Our Dog’s Personalities

The great thing about pets is that they each have such a unique personality.

We have 3 Labrador Retrievers. The oldest is Timber, a chocolate lab, then we have Willow, she’s a yellow lab, and the newest addition is Drake, he is a black lab.

Timber, also affectionately know as “The Big Bear”, is a gentlemen to his very core. He is an excellent “babysitter.” He has helped us (raise) train his little sister and brother. They do embarrass him once in awhile though with their wrestling around and rough housing. Timber just has such a dignified manner about him. When you give him a treat, you have to hold the treat so he can take 2 or 3 bites of it, thoroughly savoring each bite. Timber likes to hook your leg with his to say, “Hi.” One of his favorite pastimes when he was a puppy was to sit on his Dad’s lap. He still tries to get on his Dad’s lap once in a while which is not an easy task since he tips the scale at right around 100 pounds and the recliner really isn’t big enough to hold them both comfortably.

Willow is our “pretty little princess.” She was the runt of the litter, about 1/3 of the size as the rest of the puppies in the litter. She is still quite small for a Lab, but she is definitely “Daddy’s Little Girl.” My husband will sing a pretty little princess song and she starts to prance and do figure 8’s around his legs. She is also the fishermen out of the group. She’ll watch the end of the fishing pole and the minute she sees it go down, she’s watching the water. Once she sees the fish, she jumps into the water to retrieve it for you. My husband will be yelling, “Back, Willow, back” and she’s out there trying to get the fish to the boat.

Drake is the clown of the group. He’ll jump into the truck first and when the other two dogs try and get in, he stands in their way clicking his teeth together. That’s the way he lets Timber and Willow know that he wants to play. If Willow is in the house and Drake wants her to come outside and play he’ll stand at the back door and rear up on his hind leg, spread his front legs out and click his teeth. I personally think he has watched too many shows about lions and tigers on the Discover channel. Drake is also our cuddle bug. His favorite way to start the day is to cuddle up with his Dad on the big bed. He loves each and every day and enjoys it to the fullest.

Having a herd of Lab’s is a very rewarding experience.

Dogs and Allergies

Recently when my husband went fishing he took our labs with him. We have one of each color, chocolate, black and yellow. Our chocolate Lab, Timber, has suffered from allergies his whole life. He is allergic to bees, wasps, some types of dog food and some types of plants. Well, when he went fishing with his dad the other day, he found a new plant that caused his allergies to flare up.

Timber developed a “hot spot” on the side of his neck and started getting bumps on top of his head. This is a sure sign of an allergic reaction for Timber. We keep antibiotics on hand from past experiences with him. We’ve worked closely with the vet for years because of Timber’s allergies and knew we needed to start treating Timber with antibiotics and benadryl.

If your dog develops symptoms of an allergic reaction such as small bumps, hives, severe itching, coughing and wheezing, red rashes or swelling around the face, contact your vet immediately. More serious reactions can include shock or sudden death. Allergies in pets can be treated effectively if caught in time.