I think) for the Jnrs. With bones and chicken wings, carcasses I would say similar to Linda around $12-14 a week per dog.

Frances: I use Bonnie Lite as i have oldies and buy a 20 kilo bag at about $42 I think which last 3 dogs (and sometimes a sneaky cat) about 3 weeks. I add a large bone, treats etc and would agree it would average out at about $8 to $10 a week.

I add Omega fish oil capsules (3 X2000) per day  and 1X glucosamine tablet per day for any dog over 7 years of age or in poor condition plus a splash of sunflower oil per day for all ages. I buy the tablets in woolworths in jars of 200 each. Approx $40 ish dollars a jar.

Karen: Per year I'd spend about $500 on Science Diet for Heidi my 9 year old goldie. Treats will probably add up to $500 per year too. I give her bones when I go to work each day. 

Carole: We buy big bag of weight control eukanuba. I'm not sure how long last for but costs around 120. I guess I'll probably go through at least four a year.

Shalini: I spend about $25 a week on my two boys. That covers canned dog food and dry pedigree biscuits.

Toys!

Do you buy toys for your dogs? How much do you spend, say per year? What is it they like to play with?

Kim: Yes we do! Especially when they are pups, or if their favourite 'breaks' (i.e chewed to bits). We spend maybe, $20 per year? I suppose most years they get nothing new, really, they have heaps of toys. They love to play with tennis balls! Kmart sells packs of 6 cheap, and we got some bigger, squeaky ones from PetStock. Also fans of the tug of war rope, and soft toys to carry around.

Linda: My dogs like to play with rope toys, kongs, larger sized balls, squeakies. Our toys are included in the Pet Barn bill, under $900 a year. 

Kylie: Toys.. tennis balls, anything that squeeks. I usually buy them from the cheap shops and they last as long as the expensive ones. Kongs have survived but they are not interested in them unless they have food in them! Clam kids pools are an annual buy $15 from big W.. they all love splashing around in them anytime of the day.

Frances: I bought a shell for paddling from Bunnings for $18 dollars recently. Noticed last week they had them on sale for $12! 

Karen: Heidi likes playing with the tug of war toys like the Kong Wubba. We probably spend about $50 a year on toys. 

Carole: Roxxi loves the squeaky chickens, we probably spend about $40 a year. 

Shalini: My boys love anything with stuffing in it! So we go through about $100 a year on stuffed toys. 

Medical Expenses

Do you have medical insurance for your dogs? What's the largest vet bill you've had for your dog/s? How much do you spend per year as a minimum at the vets?

Kim: No insurance. 

When we lost our lab Satchmo to hemangio sarcoma (sp?) new years day a year ago, we dropped $1400 at the emergency vet just in one night on all the tests trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Then there were extra costs for the final, horrible chest xray, the cost of putting him to sleep, and disposal. I don't know how much that was, we just handed over the credit card distraught in tears.

Being big dogs, the cost of vaccinations and such (based on weight) is not cheap. We would budget around $500-600 for the yearly checkups and jabs? I think? I know it's a lot but again it's not something I fret over. We're not made of money by any means but the yearly checkup and jabs is just a must do. If we're going to the coast, I think it's about $70 for a few doses of Frontline for the ticks. That stuff IS expensive.

Linda: Last year we spend $325 at the vet, that covers two dogs and a cat. 

I think you would need to spend at least $300 a year to keep a dog C5 vaccinated, free of heartworm and intestinal worms and fleas/ticks.

I don’t have pet insurance for current dogs but will for next dog from 8 weeks!

Gus had a $240 vet bill this month (for teeth/ear clean/nail clip), has had a $1000 emergency vet bill and a $1200 vet bill for mast cell tumour removal in the last 2 years.

Kylie: Vet bills for 3 dogs had been around $1500 for the year. Then again our oldies have daily anti inflammatory at a fair cost but it makes a huge difference to their mobility and happiness. (our rabbit has just hit $1800 in 6 weeks after 2 surgeries!) The largest bill we got from the Vet was for our 14 year old lab who had spleen cancer 4 years ago. All up the operation and the 6 months on chemo was roughly $10k. BUT she is still with us and has been a great help for cancer research in Labs. The bill was payable as we went so after the initial operation it was payments here and there over the 6 months.

Frances:  Our dogs get annual check up, C5 and annual heart worm injection. Then add monthly Frontline for flea protection. Logan's cancer investigation and then euthanizing cost close to $1800

Karen: I think something that people who are getting dog of any age need to realise that a large vet bill could come at anytime. eg. when my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was 3yo, she had OCD in her shoulder (extremely unusual for her breed) - the operation and associated treatment cost atleast $2000.  Without the operation, she would have been in a lot of pain.  As Linda said, pet insurance is a good idea and I will definitely get it in the future...

My breakdown is:

Annual Vaccination & Heartworm - $200

2011 Vet Bill (covers a lump removal, skin irritation, yucky eye) - $1,000

Allwormer - $50

Advantix/Frontline - $40

Carole: No pet insurance, sigh! 

So far since adopting roxxi 2 years ago we have spent $ 6500 on knee reconstruction and associated xrays and costs. We have also spent approx $5500 on trying to determine why she leaks all the time which we discovered she had when she arrived – there is still no answer so we will probably be up for at least another $2000-4000 to discover what it is and fix it if possible.

These amounts are in addition to the usual vaaccinations, worming etc – she also is on catrophen injections and is also on sashas blend. 

This is on top of the $400 adoption and the $550 air transport cost to get her to Perth.

Shalini: I have pet insurance, it costs me about $15 a week. The largest bill I've ever paid was about $1,000. The minimum I'd pay in a year is about $200.

Other Expenses 

Have you had to modify your backyard for your dogs? (Fosters don't count!) Have your dogs ever destroyed something you had to fix/replace? How much do you spend per year on holiday arrangements for your dogs?

Kim: Our dogs haven't really done much damage. We've done a bit of fence patching in the past. We've picked past rentals and our current (own) home based in part on their dog friendliness! 

If we can't take the dogs with us, we use pups4Fun pet sitting. They come and walk, feed, water, check mail, take up bins, water plants, etc etc - that is $40 per 30 mins visit for two dogs ($65 for 60 mins), though we usually need to pay a holiday surcharge on top. We generally don't leave them for more than 3 days in these cases, any more and I ask my brother to actually house/dog sit for us (well, I always ask him to do it in the first instance, so I can save money!). So, pet sitting might be $150 a year, give or take, if we really need it.

Gus pushed through three palings of wooden fence, easy to fix. My dogs are quite easy on the garden but they’re not Labs! Kaeli likes to dig but that has very little impact and doesn’t bother us. Already had sandpit for the kids, Kaeli encouraged to dig there but prefers bug hunting in the grass! We did build a large new deck with weatherproof roof with the dogs needs in mind, as well as ours.

Kaeli chewed the pedal off my sewing machine but that was easily replaced!

Kylie: We take our animals with us to visit family but also have family animal sit if we need to go on an extended trip. We have hired animal friendly houses by the water a few times on average $200 - $250 a night depending on where it is and we have shared with other people to keep costs down. There are loads on http://www.stayz.com.au/pet-friendly-accommodation

They have destroyed beds and washing, shrubs but nothing like a lounge or big ticket items.  Leads and collars last many years even with washing them (as long as they can’t chew them off). Initially maybe $30 per dog and then a tag for $20. We have had the same leads for years and they still look like new. We do put them away each time so no teeth can chew so am sure than makes a difference. Guess we have been lucky too!

Anything else? 

Kim: There are usually unexpected vet visits. Ear infections, weird lumps, etc we get checked out.

Set up costs if you haven't owned a dog before or getting a second one - collar, lead, ID tag, dog poo bags, dog bed, registration. You can save money though, e.g. We use ice cream containers instead of dog bowls! If you buy a pup I suppose there is desexing, microchipping...

There is no getting around the fact that owning labs is not cheap. You HAVE to expect some major vet bills in your future: dog gets hit by car, dog needs a knee replacement, dog gets cancer, dog gets chronic illness...all awful things but if the vet assesses there's a good chance for recovery / a good quality of life, you have to be willing to spend the money, or honestly don't get a dog in the first place. I'm pretty harsh about that I think. A work colleague just spent around $5000 on her lab getting his leg amputated because of cancer, plus the treatment, and now he needs some tooth extractions for an abcess - as she said, 'he gives us more than $5000 worth of love a year, and as long as he has a good quality of life the money doesn't matter'

Linda: Bedding can be something that needs regular replacement!

Membership of an obedience club can be excellent both for learning training techniques and having access to off leash exercise areas. Often just over $100 per year.

I find dogs very high maintenance money and time wise, much more so than cats, but worth it.

Kylie: We bought expensive beds, around $130 after trying MANY – Kazoo brand. They are soft and the outside is washable which is fantastic! All the puppies love them and choose them over others we have. The extra large can fit 2 no worries.

Towels for washing on days like today. Prob $30 per dog per year. We wash them constantly with swimming and walking. The cheap ones really don’t last unfortunately.

Christmas pressies $10 per bag/bones just for fun. Dare I say reindeer antlers at $3 each! hehehe

Frances: Collars generally last about half a lifetime and leads last a lifetime or more. I keep the knots out of the leads and make sure they are dry before putting them away.

At least 2 tags per dog in a lifetime as the metal wears through approx$10 each engraved.

Add in a car harness per dog for safety in traveling. Probably about $45 each but it's been a while since I bought them. They last a lifetime too.

Bedding for us is the trampolines since Logan ate everything else. Large Goldie size or Goldie plus springer plus cat if a cold night was over $120. Medium for springer plus cat and lab if cold night about $80??? Add in comfort mat which clips to trampoline for older dogs, medium mat was about $60 plus. Cheaper mats which just sit on the top of the trampoline rather than attach can be got from $2 shops. Not much padding however.

Add feed bowls and LARGE stable water containers even a lab trying to swim in can't knock over $20 for both tops.

LOL crikey it does add up!

Karen: The only other thing I would add is bedding, we've spend around $100 on that. 

Carole: I can't think of anything else to add. 

Shalini: Maybe a couple of other token items:

Dog bed- $25 each

Collar- $15

Kennel- pointless but why not $200.00

Dog door in glass panel- $900.00

Conclusion

Phew what blog post! It all looks a little daunting when you add it all up doesn't it? Remember this is just a couple of experiences, yours will be different depending on your lifestyle and the health of your dog. 

One question I didn't ask the foster carers, was the question of worth. Are dogs worth all of this? 

Undoubtedly we think so. We keep loving them despite the hole in our wallets. There's no 'discount dogs' at Lab Rescue. Even if you did manage to get a dog for free, the costs of upkeep with a lab can be quite severe. It's just another thing that needs considering. 

I hope this helps everyone in preparation for their new dogs! Big thanks to all the foster carers who shared their experiences. If you would like to ask a question about anything mentioned above, feel free to leave a comment. 

We'd love to get your advice on some new walking harnesses.

Do you think they would work with Labs?

;)

A very guilty looking dog in the Canberra pound, at least he smiles for his mug shot!

As you may have already read yesterday, one of our rehomed dogs Molly ran away from her 

family. Read about Molly's experience here. 

Molly's story inspired me to talk about what to do if your dog escapes and how to prevent it from happening. 

When you first bring a dog home

It sounds really obvious, but make sure your fencing is stable. A determined, lonely dog can easily push aside a loose paling in a picket fence. Also make sure sure your fences are at least 1.5m high on all sides. If not, consider getting an older dog with arthiritis who's less likely to jump.

If adopting a lab from us, be clear about your fences. I know our adoption questionnaire is long and at Lab Rescue we're quite unashamed about it. We want to know a lot about you! You can also use this time to express what type of dog suits you. For instance, if you have farm fencing you don't want a dog who will climb. (like my Dorrie, she won't stay more than 10 seconds behind a farm fence!) If you have a barred gate with gaps in it, don't ask for a small (and slender!) dog. The more you let us know about your backyard, the more we can test suitable dogs to ensure a good match. 

Before you plan to pick up your dog, have a couple of dog tags made up. Have a dog name (if you know it, or have a name in mind) on one side and a contact mobile number on the other. It's useful to have a few spare because they do get rusty or lost. 

When you have your dog 

Molly's family recommends putting up a sign on any external gates or doors reminding people to close it behind them. It can be a great reminder for children or visitors. Explain to everyone that the door/gate must be fully secure every time you go out, especially in the first few weeks when your dog is getting used to you.

Once I came home to a new foster and the gate bounced open when I went through it. Cajun was off down the street with me chasing after him in a pencil work skirt and heels. Luckily (for me) Cajun spotted a car parked down the street with a door open. The family was unloading shopping out of their nice clean car. Cajun jumped straight in and sat there waiting for them to come back. They got quite a surprise when they returned to their car!

All dogs that are rehomed through labrador rescue have microchips in our name. When you adopt a dog from us you will get a copy of a microchip transfer form. We will hand in our copy to a pound to transfer the dog into your name, however the pounds aren't always great at doing this. When you take your new dog for a checkup at your local vet, ask them to check the details on the chip. If you want to change it you can use your copy of the transfer form to do so. 

When your dog's missing

The first thing to do is to check the local pound. Research in your area what local shelter/pound is near you. Most pounds are very quick to upload photos and details of dogs that have been picked up. Are you close to an RSPCA? It's worth giving them all a call to register that your dog is lost. Dig out your paperwork and find the microchip number of the dog. 

If you are in Sydney, check the large pounds like Hawkesbury, Blacktown and Renbury. Canberra people can check the Canberra RSPCA, Queanbeyan pound and Canberra pound. Thankfully Lab Rescue routinely check these pounds for labs, so we can keep an eye out too. 

Walk around your typical path where you take your dog. They are most likely to head off in an area they remember or associate with fun. If there are people in the area walking their dogs, ask them if they have seen a lab without an owner. 

Go around door knocking asking people in your street or along your typical walk asking them to keep and eye out. Give them your number to contact if they see anything. This is ultimately what found Molly. 

Search thoroughly around your house. Has there been any fireworks or loud noises? Was the dog scared and found a place to hide? 

Let your vet, or any local vet in the area know about your lost dog. Remember to give them the dog's microchip number. 

Call your local police station. They often get calls about stray dogs and may know of one in the area.

Use Facebook, Twitter and Labrador Rescue to advertise that you have lost your dog.

Finally, if you have another dog, walk it around your neighbourhood. It may pick up on a hiding place that we don't see and since they know the dog they may run towards it. 

Helping the Family Deal with stress

It's a horrible, stressful situation that none of us want to go through. Molly's family were particularly stressed because of how helpless they were. They just wanted to be able to do something to bring Molly back. Most of the steps above resulted in letting Molly's family know where she was. 

Hopefully this article has reminded you about the possibility of your dog wandering off. It can happen to anyone, and like with Molly, it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the dog being bored or under exercised. Bookmark this article or create your own list so that you can refer back to it if needed. 

Do you have any tips on what to do if your dog escapes? What's worked for you in the past? 

Big thanks to Molly's owners for sharing their experience and tips! I can't express how happy we are here at Lab Rescue that Molly's safe at home again. And we are so pleased that she's found a home that loves her dearly.