Tell me about your Labrador

[mrssunshinexxx]

Just as the title says really getting s lab in the next 12m not sure on bitch or dog yet we definitely wouldn't breed from it
Would love to hear all the good and not so good stories

[ar44455]

Brilliant family dogs, need lots of attention and walkies Atleast an hour a day

[ar44455]

Oh and I've given up with trying to get the dog hair off my clothes they malt ridiculously ! Would change mine for the world she is literally my daughter 😂

[ar44455]

I thought they were clever and intelligent dogs.... mine defiantly isn't. Took 9 months to toilet train her !! She still won't wait by the door to go out I have to open it and tell her to go.
She has to be by my side 24/7 even when I'm having a poo 😂 they are very needy !
Very over excited near any other dog nearly pulled me over numerous times when on her lead. Other than that she's like a big baby and I adore her

[VimFuego101]

Thank you, @DifficultDIY - very useful.

[WeAreSailing]

@Blendingrock he is absolutely gorgeous and so shiny! Not come across that mix before and on first glance he looks like a big lab or smaller Great Dane

[mrssunshinexxx]

Wow he is beautiful and the puppy is gorgeous x

[WeAreSailing]

The most beautiful, loving, funny, greedy, hairy, loyal creature to walk this earth.
5 yo old black lab who drives me crackers sometimes but we adore with all our hearts

[DifficultDIY]

There is also information online about what the current annual average is for scores, because it changes all the time.

But what doesn't change is the fact that: the lower the score the better chance you have of getting no problems.

[DifficultDIY]

@VimFuego101

Everything I read about labs suggests potential hip/elbow issues. What have you lab owners done/ screened breeders in terms of checking for that?

The dogs used for breeding should have scores done to present to you.

You can only do scores once in a lifetime, the ideal age being when they're a year old. This is because it is an educated guess about degeneration for the future, and so it can't be younger than one or they haven't completely grown yet, and shouldn't ideally be too old or you're trying to predict the future of already ageing hips, which would come out much worse (especially as trauma alters the picture, for example).

So the breeder should inform you of parent scores, and you decide whether you want to take that risk or go somewhere else with lower scores and corresponding lower risk.

I really liked the breeder I bought from, one parent had excellent scores and grandparents with scores of zero, which just can't get any better! The other parent had mildly above average scores but again, grandparents on that side had incredibly low scores and were used for agility, winning many awards. So I chanced it, though spoke to a vet first. The advice was not to overdo exercise and not to overfeed, to give plenty of fish oils etc, to help reduce the likelihood of any problem.

[1frenchfoodie]

@Blendingrock so handsome! I love the photo looking in the car. Now you mention it our purebread’s tummy was a bit sensitive which isn’t a problem with our cross. We’ve looked after a number of other (working line) purebreads and they have been fine though.

[VimFuego101]

I love all these lab pictures. We are thinking about getting a lab next year (probably a puppy since we have cats that they'll need to get used to). Everything I read about labs suggests potential hip/elbow issues. What have you lab owners done/ screened breeders in terms of checking for that?

[Blendingrock]

@1fenchfoodie here you go :) He is pretty strong willed that's for sure.
We hadn't come across the cross before either, but we think we think it's a good one and would definitely have it again. We look after a purebred Lab and he seems prone to a sensitive tummy (mind you, that could be down to the speed at which he eats - he just inhales and the entire bowl of food is gone!) and rather than just carry round sox and undies he eats them

[Theresahairbrushinthefridge]

We had our lab PTS in June. Couldn't live without one. We collected this little monkey yesterday. She has already stolen our hearts. We chose a home bred puppy rather than a professional gun dog breeder this time as our last dog was poorly socialised and could be anxious. We did get her aged one though.

[1frenchfoodie]

@Blendingrock do you have a pic? I fell hard for a black lab x pointer my husband used to walk/train for a local estate, huge muscly handsme beast, loving and goofy to boot. Its not a cross I’ve ever seen before but I’d definately be interested in the future. Tbh he was the least intelligent and trainable of the 4 dogs in that household but he just had something about him.

[MardAsSnails]

He’s an old man, adopted at 8 years old.

His one skill is being yellow. He’s very good at it. He can’t run far, catch, sit on command, raise a paw, or any other doggy things. But he can be yellow. Actually, I’m doing him a disservice there - he does ask to get on the bed by putting his massive right hand on it, and if we say yes he jumps up and steals the middle of the bed. If we say no, he goes and sulks in his dog bed.

He’s stupid. Probably the thickest dog we’ve had.

He also does very good Sad Face when he sees suitcases and sits in front of the door so we can’t leave him.

He’s allergic to everything though and is on daily medication and hypoallergenic food.

[Blendingrock]

We have a 3 year old lab x pointer. Huge goofball (40 kgs, no fat on him). He HAS to carry stuff, sox, undies, plastic containers, boxes... it doesn't matter. Still destroys plastic toys in under 5 seconds flat. Has an entire washing basket of chewed and munted shoes which are now his "toys". Eats the cat's poo. Steals food off the bench when he can and he's quick. I once brought the grocery shopping in, put it on the bench, went to get another lot from the boot... no sign of the dog. Making dinner later that night, couldn't find the cheese anywhere. Happened to look outside and there is the plastic wrapper drifting gently around the garden. He ate the entire 1kg block of cheese. Can't go past a puddle or any body of water without going for a swim. Loves to carry large sticks and then run past you... being wacked behind the knees is common. His tail should be registered as a lethal weapon and has been known to clear coffee tables faster than you can blink. Sheds hair like you wouldn't believe and smells quite bad sometimes - particularly if he's found something revolting to roll in.

BUT. He's wonderful. The sheer joy he greets you with would melt a heart of stone, doesn't matter if you've been gone 5 mins or 5 hours.
He loves his cuddles and simply being close to where-ever you are. Very sociable. Been brilliant with the kids and is an awesome guard dog. Gets on well with the cat, so long as the cat doesn't run. Still chases the cat when she runs, he just can't seem to help himself. Totally food motivated so been relatively easy to train EXCEPT when there is something to chase and then he ignores you until he's good and ready to come back. LOVES to run. He's a huge part of our family and we can't imagine life without him now.

[DelilahandDaisy]

I know they are meant to be intelligent, but mine is a fucking idiot. Love the bones of him though.

[LelouchviBritanniacommandsyou]

Haha not sure why that came up as chocolate rather than the blushing face! I suppose it fits with her being a chocolate lab though :)

[LelouchviBritanniacommandsyou]

We have a chocolate Labrador that the whole family absolutely adores. We're all a bit obsessed really
Definitely a lot of hoovering and brushing required, and she's not a fan of either! She loves food and it can be hard to say no but it's important to watch their weight, especially as they seem prone to arthritis. Her love of food did help with training though.
She's cost my parents quite a bit of money in vet bills so keep that in mind as yours gets older. She's worth every penny though 😍

[1frenchfoodie]

We’ve a 2.5 year old lab x cocker (working lines, an ilicit kennel encounter). He looks like a black lab puppy with paws and ears that are just a bit too big to pass for a regular lab. He is bouncy and energetic given half a chance and took a while to train to walk to heel as he had the attention span of a goldfish. but can rein in his energy pretty well. Great with our toddler (who is only 3 months younger), puts up with lots of hugs and enthusiastic pats. she can even be waving a breadstick at him and he knows not to take it though he can be relied on to fall on any meal or treat as though he hasn’t been fed for days. Very rarely barks but does want to chase cats.

We lost our 13 year old fox red lab last year. He was a working dog, loyal, placid, good with kids and cats and just such a calming, happy presence. Terrified of fireworks, though great gun dogs.

This is both of them in the pic.

[fenneltea]

Forgotto add, start collecting old towels now, you can't have enough for drying off in the winter!

[fenneltea]

I've had labs all my life, along with other breeds (and non-breeds!)

I find the black labs are usually the easiest to train, then the yellow, and lastly the chocolates.

I currently have two chocolate dogs aged 8 bred from a working mum and show dog. One has epilepsy and needs expensive meds and is just starting with arthritis. The other is in rude health.

They need to be watched for weight gain, and will steal food if given the chance when no one is around. Young dogs need heaps of attention and will tend to be destructive if left and underexercised. Mine are large dogs and do take up a lot of room in the house, they also tend to get muddy in wet weather, whereas the lurcher is spotless.

They do love to please their owners and enjoy a job to do. One of ours loves carrying the firewood home for us and they love retrieving things. Ours swim almost daily, but take ages to dry off.

With cats they need to be trained not to chase them, a young energetic dog might not be the best mix and something older and calmer would be easier to avoid confrontations depending on the dogs and cats character. Your cat will have its nose pushed out and be unhappy at sharing initially. You definitely a safe place for the cat to eat or the lab will scoff it. We use a stairgate to keep a room dog free; but microchip feeders are another option and feeding the cat at height. Mine live with six cats quite happily. (the cats are the boss)

Hoovering is a definite issue, and probably explains why I have a hoover fettish; currently a Bosch Athlet, Miele at and dog, and Vax Air, which all get used. I also have a good carpet cleaner. Be prepared to wash greasy marks from doors and walls where they rub against!

Saying all that, I love them dearly, they are great dogs!

[MaisyMary77]

We’ve got a brush from amazon called a furminator. It’s brilliant.

[DifficultDIY]

@cameltoeflappyflapflap
I bought an excellent brush from amazon for him and my other long haired dog. Hardly a hair in sight now.

What brush is this?

[Whatsthisbear]

Training - treats & good girl/boy and lots of fuss as a reward.
Ours would stay to heel, walk alongside us off lead and if running around would immediately come if called because we spent hours training her as a pup rewarding with treats and fuss and then once she got the hang of commands rewarded with mostly fuss (so she didn’t get fat) and just occasional treat.