tell me everything i need to know about labradors!!

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Dizzydancer

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I have always loved and wanted a labby. i am now in the situation where friends of the family have breed there bitch to one of top gun dogs in country and i have been offered one of the pups :D
So tell me everything i need to be aware of!! Obv because got newfoundland with dodgy everything i dont really want another one so what can i check out to try and reduce the chances!
Also are they good with cats if introduced when puppies?
Thanks from one excited person!!
 
I've had a few lab crosses over the years and 1 pure bred. The pure bred we had since a pup and she came into a house that had a chinchilla, rats and a house rabbit.
The chinchilla used to sit on her when she was lying on the floor. She was amazing from day 1 with the small furries.
We got a kitten when she was 2 and she was fab with the kitten.
I've found all the lab crosses and the lab to be brilliant pets, loving, happy, great with other animals as long as they've had the proper socialisation and easy to train.
 
I have a lab boarding with me right now and (to generalise wildly) I'd say... appetite of a seriously hungry bear, very smelly farts and despite the fact he does not live with cats he has taken to my two with no problem at all (and he's 10!). I can see why people go for them in terms of being great for a family life :))
 
thanks, will look at hip and elbow scores then for certain!! and will have a look at that sight in more detail when im not half asleep but first glance looks good.
Glad they are sociable im hoping as the puppy will be small the cats will decide they are boss and be happy with it (well 1 will anyway as she loves dogs the other is a wuss!!)
If or when we get one will post pics!!
 
I can't stress enough how important it is to have elbow tested dam and sire as HD is being bred out of Labs, ED is becoming more prevalent. From my experience with this so far it does seem that some bitches can show no signs of lameness yet have 3 scoring elbows :(

To be perfectly honest I wouldn't have another lab (I've had a few) but thats just me and an awful lot of people would have nothing else!

They are certainly very easy dogs both in gentle nature, exceptionally easy to train, laid back and seem to simply "fit in" One of my favourite sayings is "a labrador is born half trained, a spaniel dies half trained" :D

But bewarned - they are absolute pigs! They will eat 24hrs a day given the chance :rolleyes: You have to watch their weight very carefully, especially as they get older and they do seem to age quite quickly.

Another thing I have noticed is that yellow labs moult an awful lot more than blacks - has anyone else noticed that?

An excellent choice though for the first time owner I think.

ETS: just reading your thread again - are they field trial bred dogs? these can be an awful lot sharper and not so easy to use on the shooting field in general as they don't often think for themselves but only look for direction. You say the sire is a top gundog - by that I am guessing he is a FTCH. If I were to pick another lab pup again (which I wouldn't) then I would look for FTCH in the pedigree but a couple of generations back if he was to be used as a general working dog.

I'm rambling now :o Don't let me put you off - labs are fabulous dogs :D
 
Ravenwood my black lab moulted all the time lol her mum was a chocolate lab and her dad a black lab so maybe that has something to do with it?
Also had several labs stay with me that were incredibly fussy eaters and so far from the stereo typical greedy pigs. Although not sure I would've believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes lol :D
 
I'm going to buck the trend and say that there are two labs that I really loathe on our local walks, one that persistently attacked Jake (yellow) and one (black) that would start all waggy, happy, then go for me and the dogs. It stood over me one day drooling and growling. I nearly wet my pants! (I was sunbathing in a field)

I'm sure most labs aren't like that, but I've been a bit put off!
 
RW, probably the best moving GSD (same thing is happening, HD on the wane, ED coming to the fore :() I have seen in recent years, and has been acknowledged by breed experts as such, I mean, she is breathtaking, has NZ (which would be 2 or 3) elbows - just goes to show you should not leave these things to chance - it does not affect her but it may well affect any progeny she would have had.
Don't accept 'well, these dogs are sound, so their pups will be', it's not something you should leave to chance.

There is a really arsey yellow lab we meet on walks but she appears insecure rather than out and out aggressive, the vast majority of labs we meet are grand - it's also an equipment issue, this bitch is hugely fit and muscley and is on a chain lead and a big thick choke chain incorrectly positioned and she just trails her owner around.
 
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thanks for that ravenwood yes he is FTCH tbh at the mo it will just be a pet but OH is keen to get it trained to go shooting with him. The guy we wil be having one from is a trainer fo gun dogs so that should help us!! Also just a quick scan on that lab website it seems yellow labs moult all year but black ones only do it twice a year but in a big go!!
I am aware of the diet but we want a dog we can walk along way with so that will help with there weight and mine :) I presume alot of it is to do with how socialised they are as to how friendly they will be but i have read and know a lot which are soft as muck!!
 
Max,my lab, came from Labrador Rescue at a year old. He is a working type with his sires side being field trial champions. He has boundless energy and is fast & regularly catches hares & pheasants etc but loves the cat & happily spends time asleep in the house:) he is activity motivated rather than food - it has taken 2 years to get him to fill out to the point where you can't feel his spine & ribs:rolleyes: he eats everything he is given but just runs it off:o

He settled in straight away, gets on with other dogs, horses,sheep etc he responds well to training - is currently asleep upside down on the sofa:rolleyes::D

He is a brilliant pet and a great guard dogs and loves his cuddles:D
 
I have a chocolate lab. She's a total couch potato at home, very clever and obedient, and loves people.
She's a rubbish guard dog... Let's in anyone and everyone. Is adored by all my cats, who harass her to death - she is incredibly tolerant of them invading her space, nicking her bed etc.
She eats very little, but isn't greedy and would never steal.
Echo everyone else regards elbows, hips and eye tests of both. My girl is show strain will be quite different to yours in temperament and looks.
I love them and wouldn't be without mine as she's so easy, well behaved and loves me as much as I love her
 
thanks well the mum is sow strain the dad is field trials, so im hoping the pup will be a nice middle sized lab!!
thanks for all your advice so basically its hips, eyes and elbows (especialy). but from sounds of majority of posters i shouldnt have a prob with having our other dog and cats. im so excited should be ready intime for xmas :D
 
I can tell you........I would never have one:D:D Im sick of the sight of them, im boarding one and had rehomed 3 this week, they are bouncy, happy, smiley, greedy (not in that order neccesarily) they chilled out pretty well in the house to be fair and one (the boarder) has an aggressive streak (large black male) one of the rescues is a cool dude but a bit to happy for me:D they are very similar to staffs in their stoopidness:D, only a bit bigger:p
They have all been fine with my cats and none previously lives with them before.
We do get alot in our rescue, they are one of those ill thought out higher energy breeds that folk dont think past "oh, they make god family pets" walking/training them is an after thought:rolleyes:
 
We have a black bitch (since 11 weeks so slightly older than the average pup) and she is the most lovely dog. Everyone who meets her tells us how wonderful she is. She was incredibly easy to house-train and train generally, she had great self-control from day one and never chewed anything in the house or attempted to steal food, even when empty plates on trays were put on the floor. Such a character, she is obedient, friendly and has boundless energy and we're very careful with her weight. But she sheds like mad when it's coat-changing time, I mean then just float in the air and get EVERYWHERE but I do furminate her daily to help to keep things to a minimum. Unfortunately we have cream carpets which really shows things up!!

We'd love another!
 
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