First time dog owner, Labrador?

BallyRoanBaubles

BallyRoanBaubles

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Hi all,

I'm doing my research into getting a puppy, not for a good few months yet, probably around June/July time.

I would be a first time dog owner so want to get it right. I'm pretty active so I've been looking at Labradors.

Do Labs make good dogs for first time owners? I know it will very depending on the individual etc.

I would be looking to buy from a registered breeder and would look into hip and elbow scores of parents.

Any other tips or do's and donts?

Thank you!
 
I would say so, they are usually pretty trainable, so long as you put in the effort sensibly. You just need to make sure that if you work you have an arrangement so that the dog isn't left on its own for too long,

You will find conflicting views on here but I prefer to have 2 dogs to keep each other company, although it might be a put much for a first time dog owner.,

There is another thread asking a similar question which is NOT to say that you shouldn't have asked but if you do a search you might find some useful tips on there too.
 
There are a lot of other breeds I'd be MORE inclined to go for over a lab, but if they tickle your fancy its similar to any dog its firm boundaries, treat it like its a dog (not a human!) plenty of exercise both mental and physical and lots of love :) Enjoy your pup!
 
I don't think getting a puppy as a first dog is a good idea at all. They're very demanding and every interaction with you is a lesson, so if you don't really know what you're doing, then it's not a great mix.
Labradors are pretty good first dogs, but don't get too hung up on having a particular breed as there are good and bad examples of every breed.
 
JennBags said:
I don't think getting a puppy as a first dog is a good idea at all. They're very demanding and every interaction with you is a lesson, so if you don't really know what you're doing, then it's not a great mix.
Labradors are pretty good first dogs, but don't get too hung up on having a particular breed as there are good and bad examples of every breed.
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The problem is that most dogs that are looking to be rehomed bring their own issues with them. They either haven't been trained properly (including house-training) or they chase cats, or some other issue, so they are not suitable as first dogs either.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
The problem is that most dogs that are looking to be rehomed bring their own issues with them. They either haven't been trained properly (including house-training) or they chase cats, or some other issue, so they are not suitable as first dogs either.
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Some do, some are genuine re-homes that are well behaved and easier to cope with.
At least you don't also have the worries with toilet training and being awake several times in the night, plus as KITT says above, the limited exercise while their growth plates develop.
 
My first dog was a Labrador and he was just perfect, now have Lab x Rotti and she is the same. I like them because I have lots of small furries and feather about the place and most have low prey drive.

Being horsey helps as you don't take any nonsense but I would go to training classes just to get the basics in order. I have known some big male Labradors that are just over the top and rude with way too much barking so manners are important.

I go for no begging at table, no pulling on lead, no inane barking, no pilfering food when I am out of the room, no barging past me on the stairs. If I say wait, you wait. If I say sit at 50 yards, you sit. It's for their own safety. Other than that just enjoy their lovely temperament, the present they bring you every time you come through the door.

They love their food (and other things we don't consider food *shudders*). They can get overweight so I tend to just not feed anything other than their normal food. I buy best quality food so they don't run to fat.

Be prepared for them to go in every bit of water you meet, even if they have to break a crust of yuk to get in it. This means being very vigilant or keeping away from rivers in winter when they are dangerous.

Never give them your keys when you come through the front door. They will take them and put them somewhere and not tell you where!

They take up a lot of room on a bed/sofa!
 
Good luck with your new puppy, prepare for life to be turned upside down!

I love Labs, but would consider a cross breed too. I would look for a lab, but be open as sometimes a dog just finds you. Make sure with a pedigree one, that the relevant tests have been done on joints. The way they are bred means specific breeds have some poor health tendencies.

Summer is a good time, we had a GSD puppy once who had no toilet accidents at all. We were shift workers on different shifts, and made sure that, even at night, there were only ever a very few hours between toilet visits outside. We would take turns at being a late night up, then a mid-night trip out, then an early hours outside visit, then the Earlies person would be up and about, then someone would be home all day with the door open so the puppy could be out at will all through the day.

Having a free rein to the outside also meant we weren't tempted to over walk when the dog was still young.
 
I think a labrador puppy sounds great if you are around plenty, ie.. not working full time and are an outdoor person. Having two dogs only works if you have already have an older trained one not having two pups at once, especially as a new owner.
I don’t agree with the rescue route. I am very pro rescues and always have one along with my breed choice, but to find a youngish easy dog with no hang ups is really difficult. Many cross breds can be great but they can also difficult traits so beware. My latest rescue was supposed to be labrador/ golden retrieve....no way! She has a large dose of collie and something that hunts! She has an adorable temperament, loves people, good with other dogs, intelligent, what’s not to like, but she would not be for a first time owner. Even with two other trained dogs, she has her moments out walking and I am putting in a huge amount of training with her.
A well bred lab would be great. Go for Spring time if you can so the pup is ready to go out and about in the summer. You will spend a lot of time standing on the lawn in the early weeks while house training and then walk mustn’t be too long for quite a while. Find a good trainer and read good instruction books about bringing up pups. The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey is a good start.
 
To be honest, probably the easiest first dog would be a 'retired' greyhound. If you have a good rehoming service with one of the greyhound rescue charities they are just fantastically easy, not generally hugely demanding in exercise or mental stimulation terms and clean and usually very easy in the house. Often they are young dogs just unsuitable for racing and a great many have very, very few issues. What you should be aware if you went down that route is the nature of the sight hound. My first dog as an adult was a 'retired' greyhound. I wasn't entirely sure about that project tbh but he was a wonderful, beautiful and easy friend to me for many years. He was very much admired, widely adored and a complete clown to live with. Levrier may also encourage you to go down that route...!! Labs are lovely too and puppies are just glorious but neither are necessarily 'easy' and the greyhound rehoming services provide loads of support and encouragement. Ad over!! :D:D:D
 
Our now 8 months old Labs (litter sisters) came to us at 8 weeks and were reliably dry and clean in the house from 10 weeks, they were let out about 11.30 and again at 7.30 am and were clean in their crate without going out in between. On the rare occasions there has been a problem, one of them has cried to wake me up (my bed is just above their crate) and been able to get out in time. BUT we have never had pups that were reliably clean so young before.
We have had a number of different breeds, sometimes all at the same time and tbh, they all bring their own challenges.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
The problem is that most dogs that are looking to be rehomed bring their own issues with them. They either haven't been trained properly (including house-training) or they chase cats, or some other issue, so they are not suitable as first dogs either.
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Yes this is what I've found when I've been looking, I wouldn't discount an older dog but most I've seen have had some kind of issue :(
 
I would certainly be looking at a well bred lab with low hip and elbow score for both parents.

Training classes is something I would 100% take the pup to. Agree dogs need to be treated as dogs.

Will look at the perfect puppy book, are the books by pippa mattinson any good?
 
"Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy" by Steve Mann is good, recommended to me on here, its a good starter book and easy to read. I wouldn't use it as my sole basis for training or research though as its not heavy on the detail but its trying to appeal to all breeds and people so that is fair enough. The book mentioned by Chiffy "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey is very very good, if you only buy one that one would be the one to go for.

If you google Labrador books or puppy training books there are loads on Amazon, just read the reviews and see which ones were written recently. Almost all books written in the last 10 years advocate positive force-free training.
 
Sukhpreet Aujla said:
"Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy" by Steve Mann is good, recommended to me on here, its a good starter book and easy to read. I wouldn't use it as my sole basis for training or research though as its not heavy on the detail but its trying to appeal to all breeds and people so that is fair enough. The book mentioned by Chiffy "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey is very very good, if you only buy one that one would be the one to go for.

If you google Labrador books or puppy training books there are loads on Amazon, just read the reviews and see which ones were written recently. Almost all books written in the last 10 years advocate positive force-free training.
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Thanks, I've got easy peasy puppy squeezy after seeing it recommended on your thread :), will order a copy of the perfect puppy.

Have you found a puppy yet/how are you getting on with your search? :)
 
I'd definitely go for a puppy but be prepared to put in lots of work to train it properly. Our first dog was a border terrier and we are now on number three. Despite what people say about terriers they have all been very trainable, good with other dogs and lovely pets to have around. We had 2 and 3 in the summer and they were so easy to toilet train, our first one came in December and he took a bit more time but that was because no-one wanted to keep going out in the cold! We did look at getting a rescue when number 2 died but tbh I couldn't find anything suitable as we had an elderly relative living with us so most issues were a complete no no for us. Don;t forget to post a pic when you find your pup.
 
BallyRoanBaubles said:
Thanks, I've got easy peasy puppy squeezy after seeing it recommended on your thread :), will order a copy of the perfect puppy.

Have you found a puppy yet/how are you getting on with your search? :)
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The thread I had was really helpful, it did get derailed at one point by someone a bit too eager. My search is ongoing! I know what I want so its just trying to be patient and not compromise, Labs are a popular breed so never any reason to rush.

Looking at hips and elbows is good. Ideally at least one of the parents of the litter would also be health tested for EIC, CNM and have regular eye examinations and be clear or hereditary clear.

Someone being an Assured Breeder is good but I dont think its a guarantee either. I'm quite cynical so maybe its just me but I had one Assured Breeder tell me unprompted that they weren't a puppy famer. It felt like an odd thing to say at the time and they didn't ask me a lot of questions either, it would be like me telling a woman "I'm not sexist" I'd expect her to be like why say that, maybe you are.
 
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Sukhpreet Aujla said:
The thread I had was really helpful, it did get derailed at one point by someone a bit too eager. My search is ongoing! I know what I want so its just trying to be patient and not compromise, Labs are a popular breed so never any reason to rush.

Looking at hips and elbows is good. Ideally at least one of the parents of the litter would also be health tested for EIC, CNM and have regular eye examinations and be clear or hereditary clear.

Someone being an Assured Breeder is good but I dont think its a guarantee either. I'm quite cynical so maybe its just me but I had one Assured Breeder tell me unprompted that they weren't a puppy famer. It felt like an odd thing to say at the time and they didn't ask me a lot of questions either, it would be like me telling a woman "I'm not sexist" I'd expect her to be like why say that, maybe you are.
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For elbows you ideally want a 0 score, for hips you want a combined score of less than 12 but lower the better? If one parent is clear of both EIC and CNM then the pups will not be a carrier? Is that right?

I think I read somewhere else that an assured breeder doesn't actually mean that much.
 
I would not get a lab as a first dog. In fact I would not get one at all. My friends at work have them, from proper breeders all three of them from different litters and breeders have problems with their hips. The insurance for them is sky high as they have needed treatment and one of them has eaten everything insight and has had two operations to remove objects.

There are loads of older dogs in rescue who are in foster homes, so already know about house training, how to behave etc. Personally I would never get a puppy again. Much prefer rescues as your giving them a loving home. All dogs have their quirks as do horses, as do people.
 
BallyRoanBaubles said:
For elbows you ideally want a 0 score, for hips you want a combined score of less than 12 but lower the better? If one parent is clear of both EIC and CNM then the pups will not be a carrier? Is that right?

I think I read somewhere else that an assured breeder doesn't actually mean that much.
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Personally I would say 0 for elbows is essential, hips 12 or lower like you say I have read the same. Its better if the two scores are close together as well, a hip score of 4/5 is better I think than a hip score of 1/6. If one parent is clear then pups will be clear yes.

I can only really help with research. In terms of actual care, training and what to do and not do other people on here will be far more helpful. Books help a lot but experience of dog owners is just as useful.

Some Assured Breeders are very good, they are only interested in progressing and advancing the breed but there a lot that are essentially commerical breeders. Its a lottery!
 
Labradors are the best dogs. Truly all things to all people. Go shooting in the morning and let the kids dress them up in the afternoon.
They do moult a lot.
They are incredibly trainable but also very active and can be destructive. As with all pups you need to put work in to avoid SA.
I would say those of ours who haven't got pedigrees full of red type are the nicer ones to have as pets, although even the souped up two are lovely, they are a bit harder work.
 
I'd be looking at several generations of low scores for both hips and elbows, not just the parents themselves. Find out what the breed mean score is and go below that, as mentioned, not too much of a deviation between the lower and higher score. For instance I think my own breed is a total of 11 with no higher than 7 on one hip.
 
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Clodagh said:
Labradors are the best dogs. Truly all things to all people. Go shooting in the morning and let the kids dress them up in the afternoon.
They do moult a lot.
They are incredibly trainable but also very active and can be destructive. As with all pups you need to put work in to avoid SA.
I would say those of ours who haven't got pedigrees full of red type are the nicer ones to have as pets, although even the souped up two are lovely, they are a bit harder work.
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I would hope to do some gundog training with a pup (once old enough etc) weather that is just for fun or actively involved in shoots I'm not sure yet :D

Moulting I've no issue with, hay and straw seems to get everywhere anyway!

Do you have any tips to avoid SA?

What is a red type pedigree?

Thanks :D
 
Dogs that have won titles are in red writing. The only letters you should see on a five-generation pedigree from the Kennel Club are “FTCh”, which means field trial champion. You may also see the letters “FTW”, which means field trial winner, or “OFTW”, for open field trial winner. Copied from google. :-)

Trials bred dogs are very fast and stylish workers. I found my first trials bred dog a bit like going from a cob to a warmblood, I coped but it was a bit seat of pants! All four of ours are bred to work, two just from shooting people and two from triallers and they are all good in different ways. All will go and find you a pheasant and bring it back.

As for SA we just make sure ours are used to being left for a time from day one. I don't know how to fix it once it is there as none of ours have it. Ffee, the youngest, is eating a hole in the wall but that is mainly when she wants to go out in the morning and I don't think related to SA.
 
One of our pups is very clingy and I think if she was an only dog, she would struggle in general and definitely would have SA without extremely careful handling/training. I certainly wouldn't want her as an only dog. And yet when we went to choose her she seemed to be very bold and forward, coming to meet us at the breeder's gate. It is very difficult to predict a pup's character as an adult.
 
Clodagh said:
Dogs that have won titles are in red writing. The only letters you should see on a five-generation pedigree from the Kennel Club are “FTCh”, which means field trial champion. You may also see the letters “FTW”, which means field trial winner, or “OFTW”, for open field trial winner. Copied from google. :-)

Trials bred dogs are very fast and stylish workers. I found my first trials bred dog a bit like going from a cob to a warmblood, I coped but it was a bit seat of pants! All four of ours are bred to work, two just from shooting people and two from triallers and they are all good in different ways. All will go and find you a pheasant and bring it back.

As for SA we just make sure ours are used to being left for a time from day one. I don't know how to fix it once it is there as none of ours have it. Ffee, the youngest, is eating a hole in the wall but that is mainly when she wants to go out in the morning and I don't think related to SA.
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Ahhh got ya :) I think I need more of a cob then a warmblood! Will keep an eye out for that thanks.
 
Clodagh said:
Dogs that have won titles are in red writing. The only letters you should see on a five-generation pedigree from the Kennel Club are “FTCh”, which means field trial champion. You may also see the letters “FTW”, which means field trial winner, or “OFTW”, for open field trial winner. Copied from google. :)

There are a lot of other titles you will see on a pedigree
ShCh-show champion
Ch-champion (breed champion that has a show gundog qualifier)
JW- junior warrant
VW-veteran warrant
Schm-show certificate of merit
Shcex-show certificate of excellence
OW-obedience warrant
AW-agility warrant
CDex, UDex,WDex,TDex- all working trials qualifications
WTch-working trials champion
AGCh-agility champion
OBCh- obedience champion

there are probably more but these are some of the most common
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