[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Labrador Retrievers? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 3/28/2007 10:38:40 PM EDT
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I am in the market for a new pet/companion. I believe a Labrador Retriever is what I want. I had a Blue Healer and he was murdered, so no healers. Tell me the good and bad about this bread? I refuse to pay top dollar for a pet, I don’t want to spend more than $200 for a pup. Tell me your experiences with labs and share your pictures. Thanks KC |
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Faithful dog that will love you. My chocolate lab is a little high strung still at 7 years old. She sheds in the summer and her coat is a little oily and can stink if I don't bathe her. Those are the bad things. The good things far outweigh them! $200 is cheep for a pure bread lab. |
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I'm a big advocate for picking up your new best friend from a local shelter. Some of the best dogs I've ever met have been shelter dogs. If you don't do the shelter thing, make sure you get your dog from a reputable breeder, and not a puppy mill type. The poor breeding practices will come back to bite you in the form of poor temperaments, high vet bills, and a shortened lifespan for your pooch. Consider getting a lab cross - mutts are often hardier/healthier than purebreds, and it would help bring down the cost in most cases. Labs can be pretty high-energy but are extremely loyal and very smart. They can be stubborn but with a little dedication can become very well-trained, very skilled animals. If you consider the range of activities labs are used for (dogs for the blind, hunting, man tracking, etc.) it's pretty obvious they are versatile and intelligent. I don't have a lab, but we're seriously considering a lab for our next pet acquisition. In the meantime, here's a picture of my buddy's girl, Parker: http://photos-132.ak.facebook.com/ip002/v50/181/9/40301189/n40301189_30631132_3342.jpg Isn't that classic? :) -- Laurel www.laurelzimmer.com |
+$10000 vet bills Saving a few hundred with Labs will cost you many $1000s down the road in vet bills. Or, you will be devastated when you cant pay and the dog has to be destroyed. Best to get a mixed breed pound dog. They are often much healthier, genetically speaking |
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There are basically two types of personalities in labs: The working lab which is a HIGH energy dog and generally do not make good pets. The pet quality lab which is much more laid back and a much better family dog. Labs have a higher probability of having hip dysplasia. Dogs cannot have their hips certified until they are two years of age. Reputable breeders will not breed their dogs before this age and will provide hip certification. Two hundred dollars is on the low end for ANY purebred puppy. You MAY be able to contact a reputable breeder in your area and explain your situation to them. Say you would like a PET quality puppy or young adult. Every pup isn't going to make it as a show dog and sometimes breeders get puppies returned to them or know of 6 month to a year old dogs that need homes. A good breeder will want to see their dogs in good homes and may work with you. The other option is a lab rescue. If you insist on wanting a puppy you may have to wait a while or get a mixed breed. Personally I like the 6 months plus aged dogs. Their bladders are more fully developed and if they aren't already housebroken it doesn't take any time at all to get them house broken. Oh... and a word of warning... labs are MOUTHY. For the first two years EVERYTHING will be a chew toy in your house.  Good luck! |
A HUGE +1 My avatar (full blooded, papered black lab) came from the shelter, cost $60 and was the best money I've ever spent. Great dog. Labs are one of the heartiest breeds, as far as health goes. They have hip and deafness problems, eyes, etc. but nothing like some of the other line-bred pure dogs. Overall, they're quite easy to care for. They do shed, but 500mg of fish-oil capsules a day will keep their coat shiny and healthy. They slobber a bit, they poop big, but you will not find a more loving, fun, friendly breed. I agree with MM about the two types. A working lab can be a handful, in that they have a drive to do their job, but if you keep them busy they're a joy. Mine is a worker, but I love to keep him busy and as long as we spend some time together doing some fetching every day, he's a calm and loyal pet. |
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I had a black lab named Katie for like 7 years until she was stolen about 4-5 years ago... greatest dog i ever seen... so swingset ya say ya got that one at a shelter... was it about 5 years ago in the mechanicsburg/catawba/milford center area  ETA: just read yours was a he.. hmm nm 
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Mine had an interesting background. He was 1.5 years old when I got him, his previous owner got busted trafficking cocaine. He was apparently a good dog owner, had taught the dog obedience and was training him to do frisbee catching for competition. When the shelter got him, I was on a list and rushed down to see him. They said the previous owner begged the cops to take the dog to the shelter instead of the pound, he knew it'd have a better shot at a good home there. They did, and I got him. The day I went to see him, my 7 year old daughter came with me, and here's this 100lb black lab just going apeshit in his cage trying to get out and trying to lick my kiddo through the bars. I was scared he was super hyper. The lady opened the cage, put a leashed him and gave him to me. He sat at my feet, looked up at me and wagged his tail. We took him outside and he just walked calmly by my side, like I was his owner forever. He was super gentle with my daughter, too. Sat when she said "sit", and licked her really gently when she pet him. I was amazed. The second we put him back in the cage to fill out the paperwork, he went apeshit again. Totally bonkers. When we got him out to leave, Mr. Calm all over again. He knew right away he belonged to us, and he's been a great pet. Calm around little ones or strangers, but a bundle of energy and play when you have a ball or a frisbee in your hand. |
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We found Rusty, our chocalate Lab in the woods about eight months ago. My wife was walking our Dachshound when Rusty comes out of the trees. He wasn't aggresive, just skittish. He was nothing but bones, half his fur was gone, I mean he was in bad shape. He followed them home. I put him in the car and took him to the vet. He was 25 lbs. at two y.o. It took him three weeks to realize he was human and now after eight months he's part of the family. He's 60 lbs. now. Super smart. Taught him the doggie door in ten seconds. He obeys any command. He even does summersaults when we tell him. We wouldn't trade him for anything. It seems when you rescue a dog, they somehow know and are so appreciative. |
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I have had shepherds, a dobie and a real good rottie. I am on my first lab, a chocolate named Kate. Paid $250 for her at 8 weeks old. After the first two years, she is the best , most loving dog i have ever seen. Not my last lab by any means, she is 4 now and lives in the house more than i do. Get one, you won't be sorry. 
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drawbacks? don't leave ANYTHING valuable at tail level.. a tail on a lab is like the tail on a dinosaur.. killing everything in its path!  eta: oh yeah, and puppies like to chew... word to the wise! overall, excellent breed...I want anotherone, but not until I have the space for one. 
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i have been a professional retriever trainer for over 15 years now... a for a couple of hundred dollars more in your budget, you can get a QUALITY..well bred pup that the breeders have taken great care in choosing the breeding and have done everything within their power to create healthy stock. for $200 ..you get a newspaper dog that is the product of backyard dogs advertised in newspapers..which routinely happen to be the most unfit dogs later in life due to psychological and physical issues. shoot for $400-600 dollar dogs.. the vet bills you pay later will more than likely be significantly less. |
i'm sure a labrador tail..can be registered as a lethal weapon in some yankee states. |
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Good advice...all of the above. We rescued our female Lab and she has the nicest disposition of any dog we have owned. Only problem is that the vet tells us that she will have hip problems later in her life. I am not sure we would consider any breed but a Lab for our next dog. dvo |
I have a yellow lab that just turned 9 two weeks ago. He is incredibly smart, great around kids, and has an outstanding threat assessment. He has only nipped one person in anger and thats because the person was French and in his yard. Like I said his threat persception is outstanding. He is a great bird dog and loves fetching downed ducks. He has a lot of enegry, but has started to slow down within the last year. He is great for hunting or for just being a house dog. The vet bills have just been the usual stuff. Nothing super bad yet. He was a pure labrador retriever that was purchased from a registered breeder. 
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Our black lab ended up with the hip problems at the end of her life. Poor thing could hardly stand without whimpering.  She was the 2nd type, the laid back type. Would go to anyone and lick them. Our other lab/mutt is the 1st type. Although since the other lab has been gone and she's been queen bee, she's mellowed out. She was abused when younger and they actually found her left in a ditch for dead so she's extremely skittish around strangers and will still run from two of my friends who've been around her for like 6-7yrs now on a semi-regular basis. |
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I have two rescued yellow labs - sisters. Very loving dogs, but can demand attention. Labs can do damage and they can scary sissy kids (whose parents were afraid to expose them to full sized dogs. My step kids are still getting used to being around dogs that are bigger than them - but are slowly adjusting (2.5 years of adjusting so far). Both are very smart. I think Golden Retrievers might be another good choice, as quite a few I have known have been less active than labs. |
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Best dogs ever. My Lab looks exactly like swingset's avatar. He's snoozing right now. We paid $250 for him in 2000, it's the best money I ever spent. He'll be 7 next month. His coat is shiny, and we don't do anything to keep it that way. It's very soft after he gets wet and air dries. He's getting some white hairs around his upper lip, and chin. He's slowing down a bit, but still gets excited and hauls his 100 pound ass around wildly. When he's gone, we'll get another wide head Lab pup. I prefer black Labs. The choclates just looks strange, and the yellow's coats vary widely in color and shade. |
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Growing up, we had a pure-bred black lab named Emmy. She was the best; very gentle with kids and protective. She loved swimming at our summer camp, chasing ducks, and playing fetch. She was hit by a car at 1 or 2 years old, and it cracked her pelvis. Later on, she had terrible arthritis. We think she slipped on a patch of ice the week before Thanksgiving 2005, and she broke her hind leg. We had to put her down. She lived to 14, that's pretty old for a Lab. I still get choked up thinking about her. Now we have a 2-year old chocolate named Maggie. She's the daughter of a muscled 110 or 120-lb chocolate male named Chip, and while she's only about 65-lbs, she has his build, spirit, energy and drive. The problem with Maggie is she doesn't get intimidated by much. Discipline isn't easy because she doesn't seem to feel it when I smack her. She has to run a couple of times each day to keep her energy in check, otherwise she's hell on four legs. She doesn't chew things up. Emmy chewed any shoe she could find, but Maggie only picks up socks and shoes in the hope you'll chase her for them. She's an absolute pain, but she's a good dog with a strong personality. In a pack, she'd be the alpha female. Make sure if you get a Lab, it has a good bloodline with no hip problems from either mother or father. They are a handful when they're young, though they tend to calm down later in life. They have to be run a lot to stay in shape and to keep their energy down. |
Got lucky and picked up Bogey at the Humane Society. The first owner said he was tearing up the yard and had to go!!! WALK HIM!!!!! We have had him about a year now and no ploblems. Real mellow for a lab. I think the first owner abused him. Her is Barron my parents lab. 
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Hey, Coors Light is ok for when you dont really want to drink...
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My dog sleeps in our bed also. It's a bitch when he wakes up with an itch at 0330. 
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| Aside from the medical problems that people have mentioned already. I've seen several purebreds have seizure problems. Might be scary at first but put them on meds and their OK, the meds aren't overpriced neither. My brother has had 2 now in the last 10 years and both have been well trained hunting dogs. The first one, Sam, had a head on him as wide as a big Rottweiler. Great Goose hunting dog, but that big head also slowed him down in heavy cover when pheasant hunting and didn't have the greatest indurance. Lost him due to heartworm, took him to the dock for his regular treatment and the doc said it was the end of the season for heartworm contamination and he won't need it. So about 3 months later the dog is sick and after paying alot of bucks for treatment Sam didn't recover and he had to put him down. That was a big deal for my entire family and relatives in the area. It was as if a family member died and they all knew how much he meant to my brother. He's an avid hunter and waited 2 years before making the decision to buy another one. The new one, Max, is a great dog as well, more slender, great endurance and all the good characteristics of a great lab and friend. |
I agree with muddydog and let me add some clarification to his comments. My father has bred and trained labs for 30 some years and has had dozens of field champions and one national champion come out of his kennel. i have trained and trailed dogs for years, my first championship was in hunting dog at age 8. I've always worked Labs, no other breed. When muddydog mentions the additional vet bills, he's talking about general health but one thing will get you down the road on an unpapered or backyard bred dog; hip displaysia. Good breeders will take great pains to avoid bad hips and will certify their dogs displaysia free. My dad's dogs carry a lifetime satisfaction guarantee against it. So backyard bred dogs generally will cost you more down the line in medical problems. I'm not saying you can't get a good papered lab from a shelter. If you can, that's great if the temperment meets your needs. Labs are generally very good tempered, I've never been around a lab that did more than growl (a three year old was trying to get pulled around by the tail. Lab just growled and lunged away to dislodge the tail then would run away from the little brat) Labs DO have wildly varied temperment. In general, professionally bred field trial dogs are a little more high strung than "backyard" dogs. It's bred into them to drive hard and finish tests as fast as possible. Some amateur breeders will actually breed for good hips but don't breed for high energy and these can be good dogs. as an example my dad breeds two separate lines, a trial line and a "hunting dog" line. The hunting dogs are bred specifically to be less high strung and more amenable as house pets/hunting buddies. When selecting from trial stock, pay attention to their temperment. Another rule of thumb is that if you are looking for a very loyal yet placid dog that'll be good in the house, get a female. They're generally less high strung than the males. Males will be climbing the walls till they are 7-8 years old wanting to go do stuff all the time. Not necessarily bad but it must be dealt with or they'll whiz/chew/break/tear around. If you are looking for an outside, high energy dog get a male and you'll be fine. There are several methods for picking a "good" pup and everyone has their own. From 30 years of watching people pick pups I find that just spending a little time with the litter and watching which ones want to chase pheasant wings and which ones just wander around looking at stuff works. Also look for ones that are outgoing and not afraid of you. This also works with "Rescue" dogs. Make friends with the local professionals or clubs and let people know you are looking for a well bred dog and would be willing to take a return. Occassionally my dad gets people who buy dogs and then for whatever reason can't keep them. Cause he offers a lifetime satisfaction guarantee we occassionally get dogs back that we don't need. So he'll sell them very cheaply or give them away to someone who wants one. You may find a top notch bred dog this way for little to no money. Or you may not. Last comment, there is a pet store in Idaho Falls Idaho that sells this weird formula that you pour over your dogs food like gravy. It's called "healthy coat" or something like that and it is the BOMB for dogs coats. It cuts their shedding to almost nothing and makes the coats VERY glossy and healthy. I had a yellow lab named Riser that was a cross between a bench (show) dog and field champion trial dog. Weird cross, very very smart, GREAT retriever, LAZY as hell. And SLOW. Bench dogs are trained to be calm and move slowly and boy did he ever. He could find ANY duck, but he'd walk out there slowly, very slowly pick it up and then very lazily work his way back. Weird. But he shed like a blizzard. And he was white. After about a week of "healthy coat" he almost totally quit shedding. I'd say it cut it 75%+ So if you have shedding problems call peaches pets in Idaho Falls and see if they'll ship you some. if you have any questions just email or IM me and I'lll trry and help out. |
+1 The black lab I had growing up would chew on everything. The advice we got was to lightly spread some tobasco or other spicy pepper sauce-like stuff on the chairlegs, etc...that should dissuade him to the point where the smell of peppers will drive him away... The next day we discovered he liked spicy food |
I rescued a 2 yr old Weim last fall - he is pure bread and was the product of a divorce (and a family that caged him 12+ hours a day - which is REALLY not good for Weimaraners as they require much exercise). He was skittish for the first few weeks and now is a wonderful companion - great around neigbors kids, my folk's cocker, and is a hit at doggie daycare (goes 2x a week). All around great dog. I would recomend the Lab rescue - the Weim rescue requires a 250 donation - but they also check the dogs for problems, and will place one with you that fits your situation (trained if no one is home during the day etc). Highly recomended. Good luck in any event! |
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Labs are the best dogs you could ever own IMO. They are not aggressive, they are very loyal, they are great with kids and they make great hunting dogs if you’re a hunter. I agree with the others you should get one from a pound. Breeders don't give a shit about anything except making money. The lab I have now is my third one. First one was a lab chow mix, second was a pure bread and the one I have now is a lab golden mix. My current lab mix was rescued in South Dakota by a neighbor. My neighbor was on vacation and seen a golden retriever under a trailer with six puppies. The golden was so malnutrition it was sickening. My neighbor knocked on the door and the fucking asshole said he didn't want the dog but it would not go away. She loaded up mom and all six puppies and brought them back to CO. She sold the puppies for $50 a piece to help cover the vet bills for the mother. All the puppies were in great health I have no idea how. She is the best bird dog I have ever hunted with. I get a laugh out of guys I hunt with that have spent thousands of dollars on pure breads and thousands more on professional training. My dog makes them all look like amateurs she has retrieved wounded birds as far as a mile away. This is my lab golden mix. People think I am full of shit when I tell them she is half golden you sure can't tell. This is her at the lake labs love water if they see water they are in it.  This is her last year at my aunt’s farm in KS. We came back to eat lunch while pheasant hunting. She never saw sheep before.  This pic was taken about 10 minutes ago at my auto repair shop she goes to work with me every day.  |
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I just got a black lab puppy that's about six months old. We got him about a month ago. Someone had left him tied to a pole at a local grocery store. We waited for a while and no one showed up, so he came home with us. I have an English Setter and an Austrailian Shephard and he fits in well with them. He loves running in the backyard and my wife is teaching him to roller-blade with her. I will try to post some pictures as soon as I figure out how to do it. |
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For anyone who is having arthritic or hip problems with their dogs I would recommend a product called Fresh Factors from www.springtimeinc.com. I have my two personal rescue dogs and all five dogs that are up for adoption on them. One blue heeler mix was at the point that the vet wanted him on Rimadyl all the time. I double dosed his Fresh Factors and he is doing just fine. No pain. It also has biotin in it for a healthy coat. They also have a joint supplement for humans that I take as all the crazy sheot I did in my younger days is catching up with me and I'm getting awfully creaky.
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I think a good pointing lab would be the ultimate SUV dog. Hunts, alerts to danger, WAY good with kids, super nice, extremely loyal etc. Of all the labs I've ever worked in my life, and it's literally hundreds, I've never had a pointer. My next lab will be a pointing lab though. |
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I have an Akita, Golden Retriever, little black mutt, and black lab. The black lab, T-bone, is my favorite. He's not the prettiest or scariest, and he may not be the smartest, but he tries really hard to do everything I tell him to do. And he is very smart. I strongly agree with everyone that labs have a TON of energy. He needs a LOT of attention. I go out and throw toys for him to swim and fetch for at least a half hour EVERY day, unless I'm not home, then woman does it. More on weekends. He will destroy anything loose from 3' to the floor. Home decor, shoes, slippers, books, extension cords, other toys, money, socks, dog bowls, phone, mouse, pens, pencils, etc. But he's great with kids, cats, other dogs, whatever. Sweet, gentle and a lot of fun. |
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Excellent dogs. Like others said, either adopt a pup from a shelter, pound or "free to a good home" and you'll be fine... mixed (mostly lab) or pure, it doesn't matter really. I got my black lab from a freeby box outside of a Wal-Mart, she died of old age 13 years later. I'll get another one when my current dog dies of old age (Treeing Walker Coon Hound that I adopted from the pound). |