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 😊

Picked up ours at 11 weeks she's 14 weeks now. Sleeps in the kitchen under the island on a dog bed. Still get the odd wee in the hall but she hasn't pooped in the house for 10 days. We're redecorating the end wall in the kitchen because she took a fancy to the wallpaper. We have a box of toys, she's had lots of gifts from family. She's a working lab quite a fussy eater so far. Doesn't bite people.

She has a short walk in the morning. Ran into the sea following our old dog and swam back quickly. We have an older spaniel who after a rocky start adores her. She has never chased the cat.

I already have a shark vacuum cleaner.

She's our third working lab. So we know what to expect. None of them were neurotic, they love people especially children.

A few tips

Whoever does the training feeds the puppy.
Get a whistle and learn how to use it. Learn hand signals
You tube training tutorials watch them.
Read training books.
Enjoy

@justasking111 She’s gorgeous! Thank you for sharing.

Forget being a soft touch, (easier said than done!)
Have your "boundaries" set up from the beginning. Otherwise it's very confusing for them.
Start recall training as soon as you can.

The Pet Gundog (or Pet Gundog Puppy) by Lez Graham, as recommended by a PP, is a brilliant book. Even if you never intend to work your dog.
Lab bitches are much nicer than dogs imo. Gentler and less bullish. Labs can be ridiculously boisterous and humpy and quite oblivious to the body language of other dogs so try to train in a bit of tact!
They are such lovely dogs but they really do smell, that waxy sheddy coat... I would certainly keep them off furniture and carpeted areas unless you don't mind everything smelling like a kennel!

Spaniel owner here. I’m interested in the insulated kennel and pen you have- can I ask where you got it from?

We are first time dog owners and our chocolate lab is now 18 months. She is had a working mum and a show dad, although she definitely has the stature of a working dog.

Here are some things I can say:

1. She (now - took a little bit of time) loves muddy puddles, loves to swim, but hates being washed in anything resembling clean water.

2. She would eat anything if we let her, so as above be really careful with what you are feeding. She is actually tiny for a lab - about 19kg, but still very strong and quite muscular. If she pulls…I am going where she pulls, so I’d definitely struggle with a more average sized lab.

3. She loves people and company and we still don’t leave her for more than 3-4 hours. This can be limiting on a day to day basis, and the cost of dog care when on holiday is high - we paid £350 last week.

4. We’ve always kept her downstairs at night, initially crated but now she is confined to the kitchen. It’s not unusual for her to wake in the hour of 5, and whine until someone comes to say hello. I don’t think she has ever slept beyond 7am. That is hard when we just getting used to having a bit of a lie in now the kids are teenagers!

5. We do give her a lot of exercise - an hour in the morning, an hour in the evening, so a good 5-6 miles a day. It is manageable cause we both work at home. It would not be manageable if we didn’t, which means a change in work circumstances is difficult. I’m not overly happy in my job and would like to change but it severely limits what else I can consider.

6. We are fortunate to have a good friend who is a dog trainer (IMDT - the approach developed by the guy who wrote easy, peasy, puppy, squeezy which a few PP have recommended). So we had 1-2-1 training from a very young age - in the garden before she was even vaccinated and allowed out. And then group puppy and dog classes since. As a result she really is in general very well behaved - I would definitely recommend a good trainer to help you!

7. Going against the grain, she was not mouthy as a puppy, despite everyone saying they are land sharks. She does love a sock and shoes, but generally she’ll only take them when we are busy working and she wants a bit of attention. You’ll hear her running to her bed and know she has taken something, and then she‘ll be waiting there for someone to come and see what it is.

8. Also going against the grain, generally she doesn’t shed much.But in spring she had a major shed for about 2 weeks which was nuts. I believe she may have another such period when she sheds her summer coat in advance of winter.

9. I already get a lump in my throat when I think about her not being here anymore. Having not had a pet before (well, a hamster as a kid) I’ve been somewhat taken aback by just how much I love her.

10. If your kids are currently telling you that they will help with walks and will pick up poo THEY ARE LYING.

As a coincidence we also visited Galssybont and were on a waiting list for one of their litters. However it was a smaller litter than they thought and we missed out. For reasons related to a twice delayed COVID holiday that meant we had quite a small window so we weren’t leaving the pup with someone else whilst the pup was very young, we found an alternative breeder. We did lose our deposit in the process (which we knew we would as it was part of our contract). It is definitely a business for them, but they do know what they are doing. I’m certain that they won’t give a dog to a family they think is unsuitable, and they insisted on meeting us before putting us on their waiting list.

Oh and yes toilet training is intense at first - I took a couple of weeks off work when we first got her to concentrate on it, and actually it was pretty much cracked within 3-4 weeks.

We picked up our puppy yesterday. She’s amazing. We take her out every hour or so, and when she goes we go mad praising her and give her a treat.

Her whelping box had an attached compartment with material that they used as a soiling area. This has obviously helped tremendously.

I am reading The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. They describe the importance of choosing the breeder. Our breeder has been doing this for 50 years. My pup is calm, confident, intelligent and well-adjusted. She’s not show any fear of noises, makes great eye contact and seems like she wants to learn. I think this is all down to great breeding and because her first four weeks were with someone that knows what she is doing.

Getting the right dog for your household is another topic this book covers. Our breeder was definitely working to match the temperament of each pup with the right people.