Spin off of dog whine-- would you still recommend a lab dog as a pet?

[specialp]

Labs are amazing family dogs, but you have to make peace with the shedding for them to be the right dog for your family. A lot of dogs are surrendered (or isolated to a garage or yard or porch) for exhibiting the very characteristics and behaviors their breeds are known to have. So I agree to think about what will work for your family and you or whomever will bear the weight of the work. Before kids we had two very high shedding dogs, a lab and long hair mix. I adored them and they were my babies. When the last one passed away and it was time to add a new dog, I knew I needed a break from high shedding as we were entering a new phase with babies and toddlers. We had to have dogs, but we needed something that would work for us.

One time was a red satin hair bow and i freaked out thinking there was blood in her poop but my husband figured out it was a ribbon.

Ours did, too, only it was all the curly ribbon off of the Christmas presents. It freaked me out! And it was a lot of ribbon so it took days. She passed away many years ago, but we still do not put any ribbons on Christmas presents.

[AnnieW625]

Yep...get a furminator brush, and good dog shampoo.

Dh had labs almost continuously for 20 years (the first one he had for 7 years and the second one we had for 12). We absolutely loved them. One was a pointer lab mix that his mom got from a coworker, and the other was a lab we got from the local county shelter. Both were amazing dogs. We would get another one but we are big on adopting from county shelters so if we find one there then great if not we end up with something else. We currently have a mut which we think is a Jack Russell/Chihuahua/Dachshund mix and we love him.


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[MaiseyDog]

We have always had labs and love them all. Labs can be the most amazing family pets - adaptable, smart, loving, and tolerant of kids and commotion. That being said..... As everyone has mentioned, they are work (but of course all dogs are). They are high energy, which is great when kids want to play and run around, but they are going to need that exercise every day no matter what's going on or what the weather is or anything else. If they aren't exercised well, and they get bored, they can get destructive. We've had labs chew up furniture, shoes, parts of the wall, all when they've been left alone too long and not had enough exercise or mental stimulation. Labs are very smart and generally easily trainable but they take a commitment to do the training.

The shedding can be an issue, but it doesn't even register for me at this point. We have a robot vacuum that runs every day while we are at work and that keeps the hair under control (as long as I remember to empty it daily). They blow their coats twice a year and that can be a little more of a problem, but nothing a good brush and a little time can't fix.

I agree with others that puppies are a lot of work and I really recommend you think about if your family is ready for that. I've raised labs from puppy as well as gotten rescues that were older. Raising from puppyhood is a great experience, but it's a whole lot like having newborn, a toddler and a teenager all at once. It's okay if a puppy doesn't fit your families life right now. There are a lot of really great adult labs up for adoption.

[ChicagoNDMom]

The answer for me is that they are most assuredly worth the hassle of shedding. My current Lab was part of a litter bred for showing (so, English lines), but he had a small feature that made him not optimal for the showing. We got him as an adolescent (housebroken, basic obedience done) once he was determined to not be show quality. This was great for our family. He is now a certified therapy dog and the most incredible, sweet companion. He is always up for a walk/fetch/swim, but is low energy/cuddly/king of naps in the house. I could not personally stand a nervous/high energy dog in the house. English blood lines tend to be more like my guy and the American (or “field”) blood lines tend to be more constant higher energy. So choose wisely.

[wallawala]

OP on the dog hair whine post here...

Yep. Totally recommend a lab still. She actually didn't shed too badly the first few weeks, I think it was the stress from surgery that's making her blow her coat early instead of spring shedding.

Despite how bad it is, keeping her is non-negotiable. My DS is not the best with animals, and we are still working on teaching him not to maul with love hugs her or take food out of her bowl while she's eating. Any other dog probably would have bit him by now, but she's so very tolerant. They are perfect family dogs.

They are smart, adaptable, and would love to be your 60-pound lap dog if you let them.

No lie it's been a little bit of a hard transition as I'm overtaxed and a dog is a lot of work. We are in deep winter here, and taking her out for a walk in dark subzero temps before and after work is just part of the deal. Labs are notorious fast eaters, and I'm not entirely sure she chews when she eats. Still worth it...

We were lucky to find a slightly older pup (she was 9months) from a breeder who sold hunting dogs. She's not hunting material, but perfect for a family so win-win. There are good and bad breeders out there- the first one we looked at was actually very militant about classifying the puppies' energy levels to match a prospective owner's needs. It was going to be a 6+month waitlist for a "laid back" pup and he didn't have any older pups like we wanted. The breeder we went with made us sign a contract that if we couldn't keep the dog we had to bring it back to him. He said they are his family and he'll look out for them no matter what.

I'm not sure I could have handled a new puppy right now in this stage of life, so do keep your eyes out for labs beyond the puppy stage if that is going to be hard.
She was kennel kept so they had just started to house train her, but she learned so fast (3 accidents inside total).

They do eat EVERYTHING. We had to put up baby gates so she doesn't destroy the house while we are out and if she wants attention will steal your shoes to chew on (usually walking slowy with them right by you with a side-eye first).

[zukeypur]

I will be the voice of dissent here. If you don’t mind shedding, hyperactivity, and jumping, the lab will be fine. Labs, especially in the early years, require a ton of attention and training. For my family, that absolutely would not work. I have also had a HORRIBLE experience with a rescue. She was the WORST. DOG. EVER. I have discovered that our family has a low tolerance for barking and shedding, so we will likely never opt for a rescue unless we know which breed we are rescuing. There are very few breeds that don’t shed or bark, so our rescue options are limited. I’m not saying that I would completely rule it out, but rescue isn’t for everyone. That said, I do not advocate backyard breeding.

[StantonHyde]

I can't have a lab because I am not enough of a disciplinarian to be perfectly honest. Labs are great dogs if you are ON them the first 2-3 years. Like constantly and consistently on them. That's why I got a Golden Retriever from a rescue--very sweet, easily swayed, etc. The shedding on the other hand....we could have knit sweaters for the entire family when he shed in the spring and fall. We were gifted a Cavalier King Charles spaniel when our Golden died. These dogs are awesome--personality of a Golden in a small dog package. Doesn't shed nearly as much. We get him trimmed like a Springer Spaniel so he's easy to take care of. You need to know/be honest about your family abilities to exercise and discipline/train a dog. It's not fair to the dog if you can't give it what it needs.

[hbridge]

Um... Do you mean a labrador or a rescue from a laboratory setting???? I think I read your post wrong !

Labrador retreivers make GREAT PETS! However, every one is unique and will have different "quirks"