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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Working line labrador

12 replies

UndramaticPause · 27/12/2015 18:30

We are being 'offered' an unwanted labrador puppy from a working line by a friend who has decided it was bought in error.

I'm tempted to take it on (she wants no money only a good home for it) but the fact it's from a working line is putting me off. Should it?

For background we are able to walk a dog for a couple of hours a day but a high energy breed needing much more would be off the cards. Would this pup being from a working line be likely to need more exercise than one bred for temperament?

OP posts:

ChairRider4 · 27/12/2015 18:32

To be honest unless it is bread from parents that are actually working (gun dog etc )

Rather than a paticular look eg slimmer /smaller than show line I suspect not much difference

Do you know anything about the parents ?

Original poster

UndramaticPause · 27/12/2015 18:36

From what I understand they are working gun dogs and come from a long line of champions.

OP posts:

WeAllHaveWings · 27/12/2015 18:39

Our lab is working line, parents trained as gun dogs, but not working, more a hobby. Working line dogs as slimmer than show line, but also breed for temperament and generally very biddable.

He's walked 1.5-2 hours a day, a little bit of playing and mostly sleeps rest of the time.

I'd be more interested in parents health checks, puppy temperament and training/socialisation that's been done. What age is the pup?

Isthatwhatdemonsdo · 27/12/2015 19:18

I have a 22 month old black lab from working lines. She has two good long walks a day and sleeps the rest of the time.

TrionicLettuce · 27/12/2015 19:26

Is there any reason they're not giving the pup back to the breeder? if the breeder is halfway decent they'll have asked for a contract to be signed stating that the pup should go back to them if it can't be kept anymore.

If the breeder isn't interested then chances are they've cut corners elsewhere (such as not bothering with health testing) and that's worth bearing in mind if you decide to take this pup on.

Original poster

UndramaticPause · 27/12/2015 19:42

I'll ask her all of these questions, especially the one about giving it back to the breeder!

It's only young. 5 or 6 months at most.

OP posts:

babyblackbird · 27/12/2015 19:54

We have an 18 month working black lab who came from a long line of working champions. He is the most laid back chilled out dog I've ever come across. He gets about 1.5 hours a day walking but could easily deal with less if occasionally I couldn't do that.
So I wouldn't reject him on the working line basis but I would want to know why they couldn't / didn't want to persevere with him and why breeder wouldn't take him back as pp has said any decent breeder would specify that in a contract. Ours was very insistent that if for any reason we changed our minds/ couldn't keep dog she wanted first refusal, I suspect just as much to protect their breeding lines as anything else.

Noitsnotteatimeyet · 27/12/2015 21:05

Definitely ask why the pup isn't going back to the breeder - that should be absolutely standard practice especially if coming from an established kennels

sparechange · 27/12/2015 21:34

Firstly, working dogs are bred for temprement and trainability as part of the selection process for those 8 generations in the pedigree is their biddable nature and ability to blend in with the busy lives of their trainers. High maintenance dogs need not apply!
Everyone I know with show line labs has had a much harder time with training...

I have a lab bitch with long lines of field trial champions on both sides
She gets two walks a day. One tends to be 20 mins to fierce tennis ball lobbing which leaves her totally knackered and the second tends to be an hour of walking while she ambles around near me.

She does need mental stimulation, which took the form of lots of training until she was about 18 months (I'm not ashamed to say she has a faultless recall, knows hand signals and whistle commands, and walks to heel better than she walks on the lead, and she loved the training)
Now she is older, she does silly tricks as well as working on her general commands, but it is maybe 10-20 mins a day and is fun for everyone.

I would really really recommend buying a copy of 'the pet gundog' from Amazon. Not cheap, but a very wonderful book that will tell you all you need to know of how to get a working dog to be a wonderful pet

Good luck!

Difficultdora · 27/12/2015 21:35

I have had show labs for the last 20 years but have now got two young working line black labs (10 months and 20 months). They are super chilled and very easy to train, intelligent and fun. I would never now go back to any of the show lines I've had before. Gundogs have to have amazing impulse control to work at distance in the field but if they have a good field trial pedigree then you will probably find that he will be quite sensitive.

mrsnewfie · 27/12/2015 22:51

We have two labs. One chocolate show line and one black working line. Whilst they are both wonderful, laid back dogs, the black working line one has been much easier to train. Her recall is fantastic, whereas the chocolate one has very selective hearing!

I would definitely be more interested in the parents, health checks and who the breeder is though.

honeyroar · 27/12/2015 22:54

We have two labs, one is show type, one is working type. The working one came from a rescue at 12 months old. He had had 4 homes in his first year. He was a bit manic! Exercise was the key with him. Lots of it. Another vote from me for ball throwing to tire him out. Once he had had enough exercise and play he was a lovely dog. He will be 7 this year and is wonderful.

Spend some time with him, walk him, see how you feel. They are lovely dogs. (Ps my show type was also a second hand dog and needed a lot of exercise too).

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