OK I realized this is a bike forum, but so many of you are dog owners and some of the bike news is depressing. Plus it's raining outside so no ride tomorrow.
So we have begin our search for a new dog, and found out some friends we know raise pure breed labs. They have a 10 month old they would love for use to be his forever home. Although 10 months is considered a puppy he is 75 lbs! But he has already been potty trained and crate trained. He has some obedience training. Originally we were looking for a 2 to 3 year old. But it would be great to get a dog from someone we know and has already been trained. She even offered to let us sit with him for a couple of days. She normally sells them for about $600, but said make an offer. Are we crazy for wanting a puppy? He's bigger then we would prefer but his temperament is great. My tiny 7 year old daughter had him following her around. Our other option is to find a lab through a rescue group. We have already looked at 6 or 7 last week end and they will have another viewing this weekend.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks.
(OT) Dog question part 3. Pros and cons of a 10 month old lab
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Well, he is really almost a dog at this point. But the good news is that the younger they are, the more you can train them the way you want (although labs are pretty trainable anyway).
And puppies and kids just go together. If the breeder is offering a couple day visit to test things out, go for it.
we brought Oakley over for 2 or visits before we adopted him. Never overnight, but wanted to make sure the kids were comfortable with a puppy and the jumping, etc. Needless to say, it was great.
Yeah, labs are very energetic the first couple of years, but still manageable because they tend to be very trainable and obedient. Just toss him a ball and he'll be a friend for life.
We got our lab through a rescue group and he has been great. But you guys are first-time dog owners so you may be better off with the 10 month old rather than dealing with a true puppy. They can be high maintenance if you aren't used to it.
Either way, you are gonna love having a lab. Just wonderful dogs.
Just say "NO!!" to WCP!
"Want to get faster? Work harder, eat better, cut the crap. Instead of talking the talk, work the work" -
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their tails are weapons of destruction. and an effective alarm clock, too.
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That's more time with the dog for you. I wish I would of had my lab for the two years she spent somewhere else. Go for the 10 month old.....imho
LeMond VO2 max 95, Armstrong 82....doh -
Cons: picking up poop, buying dog food, paying vet bills
Pros: probably the most loyal, loving friend you will ever have.
"To be free and to live a free life - that is the most beautiful thing there is."
Miguel Indurain -
Hey rndude, can say the same about kids and bikes. :^)
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He sounds like a great dog, he is out of puppy hood for the most part. We got our Lab when he was around 1 year old. I guess if you have any reservations you could see if you could take him for a two week trial period to see if he will work out. But by that time I imagine he will already have won you heart. The hardest part we always had with puppies was house breaking them. So that is a big plus. 75 pounds at 6 months means he will be a big dog. That's around what our lab weighs now and he's 8.
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Yeah 75 pounds at 6 months is heavy, but is he fat? Depending on how fluffy he is you should be able to see ribs and a decent waist. I have a yellow and a black (There are no such things as golden labs or silver) The yellow is over ten and he can still go pretty well. We rode off road last night for 1:45. He'll get a rest day or two before we do that again. Our black is just over two and goes and goes and goes. That breeder bred for hunting and agility skills so her dogs tend to be smaller and more nimble. He is about 67 pounds whereas the yellow is low 70's. The black is more dominant but hardly agressive. His title is Decker the Usurper, son of Ruger. The Yellow is Dougal the meek, son of Riverdance. Decker assumes ownership of all plastic bones and toys and dog beds.
I have had three labs now. Know lots of others too. They tend to be nice but rambunctious dogs. Love to play but they can knock wee kids over by accident or steal biscuits on purpose. We have had to work on the black a lot with respect to stealing food form hands. Still don't trust him.
There is a good reason that the Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed. They really are nice dogs.
Lance who?? -
Sounds great! Go for it. We got our lab from a rescue operation when she was a year and a half old, and she's been wonderful -- very gentle with my 1-year old granddaughter. Andy brings up a good point which that it will be important to monitor your dog's weight. Labs tend to the rotund if left to their own devices. They need combination of food portion control and lots of exercise.
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75 @ 10 months? I had a chocolate about that weight at that age, and was 102-103 pounds around by age 7. It wasn't until I took him to the vet and the vet said "he could stand to lose some weight and maybe you too" that we both lost 20 pounds.
I would say what are you waiting for? Most of the hard stuff is out of the way - house training and basic obedience. Go for it!
Life is too short to be small. - Disraeli
So, why not be petty? - The Short White Guy™ -
He sounds perfect. If you do the trial run, you and the kids, will be hooked.
All opinions expressed are unofficial, and probably wrong. -
Yea labs like to eat. But more often than not it is the owners not exercising the dog enough. Our black does well with two or three hours a day of good fast paced exercise. Chasing balls for an hour or more or xc skiing or mountain biking is great. Two half hour on leash walks is not even close to enough. Lots of the problem dogs on Dog Whisperer are ones that don't get enough exercise.
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My son has a year old chocolate lab, still plenty of puppy left in him...just soulds like your getting the baby after diapers and being potti trained, can not beat a deal like that. By the way they will love your children and be protective of them also......
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At that age, other than exercise needs, he is the perfect age to adopt.
No brainer, provided you all don't mind a potentially HUGE retriever for a pet.
My mutt growing up was a golden/newfoundland mix. HUGE animal. Our current mutt is an under 60 lb Lab mix. Perfect size. A little high energy, but he listens most of the time.
It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong. -
Grew up with Labs - my favorite breed, although I love most all dogs ; )
That's a big boy!
You've got another year of adolescent behavior - chewing, vomiting, chewing something else, vomiting - repeat...
BUT, if you're okay with that, all the rest makes up for it tenfolds.
If you don't have time - don't do it - for your sakes, the kid's sake, and very importantly, the dog's sake.
Be realistic about how much attention you can give the dog. See too many people who like the "idea", but don't like the reality - and then the dog suffers from neglect.
Best of luck!
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Huck, well said. Having a dog requires a responsibility to their needs, and that means giving daily to them. They are not "accessories". If you can't budget AT LEAST 1 hour a day focused entirely to them, you should pass on having them.
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Pets really do become one of the family. Tank always enjoys a ride with the boys. Now if I can teach him to sit in the bike trailer.
"Riding is about rhythm and flow. It's the wind in your face and the challange of hammering up a long hill. It's the reward at the top and the thrill of a high-speed descent. Biking lets you come alive both in body and spirit." -
I have a Golden Retreiver and three young children. What a gentle giant. Also the Golden has more of a feather duster for a tail than a baseball bat like the labs I've had.
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So we have the 10 month lab over for the weekend and I must say he might be too much for us. He is extremely powerfull and very difficult to walk. My shoulder is sore for last night. He keeps humping the kids. He is getting fixed on Monday so that might stop it, but I have read it might not. He appears to be trying to dominate the kids, jumping on them and licking their face continuous. And he is only going to get bigger. He might now be our dog. He is going back on Sunday night to prep for the surgery so we will have to see.
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Sounds like he need some obedience training.What bikeczar said about Golden Retrievers. Ours died back in '01 at age 14. Best family dog ever. Loyal, sweet, best family dog ever. Lot's of fur and they shed like crazy, but that's the only bad thing I can think of. Loved water, would romp around in the rain like a crazed jackal.
However, it's more about the dog than the breed. We had a Rottweiler once who was a great family dog. Great watch dog, people were afraid of him. He was a Toy Poodle trapped in a Rottweiler body. Bad side is their life span is short. Average age is 8, ours died at age 12 due to bone cancer. Cried like a baby for days. Loved that dog. I'd get another one but I don't think I could go through losing anothe Rotty.
P.S. We had our Rotty neutered and it did not change his personality one bit. Still the lovable clown as ever.
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hpl - I'll just receommend again getting a pincher collar for walks.
Looks harmful, but really isn't (especially on thick-necked dogs like labs). As they pull on the leash, the colalr tightens and the prongs apply even pressure around the neck w/o cutting off air supply. Much more humane than choker collars.
SOme people will tell you that they are just short-cuts for proper training, etc. May well be true, but they work and are great for impatient lab puppies. Hell, when Oakley sees us getting the collar out, he gets excited 'cuz he knows he is going for a walk. Must not be too bad!! ;-)
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CK,
I bought one of those last night and it does not seem to phase him. My daughter and I walked him for about 40 minutes with it. It was a constant battle. I kneeded him in the face a few times, stepped on his paws (which he did not seem to mind) and he knocked me over twice because he leaned into me. We don't mind the puppy energy or the size but combined is just too much for us. This is supposed to be my 9 year old dog but there is no way he could walk the dog until some serious training. So he is going back on Sunday, he may not come back to our house:(. Our search continuous
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It's sounds like he is rambunctious, and had not outgrown puppy hood yet. He could also be so happy and over grown in out-right joy that he can't contain himself. Probably lacks exercise. If you can, try to take him for a good long walk by yourself. Go for over an hour, tire him out. He probably needs some training. But if this is your first dog, maybe you need one that more mild tempered. I found our latest dog at the pound. After our Rotty died I grieved for awhile then decided I was going to find some poor dog at the pound that needed a good home. I found 'Abner' when he was about a year old. He was a stray, no one came to claim him. You could also try a dog rescue group. They will hook you up with the right dog. Some of the groups can me darn right fussy and won't adopt to anyone. A fee might be required also (to pay for all his shots and past exams).
If this is your first dog you need one that is already trained. Dogs don't understand when you knee them in the face or step on their toes. They respond to kindness and understanding (been-there-done-that).
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gentle leader, looks stupid but it works. sometimes you have to be in charge and if you are inexperienced it can get frustrating at first. we babysat a lab puppy a for a week a while back that was about what you describe and she drove me a little nuts. certainly had forgotten about the work and mental discipline to make it work
http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/behavior/gentleleader/faq
maybe a pup isn't for you? last 2 labs we adapted were at least 5 years old, current one was thru a rescue group and real well mannered and rarely the need for a leash. one before that was a Mom fresh from the Amish puppy farm, after about a day or 2 of socialization he was great. didn't understand stairs and would sleep on concrete, settled into the comfort soon enough so don't worry. both came with some training
and they pick up fast as they are eager to please and innately grateful, took to the family and the neighbor scene pretty fast. both are/were the consummate buddy. as other have stated, exercise is key even with an older dog.lots of people want a puppy and rescue groups always have adult dogs that move thru the system slower as the demand can be light. they are usually vetted well and socialized by those that foster them. if you have never had a dog or its been a while, certainly is a way to go IMHO
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