are labs really hard work? A rescue has lab pups? Need to know soon as will apply for one if not!

[2T2T]

Help!

have a look I always found the breed proile to be quite accurate.

thank you Diva - am actually wondering if it would be biting off more than I can chew! i will resist but read anyway. I don;t want to leap in and then panic about it afterwards. Thanks

from what i know they are very high energy, need some serious walking, can have a rather excessive teenage phase where they are big dogs with puppy brains. however they are fab dogs, never met a lab I didnt love, think you definatly need to be committed, but then that is the case with most dogs.

My friends lab is a lot less bouncy than my spaniel. Pros- gorgeous eyes, insanely gentle and loving, cons- greedy! Will do anything for food. Don't need as much walking as you might think cos of potential hip problems. I'd go for it, especially if you have dc.

am sooo tempted. have just read about them. We had one when i was growing up and she was absolutely beautiful in every respect. My sis has one and she is georgeus abnd one of my friends has a beautiful black lab who is the kindest dog in the world. Oh what to do!!!! I will apply and then see waht comes my way :-)

Labs take a long time to grow up. They can be hard work, time consuming but great fun, for the first 2 years. Mine is 15 months and some days he's still very much a puppy, other times stroppy teenager with selective deafness and refusing to do anything unless bribed with cheese. Every now and then we see flashes of calm well behaved adult dog but it doesn't last long.

Ahha, 2T2T, a lab may get you in the end then!

Our lab x is easy peasy, really. My last lab x was, too. But the last one was 12 months when we rehomed, and this one 5 months...so not tiny babies. And not pure bred, either.

They do chew. They do like a good walk. They also usually love people and other dogs, and are easy going.

They are also the Dustbins of Dogworld (IME), and will eat anything and everything they come across - in both my pups' cases, this has meant nothing worse than an occasional unwatched sausage disappearing (along with plastic water bottle, tissues, etc etc) but I suppose if you have a lab with serious food allergies that must be a nightmare!

I am dying to see a pic of your possible-future-pup

Well firstly ALL puppies are hard work. The wee, the poo, the chewing, the 'into everything they shouldn't be' - electric wires, etc! And the puppy phase lasts certainly months and mostly years!

And labs, like all dogs, need exercise and mental stimulation and time with you and their hair gets everywhere etc etc. But labs are very food oriented so easy to train.

I would talk to the rescue as your first move and let them assess you thoroughly. Please also read the threads on here about what to look for in a reputable rescue.

I love my lab to bits, we've only had him 3 weeks and even though I need eyes in the back of my head I can't imagine not having him around! The first couple of weeks were tough with not being able to walk him but we have fields both sides of the estate we live on and he loves going across those. My husband's parents had a lab when I met him and he was just as lovely, well behaved and loved lying on your feet after a long walk. I suppose it's the same with all dogs, you get out what you put in and if you're prepared to dedicate a lot of time and effort to bringing up a dog in the right way you'll have a loving addition to your family for many years!

I have a rescue Lab, we've had him 7 years. He's a fabulous, drooly, greedy, fur shedding, snoring, farting, mud-rolling, dustbin raiding, selectively deaf, needing a lot of walking, loves to play dog.

Even though I complain like buggery about the mess he gets into (he's almost white) when we walk him, I wouldn't be without him.

The only real problem we have is that he still believes he's a puppy, and if you don't watch out, he'll try his hardest to sit on your knee.

Haha bearskin that's how my mother in laws lab is, when I was upset the other week her 8 year old lab tried to lie on my lap on the sofa

we have a lab x. he is hrd work but very rewarding. i know his teenage phase last longer than most breeds, but now he is 18months+ the adult calmness is started to show a bit more. he can be stubborn, but also is very smart (when he wants to be).

he grew very quickly, and reached his full adult height/weight before a year old but was still very much a pup.

Could you say which rescue it is please (or the rough area of the country) as a lab-obsessed relative is looking for a dog and I'm
trying to suggest that he might go for a rescue animal.

and oh yes, ralph prefers to sit on peoples lap. though he is as big as my eldest daughter.

they sound adorable... I got a call from the rescue this afternoon offering me a homecheck

usual position

whoisthat - Allsorts dog rescue in Brighton - they have three pups but they listed two - one bitch and two dogs

How exciting! Let us know how everything goes

My parents adopted a reired guide dog who was a lab (female)
The owner was a friend of my mums so she used to visit my parents or they visited her. It meant the lab got some 'time-off' just being a dog without responsibilty, and my parents knew her in her younger days.

You probably aren't looking for an older ,retired dog.My parents were definately aware that they would only have her for a couple of years.

But they would definately recommend labs 100%

And yes they are the Dustbins of the Dogworld. as Elibean says. Even highly trained assistance dogs like her

I am familiar with the breed from childhood and ahve been furiously googling any information about them I can find. I will keep my fingers crossed but I am not holding out too many hopes as she did say that she cannot guarantee that the homecheck will be done in time for me to take on one of the labs as they are obvs going to be in high demand. fingers crossed anyway. Everyone who has a lab has nothing but good to say about them.

That's an interesting idea LOTF. My labrador-loving relative is older himself, so realistically a puppy might not be a great idea, but a retired guide dog, or one whose previous owner has died might be a great fit.

Does anyone know how one would go about investigating that possibility.

misdee - your dog is adorable

this will make you laugh

or this one