Knotty Creek Labradors

27/08/2025

Does your dog rush the door or gate? If so you may want to start working with your dog!

🚨🐾 Do you know the #1 cause of UNNATURAL death for dogs in the United States?

👉 Fun fact (and a sobering one): It’s not poisoning. It’s not dog fights.
The leading cause of accidental death in dogs is being hit by a car.

Most of these tragedies are preventable. And prevention doesn’t just come from fences or leashes—it comes from training and boundaries.

Why Basic Training Matters Early

•Sit, Stay, and Place: Teaching these commands early creates impulse control. A dog that automatically sits at a door instead of bolting is a dog that’s less likely to run into the street.

•Door Manners: Rushing past doors, gates, or car doors is one of the fastest ways a dog ends up in traffic. Training them to wait until released can literally save their life.

•Young Minds Learn Fast: The earlier you ingrain these behaviors, the more natural they become. Puppies raised with consistent rules grow into safer, calmer, more reliable adults.

Real-Life Example

Think of it this way: If a dog slips a collar, a simple “Sit!” or “Stay!” could stop them from darting into traffic. Without that training, panic and instinct take over—and too often, the outcome is tragic.

⸻

🌱 The bottom line:
You can’t bubble-wrap your dog, but you can protect them with training, structure, and safe practices. Start young. Be consistent. And remember, every “Sit-Stay” you reinforce could one day be the reason your dog comes home safe.

🐾 Hit Like & Follow for more dog facts, safety tips, and rescue updates.

📚 References:

•Raghavan, M. (2008). The epidemiology of fatal dog bites and motor vehicle-related dog deaths in the United States. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.
•American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Dog Behavior and Training: Importance of Early Training and Socialization.
•American Kennel Club (AKC). Why Teaching “Wait” and “Stay” Could Save Your Dog’s Life.
•PetMD Veterinary Team. Common Causes of Accidental Death in Dogs.

26/08/2025

🎉🐾 Happy National Dog Day! 🐾🎉

Every day feels like Dog Day when you live with a Labrador, but today we get the official reason to celebrate the dogs who make life brighter. 💛

From creek splashes ➝ to sunset hikes ➝ to perfecting the “professional cuddle,” Knotty Creek Labs are all about big hearts and bigger adventures.

Labradors aren’t just companions—they’re teammates, therapy for the soul, and the best reminder that joy can be as simple as a wagging tail. 🐶✨

So here’s to the dogs who keep us smiling, keep us moving, and keep our hearts full. Happy National Dog Day from all of us at Knotty Creek!

👉 Share a photo of your Labrador in the comments so we can flood this feed with Lab love!

03/08/2025

💛 The Shift Has Begun 💛
Puppy energy is noticeably softer around here today. Go-Home Day started yesterday, and a few more pups left this morning—already, we’re seeing the difference. The once chaotic chorus of zoomies, barks, and tug-of-war battles has mellowed into softer play, thoughtful glances, and little searches for their missing siblings.

They know something has changed. And so do we.
Each goodbye is a little tug at the heart, but knowing these babies are heading into loving, prepared, amazing homes makes every tear worth it. We’re completely in love with each and every family who chose Knotty Creek Labradors, and we are honored you trusted us to raise your newest family member.

We still have a few little ones soaking up the last of their time here before their big adventures begin. For now, we’re leaning into the quiet and reflecting on the joy these puppies have brought into our lives—and the joy they’re about to bring into yours. 🐾💫

02/08/2025

📹 Zoomie Mode: Solo Edition
While his littermates nap, this little guy bursts into an all-out zoomie session — full sprints, spazzy energy, and random plops like his legs just gave out mid-run. 😂

🐾 Why the tail tuck?
It’s not fear — it’s arousal-driven posture. Some puppies instinctively tuck their tails when they’re overstimulated or overly excited. His loose body, playful movement, and goofy behavior tell the real story:
He’s not scared. He’s just vibing.

This is exactly what healthy solo play looks like — confidence-building, sensory-rich, and totally weird in the best way.

31/07/2025

☀️ Rise & Romp at Knotty Creek! ☀️

This morning’s agenda? A full-blown puppy showdown featuring the classics:

🐾 Tug of War (aka: who can hang on the longest while spinning in circles)
🐾 Chase Me! (with bonus points if you can dodge three littermates and still keep the lead)
🐾 Steal the Favorite Toy (it’s always the toy someone else has, obviously)

The yard echoed with happy growls, barks, and that unmistakable “I got it first!” pride bark. Every pup showed off their personality—some played rough and rowdy, others tried diplomacy (aka sneak attacks). Either way, tails were wagging and hearts were full.

This is more than just play—it’s a critical part of our puppy development program. Social play helps build confidence, coordination, and communication skills that carry through into adulthood.

And yes… the favorite toy changed paws at least 14 times before breakfast. 🐶💥

30/07/2025

🚨 Emergency Vet Call- Labrador Needs Help

We don’t often share rescue cases here on our Labrador page. When we have puppies on the ground, we pause intakes and focus fully on raising confident, healthy companions. But sometimes, our community needs us—and we can’t look the other way.

Earlier today, we were called to help a dog found in distress: vomit with blood pooled outside the home, and her body laying nearby, collapsed in her own blood.

She’s now at the emergency clinic. She’s alert but weak, and the vets are working to stabilize her and figure out what’s going on internally. Vitals were normal at home, but this is clearly serious.

As always, we’re covering the cost to get her seen—but we’re asking for help to cover the full bill.

❤️ If you’ve ever wanted to help make a direct impact—this is one of those moments.
💸 Donate here: https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/emergency-vet-care

🙏 Please share. Please give if you can. Please keep her in your thoughts.

27/07/2025

Weekend Adventures at Knotty Creek!
This weekend was full of belly laughs, soggy paws, and pure puppy joy 🐾

Our current litter had the BEST time romping around with the kids—snuggles, splash sessions in the kiddie pool, and even a full-on game of “puppy bath time” (don’t worry, they were supervised and pampered like royalty 💦👑).

Everyone handled the excitement like champs—calm, confident, and beautifully even-tempered… well, except Timber. He’s our little turbo-charged go-getter, always leading the charge and living for the chaos! The kids were clearly his kind of party crew.

Sweet Finn, our small silver boy, took just a little bit of warm-up time (which is totally normal!), but within the hour he was leaping, pouncing, and running with the rest of the pack like a pro.

The pups even played follow-the-leader on and off the paddleboards—yep, we’ve got some future water lovers in this bunch! 🌊💛

Socialization like this is so important in these early weeks. It helps build confidence, adaptability, and trust in new environments. At Knotty Creek, we don’t just raise puppies—we raise companions for real life.

25/07/2025

🐾 Knotty Creek Labrador Puppy Prep Checklist 🐾

Bringing home a Knotty Creek puppy? Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare your home and ensure a smooth, healthy transition for your new companion:

🦴 Food:

We feed Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Formula. Please have this specific food ready before pickup to maintain digestive consistency and avoid upset tummies.

🏠 Crate:

We recommend a small puppy crate or one with a divider. This supports crate training, structure, and helps your puppy feel secure.

Our adult dogs have 42inch crates.

(DO NOT CRATE MULTIPLE DOGS IN ONE CRATE).

🥣 Feeding Supplies:

Two stainless steel bowls (one for food, one for water)

Stainless steel is durable, easy to clean, and helps prevent puppy acne—a common skin irritation caused by bacteria buildup from plastic bowls.

🦮 Collar & Leash:

Adjustable puppy collar (non-breakaway)

Lightweight 6-ft leash for safe, confident handling

Once older we recommend slip leads.

🧸 Toys:

Provide a mix of textures and types—plush, durable chews, crinkle, and interactive toys. Play is critical for enrichment, teething, and bonding.

🛏️ Bedding & Comfort:

A soft, washable puppy bed

Blankets to ease the transition and offer familiarity and warmth

🛁 Grooming Supplies:

Soft-bristle or rubber curry brush

Puppy-safe shampoo

Nail clippers or grinder

Canine ear cleaning solution

⚠️ Puppy-Proof Your Home:

Puppies learn with their mouths—and they will find anything you missed. Secure cords, remove small objects, and be proactive. You’ll be surprised what they can get into!

✨ Please have your home prepped before pickup day — this helps ensure a smooth, low-stress transition for both you and your puppy!

24/07/2025

Knotty Creek Chronicles: The Great Escape 🐾

After a decade of raising Labradors, I finally made the rookie mistake. Last night, I cleaned the puppy area like I do every day—but forgot one tiny detail: putting the pin back in the kennel gate.

This morning, I woke to scratching at the nursery door. Thought maybe our cat Gaston got trapped in there. Nope.

It was nine puppies and Aspen. Loose. Wild. Partying like spring break hit the laundry room.
They shredded my clothes into a tug-of-war battlefield and turned the house into a racetrack.

I wrangled everyone back in, only to hear scratching again seconds later. Round two of the jailbreak was in full swing.

That’s when it hit me: I never put the pin back in.
Not puppy genius—just breeder error.

So I opened the door and let the little monsters follow me outside… where they immediately started yelling at me like furry little supervisors were breakfast was hours late. Mind you, breakfast wasn’t late—they were just out 30 minutes early, and somehow that was still unacceptable.

Note to self: the puppies run Knotty Creek now. I’m just here to clean up and serve snacks. 🙃

23/07/2025

🏊‍♂️First Pool Party & Grass Dash!
Age: 5.5 weeks
Focus: Confidence building, environmental exposure, and fun beating the heat!

Today Aspen’s litter leveled up: their first introduction to tall grass and water play—and let’s just say, they owned it.

💦 From full-speed zoomies through the grass to belly-flops into the kiddie pool, these pups are showing us exactly why early exposure matters. Navigating uneven textures like tall blades and shallow water helps develop coordination, resilience, and curiosity in a safe, structured way.

This isn’t just play—this is purposeful raising.

We don’t breed puppies to sit still. We raise them to engage with their world, problem-solve, and adapt. These early adventures set the stage for confident, well-rounded dogs who are ready to take on anything—whether it’s a duck blind, agility ring, or the family backyard.

P.S. Aspen’s litter has decided 8 is the crate limit—so our sweet little charcoal girl is sitting outside with the most dramatic puppy-dog eyes you’ve ever seen.

22/07/2025

How many puppies can you fit in a crate?
Apparently, Aspen’s litter is determined to find out. 😂

This morning’s shenanigans started with a race to gobble up their partially soaked food… and then someone had the genius idea to use the dry kibble as confetti for their personal skating rink.

After the chaos, the pups decided to pile into the crate like a furry game of sardines—stacking themselves in layers with only a few left outside the party. Chocolate girl? She drew the short straw and didn’t make the cut.

Hazel, however, had opinions. She climbed over every single sibling, flopped down dramatically across the top of the pile, then decided she needed to follow me around the pen like none of it ever happened.

Before the food frenzy began we had a fantastic morning recall session—from the nursery, through the dining room and kitchen, all the way out to the porch and into the puppy pen. Every single one of them followed like little champs… except for our tiny silver boy, who was fashionably late but proud of himself nonetheless. 🐾

Just another morning, with little wins for the litter. where we nurture personality, problem-solving, and just the right amount of mischief and chaos!

22/07/2025

🐾 Positive Crate Exposure — the Knotty Creek Way 🐾

At Knotty Creek, crate training doesn’t begin with rules—it begins with choice. Our approach to positive crate exposure is designed to create calm, confident puppies by making the crate a safe, natural part of their environment from day one.

We introduce crates right into the puppy pen with the doors open and zero pressure. It’s a passive, puppy-led process—they explore the crates, nap in them, play around (and through!) them… all on their own terms.

We even add soft blankets to make them extra cozy—but in true puppy fashion, those blankets are usually pulled out and turned into tug toys or nap mats outside the crate. We swear they get fresh blankets every day… but good luck finding one actually in the crate! 😆

Today, we caught three pups peacefully snoozing in their crates—blanket-free, but totally content. It’s moments like these that show us the process is working. No force. No fear. Just confident little Labradors learning that crate time can be a safe, comfortable place to rest.

This is just one of the many intentional steps we take to set our puppies up for lifelong success.