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

[2T2T]

Help!

and just dont ask

I have an 11 year old Labrador x. He's the oldest puppy on the block, he has every one of the character traits above but we love him to bits. Yes, he's been bloody hard work at times but he's given us so much love and enjoyment. My DD's boyfriend is terrified of dogs after a really nasty dog attack as a child (weeks in hospital, scarring etc) but our boy has won his heart. DD's fella even took the biggest puppy on the block out for a walk the other day, on his own.

Good luck with your home visit

Whoisthatmaskedwoman - either contact lab rescue or oldies is a website that specifically rehomes older dogs and is considered very reputable.

Op - labs are hard work at least until they are adults. My boy is almost 3 and its only been the past few months hes stopped behaving like an overgrown pup!

He would chew anything in sight and I would regularly find the bin scattered across the floor. He was just a bundle of energy and no amount of walking seemed to tire him out. These days he is (fairly) obedient and will happily sleep at my feet for hours after a good walk. He loves everybody extremely children and I've never had to worry about aggression towards other dogs.

If you can put up with the teenage phase, I would definately recommend a lab as a family pet.

My Dustbin has, this evening, eaten: a) the bacon dh was going to put in our carbonara and b) some small plastic toy

He is now in his crate looking slightly sorry for himself, making dire smells.

Yep, labs - utterly loveable

Good luck 2T, hope you get your pup!

My parents ex-guide dog 'visited' me and stole my guinea-pigs Christmas treat

Well I can't say 100% she stole it but: I bought a rodent treat, one of those honey seed balls, about the size of a tennis ball.
It was in a paper bag. She had previous form- skillfully removed a small loaf from my mums bag
She was there - guilty as charged.
No ill effects.Guinea-pig was flippin furious though

She also used to breathe on my biscuit -she knew she wasn't allowed to steal- but the hint of dogs breath put me off it. I'd say "Oh, okay you can have it" and -it was gone!

A Labrador of my acquaintance used to eat the contents of the cat's litter tray - it had to be hidden somewhere that the cat could reach it but he couldn't. Vile beasts but adorable with it.

home check tomorrow

misdee - your dog is adorable - and totallly nuts!!!!

misdee your dog is gorgeous, and so funny! I love the pushchair picture

i wonder how small he thinks he really is

Second the Dustbin syndrome.

Our first Lab X nearly upended the Christmas tree one year when one kind visitor had wrapped a large block of my Dads fav chocolate & hidden it in the pile of prezzies at the back & didn't tell us!!!

We last had a Chocolate Lab- if other labs are Dustbins then Choccies are the Waste Skips of the doggie world. I was chopping carrots up once & a piece pinged off & rolled under the nearby fridge, which had a microwave on top so quite heavy. BoCo managed to wedge his snout under the edge of said fridge makingit wobble ominously,& snuffled in vain for about 10 minutes before we stopped howling with laughter & rescued his fluff covered tit-bit.

I do miss him

Go for it!! yes they are hard work and they have a LONG puppy hood and the are like fucking crocodiles when really young , but the are sooooooo much fun, loyal and well so god damn clever so training is ALWAYS rewarding in the long term.

My current lab is now 13mths and yes he needs alot of exercise both physical and mental to keep him happy (he is 100% working lab tho, so need more than an average labby). But so long as he get this most days he is actually quite lazy he spends most of his day following the DC, joining them in their game and snoozing in his crate.

Also have a read on the Lab forums, bucket loads of useful advice.

I have two labs , father and son .

the six year old has only just started to "grow up" a perpetual puppy with a lust for everything playful . His father is 9 and a lot more laid back.Rather like an old general. Father is a land shark though and son is not typical of a lab as he is not greedy with food at all and is far too "stuck up" to beg whereas dad has no such pride .
They want , expect , need or try to convince everyone to be their friends and are convinced that every human loves them.
They are incredibly bright with a will to please, but gauche and clumsy.
They are loyal faithful beautiful hairy messes, that shed enough fur daily to knit another dog.
They are always up for rough and tumble yet seem to know instinctively to slow down and be more gentle when youngsters are about , and when the new baby grand-kids arrive they are again instinctively gentle , remaining calm and quiet.
They need a lot of mental stimulation and exercise to ward off any naughtiness with chewing, We have been lucky, ours have never chewed anything they shouldn't , though I know this is unusual.
However I know that most Labradors ,if they lay claim to something , ie. a rogue slipper , they believe it is theirs, and also also , once chewed ALL the pieces are theirs too.

They will bring you a lifetime of joy with daily shouts of FGS! WHY? AND WTF!

They adore swimming and will scent out the nearest river pond or muddy puddle within a five mile radius.

Mine youngest has literally been my life saver I owe them both so much and they ask for so little.
Can you tell I quite like Labradors

Thnks for the lovely comments bout rlph. He does think he is smller thn he is, + Also seems to think he is A cAt.

He is A lAb poodle cross

i have my homecheck tomorrow morning. I am even more excited having read your posts. I am ready for the challenge! Thanks all . Wish us luck

Good luck and lots of happy happy hairy messy muddy playful days to you and your new family

just a thought...did you ever watch Marley and me?

text book lab,

apart from swallowing a necklace my youngest has done everything that marley did (even got expelled from puppy class)

Hope that helps

Never met a lab i didn't like

I knew there was something I forgot...mud!

He goes out clean(ish) and respectable; comes back completely caked in mud and filth up to his eyeballs. He loves mud and dirty water, the smellier the better, but inexplicably hates being hosed down after. (I think he takes offence at the clean water)

I did post in another topic about it, but this is the dog that ate an entire fruit xmas cake (still not sure how he got hold of it); then vom'd the fruit back at the bottom of the stairs in the early hours of the morning.

My poor dh stood in it the next morning
(Oh how I laughed )

I adore Labs!

Oh god yes bearskin the mud!

Living in the country near fields that at this time of year have sugar beet being harvested, we have big lorries churning up all the tracks, it's lab heaven.

Dead things under bushes-yummy,
stray sugar beet to chomp on= windy city, & bliss LOTS of muddy puddles!!

OP-
Time to sort out your oldest towels to keep for rubbing down mucky pups & treat yourself to some new ones!!

homecheck passed! Pup should be with us tomorrow . I now need to get everything in place for her arrival. Crate, bed, toys, food, collar ,lead! Anything else?!?!?!?! HELP!!!!

bowls./ blankets, old towels, facecloth for yourself after all the licking, insurence, vet appointment,

try and get an indestructble bed. ralph is on his 6th lot in 18months.

That's great news 2T2T! Can't wait to see pictures of him!

Vet bed for inside the crate, poo bags, Kongs and as cute as the look dont go for the stuffed type toys most lab pups will wreck them almost instantly. Also try and get her the same food as shes had at the rescues, you can change her over gradually once she's settled.

CAMERA!! cos we NEED piccys!! what colour is she?

And finally CONGRATULATIONS how exciting .

she's black