In 2017, two Colorado women applied their passion for recovering lost canines to form the nonprofit Southern Colorado Observation & Unification Team (SCOUT). They and about twenty volunteers tirelessly coordinate and search for dogs on the run, many of whom escaped from rescue transport vans, new forever or foster homes, vehicles involved in accidents or while on vacation with their humans in strange areas.
What should you consider before deciding if and when to neuter or spay your dog? Some veterinarians now base their advice on when and if to do so partially on the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine research studies that show early neutering and spaying of some breeds and sizes of mixed-breeds increases the incidence of orthopedic issues and certain cancers.
Our journey to find a new companion for Betty took much longer than anticipated and in a different direction than from when we began. Dave and I thought a young yellow male adult or older puppy would be best for our family. Months later, we drove 700 miles in the middle of winter across the Kansas plains from Colorado to meet and pick up our newest family member, a yellow female pup. What happened?
Not all reputable breeders offer a standardized contract for sales of older puppies and/or adults or even for stud dog services. But they all agree they want their prospective buyers to know they’ll take back their canines should the need arise. And they all carefully screen female dogs (and their owners) before allowing their males to be used at stud.
One young California couple fortuitously decided to buy insurance for their young Labrador Retriever pup and saved nearly $15,000. But pet insurance isn’t for everyone: it’s expensive and may not cover much of your pet’s medical expenses. If you opt to purchase insurance, carefully read and compare different policies which often significantly differ from one another.
Prospective puppy buyers should expect to be asked to sign written contracts before they bring home their new family member. Learn what five longtime reputable breeders, each with decades of experience, say protect not only their puppies but also the human parties.
I never imagined the length of time it would take to investigate and write a book about a rogue Labrador retriever whose life journey took many twists and turns, some bizarre, others shocking. But a goofy yellow Labrador inspired me to cross the finish line. The book, Heartbreak Kennel: The True Story of Max and His Breeder, is now published!!
Evie Haskell, author and lover of rescue dogs, now lives with her family and two spoiled canines in the Pacific Northwest. Before they moved from Colorado, their beloved collie rescue died. Evie located a “purebred” border collie rescue, and only later discovered that the dog has no herding drive but loves to retrieve. So, she turned to DNA testing to find out more about her new family member.
Once Dave and I decided that Ranger needed a companion, we carefully agreed on the age range and gender of our prospective new family member. To our surprise, we needed to think harder about the best age for Ranger’s sister.
Buyers Beware: Dog registries, including the AKC, and the Labrador breed standard worldwide, recognize only three colors of this family-friendly breed: black, yellow and chocolate. Read more to learn why a silver-colored dog isn’t a Labrador and what to look for when searching for a purebred Labrador.