Thread: Please, need some advice and info on Labs fellas

I had a lab for 13 years.he was the best dog ever he would retreive anything,(balls,lawn rakes,beer cans,other dogs,loose change,even me he thought I couldn't swim.Beagle's right they can be very protective of their people.They do need lots of exercise I found a tennis raquet and a tube of balls were just the ticket.my 2 cents

I have had several labs over my life, and are the best companions. My ten year old yella lab has converted many folks that were "scared" of dogs, for whatever reason, into lab lovers. Even one friend that was bitten in the face when she was young. She didn't like dogs (for obvious reasons), but absolutely adores my lab now.

Had a black female that was a great gaurd dog, and protective, although not to the point of being a nuisance. My yella is a male, and is not protective at all. I do think he would deter "bad guys", but only because he would chase after them to try to get them to play with him! He would lick you to death before biting you. However, (seriously) if he senses trouble, he is protective of his house and owner.

Now, you must be prepared for them to chew up everything they can get their mouth on for about 2 yrs. Mine has tons of energy and the desire to please for a ten yr old. He will retrieve anything he can get a grip on as long as it wasn't ever alive, except for tree limbs! Folks don't believe that he's ten, everyone thinks he's still a "pup" based on his behavior. His main goal in life is to interact and play with people. He doesn't discriminate either. EVERYONE is his friend. More people in the neighborhood know him than me, and he stays inside the underground fence. Last week about ten kids came walking down the street and stopped to play with Tucker. They knew his name, and I didn't know one of them! Ok I've bragged on him enough so might as well post a pic of my favorite ol' yella dog, Tucker.

have had labs 25 years the one i have now is by fare this best dog i have had smart.i have 13 grand kids and he loves all of them .had hard time taking fishing withus he would dive right in after .a bass top water .check hips ,you will get a frend fore life . ps when he is a pup give him a 2x4 aday so he will leav the table leg s alone lol.

I Have two Labs I have a 7 1/2 year old yellow and a 2 year old Chocolate. I waterfowl (hence the Fowl attitude lol ) hunt and have the dogs for that. Both are great dogs. I have never seen a more loyal dog than a lab. Here is my best advice TRAIN whatever you get. It will make the dog happier and you alot less stressed out. I can tell my dogs to "place" and they will stay in that spot till you "free" them the "place" is like their refuge they like it there. It is nice to have them lay there during meals so they will not beg at the table. I feel that the command to "come" is the most important also to keep the dog safe if it gets out near the road or where ever. TRUST me if the dog is well trained it will be a more enjoyable pet. I hunt with my Chocolate during duck and goose season and he is great. He is also a house dog along with my retired yellow. Labs make great house dogs. Just make sure you play with them to burn off some energy. you can get some great deals on Labs if you look around. I would not go with a big breeder as they tend to over breed their dogs. Send me a message and I can put you on a couple people that might know where a few pups might be. Labs can be trained very fast just be willing to spend about 15-20 minutes twice (or once a day) and you have a great dog. Just dont get mad or angry at them, Its new to them too LOL. Good Luck

Good advice fowl attitude, I have 3 black all were field trial dogs at one time and now are hunting and house dogs. I would go with a hunting/field trial back ground dog, i think you will get better breeding and better health. most breeders garentee hips but to get money back you have to give dog back, and after 2 years of owning the dog you are not going to give it back. good luck.

The best dog I have every owned is my 6 year old chocolate lab. He's my buddy. To be honest, the reason I got the chocolate was because we had just built our house on 3 acres and well, the grass was a little scarse...

I think the males tend to be larger than the females. Mine is 95 pounds. The vet said they love to excercise as much as they love to eat. So, I walk him regularly and play fetch with him to keep him active. He absolutely loves it.

Here's a couple things to remember on top of the hip issue...large breed dogs who snarf their food sometimes will develop a condition where their stomach will flip. A dog handler friend of mine said I should elevate his food bowl to shoulder height so he doesn't ingest air with his food. I did and he has been fine. I'll echo the "two year puppy" comment made earlier. Keep them in chew toys....go ahead and invest a little more in Kong Toys, they can't obliviate them quite as quick as some of the cheapos.

My dog has a kennel in our garage that is his safe place and home base. He has a dog door in the garage door he can use to come and go. This works out really well. Our last inside dog had a bit of a nervous bladder (you learned to back up when ever he got excited, let's just say...), so we felt it the right thing to do to have a dog that didn't come in the house. You can leave the door open to the house and he'll simply sit there and wait for you to come out.

They are a very smart breed and I highly recommend them. He even learned how to bob for minnows one day when the fishing was really slow. I had to put the minnow bucket next to me to keep him out of the water. That dog loves to swim too.

I actually work with a professional dog trainer and have a labrador male who competes in hunt test. I could help u get to the right breeders and find the type of pup you are looking for. I strongly recommend going with a pro breeder program to get your puppy. I know your not looking for a working dog but the working dogs are bred a lot better and health clearances are real important. I have been around a lot of higher end labradors and the intellegence and trainability is alot stronger than a classified ads pup most of the time. Nothing is guaranteed with any pup but i would strongly suggest looking into health clearances such as ofa hip and eye. Its easy to find a good pup with clearances for around $ 500. Alot of people have a misconception that field trial or hunt test labs are high strung and dont make good pets, not true they actually can be better pets

We have a twelve year old chocolate lab. I would echo the comments above. Absolutely fabulous dog...