CA-008
Flying a Labrador: Heat, Water, and Sedation
What it is for: How hot a cargo hold gets, how water works on a long flight, and why vets refuse to sedate a dog before it flies, seen against how horses are flown.
The Labrador Stockroom
Every entry in this stockroom is a numbered reference on one question about the Labrador Retriever: what to test before a puppy comes home, how to steady a young dog, what cold water asks of a retriever in December, what a feeding routine should look like at eight years old. Entries are written from the standard, the veterinary literature and the seasons of the northern plains, then filed under one of four shelves.
- 20entries
- 4Sections
- Last entry
Newest on the shelves Open entry CA-008, filed 09/10/2026
Which shelf to open this month
This month: Health & soundness, Field & water, Care & feeding.
ShelfJFMAMJJASOND
Shelf calendar set 09/10/2026: filled cells mark the months when a shelf earns its place in the truck, conditioning before the season, cold water in winter, the two big sheds of spring and fall.
Latest entries on the shelf
Ref.PlateEntry, and what it is for
HL-008
Arthritis and Weight in the Old Labrador
A senior Labrador's stiffness is usually arthritis, and weight is the one variable an owner controls. How to read the signs, score body condition, and know when a visit is overdue.
CA-005
Reading a Shelter "Lab": What You're Actually Adopting
A shelter card that says Labrador mix is a guess, not a lab result. What visual breed guesses get wrong, what a DNA test can and cannot tell an adopter, and what to actually check before the dog comes home.
HL-010
A French Australian Shepherd Kennel: What Lab Owners Can Learn
Hauts Courrais raises LOF Australian Shepherds in the Cantal. A plain look at its breeding method, genetic tests, and puppy follow-up.
HL-006
A Dachshund Kennel's Breeding File: What Lab Owners Can Learn
A French dachshund kennel publishes its bloodlines, health screenings and waiting list. What this file teaches anyone reading a breeder's records.
HL-005
A Corgi Kennel in Brittany: What Lab People Can Learn
A French Pembroke corgi kennel shares its project, bloodlines, waiting list, written contract, and pre-breeding health tests. What Lab owners can note.
HL-004
Reserving a Puppy: How One French Kennel Handles Waiting Lists
A French English cocker kennel opens a no-deposit waiting list ahead of June 2027 reservations. What The Labrador Stockroom readers can learn from it.
CA-004
Double Coats and Cold Work: Labrador and Beyond
How the Labrador's double coat handles cold water and snow, why not every working breed fits a family home, and what it shares with the Russian Black Terrier.
HL
Health & soundness
Hips, elbows, eyes, exercise-induced collapse, weight and the tests worth asking about before a puppy comes home.
HL-003
Keeping a Labrador Lean: Body Condition by Hand
Score a Labrador's body condition by hand, log weight monthly, and adjust for the hunting season. Rib and waist checks for a longer, sounder life.
HL-002
EIC in Labradors: Reading the DNM1 Test
Exercise-induced collapse in Labradors runs on one gene. How the DNM1 test is read, what a carrier means, and what an episode looks like in the field.
HL-001
Hip and Elbow Scores Before a Labrador Puppy
What OFA grades and PennHIP distraction indexes say about a Labrador sire and dam, what they cannot promise, and what to ask before a deposit.
TR
Training & manners
Retrieving, steadiness, house manners and the first year, one habit at a time, for the family dog as much as the gun dog.
TR-003
Whistle Recall That Holds at 200 Yards
How to teach a Labrador a whistle sit and recall that holds at 200 yards on the prairie, why distance breaks the cue, and how long it takes.
TR-002
Labrador Puppy House Manners: First 12 Weeks
Crate, house-training, the counter, the door and the leash: the habits that decide what kind of Labrador lives in the house at two years old.
TR-001
Steadiness for a Young Retriever, Step by Step
Steadiness starts at the first thrown bumper. Place board, denied retrieve, walk-up and honor build a young Labrador that sits through a flush without losing
FD
Field & water
Pheasant and waterfowl seasons on the plains, cold water, thick cover, conditioning and the gear that earns its place in the truck.
FD-003
Reading Cover: Cattails, CRP Grass, Shelterbelts
How a Labrador quarters cattails, CRP grass and shelterbelts on the northern plains, how wind carries scent, and how that differs from a spaniel or pointing
FD-002
Conditioning a Labrador for Pheasant Season
A twelve-week plan from August to October: walking, swimming, hill work, cover work, heat rules, and the weight to reach on opening day.
FD-001
Cold Water in December: How Long a Labrador Can Work
Water temperature, wind, coat, and body fat decide how long a Labrador can work a slough in December, plus the signs of hypothermia and when to call the
CA
Care & feeding
Feeding, coat, ears, teeth, seasons and the routines that keep a Labrador sound from the first week to the old dog on the porch.
CA-003
Shedding Season on a Labrador
Why a Labrador sheds, which brush pulls the undercoat, whether a swim means a bath, and what a dull coat says about diet and thyroid.
CA-002
Drying a Labrador's Ears After a Swim
A Labrador's ear canal traps water after a retrieve. Here is the weekly check, the drying routine, the signs of infection, and when to call the veterinarian.
CA-001
Feeding a Labrador Puppy to Fifteen Months
A Labrador puppy needs measured rations and a slow growth curve. How much to feed, when growth stops, and why fast growth hurts joints.
Companion entries
Other desks keep their own lists.
- OS-001
For coat, nails, teeth, ears, elbow dysplasia, neutering, lifespan, and weight prevention, the French guide at Labrador Retriever Passion covers daily care and health in plain, practical terms for family and working dogs.
- OS-002
For readers comparing breeds before they commit, the Cocker Spaniel breed profile at Cocker Classic Reference lays out the American Cocker's build, temperament, and specific needs, written in plain English for future owners and current ones.
- OS-003
The Verandah Post at dog profiles and rescue dogs covers Australian breeds such as the kelpie, cattle dog, and terrier, retired greyhounds, shelter adoption, and the first weeks of a puppy at home.
- OS-004
A French-language guide to dog breeds in France, breed coat and temperament covers build, coat, size, gaze, and temperament from the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog to the Maltese, plus exercise, sociability, and puppy health checks.
- OS-005
A French-language guide to dog well-being in France, dog training covers acquisition, the family bond, and advanced techniques for a household under control, alongside health priorities and feeding for new owners and experienced handlers.
- OS-006
For readers weighing a flushing spaniel against a retriever, American Cocker breed profile lays out the compact sporting build, the merry temperament, AKC colors, and where the American cocker parts ways from the English cocker.
- OS-007
For readers curious how a herding breed's drive is channelled at home and at work, a Malinois kennel in the Saarland keeps its own notes on the breed, its training and its daily life, in German.
- OS-007
A French kennel page for the Bull Terrier covers the breed's history , its standard, health matters and daily care, a useful comparison for anyone weighing a terrier against a retriever.