Labrador Retrievers

[JessicaR]

I am getting a new lab puppy from pilot dogs sunday when we return Zeus. I have never raised a lab before. any advise from lab owners would be greatly apperciated!! At this time all I know is that its a 7 week old puppy. I just went to the library and got some books on labs but I would like to hear about labs from people that own them. I will post pics when I can.

[LabMomHouston]

I am a huge fan of Labs. I've never owned one until I met my husband and we purchased my first Lab together. He's still with us at age 4. They can be a bit wild at first within 3 years...you start to notice a calmer dog. Of course..that will vary with the dog and I am sure all dogs are similar to that. But I will say this...they shed ALOT. Funny thing because they're not really a long-haired dog.

My neice and nephew hang and wrestle all over our guy, Gunner. They sort of grew up with him before we moved to Texas. My mom often dog sat for us when we traveled and she said one day my neice who was about 3 at the time was really quiet...when she went to check on her, she and Gunner were laying on the floor and she was using him as a pillow. That's my kind of dog.

My pups have been pretty easy to train....well its a work in progress for some of them. My youngest Bella was potty trained in about two weeks. Now she whined during the night for almost two months...lol but we survived that.

I think you'll love your new pup. They are alot of fun.

[JessicaR]

I heard they can be quite rambunctious!! unfortunatly the puppy will go back to pilot dogs when its 13 months for formal guide dog training. so I wont be seeing a calm dog :) Its funny I have been raising guide dog puppies for 4 years now and not once have I gotten a lab! I have had a standard poodle and 3 dobermans. oh well labs cant be any worse than dobe pups right!? :p

[LabMomHouston]

Yeah I wouldnt think so...And it really depends on the dog. My female is 13 months old...and she's as calm as my oldest one, even more so at times. So you could end up with the best dog ever, or my adopted one who's about 2 and is always causing trouble! It will be fun. You'll have a blast with him/her. Also, keep an eye on the ears. Labs tend to get icky ears alot, partly because they love water.

[JessicaR]

the dobes are kind of like that one I raised was a total nut case and I thought their was no way she would ever be a guide dog. she now live in maine as a working guide dog! Zeus on the other hand is so laid back and easy going I couldnt see why hw wouldnt pass. I am used to dealing with icky ears. all the dobes had natural ears plus the poodle of course had floppy ears so I think I have delt with every kind of ear infection imaginable. Zeus' ears have been the worse he keeps getting yeast and bacterial infections, but i think its finaly cleared up now for once! I have heard labs are very bad at chewing have any toy recommendations? pilot dogs does not want them to have any stuffed toys or rope toys. I have a red kong and tennis balls, but i dont think that will be enough a teething lab :D

[LabMomHouston]

My guys only play with their Kong when it has peanut butter in it. I found this large plastic keys at petsmart that were wonderful!!!! I swear they saved my baseboards. Bella loved them to no end, and they lasted an extremely long time. They have large ones and smart ones. But if you look at a pet store near where the rubber toys are you usually can find them. I also use the plastic Nylabones. My guys still chew on those now and then even tho they're beyond the teething things. Tennis balls are great. You'll find tons of tennis balls under your couches. All of ours love the ones with squeekers in them. If you can't stand that constant squeeking you might want to avoid those! LOL. But I swear by those plastic keys.

[LoveMyLabs]

Well, as an owner of 2 Labs I have the following advise/comments.

1. They are WONDERFUL animals and make great pets.
2. They get along fabulously with other people.
3. They get along great with other animals (socialize, socialize, socialize! The more animals/people involved the better)
4. They love to chew. Make sure you get rope toys, kong toys, squeaker toys and other hard rubber toys.
5. They thrive on human interaction. The more time you spend with them the better.
6. They learn quickly. Start training and they will pick up quickly. Consult basic training books if you need to. Puppy training class is a plus. They also do well on CGC.
7. They shed. Not a lot, but they blow their coat twice a year. Make sure you brush them once a week to remove dead hair.
8. They love to retrieve and swim.
9. They will eat all day long if you let them and are prone to obesity. Keep the food intake at or below the required level on the bag. Or feed according to how much exercise/play time you give.
10. They are VERY loving!!!

Keep an eye on the hips/elbows/eyes for any trouble (arthritis, pain, seeing problems). Depending on the breeder and if they do OFA certs you may not have to worry quite as much about it. The breed is prone to HD but not all get it depending on how they were bred/their lines/genetics/etc.

GOOD LUCK!!! You have a life long friend that will great you every day by licking or jumping (if you let them) and will sleep with you, lay with you, and love you all the time.

[JessicaR]

I will have to get a nylabone and them keys!! unfortunatly we are not allowed to let the puppy swim or play with a hose. they dont want the dog trying to drag their blind master to water. :rolleyes: I always thought that if the dogs were trained well you dont have to worry about them being water obssesive, but then again I've never had a lab before. the ggod thing is that since the puppy comes from pilot dogs both parents were tested for every possible genetic problems. as for socialization this pup will definitly be well socialized! she will be going everywhere with me. thats the good thing about raising a guide dog. while my poor other dogs have to stay home the new pup will be able to go anywhere people are allowed!

[LabMomHouston]

Ah that's sad they can't play in water. But I can understand the concern. I agree with you that if a dog is well trained it shouldn't matter. I am sure they know what they're doing and have hundreds of dogs where the training methods have worked wonderfully. They're job is far more important than a fun swim now and then.

Let me know how the keys work for ya!

[Furbilator]

Having labs my entire life I can say that they can be as different as night and day. North American breeders tend to breed labs with high energy and drive so are a bit more difficult to keep out of trouble and train. European breeders (mainly Britian) tend to have the more laid back relaxed labs which are better guide dogs IMHO. I would recommend encouraging retrieval as a blind or disabled person is very adaptable at doing that type of assistance. Use a retrieving plug or dummie and not a toy (yes, they come in puppy size) to practise retrieval. By just using a retrieving plug they won't be inclined to bring their blind masters all manner of junk. Labs as puppies are very mouthy - they like to take a lot of things into their mouths, more so than other dogs which is good for retrieval but not so good for harmful things. Puppy proof!

Crate training is a must in my opinion as it encourages calm or quiet time and is a safe way to leave animals unattended for periods of time without the fear of them getting into trouble.

Furbs

[JessicaR]

i'll let you know labmom how the keys go!
I definitly plan on crating all my dogs have been crate trained, and even though they dont need to be crated anymore they still like to sleep in them at night. I've been busy puppy proofing. of coures my dogs think I am nuts because I have been crawling around the floor trying to find anything that is not puppy friendly :p I will have to add the retrieving dummie to my list of things to get before sunday. thanks for all the info

[JessicaR]

ok i just found out it is a male black lab puppy and he needs a name any suggestions?

[Shara]

Bear! =giggle=

[LabMomHouston]

Well here are some of the male Labs I know: Gunner, Clay, Dakota, Memphis, Mikey, Trigger, Mason & Ben. I also like Hunter, Kodiak, Buddy, and Barkley.

[Furbilator]

Midnight
Pitch (well that name could be mistaken when yelled out a back door :D )
Cole


Sorry, but I am terrible at suggesting names. LOL

[Shara]

I like Cole!

[JessicaR]

I am terrible with names too!!
so far my kids have these suggestions:
Samson
Baily
Java
Mocha
Jet
their is black lab in my sons 4-h thats name is angus. as in black angus cow :D so I cant use that even though I think its cute!!

[LabMomHouston]

Angus...that's great.

I like Samson too. Reminds me kinda of a Lab name.

[Shara]

Jet is a great name! :) or Ruger (the gun, I have a cousin thats named that!)

[LabMomHouston]

Winston? Merlin ( I had a dog named Merlin once).

[Furbilator]

Beaker - as in a glass that you would find in a laboratory a.k.a lab - sorry, the scientist in me :D

[LABLOVER500]

I am owned by a couple of labs.... GET A CRATE, the most important piece of equipment a lab owner can own... true, labs blow coat twice a year, but they shed daily (there are always furbles rollin under the kitchen table) even when I brush them daily....Depending on the lab, some like to chew, some like to dig.. just depends on how bored they are and what they like...EXERCISE is essential, a tired dog is a happy dog!!!!

Make sure you have the puppy on a large breed dog food...I personally loved taking the leg on an old pair of jeans, tying it into knots, getting it wet and then freezing it for a teething pup... then when its totally gross, throw it in the washer, rinse, repeat....

Kongs are great.... filled with peanut butter and kibble or treats...

They are truly loving dogs and dont think of themselves as a dog, they are a "people"...My old bear sleeps with Mike and I, and JoJo sleeps on his pillows on the floor until I get up, then he crawls in bed with his favorite human (I'm the alpha, they have to love me, its written in stone,,,,, but he LOVES his favorite human )....

They tend to be "the devil incarnate" as pups.. but once they reach 1-1/2 to 2 years old... they are the salt of the earth (at least thats how my boys are)... the old guy is a retired service dog... my chocolate is in training for therapy dog work....

They are my heart, my soul, my everything...You will lose yourself in these beautiful beasts... I cant imagine my life, the quality,without them...I am who I am because of that yellow furball and I am forever greatful...:p

[Labman]

My family has raised 16 Labs for another dog guide school and an assistance dog school. Labs can be quit strong willed and great chewers. I was glad to see you plan to user a crate. I don't know about Pilot Dogs, but the school we raise puppies for expressly forbids squeaky toys. They would be just as happy if we never let the puppies have anything but Nylabones and Kongs. Mostly I would say take your questions to Pilot Dogs. While the service dogs schools have a great depth of knowledge of dogs, each school does some things their own way. I will answer any questions that you have.

Many dogs aren't interested in a slick, new Nylabone. I think they are putting the nubby texture on more of them now. I think it is part of the reason so many dogs like the hard to find dinosaur ones. The ultimate is the Souper Size Galileo Nylabone. It is about 7 inches long and 3 inches around. It has the slick surface. They are more attractive if you rough up the surface with sand paper or by rubbing it on a concrete floor. Another technique is to jam a Nylabone into a Kong creating what I call a twofer. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

As for names, I found Nita, Choctaw for bear cub, and Xanthe, Greek for yellow, at http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/petnames.htm#1 and http://www.cat-dog-names.com/ We have named our black Labs Tulip, Prince, Zeke, Pepper Nita, and Sheba.

I was recently surprised to see a Dobe working as a dog guide. I would think the negative public image would be a problem. I wonder if the people with Dobes have fewer problems with people petting them.

29 October we are getting a male Golden to raise for the assistance dog school. We are naming him Tux. Sheba was a Lab/Golden cross, and we also raised one German Shepherd. We are excited about getting a Golden this time.

[JessicaR]

pilot dogs is pretty much the same they do prefer nylabones and kongs, and no plush or rope toys. I never thought to rough them up thats a good idea! most of the dogs dont seem to like the kong or nylabones. I had only 1 that liked them. she was a dobe and she ate a red kong :eek:

[LoveMyLabs]

Well, some of the male black Lab names we've had are: Black Hawk Rebel, Memphis and Riley.

I've also seen - Hammerin Hawk, Ruger & Coal.

If I had another black male I think I'd name him - Midnights Gunshot, Ace in the Hole *or Ace of Spades*, Midnight in Cajun Country, Black Magic Man or Cajun Hurricane!

Ok, I have a lot of names in mind...those are some to play with if you like.

[jaredt714]

labs minds i think r very easy to read. that's y i think there very easy to train because their mentality is that everythings a game and what do i gotta do to win lol!;)