Lab Pups , What Should I Know About Them?

plazaman

I am thinking about buying one for pops for xmas . What should i know about them? Where can i find one besides a pet store. Most pet stores around here sell fishes .

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Teetorbilt

Ask about hip dysplasia in the bloodline that you are buying. Look for the personality traits that you want. Males will be more aggressive and more difficult to housebreak. Chocolates tend to be kind of quirky.

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Any Season

My parents raised rottweilers for show when I was a kid and I have two boxers myself (1.5 years, 5 months), I think the common thing w/ any puppy as was already said look for traits you like. I would not go for the most jumpy energetic one, I would go for the chill one in the bunch. Go with a breeder and ask alot of questions, your best bet is to buy from a breeder who seems like they really care for the animals not one who pumps out litter after litter as a business. Good luck man.

P.S. sorry for the misunderstanding on the commercial painting vs. residential comment last week. Later.

neolitic

First thing, a really god breeder probably won't want to sell it to you til after the holidays (worst time for a pup to change surroundings).
I want a pup to be with mom and the litter for at least 8 weeks,
that's when they learn to be a dog.
If I can't see the mom I'd just as soon go to the Humane Society.
For me there's always one that just "speaks" to me,
more like they pick me than the other way.
( I am "Pops" and I'd like a new buddy, buried my 15 yr helper a year ago today)

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KillerToiletSpider

Find a reputable breeder, and check his bloodlines with the AKC to verify they are not in-breeding their animals. Labs are bundles of pure energy, and require a lot of exercise, either a large fenced in yard or frequent walks. As a breed they are often victims of hip dysplatia, I have found that you can help avoid this by letting the dog swim as often as possible, all four of my labs swim at least once a week till the water freezes over. These are dogs that are not afraid of weather, I have one that refuses to come into the house unless it is downright arctic outside. They are also smart as hell, one of mine can open a closed door, open the refrigerator, open the gate to the backyard, and roll down my truck window.

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send_it_all

Labs are energetic dogs. Not ideal for an inactive person/family. As pups they tend to chew up everything you don't want chewed, dig holes in the yard, etc. They need plenty of exercise to burn off this pent up energy. If "pops" is an older guy who likes to lounge in a recliner and not walk the dog and play with it, a bulldog might be a better choice. They can handle lounging around alot from what I hear. I have a chocolate lab. He was a hanful as a puppy, but has grown up to be a great dog.

buildenterprise

Whatever you do, stay away from the pet stores/puppy mills. Preferably pick one up at the Humane Society, or if you want one with papers then go to a reputable breeder.

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mdshunk

We have a lab since a puppy. He's 2 years old now. No problems housebreaking him. He's just retarded, is all. He thinks that everyone should play with him during his every waking minute. That'll change as he ages, I'm sure.

We housetrained hiim by hanging a bell off the back door knob. Every time we took him out during the training, we'd make his nose ring the bell. Now, he just goes and rings the bell when he needs let out. Pretty neat.

Floordude

Best breed of dog I have had yet.

I would not buy a dog or give a dog. They may not want the dog. Get a gift certificate at your local dog shelter, so they can go pick out their own child. YES.....I said, CHILD!!!!

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neolitic

Partners, buddies, but never your children.
Agree that it's beter to take a trip with Dad and let him fall for his own dog.

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ProWallGuy

Labs are good dogs, but I'd never buy someone a pet for a present.

Think about it, you walk up, and give him a present. Sure its a cute fuzzy little ball of fur now, but now he is stuck with:

Taking time to housebreak the dog
Cost of food
Cost of vet visits
Cost of license fees
Cleaning up crap everyday
Let him out, let him in, let him out again
Play with him
Train him

And on and on. Don't get me wrong, I love my dog. But when I wanted a dog, I made the choice and got one. I was prepared for the responsibility it came with. You aren't giving him a present, you are giving him a new responsibility that he may not want. Some might see it as another burden to an already hectic life.

Not trying to bring you down, but look at it from the other person shoes.

Edit: I see floordude beat me to it. Yes, a dog is like another child. At least with this one, you can lock them outside and not get in too much trouble.

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slickshift

Don't ever give a pet as a gift
Ask anyone in pet rescue/humane services about that

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plazaman

Anyseason, dont worry about, its just healthy arguments

acutally, hes visted the shelter a few times already, and has been checking with this adpotion trailer that comes in the area every so often. hes even gave them his name and number for when a lab comes in. i think hes ready. Mom is going to help out with him also.

i found a breeder somewhat local to me ,

http://uplandkennels.com/labs.html they have been breeding for 35 years

what is hip dysplasia ?

what is the akc? why do i have to check the bloomlines?


we all want him, so he wont get neglected.

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neolitic

A long time ago Mom's lab died around Thanksgiving.
I went to the Humane Society paid the fees and spay/neuter charges, and they gave me a certificate to wrap up with a new collar for Xmas.
Jan 2 we went and picked out a pup (her name was Oscar).

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KillerToiletSpider

Hip dysplasia is a bone condition common to the breed that makes it difficult for the dog to walk, and can end their lives prematurely.

AKC is the American Kennel Club, they keep track of dogs across the country, and keep records on breeders and bloodlines.

You check bloodlines because dogs that have been heavily inbred are generally rotten dogs with health issues brought on by the conditions they were bred under.

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plazaman

killer, so how should i approach this?

is the dog supposed to have some sort of id number that i would tell the akc so they could track the records?

what questions should i ask the breeder?

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KillerToiletSpider

Ask the breeder if they are AKC registered, if they are ask for the names of the sire and the dam of the pup you have chosen. From there you can contact the AKC to find out the reputation of the breeder. If the breeder is not registered, I would move on, because more than likely it is a puppy farm turning out sickly in-bred pups. I am not a breeder, but my dogs have sired champion quality dogs for breeders, and the father of all my dogs won a Field Trial championship as a hunter, I really miss that dog.

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TempestV

I was working with a guy that would bring his 2 labs every day. We would get to work and there would be several inches of snow on the deck, which would begin to melt and soak everything, so the whole crew would be out there shoveling off the deck. We are pushing this slush off the edge of the deck, and one of these labs would be standing directly under where we are pushing the slush out the doorway, jumping into the slush as it would fall to the ground. The dog would get downright frantic if it couldn't get to where the slush was landing.

Personally, my family has always found someone giving away puppies when we were looking to get a dog. You don't get pure bred animals, but that can be a good thing- purebreds are often so inbred that you have to worry about things like hip dysplasia and such. We haven't had any of those problems in our mutts.

@Plazaman- if your dad has visited the shelters and whatnot and not found what he was looking for, perhaps he could find the right dog if you took him to a good kennel, instead of the pound. Do your homework to find a good kennel or two, then set it up so that he can choose his own.

Teetorbilt

Mutts are the best unless you are looking for a working dog for a specific task. German Shepherd's are lousy duck dogs, Golden Retriever's aren't at the top of the list for security. A Lab mix at the pound might be your best bet.

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Floordude

My lab, minds way better then my child. Does things for me, my child would never do(try getting your kid, to swim the pond for a dove, or track a deer or hog, you lost the trail of, go get the newspaper, in the rain.) Unconditional love. Have a bad day, the dog is there.

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