Tell me about Labs please.

[SloeGinRocks]

We are thinking of getting a Labrador puppy (probably a cross from a rescue place).
All the labs I know are great with kids.
We have a cat and someone is around for most of the day.
DH grew up with dogs. I didn't, so am starting some research.
Any Lab-owning Mumsnetters care to share your experiences?

I have a 2 yr old labx, my first lab. I have had dogs all my life, always terriers and my god this one is EASY!

He responds really well to reward based training, once he has learned a rule he sticks to it and he is very kind to other dogs and animals. If he doesn't like the look of another animal he just keeps out of their way. Boys aged 8-12ish gravitate to him, no idea what that's about, neighbour boy who doesn't like dogs (any animal really) comes and takes him out for football.

He was a naughty puppy, chewed cables and shoes, stole a bag flour from a cupboard etc but it didn't last long. He doesn't take food from counters or bins but we have worked hard to establish those rules because he has got the lab appetite. Also no feeding from plates or tables otherwise you get drool face. House training took longer than with the terriers.

Very trainable, easy to motivate with food, eager to please, fairly intelligent...but often a bit lacking in common sense.

More active than people usually give them them credit for.

Completely manic as puppies and teenagers, but usually fairly easy going by the time they're 2.

They shed fur like you wouldn't believe and once they get wet, which can be fairly often as they tend to like water, they take about 3 years to dry off and stop smelling of wet dog, lol.

They're basically walking dustbins and will eat everything and anything if given the chance, that combined with the fact that people underestimate their exercise needs means that the vast majority of pet labs I ever see are overweight, they're not a slight built breed, but they should still have a waist like any other breed.

Working strain ones are usually smaller and busier, show strain ones tend to be...a bit less mentally agile

They do have a tendency to being overfriendly, though in all honesty part of that is encouraged by owners IMO...so just to put it out there, a lab bouncing over to play with other dogs whether the other dog wants to or not isn't being friendly, it's being overbearing and rude as far as other dogs are concerned.

If you go looking for a breeder, you want to have a low hip score, elbow score and a DNA test for PRA.

They do make great pets, because they are easier than some breeds, not less work but they're just so eager to please you that they're very forgiving of training mistakes.

My lab was a difficult puppy and teenager but with some training is a wonderful dog, perfect family member. He's great with our cats and baby and is a lovely running buddy. He sheds worse than our shepherd and is very food driven but completes our family.

My lab (chocolate so a bit dense) is the best dog in the world. She was a handful as a pup and teenager - think wild and pulling like a train on the lead - but is much more sedate now at the grand old age of 7.

Labs love food and will do just about anything for a treat. You won't eat another meal again without a sad drooling face staring at you with a puddle of saliva at their feet.

They need a lot of exercise. Mine has 2 one hour walks off lead a day - we are rural so v easy.

Crate training has been a life saver. She loves her crate and often slopes off for a sleep in it despite numerous beds around the house.

They generally get on well with other dogs with high energy. Not so much with small timid dogs as they can be clumsy and overwhelming.

We use a Haiti body harness - it is great and doesn't pull her neck.

We feed her Orijen - it has good reviews on line.

Get pet insurance.

All the labs I know are notorious for jumping up at people because they love everyone. Try to stop this ( you won't be able to 😆)

I could go on for hours. Have fun if you get a lab. Your life will be full of laughter.

I agree with everything the other lab people have said!

Lots of exercise is needed, again we are rural so it's easy, but he's so good off the lead I am happy to take him to urban parks. He'll ignore anything if I have the tennis ball so I don't worry about him lollopping over children, small/old/nervous dogs or getting into squirrel related scrapes. It's great if there is another big idiot dog around though, can sit on a bench and leave them to it.

Yes to the shedding and the water issues. Charging about in water is a huge pleasure that I couldn't deny him. I think he must secretely collect hair from other dogs to bring home because it isn't scientifically possible for that much to come off just one dog! There is no hope of keeping a pristine house (although you will never again have to worry about crumbs or dropped chips)

Just remember they do grow quite big! Therefore everything costs more. If we take our lab to the vets and he needs medication the dosage is usually prescribed by weight so the more they weigh the more you pay.
Our lab loves all people and we have to watch him bounding up to people to say hello.

Great thanks for the low down!
Good to hear they are trainable eventually
How long can they be left home alone once they are big?

A working Labrador is much lighter, and more attractive than a show lab. Make sure you get a good breeder with the relevant health checks especially hips/knees as they are prone to problems. Also make sure you get one where the breeder has also breed for temperament (look into history of black and yellow having a longer history of being breed for temperament than the chocolate lab that used to be culled at birth, but recent fashion has it breed for colour but only now lines are starting to be more focused on temperament. If you go choc make sure its a good breeder).

They love food, but its important to keep them on the leaner side of lean (due to hips/knees). Start as you mean to go on and never feed from anything other than their bowl or dog treats.

Because they are heavy dogs they are more expensive for insurance (£34/month for 4 year old and expect it to increase significantly as he gets older), medications that are by weight etc.

Hair. Everywhere. They shed constantly and them blow their coats a couple of times a year. If you don't like hair don't get a lab.

Concur with the hair and dustbin comments. Never seen moulting like it. Will eat till they are ill too.

Lovely, obedient, kind family pets though.

My lab is my first dog and he's wonderful. He had just turned one so still a teenager!

I recommend crate training so you can eventually leave them alone for a couple of hours (we never do for more than three) but also because it gives them a safe den away from kids and cats! We still feed ours in his crate. He loves it. It helped massively with getting him to sleep through the night too. When he went through a midnight barking phase we just put the crate in our room for a week, then slowly moved it night by night back to where we wanted it!

Most labs are incredibly friendly, happy, enthusiastic dogs, if not always terribly sharp we find a harness helps massively with pulling. We take ours to the park for a long run with his best dog friend every morning, and for a lead walk to a field, run, then lead walk home again in the evening.

They are incredibly social and will not enjoy being separated from you! They are also hopelessly welcoming to everyone from dear friends to burglars

Honestly I couldn't imagine life without mine now. It was tough when he was small and so dependent but they grow out of that fast! They will like to have access to a garden to potter in between walks. And you will no longer be able to leave anything on the floor

I would just say really commit to socialising while they are small. There is a GREAT couple of books by Pippa Mattinson which lay it all out and we found them invaluable!

And now the obligatory picture of my golden boy

I have a lab and now age 5 she is a wonderful dog. However as a pup she was a nightmare and we had to train, train then train some more. She is great around food and never chews anything but her recall can still be sketchy if something else is attracting her attention. She is calm and docile at home and lovely to have around. We never leave her longer than 4 hours, 5 at a push but that would be in an emergency situation. However when we get in she is generally all snuggled up and doesn’t look at all bothered by having been left. I adore her even though she sheds hair everywhere and smells a bit whiffy, especially when wet.

Oh and buy stocks in a chew toy company. Labs have very strong jaws despite being famously soft-mouthed. Ours quickly grew out of puppy toys and into grown-up kongs, frozen with healthy treats inside. He also love hooves from the feed shop, and stag bars for a REALLY long-lasting chew

Here are some pics of my girl.

She's lovely!

I have two and they are incredibly different to each other.

Yellow boy Lab:

Toilet trained overnight
Very dog aggressive (bad experience as a pup)
Adores people
Travels well in the car
Very good overnight

Black girl lab;

Toilet training took an age
Very very dog friendly
Bit nervous of people
Hates car travel
Also very good overnight

Wouldn't be without them ❤️

My gorgeous boy (I can't resist, he's so cute)
He's 10 months old and weighs 35kg, they grow insanely fast.
He will eat anything he can fit his mouth around, toys are destroyed within minutes, he eats shoes (more expensive, the better).
But, he was very easy to train, we are still working on him sitting and drooling when you're eating but my DP keeps feeding him from his plate so it's his own bloody fault.
He can be difficult to walk because he hasn't quite learnt recall yet and is just too excited to get to the field and run around.

He is lovely, kind and gentle. DS has autism and he is incredible with him, he also loves spoons I've only ever heard him bark once when a dog barked at DS (sed dog was at least twice the size of DDog). He's also fantastic with the cats, thinks they're all his best friends (they're not).

I work 4 hours twice a week so am out of the house for about 4 1/2 hours and he's fine. I leave the radio on for him and get someone to check on him if it's a hot day.

My neighbour has had 2, 1 lovely nature, calm, well behaved even as a puppy, loyal, great walker!

2 an absolute monster, rips the house apart regardless of numerous training classes, dog trainers, etc. So boisterous, dog aggressive, obsessed with water 😂

I have a Border Collie x Staffordshire Bull terrier and he's so laid back, isn't hard work, well behaved, loves the kids, great on or off the lead, loves other animals.

Have a Weimaraner and she's grumpy, dog aggressive, hates cats, hates other animals, only really likes to lay by my son when he's poorly watching over him, won't really chase a ball either will pretend to and let the other dog get it 😂.

All dogs are so different!

Oh and neither of mine ever jump up. Never have done.

And one will chase a ball. The other isn't the faintest bit interested.

One moults, one doesn't.

Very different to each other.

Awww loving the pics thanks all

My lab is lovely. We have a spaniel as well and he is mental, but the lab is gorgeous and so good with everything cats, children etc. Her downsides are she pinches food! And she smells bad ha ha but a bath sorts the smell and we just keep food out of reach.

I've got 2 labs....quite different.
Black boy lab - steady, honourable, loyal. Calm, good with people, dogs. We had to teach him to bark. Wouldn't dream of being naughty. Trained to the gun and has passed all his exams!!!
Yellow girl lab- skittish, bouncey, leaps at everything but is friendly not aggressive. Hates being stroked on the head. Only concentrates on me if I have a dummy or ball in my hand. Will take food from the counters.
Both moult dreadfully...why did no one tell me!
We are hoping that a litter of puppies will calm yellow girl.
However I wouldn't be without them ....great family dogs.

Just came back to this thread. Here is my lovely girl.

Gorgeous pic FaerieQ!

We have yellow boy lab - nearly 5, and for some mad reason have got another yellow lab puppy, now 3 months old. Cant imagine life without them both now but do miss having one to one cuddles with the older one without the puppy launches himself at us both. Both greedy and easy to train although posse lead walking is a challenge. tend to put them in a car and drive straight to the woods for off lead exercise.