Chocolate Labrador

[Chestnut_filly14]

And labs in general, tbh!

I would like a dog. We live in a small, quite rural town in Wiltshire, and have good walking fields nearby and its fairly quiet on our street.

My sister is leaving for uni in september [thank the lord] and am trying to persuade mum to get a dog - she knows I can look after it as we look after my grandpas HUGELY excitable puppy all the time, and I loved every minute!!!

I was competing with my friend today [I won - yay!] and she had the most gorgeous choc lab, and my grandpa used to have one who was perfect in every way.

I was wondering if they are good dogs to have? No-one is in in the daytime, so would be alone from about 9am - 3:15pm cos of school etc.

But what you reckon?

x

 

[Baggybreeches]

I have a lovely choc lab bitch, she is lovely in all ways, a bit lazy, and she is a good guard dog (she barks fiercely, but never attacks people), however they are quite prone to poor conformation, so check the parents hip scores carefully (nearest to 20 is best) and they do put weight on easily.
I crate my 2 bitches during the day and they cope with this fine, if left for more than an hour or so they will make ther own amusement (usually eating a kitchen stool or similar).
Get a cage and get a dog!

 

[Ravenwood]

I don't think you can go far wrong with a labrador. But as said above make sure both parents are hip scored and myself personally I would never have another one whose parents hadn't been elbow scored as well. If you specifically want a chocolate lab - study the pedigree carefully, there is a lot of inbreeding to keep the colour.

I have a friend who has a Fox Red lab puppy left if you are interested.

 

[Skhosu]

Hips hips hips!! And elbows, and eyesight. They put on weight easily and it can be heartbreaking (we have a 7yr old yellow lab who has been arthritic since 2, is a good doer, arthritic and going blind).
They are fab dogs though, so loving.

 

[GinaB]

Labs are fab but in my experience choccies are much more hyper and harder to work with. I find the black and yellow are much more settled dogs and may be more suitable if they are to be left alone for a long time during the day. But that's just IMO and feel free to ignore

I have both a black lab who is 9 and a yellow who is 10 months and they are just wonderful. Good luck with your puppy search.

 

[Cop-Pop]

Labs are great dogs but chocolate ones apparantly are more likely to have health problems and are generally more hyper - not sure if it's breeding or the people who are more likely to have them tho.

 

[MurphysMinder]

I don't know what the breed average for labs is, but generally with hip scores the lower the better, and single figures or low teens would be best rather than 20. Would hate anyone to pick a pups whose parents were near 20 rather than 0!

 

[sloulou]

I was told to go for a combined parental hip score of less than the breed average - which is 16. The lower the better though..

My dog came from parents with a combined hip score of 12 - which I think is ok.

Def get a lab though - they are lovely! Mine is black - and I've also heard that Chocolate ones can be harder work. I personally prefer working bred labs - but that is your own personal choice

 

[fathorse]

I have a Choc Lab he's 2 now & for some reason he is alot more boisterous than my mums black labs & still likes to chew but he really is a lovely boy and great around the horses and other dogs. He is on guard but never attacks & has calmed down alot since I had his nackers cut off, I think I did it at the right time. They do put on weght easily & are prone to arthiritis, my mums dog is 10 & has had arthiritis for years but is happy & active. The only thing is my boy does need alot of exercise, he is happy chilling out during the day but when it's walkies time boy do I know it!!

 

[heidi123]

I got a 17month old male choc lab

I agree with all above, get hips scored and everything.
Chocs are meant to be the hyper out of the lot, and im sad to say buddy lives up to this quite well

Hes full of energy and will eat anything he can

But is biggest, soppiest thing you can imagine

Lovley temperment but just mad

I would say get one for sure, but just be ready for the possible fun loving mad hatter

Heres some pics

 

[spotty_pony]

I have a Chocolate Labrador and he is lovely!

Labs in general love sleeping and their food ... so would probably be fine being left alone in the day. They are very loving dogs and have a good temperament.

 

[Chestnut_filly14]

I like the idea of geting a black one!

Thank you everyone for all your advice

I have a spacious, wind-sheltered section at the end of my garden, what do you think of putting a good quality wooden, large kennel/cage there for the daytime? And then the dog comes in at night, but only with one of us so destruction is to a minimum!

x

 

[GinaB]

That sounds like a good idea

Is your garden well fenced? I know my pair can easily scale a fence. I must say, blacks are my personal favourite

I do love chocolates but we keep ours as gundogs and appar choccies don't make the best gundogs although my uncle knows a 3 leg one that retrieves!

These are my labs...

The beautiful Windsor who unfortunately was PTS last year at 12 years old

Cindy puppy, now 10 months

Tinadog (on the right, Windsor is the one lying down) who is 9 years old this year. She had her eye removed just after Christmas.

Few weeks after surgery