School me on dogs

[eclark53520]

Doc, any physical problems that i should watch out for in the GSD or the black labs? I'm sure hip problems...how do i go about making sure they're good?

I think i need to find a pooch forum to supplement the great info given here. Thanks guys!

 

[ejdahl21]

The rest of the hounds just don't tickle my fancy.

Try peanut butter.

 

[MCDavis]

We've got a 10 1/2 month old female chocolate lab....my 2nd. They are great dogs, but require a lot of attention and exercise. She lives indoors and is crate trained. Because we buy her a lot of chew toys, we have no problems with her chewing our house or furniture (don't laugh, it can be a big problem). She does shed, but nothing that good general housecleaning won't take care of. Obedience training, and if you're going to hunt the dog then field trial training, is basically a requirement. And, a lab is a puppy for at least 2 years, so you wind up with a 60+ lb. puppy who constantly wants attention and to play. When she gets bored, she finds anything paper to grab and then runs around while we chase her...yep, it's a game to her.

Would I recommend a lab? Absolutely! She's great with our kids, goes anywhere/everywhere we want to take her, smart as a whip, and has a great protective bark that will stop you in your tracks. When she's on the leash, she is all smiles and wagging tail friendly to everyone, which is how I want her to be.

Do not worry about color, they all have the same basic temperment regardless of what you read. I've had a yellow and a chocolate, friends have black, and temperment really comes down to the individual dog and how it's raised.

I don't hunt, but I did have my yellow male field trial trained. Toyed with the idea of field showing him, but decided not to. He was an amazing retriever, and would lake retrieve for hours if I would just keep throwing the dummy in the lake. Hated to get rid of him...frequently miss him.

Any other questions, PM/email me. I am not an expert, but I can tell you what we've seen with ours.

Here's some good general info: Labrador Retrievers

 

[jreed]

Ah man, now youve got me wanting a dog! LOL, I grew up with cocker spaniels but havent had a dog since I got married.

 

[anonymous golfaholic]

My parents had a yellow when i was growing up and i had a great time with him. I really like them...but i really like the GSD too.

I don't like GSD's or any other aggressive dogs like Rots, Dobermans and Pit Bulls. I guess GSD's are borderline, they can be good dogs and they can also be really aggressive. It's probably because I got bit by a GSD when I was a kid. Also my neighbor has one that he keeps in a pen. You can't get near that pen without that damn dog barking it's head off, trying to tear down the fence to get to you. I have absolutely no use for those types of dogs. If you are going to have kids, you might want to consider that.

Like doc and a few others have said, how the dog behaves almost directly correlates to how the owner has raised and trained them. Dogs require a lot of attention. They are not unlike kids in this way.

 

[eclark53520]

Any thoughts on Chesapeake Bay Retrievers?

 

[SiberianDVM]

Doc, any physical problems that i should watch out for in the GSD or the black labs? I'm sure hip problems...how do i go about making sure they're good?

Most breeds of dogs can be sub-categorized as show bred, field bred, and back yard bred. Show bred dogs will conform more closely to the so called "breed standard" of canine beauty, at the expense of whatever else may be in the genome, such as hip dysplasia, osteochondritis, etc. Field bred dogs will usually be "smarter", more durable, but maybe not as pretty. Back yard bred dogs are usually cheaper to buy.

Show bred GSDs have a very low to the ground hind end. Some people believe this predisposes them to hip dysplasia and lumbo sacral dystrophy. Show dog people swear this is not the case. How do they make their money?

All domestic dogs are descended from wolf stock. I have never seen a wolf that had a sloping rear end. Draw your own conclusions from that observation.

If I were going to buy a dog, versus adopt from a shelter, which is what I always do, I would buy from someone who breeds field dogs.

Are you sure you don't want a nice Chihuahua to go with that purse?

 

[eclark53520]

Most breeds of dogs can be sub-categorized as show bred, field bred, and back yard bred. Show bred dogs will conform more closely to the so called "breed standard" of canine beauty, at the expense of whatever else may be in the genome, such as hip dysplasia, osteochondritis, etc. Field bred dogs will usually be "smarter", more durable, but maybe not as pretty. Back yard bred dogs are usually cheaper to buy.

Show bred GSDs have a very low to the ground hind end. Some people believe this predisposes them to hip dysplasia and lumbo sacral dystrophy. Show dog people swear this is not the case. How do they make their money?

All domestic dogs are descended from wolf stock. I have never seen a wolf that had a sloping rear end. Draw your own conclusions from that observation.

If I were going to buy a dog, versus adopt from a shelter, which is what I always do, I would buy from someone who breeds field dogs.

Are you sure you don't want a nice Chihuahua to go with that purse?

Thanks Doc, and no, i don't want a cat that barks in my purse. Uh...if i had a purse i mean...

Breed standard doesn't mean much to me...i'm no hoity toity dog show person(although there's nothing wrong with being one). More important to me would be the temperament, longevity, and working capabilities of the dog, so i will look for a more field bred dog.

I'm looking into local animal shelters...there doesn't seem to be any GSD's what so ever, i haven't found one yet. Labs are pretty scarce too...

Pit bull terriers, poodles, and random other small dogs are in abundance.

 

[MCDavis]

Any thoughts on Chesapeake Bay Retrievers?

Yes...I'd love to have one. If I can talk my wife into another dog, I'll start looking for one of these or another lab.

I agree with doc about where to find a dog: either check your local shelters, or go online and find a rescue dog. Buying from a breeder is risking $$ unless you really know them.

Ours was free...an oops litter from 2 full blooded, but not registered "pet" labs. When we found her, I was looking into a rescue lab online.

 

[golfer wanna be]

Wow, This is a very interesting subject. My wife and I have had several different types of dogs thru the years before we got together 7 years ago.

A blue heeler and the Aust. Shepard could the smartest dogs out there.

I have had labs of all sorts and dont find them to be very protective.I have read and asked around and alot people believe there is alot of inbreeding in labs. they bark and can be destructive.

I have had two weimerainers in the past and loved them both dearly. My last one would tree squirrels even. the wiems desire alot of attention and need to be ran everyday or you will have your hands full to say the least.

I have researched dogs for almost two years to find what I was looking for and alot the things you are wanting in your dog I did as well. We now have after all of that what I feel is the best breed for us. I have a great dog named Hercules he is a bull mastiff, brindle colored. he is short haired, big head, large body, doesnt bark unless something is up. And he is great with kids. We have 17 kids on my street here, and I can let him off the leash if i want and he lays down on the ground so that the kids can play with him. We also have a cat and they are buddies. He can respond to a few hand commands also. I love to hunt also, but I would not trade Hercules for anything, even the wife.lol. He is four years now and I honestly think he gets cooler everyday.

Good luck in your search, I am sure you will make the right choice for you!

 

[SiberianDVM]

Any thoughts on Chesapeake Bay Retrievers?

When I was in practise, one of the dogs that bit the hell out of me (when I was looking in her ear) was a Chessie, so I am probably a little bit (ha-ha) prejudiced.

A nice Lab mix from a shelter would be perfect.

 

[Slingblade61]

Flat coated retriever.....I had one with a white bib.
Nice, medium sized dog.

 

[eclark53520]

When I was in practise, one of the dogs that bit the hell out of me (when I was looking in her ear) was a Chessie, so I am probably a little bit (ha-ha) prejudiced.

A nice Lab mix from a shelter would be perfect.

Did you bite her back? Gotta show her whose alpha...lol

 

[SiberianDVM]

Did you bite her back? Gotta show her whose alpha...lol

I grabbed her snout, gave it a firm shake, and said "NO BITE!", then I put a muzzle on her. To her credit, she did not wang out the way some fear biters would have.

But I have sewn up some Labs and Pit Bulls with just local anesthesia, and they just sat there and wagged their tags at me.

 

[eclark53520]

I grabbed her snout, gave it a firm shake, and said "NO BITE!", then I put a muzzle on her. To her credit, she did not wang out the way some fear biters would have.

But I have sewn up some Labs and Pit Bulls with just local anesthesia, and they just sat there and wagged their tags at me.

I was bit by a few dogs while i had a paper route. None of them ever broke the skin...took every bit of tolerance i could find not to stomp their asses. They were all little shits...all the big dogs were nice for the most part or all they did was bark.

I had to walk backwards away from a specific house because their little white poof thing would wait till i turned my back, then bite my ankle. They didn't have any collar on her, and no tags, so she didn't make any sound when she ran up behind you. Scarred the living shit out of me the first time. But if you kept you're front side to her, she didn't move a muscle.