We are not like most "Labrador Retriever Breeders" here is why,

Our Adult Labs are considered Family, they go for walks with us, they are with us when we are out and about on the Farm and Ranch. We also have the miniature labradoodles, Bulldogs and Quarter Horses so we are experienced in handling animals.

We consider our Labrador Retrievers our easy ones, they are easy to handle and don't take much effort on our part to breed them, unlike the bulldogs. But they do require the correct handling and care to be adaptable to your environment though. You will find that this makes all the difference as you talk with more breeders and realize that many are not handling or playing with their puppies. Some may not even be able to tell the difference between one or the other.

Here is a peek inside of a typical day at the SIESS RANCH.

Up by 6:30 - Puppies and Adults that are house training indoors are let out to do their job.
Immediately they are back in the house for their breakfast.
Immediately after they eat they are back outdoors doing it again, and a little play time if it is nice weather. If not they are let back indoors in the puppy playroom.

We feel that as the puppy grows and matures it is best to get plenty of excercise prior to eating their daily meal. As a normal rule this is the 4-5 month age when they are eating enough at one time to only be fed once a day. Our Labs are not big on treats but we do treat them with biscuits and of course the NuVet vitamins. You can read more about the NuVet vitamin supplements here

In the meantime it is time to get ready for school, Everyone is up and eating their breakfast.

Once the puppies have played for a while they are happy to go to their crates for a rest.
We find that an adjustment period of less then one day is normal where the little ones howl and whine until they are used to their new crates. This is a good time to get outdoors and check on the adults and smaller puppies in the nursery. The excercise areas are cleaned and fresh water is given. All dogs eating twice a day are feed at this time.

All the nursing mothers are let out at this time to excercise and take care of their business. along with similar routines during the day. It is not good to keep any dog little or small confined to crate or nursery bed for periods longer then 3 hours. And of course this rule goes by the age to the amount of time to sleep or rest.

When puppies are 1-3 weeks old they sleep a lot, we do imprint them at this time. What that means is that we hold them and cuddle them in our arms and talk to them. This associates them to humans along with their mother. Our mothers are very gentle with their puppies and they allow us to handle their puppies without getting upset. This all makes a difference because the little puppies cannot see at this time but they can hear and feel us around them. They sense from their mothers that we can be trusted.

After all are feed and have had a bit of play time it is time to rest again. Everyone is ready for a nice nap, including us and the grandkids if they are here.

This is also a good time for a quick glance on the computer for new puppy inquiries and posting new ads. If you are wanting to stay in touch with us about up coming litters feel free to sign up on our notification list here.

Puppies are much like children they will eat, play and sleep. Repeat!

In the puppy nursery we keep it very simple, no toys or treats that the puppies can choke on and four closed walls to keep it nice and warm. Once the puppies have been weaned they are placed into areas with more room to run and open wire so they can see through to other puppies and us. If the weather is permittable they are taken to the outdoor excercise areas during the day. And they absolutely love this!

The puppies are weaned between 5-6 weeks of age. During the weaning stage the mother is gradually taken away for feedings. We start them off with a dry formula of milk replacer mixed with warm water poured over dry food to moisten. After a few days of this they are getting more aggressive at eating the dry food that is available. We keep the food available for them at all times checking the food level and watching them eat several times a day.

We feel it is important to vaccinate them prior to getting them out of the nursery so we give the puppies their first round of shots at 6 weeks and then the second between the 8-9 week age. The parvo-vac is recommended to be given at 2-3 week intervals. We use panacure deworming during this time also. The mother is dewormed prior to giving birth which cuts down on any parasites being transfered to the babies.

After the puppies are weaned, we are on more of a rigid schedule. Up early and outdoors to play or in the puppy room in the house if the weather is to nasty. Our routine is to work with 2-3 puppies at a time. Children and I go for little walks. I love the excercise and so do the grandchildren. By about the 4th or 5th walk the puppies know what is going on. If they go off and start wondering I call them back so that we all stay in a group. By this time they are used to me calling them and clapping my hands for their attention. So this works like a charm!

As the puppies get older I work with them on fetching the ball or frizbee. They get the hang of fetch very quickly, it is the retrieving that usually takes an experienced dog to show them. Or more work with the come command. At this age I am concentrating on getting them enough excercise and interaction with adults and children.

At the 7 week age I work with individually crating the puppy. This introduces the puppy to it's environment when they fly. Also this starts the change when they are away from all the other puppies. They usually quiet down after a few times in the crate. Of course they are not in these for more then a couple of hours. A puppy will need lots of water to drink and will generally do their potty right after they take a drink. We keep water in dripper bottles in their crates only when necessary due to rainy or frozen or extreme heat weather. Water is also available from drinking pans in the puppy room plus outdoor drinking areas are available to them when we are outdoors playing.

Puppies are usually ready to go to their new homes at the age of 8 weeks. We judge this by how well they are eating and interacting with us. Often we are asked about how the puppies travel and if it is safe with air transportation. We feel this is the next best thing if you cannot come to pick them up. We welcome anyone that is wanting to come see the puppies after they are weaned. We are strict about who is allowed in the nursery kennels due to the babies picking up something before they are vaccinated. Or with our new mothers getting to excited and accidently stepping on a baby.

Occasionally we get asked if we would accept deposits on puppies before they are born, we don't believe in placement this way. It is very important to get a puppy that will fit your life style. And in order to do that we will need to consult with you about what you are wanting in a puppy. Puppies generally start showing their personalities at the time of 5 weeks. As their temperment begins to develop we work with them to either not be too shy or too agressive.

We do suggest that you get your puppy as close to the 8 weeks old age as possible. We have found that with Labrador Retriever Puppies they are very easy to train and are very eager to learn and please you at this age. However we do occasionally have older puppies available and you can be reassured that we are spending time with them to keep them on the correct path of developing into a well manored dog.

You can read more about our puppies that are placed at an older age. To see how they have adjusted.

We recommend training techniques from time to time. Check back here to see the latest tips

**Check out The hands off Dog training formula by Chet Womanch

When we do have older puppies available they are priced higher which reflect the time involved in training. You can read here how we start your puppy off with training. If you need advice on Puppy Training feel free to call, we don't claim to know it all but we know what works with our Lovable Labs.

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