Splash down 

When Chris Akin was getting expelled from high school years ago, he received some advice from his principal that he still follows today. Continued…

Buddy, our black Labrador retriever mix, sat at the glass door and stared outside. When I followed his gaze, I was thrilled to see four white-tailed deer in our backyard. Two spotted fawns frolicked like puppies while their alert mothers kept an eye on Buddy. Continued…

Well-trained canine will help a duck hunter succeed. Continued…

The hot fashion news in the dog world this year is designer genes: So-called “designer dogs” are mixes of purebred parents with cutesy names: labradoodles (Labrador retriever-poodle mix), puggles (pug-beagle), schnoodles (schnauzer-poodle). Continued…

Owners to Sue Over Katrina Pet Shootings 

More than 30 animals left at three schools were later found dead. The evacuees blame deputies.
Source: www.latimes.com

Description Of A Labrador Retriever: Part 1

The Labrador Retriever standard was changed recently. The new standard describes the Labrador as a medium-sized dog, giving the appearance of a dog that is strong, muscular and active. The head, which includes a very specific kind and friendly expression, the coat and the tail are the breed’s three outstanding characteristics. However, the head, coat, tail and temperament, all worn on the correct body or frame, are what give you the complete Labrador. Though temperament is not a physical trait, it is the essence of this breed. The Labrador’s kindly temperament is visible in his warm eyes as well as in his body language. If any of these things is missing, you do not have a Labrador.
The head of a Labrador Retriever is one of the breed’s most distinguishing characteristics. It should not remind you of any other breed. If it reminds you of a Coonhound, a Great Dane or some kind of Terrier, then it is not a correct Labrador head. The Lab has a fairly broad back skull and a nice stop. The stop connects the skull to the muzzle, and the eyes are set into the stop. The skull and muzzle run on practically parallel planes. The head should not have big, heavy, apple cheeks or flews that are too pendulous. The head should have a neat, clean appearance unlike the sloppy or drooling look that is appropriate for a Saint Bernard. The muzzle should be strong and never snipey looking. The nose should be wide with well-developed nostrils, for that keen sense of smell.
A Labrador should have what is called a “scissors bite,” where the top front teeth come down right over (actually touching) the bottom front teeth, just as the blades of a pair of scissors cross each other to cut something. A level bite, where the top and bottom meet at exactly the same place, is acceptable but not desirable. labradors should have full dentition and should not be overshot or undershot, where there is a gap of one-eighth to one-quarter inch or more between the top and bottom jaw.
Either of these conditions or a wry mouth (crooked jaw) would make it harder for the dog to carry game. However, if your dog is a family pet, it probably will not matter if his bite is not perfect. He will probably never miss a meal.

Going to the designer dogs 

WINCHESTER Forget Louis Vuitton bags and Manolo Blahnik shoes. These days, designer dogs are the ultimate family accessory. They come with cute names such as labradoodle, puggle, and cockapoo and theyre all the rage in Hollywood.
Source: www.winchesterstar.com

FROM PAGE 9E 
Do you love your pet? To feature your pet in Neighbors, send a photo and a short description to: Neighbors, Readers’ Pets, The Herald, P.O. Box 921, Bradenton, FL 34206.
Source: www.bradenton.com

Lab rallies to championship 
Susan Jenkins trained Caleb, who took the top spot in the Advanced Rally competition at the All-Star Performance Dog Championship. HIGHLAND SQUARE Susan and Lew Jenkins dog, Caleb, is a top dog.
Source: www.akron.com

Desire to pamper animals creates booming business 
From electric toothbrushes to a $26,000 pet spa - there’s no end to the way people are pampering their pets. Check out some of the ways some Northeast Valley residents spoil their furry friends.
Source: www.azcentral.com

Reflections on a tragedy of terror 

The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks shocked the nation and the world with their audacity and surprise, becoming a ‘Where were you?’ moment for generations that ushered in a new era of increased national and global security measures.

Literary Club reviews book on unconditional love 
The Phi Rho Kappa Literary Club met on Sept. 11 at the Safford City-Graham County Library. Club President Ruth Mack and Vice President Frances Robinson agreed to serve another term.

Toy takes top prize at dog show 
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE to count the number of yelps and howls at Mennen Arena in Morris Township at the annual Schooley’s Mountain Kennel Club dog show on Labor Day. No, we’re not talking about the pedigreed pooches who exhibited model decorum, waiting to strut their stuff in the rings.

French Fries For Monopoly 
The makers of Monopoly have come under fire in the US over their choice of counters.

Students look forward to days with dog 
CARMEL — Students at Smoky Row Elementary are finding Christa, a 2-year-old Labrador and golden-retriever mix and certified companion animal, hard to resist. They often flock to her side to run their fingers through her silky blonde hair.

The Bay Area’s News Station

KRON4 - She’s an 8-year-old, 57-pound tan Labrador Retriever mix who is mature, gentle, quiet & sweet. Good first-time dog! Pet of the puppies are like babies, they require a lot of time, patience and energy. You must sign up for puppy Class at the More

OUR LAKE: Saving Lake Champlain

Burlington Free Press - A Labrador retriever named Bear hopped out of the Couture family’s boat for a picnic on Juniper Island one hot afternoon in 1999. The thirsty dog lapped up lake water. Four hours later, Bear was dead. Toxins produced by blue-green algae in the water

Dog missing for a month returns
Canton Repository - Heather Byrd is happy to have Molly back in their Louisville home. The 3-year-old golden Labrador retriever has been roaming Nimishillen and Plain townships for a month after escaping from a veterinarian s office in the Middlebranch area. Molly

Krystal - Sweetheart Ready To Complete Your Family
KFMB - She is a beautiful white and tan Labrador Retriever mix. She loves playing with her people and dog friends and learning new things. Krystal would do best in an active, dog-savvy home with kids 12 years and older who will work on her training and

Super-mixes or mixed blessings?
OregonLive.com - The hot fashion news in the dog world this year is designer genes: So-called “designer dogs” are mixes of purebred parents with cutesy names: labradoodles (Labrador retriever-poodle mix), puggles (pug-beagle), schnoodles (schnauzer-poodle). These

Don’t Choose Pets Based On ‘Cute’
WRAL - Long-haired breeds require more grooming and additional housekeeping. If you have children, decide whether you want a typical family dog, such as a Golden Retriever or Labrador Retriever, or a visual deterrent to keep your home safe, such as a

Common Hereditary Faults In Labrador Retrievers

A responsible breeder should realize that certain matters of health are his responsibility. Such a breeder should do everything possible through his breeding to keep certain known inherited serious faults from becoming widespread in Labrador Retrievers. He should also try his best to understand what to do about inherited faults detrimental to the breed that have already become widespread within the breed.
There seems to be two extremes among persons interested in breeding dogs. There are those who are over-cautious and others who will breed anything to anything and trust to luck. The more intelligent approach is to investigate and leave the final decision to the weighing of various aspects of each particular problem. Elimination from the breeding program of every dog falling the slightest bit below perfection is not the intelligent approach.
Various breeds of dogs have their own particular inherited problems, some of which are a matter of physical beauty, such as eye-color. Light eyes in labradors are frowned upon, but since there is no basis in fact that the color of eyes in a dog has anything to do with his vision, color becomes an aesthetic choice. Dark eyes are dominant in inheritance in most breeds; if a breeder prefers not to have that color, he should take care never to breed to a yellow-eyed dog or he will develop “carriers” for light eyes in his strain, if not light eyes themselves. This fault of appearance is not widespread in the Labrador breed and is a far lesser fault than progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).
Progressive retinal atrophy leads to complete blindness and is widespread in many breeds, including labradors in England. It is not a serious problem at the present time in this country but any signs of it becoming on the increase should be watched for by breeders. The danger of it becoming widespread is the fact that blindness develops slowly and a Labrador cannot be declared free of affliction until he is four years of age. This age factor varies with different breeds. Any case of blindness should be diagnosed by a qualified doctor or veterinarian.
Kennel owners should obtain the services of an expert in eye diseases and have all dogs checked. Temporary certificates are issued for those dogs proved clear under four years of age and permanent certificates after that age. The British Kennel Club lists all dogs holding such types of certificates in their monthly official magazine. They also do this for their hip dysplasia program. Effort is being made to bring progressive retinal atrophy under control, but it will be difficult since many dogs will be bred from under four years of age without knowledge of whether or not they are passing on the genes of inheritance for this blindness.

How do you fire an autoworker?

Slate - But the trend toward jumbo dogs doesn’t quite explain why the Labrador retriever is far more popular than other big breeds. The Also, as more and more families opt for a particular breed, dog breeders respond by increasing the number of litters Continue

Outside Beltway - I am sure a properly trained dog is safe, but who is going to license dog breeders and hold them liable if the dog does Labrador Retriever (1); Yorkshire Terrier (1); mixed and unknown breeds (15). Link Also, we hear about men who beat their wives Continue

Union - The other popular breed is the Golden retriever. This year, 160 Labrador retrievers are entered in the show. “We are going to have 14 rings These people include kennel club members and American Kennel Club judges, local breeders, local professional Continue

Everything Alabama - MAGNOLIA SPRINGS — Curled in a corner cage at the Baldwin County Animal Control Center, Jerry, a golden Labrador retriever picked enforcement of a new state spay and neuter law; and to campaign for tighter restrictions on so-called “backyard breeders Continue