It’s been a while - Levi Update

[KevGuy]

Hi all,

I think the last time I posted here was early last summer. Wanted to give an update.

Levi is 16-17 months old now. The vet says he is pretty much full grown now. He was at the vet in November for an ear infection and he was 86 lbs. The vet says that it’s too heavy for him told us to get him to 80 lbs. He asked if we had taken him off puppy food yet. We told him no, he is still eating puppy food. Vet said generally Labs can go to adult food at 1 year. We took him off puppy food, cut back on the treats and I exercise him a bit harder. He was weighed last week at 82 lbs. 2 lbs to go. He’d probably be at 80 lbs by now if my wife would stop with the bone stuffed with peanut butter treat every morning.

As for his behavior....much improved. He went to doggy school finally last august after the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted here. We use a pinch collar on him when he is on leash and no more pulling your arm out of socket. He still counter surfs sometimes and still takes random things around the house to get our attention. Putting on socks can sometimes be a challenge but it’s manageable now. He’s just a lab. His mouth control is good now. If a hand or finger or foot of whatever ends up in his mouth, he is gentle. No hard bites and ends up with licks.

His swimming is perfect and he loves the water. Very strong swimmer with no fear of the water. Swam with him in the lake over the summer a few times, it was loads of fun. He is obsessed with fetch! Especially a tennis ball. You show him the ball and he goes nuts for it. Been using the Chuck-it gizmo with tennis balls...he loves it and can do it all day. He would be easily trainable for hunting. Over the summer and fall when he sees the ducks or geese in the fields he wants them bad...so bad that he will whimper and cry if I don’t stop the truck and when I do stop, he’s out the truck window and going all out running after them in the farmers fields. During the fall migration, when the flocks of geese fly over he stops everything and watches them with intensity and let’s out the odd “woof” until they are gone.

We still crate him when we are not home and can’t take him. He doesn’t like it when we go out and put him in the crate. He cries and barks. If we are home and we put him in the crate, he’s good with it. Sleeping habits are this....on the bed with us for a while, then down on the bedroom floor for a while, then into the crate for a while, then back to the bed. He does this all night. Have you ever been woken up in the middle of the night by a Lab snoring in your face? Happens lots to us now.

Overall, he’s not perfect but much, much improved. I expect it to get better as he matures.

Here is his 1st birthday:





His puppy school with instructor:



Swimming during the summer:

[SunDance]

Sounds like Levi is enjoying a wonderful life...and had a great birthday. He's quite the handsome fella!

Happy Belated Birthday, Levi!

[Snowshoe]

Happy Belated Birthday Levi. I am not the least bit surprised you are turning out to be such a good boy. Labs generally do, with a good owner watching over them.