Dog advise

[Harrison]

I 2nd bringing the pooch to the vet... if the acting out is recent there could be something more to it.

 

I understand your frustration Buster having been there with an older pooch..... BUT A CAT?......what the...

Edited November 9, 2010 by Harrison

[BUSTER]

reading to far into it..

 

 

How about dog starts to eat furnishings after 6 years and its perfectly trained.....owners fault bad trainer?

[daryl0815]

hahaha wow, I cant believe a simple dog conversation turned so nasty so quickly! Definitely emotions run strong when it comes to dogs.

 

I, (like most of us here I assume) treat my dogs like members of the family, as they should be treated, I have 3 dogs, 2 Dachsund mixes and a yellow lab.

 

I have had a Yellow Lab for 12 years, and he is the best dog ever, in general he is the most easy going, well behaving, smartest dog I think anyone could ask for, he is a great companion, and one of my best friends, we crated him for the first few months, and after that he has not had a single accident in the house.

 

My Dachsund mixes are much younger, (1.5 years and 12 weeks) and they harrass my lab quite a bit, but he just shrugs it off and has never been aggressive towards them, he plays with them, but not rough at all. Labs are excellent with kids, and even strangers, so if you are looking for a guard dog forget it!

 

As others have mentioned, its not all roses, they do need attention, and excercise, and they can tend to be too smart for their own good. Before we got him fixed especially, he tended to wander alot, and labs do shed quite a bit, so they are a bit of work in that respect. But then again, anyone looking into getting a dog should know that they are in for some work.

 

 

Definitely get him/her from a breeder, I would recomend a male, just because I have never had a female one, and my male is so well behaved.

 

As far as huskies go, I dont have any experience with them, but I love the way that they look, they are one of the nicest looking dogs out there, however I feel sorry for them in the summertime, and I have heard that the shedding is ridiculous.

 

 

 

and he loves christmas presents, he even opens them himself!

 

Edited November 9, 2010 by daryl0815

[TC1OZ]

this thread is awesome

[mercman]

What do YOU do john? when your well trained dog STARTS to pee in the house after 10 yrs OF NEVER DOING THAT??........blame yourself?

 

find the reason for it and correct it if possible.Dogs cant tell us verbally something is wrong.

Anyway, we all know how you feel so lets get back to the OP's question or make no comment at all.SHEESH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John]

What do YOU do john? when your well trained dog STARTS to pee in the house after 10 yrs OF NEVER DOING THAT??........blame yourself?

 

Something has changed if a dog starts that behaviour at 10 years old. Is he drinking more than usual? Has his routine changed? Is he sleeping excessively, is he eating as normal?

 

Perhaps it is medical, the first place I would start, your vet will be the one to advise you.

 

At the end of the day the dog will not respond to punishment unless you catch him in the act. He does not think he is doing anything wrong.

 

Buster, I am not bustin your balls....you may need to seek professional advice to help solve your probelm if is not medical.

 

One of the things that I try to tell anyone who who asks for advice on bringing any pet into their family is the cost of buying is the least of your concern. Vet bills and training can add up to thousands over the dogs life...something to consider.

Edited November 9, 2010 by John

[BUSTER]

yes john your right again , I am mentally ill because i wont tell people that dog ownership is a slice of pie, and its the trainers fault if the dog acts up..

[walleyemen]

Motion sorry this had to turn bad , but im sure you know what your grtting into, just on a bigger scale,Buster is right in stating we all don't tell the bad stuff because with all dogs there is some tuff times training, but persitance does pay off. Mine gave me grief for years as well, but are now older and seem better, less bad habits.my golden is 10 years old and still at least once a year looks for the garbage bage buffet lol!Dogs are like kids, kids pee to bed, dogs pee on the floor, but at least mine won;t steal my truck with out asking!lol.... or maybe he has!!!

[motion]

Hey no worries. As I mentioned in a previous post, I realize that there are a great deal of dog owners on this board. I have read many a post explaining how they love fishing with their dogs. I also have a friend that takes his everywhere with hime including fishing.

 

I know that dogs require tons of care. They also give you tons of unconditional love. If they were perfect, everyone would own one (or two!)

 

I guess you have to weigh the pros and cons in owning dogs. As you said, I own one and would like a larger breed as a companion to take up north with me and for fishing.

 

Thanks.

Edited November 9, 2010 by motion

[anders]

can't go wrong with a malamute then

 

Gus at 8 weeks

 

 

Gus being Gus

 

 

 

 

 

the temperment of these animals is incredable...absolute personalities.

Edited November 9, 2010 by anders

[torco]

I am partial to a German Shepherd, but my brother has a lab and we just love him as well.

 

I don't have much experience with Husky's but from what I have picked up from watching TV is that Husky's need more exercise and activity they are dog bred to run and pull a sled.

 

I know a lot of people say labs are great family dogs, which is true of most breeds, but they are also a powerful and cannot be underestimated. So don't assume because of the breeds general demeanor that they won't have issues.

 

I suggest taking the appropriate training classes, it did wonders for me with my shepherd. Plus I have found Cesar Milan's 3 principles of exercise, discipline, and affection really do work wonders.

[anders]

Plus I have found Cesar Milan's 3 principles of exercise, discipline, and affection really do work wonders.

 

:thumbsup_anim:

 

Thats the Truth!

[blaque]

Gettin your moneys worth with this thread lol

[thalweg]

That first picture is as close as I've seen to a dog smiling!

 

Last year the family and I were going through the same debate I had never had a dog before so we did alot of asking and looking around before we picked out our new family member he is a black lab and has fit right into our family its like he has been here for years. The Labs are so easy to train and super smart. I would not trade him in even thought he is full of energy he is amazing with the kids my son 5 can ride on his back and be all over the dog and it does not fizz him at all.

 

He oves the boat but gets a little pissy if were not catching fish its funny watching him look at the reel as if he is waiting for a musky to make it scream.

 

enjoying the boat ride

 

waiting for the rod to go off

 

a little ticked off at me when we were not getting fish

[blaque]

And the last one is as close as ive seen a dog pull off the "Really right now?" look

[doubleheader]

Lots of lab lovers here, count me in as one as well. I've trained many dogs over the years though, and while we might generally agree that Labs are wonderful, I've seen a few that are dumb as a box of rocks. And that is true of any breed. Point being, do your research on the breeder, visit them, see their dogs and operation, and remember, the initial cost of the dog can be more than offset my medical costs of poor breeding. Labs, like many breeds, are suceptible to certain problems. Allergies is a one that leads to constant vet visits, ear issues and an excess of shed hair. Hip dysplasia, any reputable dealer will have scores for their dogs, heart murmers can be a sign of future problems, and EIC, Exercise Induced Collapse., is a serious and emerging problem with labs that can now be tested for. Do your homework or you may suffer the consequences.

[doubleheader]

Not all Labrador Retrievers are created equal. [in general] The chocolate are the slowest to mature and the black are the smartest. The yellow is somewhere in between. The chocolate for some reason also seem to have the most health issues [again in general] usually allergies.

 

The "Golden" is not a Labrador Retriever colour and is actually a Golden Retriever.

 

The best thing you could do is run your requirements through an online breed selector such as this one.

 

Breed selector

 

Everyone on the forum will have their own bias, including me. Another option is to rescue an unwanted dog.

 

Good luck in selecting your new family member.

 

 

Genetically their is no difference in labs one color to another that would lead to a difference in intelligence. that said, many people want chocolates, and as a result the back yard breeders favorite color to breed is chocolate. Choose your breeder carefully and it won't matter what color lab you choose. There are 3 and only 3 lab colors. Black, chocolate and yellow. The yellow can vary from almost white to red.

[bbog]

Genetically their is no difference in labs one color to another that would lead to a difference in intelligence. that said, many people want chocolates, and as a result the back yard breeders favorite color to breed is chocolate. Choose your breeder carefully and it won't matter what color lab you choose. There are 3 and only 3 lab colors. Black, chocolate and yellow. The yellow can vary from almost white to red.

"Genetically" your statement may be correct BUT breeding plays a huge part in intelligence, maturity and health issues. Back yard breeders dilute the quality of the breed and since Chocolate is the preferred colour it is affected the most.

 

Outside of a perfect world colour absolutely DOES matter.

[bigcreekdad]

Flat coated retriever.......our Seamus is the greatest dog we;ve ever had.

[doubleheader]

"Genetically" your statement may be correct BUT breeding plays a huge part in intelligence, maturity and health issues. Back yard breeders dilute the quality of the breed and since Chocolate is the preferred colour it is affected the most.

 

Outside of a perfect world colour absolutely DOES matter.

Isn't that what I said???

[blaque]

Isn't that what I said???

 

LMAO.....

[blaque]

Ive been thinking about adding a labby to my life for quite some time now. Ive been researching for well over a year IN CASE i decide to do so. Ive looked at many breeders in my area and have narrowed down 2 that i am comfortable with. And ran into many more that i am not comfortable with. Im amazed at the amount of BYB's out there. I cant tell you how many times ive seen the "Silver Labs" offered. As was said, there are THREE colors recognized in the breed. Anyway, Im in NO HURRY when it comes to this process and when it happens , it happens........and ill know when its right.

 

Dont just jump into anything is my point i guess.

[John]

Anybody that would like a recommendation of a lab breeder in Ontario who really cares, send me a PM. She is somewhat eccentric but knows her stuff.

[Flappn]

We have a golden retriever, she sheds a lot at certain times of the year, but she's a fantastic pet. Great with the Kid and is generally very loving and obedient. Starting with good training and staying consistent seems to be the trick. She was purchased from a local who's two Golden's had some fun.

 

Here's a pic