Considering a Labrador pup - new dog owners. What do I need to know?

[Pointypointything]

As title. Been considering for a while now and have been notified of a litter ready to go. What do we need to know as novice dog owners? Any resources/books you would recommend? Very excited but want to be good owners 😊

If you want a pet but you also want to work it in anything then you need working line and be prepared for the extra work (and money) you need to put in. Good training isn't cheap and it has to be ongoing. Not just a puppy course. You also need to be prepared to change direction if your original idea doesn't suit. I know dogs bought for agility who can't or won't do it - so their owner switches to something else. One is now a search and rescue dog. One does high level obedience. The dog needs a job so you need to find out which one suits you both.

If you want a pet you can go out and have fun with once in a while with the odd class, or workshop but predominantly want just as an active companion then don't buy working line.

Working breeds are often easier than show breeds.

The misinformation given out on threads by people that do not know is not helpful.

All dogs need exercise, all dogs need training, all dogs need mental stimulation.

It is way easier to mentally stimulate and satisfy a working dog than many show dogs. Fact.

It is not so much whether working or show breed but more the owner. The OP has down loads of research and is asking the right questions.

Your personal experience of living with and owning working dogs is.....?
Not walking them but living and training and owning working dogs

Yep!! Lab hair is like tumbleweed and it gets EVERYWHERE 🤣

Working breeds are often easier than show breeds.

That depends on your lifestyle, your experience and how much time, money and effort you're willing to put in. A well-trained working dog is a pleasure but it can be very difficult to get them to that point, especially if you've never owned a dog before and don't really have hours to dedicate to training.

The misinformation given out on threads by people that do not know is not helpful.

You don't know what people know (or not). You're just making assumptions.

All dogs need exercise, all dogs need training, all dogs need mental stimulation.

I don't think anyone has said otherwise.

It is way easier to mentally stimulate and satisfy a working dog than many show dogs. Fact.

No, that's your opinion. Lots of people have disagreed with you.

It is not so much whether working or show breed but more the owner. The OP has down loads of research and is asking the right questions.

Your personal experience of living with and owning working dogs is.....?

I own and live with a working dog and he has been hard work and a huge learning curve. If I had my time again I wouldn't do it. It's been really tough.

My experience over 14 years of training dogs agility and obedience/life skills living in an area where more than 70% of the 'pet' dogs are gun dogs, most of them working, is that most 'pet' owners struggle with working lines. Those who are experienced and/or really have done their research fair better.

Often these dogs end up with us because they need more than walks and the odd class. They need consistent training in the right way. They need impulse control taught (yes, easy but you have to know how and get the timing right and be 100% consistent). Often they give up as they don't implement what we tell them to do between classes. Those that do see results.

My own working (or part working - call it what you will) dog would be a handful without the extra she gets. The drive that gives her that spark does make her easier to train and motivate but left to her own devices I can think she'd be a nightmare. I absolutely agree that working lines are easier to train and motivate but you need to be willing to do that. If the OP is then great, crack on.

Just to clarify, I don't regret my dog in the slightest and I would never get rid of him, but we are childfree and have plenty of time to dedicate to his training. I'm also fortunate enough to be able to bring him to work with me and we have family who can care for him if needed.

Definitely that
My friend breeds them, and not often
He last litter were all spoken for way before they even existed. She genuinely breeds the most lovely temperament dogs

I absolutely agree that working lines are easier to train and motivate but you need to be willing to do that.

@Newpeep said it better than I did, and much more succintly.

Working dogs are an absolutely pleasure if you have the time (and money) to train them and get them to that point. Lots of people don't really want to spend that amount of time on their dogs.

They want a companion who is biddable, friendly and pretty obedient, and they don't really want to spend years doing gun-dog training, or agility training, or taking their dog to classes to maintain that.

Of course if OP is able and willing to do all that then great, a working line dog would be a great choice, but it's a much bigger commitment than "just a pet".

But a beagle is worlds apart from a gundog bred as a working dog . It is more the predatory motor pattern that is difficult to live with same with terriers. Not whether they are working or show. I would never ever ever have a Beagle of any type unless I wanted to use it for trailing (which I dont!)

I have working collies - they do work on the sheep but some days do absolutely nothing. They also do agility, obedience but are equally happy to chill.

I also have wcs and labradors - who are scent detection dogs, they also have days where they do absolutely nothing. They are gundogs and work on shoots in the winter. They have the fitness to work when required they have the off switch to chill when required.

Today the have all had an hour and half off lead walk as I am meant to be working on admin (not on MN!) and that is all they will get today. All of them are asleep and have been since 1.00.

The assumption that the "drive" of a working breed has to be fufilled all the time is incorrect. The drive is for short periods when they are concentrating on a task not for 100% of the time.

Once owners have been shown how to fufill their drive it is easy. So NewPeeps has them doing agility, it could be scentwork, it could be hoopers, it could be gundog work etc. They dont need hours and hours of this a day just short amounts to keep them happy. Which all dogs should be getting whether show or working. Just way easier to teach it all to working dogs!

Get your Beagle out trailing and you will not need to be doing this everyday to satisfy his predatory motor pattern. Drop items on your walk on one day and get him to track them on the walk the next day - sorted

I have 2 labs, both black ( so less tumbleweed than a yellow). Lab 1 has a stunning working line pedigree , lots of FTCh’s, on both sides. He was my very first dog as an adult. I waited a long time , having met his dam, for her to have her litter. Lab 2 was bred by a gamekeeper, no known pedigree, no health tests, just a long history of healthy dogs from that stock.

They are pets, never had to ‘work’ a day in their lives. We put in the work training and they do like a job - carrying the leads home from a walk , or bringing the newspaper upstairs, or indeed my slippers to the last place I will look. We do play hide and seek, search for toys, put the toys back in the basket . We use food toys and slow feeders.

They are very chilled as they get appropriate exercise; they are both a good weight and size, as is typical of working stock; they have both clearly understood everything that is expected of a lab - sociable, affable, greedy, gentle , willing to please. They will run around with my teenage nephew and a ball, and they would saunter slowly next to my aging Dad.

I really really struggle with all the working/ show line stuff that is spouted, as my two continue to be a joy to live with, purely as pets. The effort you put in is repaid by what you get out.

And in answer to one question you asked OP, they sleep pretty much where they like, which is generally somewhere close to us. How close depends on how warm it is.

IngGenius what you say completely resonates with me. When we got our first working Lab (with no experience or qualifications apart from owning an Aga), my cousin (a gundog trainer) said ‘the first thing I’m going to help you to do is to find their standby switch.’

That’s the great thing about well-bred working Labs. A bit of brainwork, a bit of exercise and their standby switch flicks on. Their inclination is towards lazy-arsery much of the time and their natural habitat is the sofa.

Some of these posts must have put the fear of God into OP. The reality is, working Labs from good lines are relaxed, loving dogs, who make great family pets. Yes, you need to accommodate their breed traits, but that’s true of any dog (I’m never walking our neighbour’s Daschund again!).

OP- if you haven’t been scared off, one thing I would advise against is getting an ‘oven ready’ gundog like the ones you mentioned. The thing about working dogs is that they work for their trainer, it doesn’t translate so well to a new person as you don’t have the bond. Get a pup and 8 weeks, find a kind working dog specialist trainer and you’ll have a bond for life. A good trainer trains you, not the dog.

And when the dog is driving you to distraction, just thank your lucky stars you didn’t get a Spaniel 😉

The assumption that the "drive" of a working breed has to be fufilled all the time is incorrect. The drive is for short periods when they are concentrating on a task not for 100% of the time.

Once owners have been shown how to fufill their drive it is easy. So NewPeeps has them doing agility, it could be scentwork, it could be hoopers, it could be gundog work etc. They dont need hours and hours of this a day just short amounts to keep them happy. Which all dogs should be getting whether show or working. Just way easier to teach it all to working dogs!

I actually think we're saying broadly the same thing but coming at it from slightly different angles.

I agree that once you find what makes your dog tick, it's a lot easier and that overall, it's probably easier to get a working dog engaged in (say, agility) than a pet dog, but the point I'm trying to get across is that lots of dog owners don't want to do any of that kind of thing.

They just want to do basic puppy/adolescent classes and have a dog that is relatively calm, biddable and friendly. They're not interested in agility or gun dog training or teaching scentwork - they just want an easygoing companion.

I do work my beagle but as you say, not everyday. But the key thing is that I work him and he needs to work to be happy. It's not something optional I can do occasionally for fun - it has to be done regularly.

If we ever skip too many days (eg. through illness) it really shows in his behaviour. Luckily I have the time to work him, but I know lots of other beagle owners who just don't have the time (or can't be bothered) and struggle as a result. So while working dogs don't need constant engagement, they do need owners who can provide the right level of work and engagement. And not everyone can (or even wants to).

@cinnamonfrenchtoast then the discussion should be should I get a dog or a cat.

Not should I get a working or show breed.

Work also sounds so hard or some secret code .

"Work" for a labrador is hunting for a blind retrieve, for the wcs scenting for a hidden tennis ball. For the collies anything that you tell them to do is "work" . Work for the labrador maybe fetching in the shopping from the car and bringing the tins to hand.

My experience of 7 black labs , over 30 plus years, is it is also very effected by the individual dog’s temperament
some labs live in zoomy or sleep mode , a handful as puppy with lots of chewing, fighting and mouthing with older lab , and a bit destructive. Takes a few years for them to be well behaved and predictable . And a lot of training
but I’ve experience with other labs that seemed to be “old men before their time “, would take a out to get them excited, naturally liked sleep/ cuddles and quite play, not very interested in interacting with other dogs, and can’t be ”arsed” to retrieve much - go after ball then possess it! One of those 7 was also a complete scaredy cat 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣. Some are more motivated by food than others- but that doesn’t link to the zoomy vs placid temperament types.
so, I think it vital you spend a lot of time with puppy you choose before you choose to ensure they are right for you.
the dogs I know/knew well are in right homes, picked by right people, where new puppy temperament has matched older dog’s temperament and suit energy level of owners. That takes time and experience to judge when choosing the puppy.

@Appleofmyeye2023 I was thinking that also. Our girl was definitely an old soul. When I met her at age 4 I thought she was a senior! She was also quite dominant. didn’t try to dominate often, but would do very little outside of her own wishes. She rarely recognized other dogs unless they were also yellow labs, or at least yellow. Paid no mind to the cats, until our mama cat decided she needed to be mothered and then started sleeping in her bed with her and grooming her. She tolerated it but wasn’t exactly sure what to think. There was alot of side eye.

Thank you, I was wondering about this. In many ways an 'oven ready' pup sounds great but as you say I'm not sure how that would translate between owners 🤔 Lots to think about.

Having spoken to the breeder this afternoon we agreed that the older pups she has might not be the best solution for our family. I have put my name down for a pup ready to be homed in November time and think this is what we will do. Eeek!

A November pup sounds wonderful. Our first puppy came in November. Lots of cold nights standing on the lawn waiting for a poo to pop out but beautiful puppy in the snow photos too!

I was so worried I’d mess it up when we first got a puppy but now I would change them for the world ( although neither is by any means perfect.) There’s nothing like coming home to a dog, and sniffing puppy ears in front of the fire.

If you are on Facebook, Lez Graham’s pet gundog page and also lady novice gundog owners are really nice groups.

Goid luck, have fun and get ready to fall in love!

@FlipFlopFlabrador thank you! I will look for those FB groups. I'm so excited! Have started my reading already 😁

Ohhh this is a good choice!
You have to be on your guard as the cute wee puppy face will have you letting them get away with all sorts before you know it!
Lab pups are the most wonderful pets, most will settle down after the puppy stage into being lazy couch potatoes (or maybe that's just ours). Being consistent with training, anticipating that they will forget everything at about 11 months old and it's as though you never taught them anything...
Also, keeping their weight to a healthy one is good for them but you might think they're too thin when you look at them, so getting them weighed at the vets regularly is helpful and reassuring.

I will pass on the advice I received from a lovely elderly couple sitting on a bench as I walked past with my Labrador pup: "watch out for your chair legs, your table legs and your own legs".

I've always opted for spring/summer pups. I'm not sure I'm up to toilet training in winter. It also means that you're moving into autumn and less people about as they stop being nice obedient little puppies and a whole winter of grotty weather to get them nice and well mannered before people get out and about again in nicer weather the next spring!

Great choice OP, labradors are just the best. But a word of warning…..

Prepare to welcome a small furry crocodile into your family. All lab puppies bite and some bite a lot. They especially love to bite exciting, noisy, fast moving things….like their litter mates….or small children. But older children and even parents can find this challenging too. One of you first tasks is to teach him/her that biting humans isnt acceptable. It’s easy once the whole family know how. A few 121s with a trainer would be a great investment to set you off in the right direction. Make sure it’s someone with experience of lab puppies - not all trainers are created equal.

Full disclosure - I’m not a trainer.

Any advice for introducing a lab puppy to my cats? The puppy will still be smaller than the cats at the point. (She’s not small, but they are of magnificent size.) She’s in a house with cats now, and my cats were fine with our previous dog.

Brilliant decision OP, the pup stage is hard but the bonding that comes with the training is unbeatable. We have a working lab who is just over a year old, she was a complete land shark but is maturing nicely and is mostly trustworthy around my trainers. Mostly.

We worked on recall from day 1, and as soon as she could go on walks tried to work on off lead, we live on a farm so it felt like endless months trudging round the same field in all weathers. But her recall is amazing and we can reliably do an off lead forest walk where she has plenty of opportunities to sniff/chase after rabbits and squirrels without disappearing. She is walked by all family members with no difference in recall.

We didn't crate train, she sleeps in the utility room and has a covered, sheltered pen outside with an insulated kennel which we use for a few hours at a time when we need to go out, and spends her chill time either with me (if I'm home myself) or on the floor exactly midway between scattered family members.

She's the best dog, but shedding is immense

Link to my suggestions (this also contains another link to early pups suggestions, too!).
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/4809951-please-prepare-us-for-a-puppy

On reflection, and I think had no idea how physically and emotionally (and financially!) demanding it would be - no idea at all! And I consider our lab a very good boy, practically angelic in the house! He is our first ever pet as adults (I had pets throughout childhood) and we definitely were over worried about getting it right, though. With the pressure of Covid, the general feeling the world was going to sh!t from 2020 onwards all mixed in I found it really tough with puppy blues for ages (ages!) but I'm so glad I got through it - I would not be without him.

I also didn't realise how much a part of our little family he would become - he is so loving, so affectionate, so funny. I can honestly say every day he brings moments of pure joy, fun and calm into my life - I don't know that I could say that about every person in my life 🤣. I've had a really tough time recently and my lovely pup has snuggled into me every day and not left my side.

Ours is from a working line and he has settled into a lovely routine as a family dog of busy day/chilled day throughout the week. Busy day is a good off lead run in a field and swim in the river with his buddies, chilled day is a sniffy enrichment walk to the park, reinforcing lead and street manners and this works really well for our dog - he's in great, lean shape and is very chilled 'lazy lab' (he is anything but outside!) in the house. Every day he has a silly half hour of chase and tug in the garden and snuffling for treats in the grass etc to exercise his mind. He loves learning new things and picks them up really quickly. There's loads of great, practical advice already posted here on health, breeders and insurance etc! Good luck 🐾