We have been offered a 15month old Lab. He is lovely and well trained, used to small children. I need to take the commitment very seriously (obviously!!) and know that I can fit his needs into my life.
What would be your Lab's schedule - ie: walking (when/ how long each day) How long can they be left during the day (if I decide to do a days shopping), when do you feed them, let them out. Can you train them to poo in specific places? (We have a wood right outside our gate which would be perfect!! I don't know how I would search for poo in the garden as it is over an acre).
I know that I need to ask the owner most of these questions but at the same time, she is keen to find him a home so might be very positive IYSWIM. (Her circumstances have changed - left husband and gone back to work so can't continue to have him).
I am a SAHM and in September will only have one child at home (2) but she will be at nursery on three mornings so I could do long walks then. Am wondering how I will give him a good walk in the holidays with three children in tow which is why I am interested in how far they need to walk and how often.
Many thanks in advance 
If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.
The doghouse
Please can you tell me about an average day with a Labrador?
petitdonkey · 08/06/2011 13:20
We got our lab at 6 months. We never trained him where to toilet but he only ever goes in the garden if poorly. The funniest thing though is he has never done a poo on a pavement/road & will only go when we get outside the village and then with his head in a hedge so you can't see him 
(yes we clean up).
He has always preferred to play than to go for walks but gets at least two walks a day. Never brought a lead to us in his life.
He has dried food morning & evening and it disappears in two seconds flat. So no smelly stuff around attracting flies.
He is perfectly happy to be left for up to 5/6 hrs when absolutely necessary. We leave the radio on & he just snoozes. Usually though it's only a few hours on some days.
My DH wasn't keen on a dog. He's the one that slept downstairs on the sofa beside her crate when she got home after her op last week because he couldn't bear to leave her alone when she was sore and sad. 
He's also the one that, despite having a complete hissy fit about dogs on furniture and eating human food, was spotted lifting her up onto the sofa to cuddle up next to him for her nap whilst feeding her some leftover sausage two days after we got her. I wouldn't worry too much about your DH, labs have a way of worming their way into the stoniest of hearts!
UnWiseDog typically gets up, goes out the dog flap for a wee, comes back in, demolishes breakfast, goes out for a poo, comes in, demands affection and a walk (30 min approx), comes home, demands affection, has a kip on the sofa, wakes up, demands affection, waits for the kids to come home from school, basks in undiluted affection, plays in the garden with the kids, demolishes food, bounces out for a walk (30 mins), basks in undiluted affection from the kids before they go to bed, hops on the sofa, demands affection and goes to sleep. She has it tough.
I can leave her during the day because we have the dog flap that gives her access to the garden for toileting as she needs it. She does need lots of things to occupy her and keep her stimulated when we're not around or she gets destructive. Chewy bones, puzzle toys etc are all great.
munstersmum my lab cross rescue dog used to turn his back to poo, then glance back at us with a plainly embarrassed look on his face - he hated being watched!
Am reading this thread with interest, as likely to end up with some sort of lab cross again....just the breed I'm most familiar with. And my old boy was so much slower in old age that I find it hard to remember what an 18 month old lab is like.
He ate twice a day, pooed in the garden or out on the common (London doggy) but never on pavements or roads. Lots of cleaning up. I walked him 1-1.5 hours late morning, then again for 30mins-1 hr in the early evening. He was great at playing with toys, though preferred playing with a human or doggy pal than on his own.
He was fine for 3-5 hours from time to time, alone, when older - but never left for more than that, and probably never more than 3 hours at most when young (and he had a pal then).
"labs have a way of worming their way into the stoniest of hearts" best quote ever Nun - I can't imagine him ever being that attached but then I said that when I fell pregnant with number three....
So many positives here - I am feeling much more confident - thank you all. You all seem to have similar routines with the amount of walking and length of time you would leave them too.
munstersmum - it's practical things like the dried food comment that are helpful, I hadn't asked about that but I'd hate it hanging around.
anchovies - you sound very committed!! I love the fact that you feel it has impacted positively on family life. DS is 7 and I know that he will love it and see the dog as a pal. Both DDs are nervous of dogs which is why I was thinking of getting one.
Elibean - loving the embarassed dog image!
An older dog seems to be better for me as I don't know if I have the commitment to rear a puppy - we were offered a labradoodle pup but I hear they can be quite loopy!!
Elibean I hope you turned your back then
petitd If he's not interested in balls for chasing, try a Kong (tough rubber toy - great for chewing) that you can put small bics or 'meaty paste' in. He's a lab, he'll retrieve it! Eventually you can stop the foodie part.
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