New Dog on the Block ....

[Quad18star]

.... well atleast that's what I'm hoping for . Since myself and my girlfriend have just moved into a house a couple weeks ago , we're thinking about getting a dog . I'm a big dog lover .... I've had them all my life .... and when my parent's moved away , they took our dog with them ... so now I REALLY want one .

My girlfriend has her heart set pretty much on a Chocolate Labrabor Retriever and I'm OK with that , they've always been a dog that I've liked . Then there's also a dog at the SPCA that has my heart also .... he's a Lab/Collie mix ... he's a year old .

Here's my questions ...

1. I know Labs are known to have hip and eye problems .... are there any other real bad health related issues with these dogs ??

2. Someone told me that they tend to bark a LOT ... is this true ?? We've never had neighbours with Labs so we can't go by personal experience .

3. The Lab/Collie mix is a year old like I mention ..... the girl at the SPCA told us that he wasn't house trained because his previous owners really neglected him .... is he now too old to try and house try so that he doesn't make a "mess" all over the house ??

Thanks for any input you guys might have .

[Mxjunkie]

Never too old to teach, if you get the dog outside as many times as u possibly can and say outside, potty or anything of the such it will get the hint!

I had a lab/collie mix I'll tell ya what that dog had so much energy it was insane, they need to run all the time, ours easily jumped over our 4-5ft fence :o I'd recomend putting it on a line and let it run as much as possible!

They dont bark too much, my friends pure breed collie barks its arse off all the time.

[awsomeaussies]

First off... I dog is never to old to house train or train for that matter. The pee puddles my be bigger though:eek2: There's alot of good methods out now to help house training... first off, never leave the dog along, if your gone, put the dog in a crate. Trust me 99% of dogs wont mess where they sleep... unless you keep him in there a ridiculous amount of time. If you can get a doggy door, than I'd recommend that too. It's alot easier for the dog to go on his own schedule than yours. For the first week or two, I'd also keep a leash on him, or a really close eye, and take him out every hour or so, during the day and give him a lot of praise.

As for the other questions... all dogs have problems, more breeds than others. Ecspessially over breed dogs like the Golden Retrievers and Labs. It's really important to find a good breeder that's breeding for the love of the breed and not just for a quick buck. Make sure the parents have certificates for clear eye and hip exams.... next if you want to adopt a dog, then I think that's awesome. Sure it may take alittle more work, but the end results knowing you saved a dog's life, would diffenitly out weigh that. Also checkout www.petfinder.org
They have alot of dogs in the shelter and foster homes and you can search for one in your area. Hope that helps.

[Taco]

Buy a Newfoundland

[lil400exman]

check out dobermanns. Very cool dogs. I know mine is by far the most unique and smartest and fun dog i have ever had. She also loves to lay on the couch with me and actually watch TV. She loves her routine. She will grab a blanket and go and lay on the couch and wait for me and bark til i come! lol

[Mxjunkie]

Originally posted by lil400exman
check out dobermanns. Very cool dogs. I know mine is by far the most unique and smartest and fun dog i have ever had. She also loves to lay on the couch with me and actually watch TV. She loves her routine. She will grab a blanket and go and lay on the couch and wait for me and bark til i come! lol



:macho

[LTZ400rider]

damn deer lookin mofo

i got a chocolate lab and they are great dogs, and smart. they will chew everything and anything until they are house broken. i went thru 10 tv remotes and lots of shoes, mine is now 12 years old

my friend has a black lab thats 9, a choc lab thats a month and a half and a black like thats a few weeks old

labs are rated the best family dog
they r good gun dogs too

i want a dalmation but i heard to many things about them :ermm:

[Diedrich]

i got a choc. lab thats about 9 months old..i've had it since it was 8 weeks and i love it too death..they are really friendly and very playful..they will chew alot buy almost every puppy will...and mine hardly ever barks...my buddy has 3 of them and none of them bark much either...i say they have instincts not to bark since they are a hunting dog..also they are very easy to train to obey

[jsquare76]

This is my English Bulldog I bought a few weeks ago. Her name is Roxy. She is about 11 weeks old now. We are having a harder time house training her than normal. My wife is home with her most of the time, but I think it is more my wife's fault than the dog's fault.
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/1443/smile2rj.th.jpg (http://img128.imageshack.us/my.php?image=smile2rj.jpg)

[ex kid]

I have a chocolate lab thats 7. he was the runt of his litter and turned out being bigger than his brother that lives next door. he hasn't had any hip or eye problems as of now. he's a pretty good dog, big and stupid. he still acts like hes 2.

[wilkin250r]

Labs are a real gamble. I've heard of many people having great luck with them, I've heard of other people having TERRIBLE luck with them.

I had a lab once, ******* stupidest dog I've ever known. Barked all the time, never shut up. I couldn't teach that dog anything, he was just too stupid and too full of energy. Even when I wore him out, he was still too stupid and full of energy. He just wanted to play, I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to teach him anything. I couldn't even work on my quad in the yard, because he'd come by and take my tools and play "keep-away". My only resort was to lock him up, all the time. I couldn't even let him out to run around the yard, because I couldn't catch him to get him back in his kennel.

I've heard many phrases about labs. Things like "gotta beat the puppy out of them". Dang, I don't want to beat my dog into submission, but it sounds true based on my experience. Maybe my problem is I didn't beat the dog enough. Then again, if this is what it takes, I don't want one.



I'll never own another ****ing lab as long as I live. :mad:

[awsomeaussies]

Originally posted by wilkin250r
Labs are a real gamble. I've heard of many people having great luck with them, I've heard of other people having TERRIBLE luck with them.

I had a lab once, ******* stupidest dog I've ever known. Barked all the time, never shut up. I couldn't teach that dog anything, he was just too stupid and too full of energy. Even when I wore him out, he was still too stupid and full of energy. He just wanted to play, I couldn't get him to sit still long enough to teach him anything. I couldn't even work on my quad in the yard, because he'd come by and take my tools and play "keep-away". My only resort was to lock him up, all the time. I couldn't even let him out to run around the yard, because I couldn't catch him to get him back in his kennel.

I've heard many phrases about labs. Things like "gotta beat the puppy out of them". Dang, I don't want to beat my dog into submission, but it sounds true based on my experience. Maybe my problem is I didn't beat the dog enough. Then again, if this is what it takes, I don't want one.



I'll never own another ****ing lab as long as I live. :mad:

The only problem with your dog is, that he wasn't socialized enough:ermm:

For an inside dog I would recommend a French Bulldog or if you like a little bit more active dog a Wire Hair Fox terrier(awesome, very smart dogs, lots of personality). For an outside dog American Bulldogs all the way, I have 2 and they are the most loyal, protective dogs around. But at 100+ Lbs each they do eat alot of food. LOL

[400ex28]

keep the dog outside

[miller821]

Heres my dog, shes nice and will love on anyone. My brothers lab barks alot and is pretty annoying, but he's not broken into not doing that stuff. We have always had labs except for my golden, but I think the older they get the better. But as a puppy they are all over the place. I would recommend a smaller dog for the inside, but you could probably get the lab to obey your every word, so it wouldn't be to bad. Heres a pic of mine.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f18/400exrider4eva/Quads/Animals/Cheyene1.png
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f18/400exrider4eva/Quads/Animals/Cheyene2.png

[PolarisRider]

Originally posted by LTZ400rider


i got a chocolate lab and they are great dogs, and smart. they will chew everything and anything until they are house broken. i went thru 10 tv remotes and lots of shoes, mine is now 12 years old

labs are rated the best family dog
they r good gun dogs too

:

agreed^^


i have a yellow lab and they are very smart. They will chew untill their teeth come all the way in and are house broken. Mine took about a month to house break. When they go to the bathroom in your house, dont scold them alot just take them outside as soon as they do it. They learn very fast. We just think of a trick we want it to do and it will understand want you want it do. (as long as it gets a reward;) ) i will probably get a lab when i move out of my parents house. They are very friendly too strangers and you dont have to worry about them biting. Never bite me once.

Great dog



this is CJ

[trick450r]

i gotta get a pic of my rottwieler puppy named moto.

[Jekyl_22]

I had a black lab for about 12 years and he was the absolute best. He never barked unless we had people wandering in our fields at night (that is sort of a good thing). We never had a problem with him chewing things, barking, hip problems, or eye problems. He was extremely gentle with little kids and didn't get out of line. It took a little bit of training, but not much by any means. All of the people I know with labs absolutely love them. I've never heard a complaint about them. They seem to be an all-around good dog.

[TRX_450]

i love labs...but heres my lexi....shes an english pointer and i have an english setter too but no pics....as u can tell shes my huntin puppy :P

[TRX_450]

another

[initall]

I am on my 4th lab, they are the best most loyal dogs. It takes about three years to get the puppy out of them, but i like that stage. If you have kids or will have them in the future. They are the best my kids do whatever they want pull his ears poke his eyes, jump on him. he just sits there. but he is big enough and has a deep bark to scare someone if they are breaking in. Labs will be the only dog i ever own

[lghickman21]

My collie barked constantly, so i would go with the Lab. but i would definately look into Boxers if you haven't yet.

[Joe400ex]

...

[Ghost-Rider]

Originally posted by lghickman21
My collie barked constantly, so i would go with the Lab. but i would definately look into Boxers if you haven't yet.

Yup , iv had boxers all my life and now i got boxer and a min pincher but id go with the boxer he easy house trained loyal and good with kids dont bark at leafs falling off trees like my friends mut does.... but yea dude seriously boxers are great...sadly mine had 2 get fixed couple weeks back ... swollen prostate but hes gotton sick like 2-4 times in his 10 (allmost 11 years) and hes still kickin .... lol heres the only pick i got right now...... rofl this will make your day....
<a href="http://img382.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cidpicture059woodysbuttfacegla.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/1029/cidpicture059woodysbuttfacegla.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>

http://img382.imageshack.us/img382/1029/cidpicture059woodysbuttfacegla.th.jpg (http://img382.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cidpicture059woodysbuttfacegla.jpg)

Originally posted by Mxjunkie
:macho


:macho

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Joe400ex
... [/QUOTe

Dumbest thing i have EVER seen, the only ones that are mean are the ones that get in the wrong hands. My mom is 100% with pit bulls. We have one, here ill even put a vid in that she made and tell me what you think. Here is what she dose.

www.canadanopuppymills.com

Go there befor buying your dog.


And i think this is the vid she made, my computer is being screwy.

www.wikd.org/pitbull/pitflash.swf

[trx400exxracer]

I got a full blooded Australian cattle dog (Blue Hiller) best dog I ever have had she obeys really well and is fun to play with the dogs are super smart we tought our dog how to play fetch quick and to sit, lay down, and several other things like not getting in the ditch or anywhere close to the road she is also real quick

I think you should get one of these dogs

hey best of all she keeps the neighbors goats out of our yard and plus the hogs down the road herding is in her blood

she is about a medium build dog

[fast_enough]

Originally posted by banshee91
:macho

That is exactly what my dog looked like as a pup and it now looks like this.

[AtvMxRider]

Originally posted by Quad18star
[B I'm a big dog lover .... I've had them all my life [/B]

:eek2:

[Quad18star]

Well all the chocolate lab puppies are sold now . I went back to the SPCA today and spoke with another lady that works there ... she told me that the dog they have that I was interested in isn't a Lab/Collie mix .... he's a Lab/Boxer .... the mother was pure Boxer .

She also told me that he IS house trained and would let us know when he's gotta go outside . She mentioned that he could use some training as he likes to jump on on people sometimes and that when he's on a leash he tends to pull and not behave .... apparently he behaves better when he's not on a leash . They received him at the SPCA when he was just a pup ... he came from a litter of a few puppies and he's the only one left . I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to let me get him ... maybe she'll surprise me and he'll be my birthday gift on Saturday . :D

I'm gunna have to go back in and ask if it's possible to spend a day or a couple days with the dog to see how well he adapts to being in the house and being around us . Thanks for everyones input .


Pitbulls are illegal to own in the province I live in so that's out of the question .

I have a yellow lab. I love her, its one of the most friendliest dogs Ive ever seen and doesn't bark to much. But she would make a horrible hunting dog, when shes sees my air soft gun she puts her tail between her legs it runs under a desk or something and shivers in freight. Shes never even been around a real gun, heard a real gun or even had a fake gun pointed at her so I don't know why shes like traumatized of guns.

Originally posted by Quad18star
Well all the chocolate lab puppies are sold now . I went back to the SPCA today and spoke with another lady that works there ... she told me that the dog they have that I was interested in isn't a Lab/Collie mix .... he's a Lab/Boxer .... the mother was pure Boxer .

She also told me that he IS house trained and would let us know when he's gotta go outside . She mentioned that he could use some training as he likes to jump on on people sometimes and that when he's on a leash he tends to pull and not behave .... apparently he behaves better when he's not on a leash . They received him at the SPCA when he was just a pup ... he came from a litter of a few puppies and he's the only one left . I'm trying to convince my girlfriend to let me get him ... maybe she'll surprise me and he'll be my birthday gift on Saturday . :D

I'm gunna have to go back in and ask if it's possible to spend a day or a couple days with the dog to see how well he adapts to being in the house and being around us . Thanks for everyones input .


Pitbulls are illegal to own in the province I live in so that's out of the question .


There not fully illegal, you can own one but need insurance and some other bs, in ontario there is not 1 pitty pup aloud to be alove in ontario if it is born after july 29. my mom is a helper at the ospca, a day after that law a tiny little pitty pup was found on the side walk, he was the sizre of a camera, everyone in the shelter looked at each other and said who is going to do it? Noone had the heart, we took him home and hes under a boxer:p ;)

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by AtvMxRider
:eek2:

Not like that Jerry ...... :macho

Here's my dog that now lives with my parents . He's part Lab , part Collie ...... very defensive dog ... he will not allow anyone near our vehicles if myself or my parents are in it with him ... same with the house .

Cuda .... short for Barracuda which is my dad's car . LOL

[awsomeaussies]

You said that the dog is difficult to walk?!?! I have two Aussies that weigh 70 pound and have know problems walking them... I'll give you alittle advice. Buy a Gentle Leader. It's basically a harness that goes around there snout. The leash hooks underneath there jaw. It's the samething they use to keep horses under control. Trust me, it'll be the best thing you ever buy! It'll take a few walks for the dog to get used to it, but they'll never pull again.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/images/products/large/p_13119_21517.jpg

[PolarisRider]

Originally posted by nofearrider1
I have a yellow lab. I love her, its one of the most friendliest dogs Ive ever seen and doesn't bark to much. But she would make a horrible hunting dog, when shes sees my air soft gun she puts her tail between her legs it runs under a desk or something and shivers in freight. Shes never even been around a real gun, heard a real gun or even had a fake gun pointed at her so I don't know why shes like traumatized of guns.

lol. my dog chases after the paintball when i shoot them, he trys to catch them in his mouth(hes a lab):blah:

[Quad Boy 660r]

All I know is that we had a Lab mix and she was great. Our friends have a Lab mix, and he's a dumb*****. Pure stupid. They tend to bark a lot also, In my experience.

Your provinence is dumb, no offense. Pitts are the best. I hate when things are banned for the acts of a few.

[cletusEX]

I had a chocalate lab growing up. Best dog ever! She was great and I still miss her after 5 years. I grew up around labs, both hunting and family dogs, and never knew one that barked a lot. If anything, when they barked something was wrong. In my opinion you can't go wrong with a lab. I have also known a lot of mutts that were great dogs. A lot depends on the owner. Good luck with whatever you get.

[cletusEX]

Originally posted by TRX_450
i love labs...but heres my lexi....shes an english pointer and i have an english setter too but no pics....as u can tell shes my huntin puppy :P

Nice looking pointer. I'm more of a waterfowl hunter but have done enough upland game hunting to know that is a good looking dog.

[Mxjunkie]

Originally posted by awsomeaussies
You said that the dog is difficult to walk?!?! I have two Aussies that weigh 70 pound and have know problems walking them...

Haha try a 125 pound doberman :o He was my old dog winston, he would pull me around the yard even with a muzzle lol..

[awsomeaussies]

Originally posted by Mxjunkie
Haha try a 125 pound doberman :o He was my old dog winston, he would pull me around the yard even with a muzzle lol..

I meant walking them at the sametime. So that's 140 pounds:p

[Donkey1]

a real dog.

[Ghost-Rider]

Hey man be careful with them boxer mixs cause usally their no good inless their full bred ...my aunt has a boxer/lab ....MAKE SURE YOU GET TAIL CUT IF NOT DONE !!!! cause hers didnt have it and he had get surgey get it remvoed cause its half half so it keep busting its tail open when itd wag it and hit stuff then it tried 2 eat it off....... like i said get full bred...... but as long as you see the dog first and stuff and it dosnt do stupid crap then id say go for it ........ they make mean gaurd dogs cause they got that boxer look and their pretty decent sized alrdy then u mix with lab ..... feirce bark :devil: ........ yea my aunts canb a total dumbass at times though...

[Hammer trx450r]

Originally posted by Joe400ex
...


What an a**hole!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nick110]

Get an Akita. We always used to have them but since we moved we havnt had any dogs. They are the loyalest (sp.) dogs ever. They can also protect you very well if need be. They can be trained easily if you know what you are doing. They are a fairly big dog, we had a 8month old one that was over 100lbs.

[bman9]

didnt read all the replys but i have a yellow lab shes is 10 years old and has had arthritus for about 2 years now. She is on pills she takes two times a day. Without them she cannot walk much. Smart dog, friendly, and NEVER barks!

[250xridamatt]

I just got a female purebred boxer on sunday. Shes 9 weeks old. She is very well behaved. I am still working with her on becoming house broken, but I think shes going to be a great dog.

[lghickman21]

Originally posted by 250xridamatt
I just got a female purebred boxer on sunday. Shes 9 weeks old. She is very well behaved. I am still working with her on becoming house broken, but I think shes going to be a great dog.
you will love her, mine was the easiest dog i have ever house broke. GOOD LUCK!!

[Quad18star]

Well we did it today .... we bought a chocolate lab puppy . He's 12 weeks old and he's a chunky sucker . He's registered with all papers and a health guarantee . He comes from 4 generations of championship winning dogs , with his father being a 2 time North American field champion and his mother being a National obidience champion . I can't wait to start training for as a gun dog/field dog . :devil: I don't have any pictures of him right now cuz my camera is in the shop being repaired , but I'll get some ASAP . Oh we named him Hunter . :D

Just thought I'd share the news .

[PolarisRider]

cool man, i love labs

[Quad18star]

One of my friends came over lastnight and she took a few pictures for me . I present to you .... Hunter !!!!!:cool:

http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/Quad18star/DSCN0835.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/Quad18star/DSCN0836.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/Quad18star/c5d7a78a.jpg
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a151/Quad18star/6d1dacf1.jpg

[Quad18star]

All this dog does is sleep .... he slept for nearly half the day .

So I was able to spend quality time with him today for the first time . He seems pretty smart . I already have him doing his business outside and he's now playing fetch with his toys . I can't wait until I can start to train him as a gun dog and be ready for bird season this fall . :devil:

Vet check-up tomorrow .... then maybe I'll go register with the local kennel club . Apparently they have 160 acres to go out and train year round .... bring out the guns , shoot and get him used to being around the noise . Plus they have professional trainers on site to help with the training for FREE which is a good thing cuz this dog has cost me a fortune so far .... I could have bought a set of a-arms for the price I paid for him .

[polcat1p]

this is my black lab shelby. This is the best dog i ever had.

[polcat1p]

1 more

that dog hunter looks like a nice dog

[hessianmx111]

Nice choice on the chocolate lab, we had one for around 10 years and it was an excellent,smart, loyal dog, we had to put her asleep back in the fall she had terrible arthritis and a really nasty growth on her tongue and she got to where she couldn't drink water anymore, it was terrible to see her like that. After she passed away I found a beagle on the side of the road and it was an awesome dog but it loved to roam our farm and road and ended up leaving one day. Now I have a german sheppard puppy and it's a great dog.

Busta,Pitbull/lab
http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/2775/dscf00680ev.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Gracie, yellow lab
http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/6638/dscf00480iw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Snickers, toy poodle

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/7277/dscf0039a7fu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)