RubyStar

Definitely! And isn't there a dam for swimmies, too? Is there any risk of snakes in the paddock?

Thanks, ST I can't believe I am an Aunty 4 times over now! Breathing a sigh of relief that she had a girl :D We have 2 boys and 1 girl in the family already so we really needed another girl to even it out! Hope your boys feel better soon, MG!

My two were disgusted that I left for work this morning and they couldn't go back to bed out of the rain. I left the back door open for them and I ONLY just washed the floor! Geez, what more do they want :rolleyes: Millie didn't even want to go outside to pee this morning

Yep I agree, now I just need to get my third!! Then again, I don't want one being left out as an odd number usually means that, so maybe I need 4 ;)

Oh yes I hear you! But trouble of the gorgeous kind!! So cheeky with such a cheeky grin :D

Happy Birthday Scoota and Dekka!!! They now share a birthday with my newest niece, who was born in the early hours of this morning

I've copped what felt like it would no doubt turn into a black eye when I've had my head too close to the ground. Ruby was playing with me and whacked me with full force, her skull into my cheekbone. OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! On the flip side, this is what Crazy Labs turn into with maturity and training

It's called the Look At That game, from memory. I don't have the details of the game, but if you do a search of the training forum using that phrase, you should hopefully find the thread where people were talking about it

Suzi, Wilbur is gorgeous A bit like my nutcase Ruby was when she was a puppy! I've only experienced the one Lab puppy, as I got Millie as an adult rescue (and have never regretted it!). I'm looking forward to my next nutcase Labrador but this time round I am more prepared, and I am still childless! I remember when the family would visit with the young kids, they would keep telling me to put Ruby outside as she was too boisterous. But how was she supposed to learn how to behave around people and kids if I did that? So I refused, even though it made me unpopular with the family who didn't have any patience for a big boisterous pup. Instead, I sat on the floor with her with a lead on and encouraged calmness. A lot of people forget to do this and its such a basic thing to teach inside manners! Just takes a bit of time and patience. Now the kids just get whacked in the face with their madly wagging tails!

Yes, most puppies go through the destructive/nipping/biting/toilet training/etc. stage but the difference with a larger breed, like a Labrador notorious for being handfuls as pups, is significant. We just want you to be sure of what you are getting into when you have 4 small young children who are at an age that will take up a lot of your time and are small enough to get hurt by a Lab puppy. I don't have kids myself but I have read in the Lab Thread people asking advice on how to get their Lab puppies to stop nipping their kids and hang off their clothes, and their kids were becoming scared of the puppy. In a lot of cases, the poor dog ends up being left outside because the family just can't cope with its behaviour and don't find a way to train it out of them Rewind back almost 5 years ago, I brought home my first ever Lab puppy. She bowled my then 2 year old niece over many times which ended in tears, she nicked off with my shoes, sunnies, anything I was silly enough to leave within her reach and she thought it was a hoot to run around with it playing keepy-off!! If I chased her, I never got it back. If I didn't chase her, she would chew it up. She also knocked over my parents outdoor fountain and it broke to smithereens - just so thankful it didn't fall on her! She got into the bin and ate glad wrap at 9 weeks old just as mum put it in there - was hit with an x-ray bill within a week of her being home! She would pull me over to see other dogs at obedience class and reduced me to tears on many occasions because I couldn't control her. Labs just LOVE other dogs and people so it takes a lot of work to stop them doing this. Meanwhile, my parents have recently gotten a miniature schnauzer pup. Yes she has to be toilet trained and trained manners like any other dog, but general puppy behaviour is so much easier to control. I have nieces and nephews aged 2-7 years old and she cannot bowl them over and hurt them. They all sit on the floor playing with her and her toys. She snuggles in their lap when tired and they love it! She takes off with any shoes in sight but her tiny little mouth doesn't do any damage, oh and we can easily catch her and get them off her! So we aren't really that diligent about keeping things out of her reach because she doesn't really do anything to them. She only weighs a few kilos so can't pull my mum's arm off at obedience to say hello to other dogs. Anyway I just wanted to leave you with a few things to think about because I just want to help you make an informed choice. If it is definitely a puppy you are after, I strongly suggest looking at smaller breeds that will be more manageable with 4 small children. And if it is a Lab you are definitely after, don't discount an older rescue or ex-show dog from a breeder If you want any more advice, feel free to PM me. I hope you don't take offence to the advice I have offered, I just have your family and the breed's best interests at heart

I forgot about the poo! Nah she comes in from outside with leaves and stuff stuck to her. And she munches on leaves so always has something hanging out of her mouth! She also gets Ruby's hair stuck to her She's so cute when she's sitting looking up at you, it's like she's grinning at you :D She also trots around like queen muck, with her nose in the air and looks from side to side as if it were her own impression of the queen waving Oh and when she runs full speed, she starts bouncing, It's too cute! I'm quite taken with the little fing! (But won't ever own one, just get to play with mum's!)

oooh can't wait to meet her RS!!! I think you'll like her, she's spunky like a terrier, but fluffy, in a good way :p Nah, she won't like her, she smells too much like a dog and gets bits of outside rubbish stuck to her fur :p

I understand where you are coming from, wanting a puppy to grow up with your kids, but a very important point to remember is - a Labrador puppy is far from easy!!!! They are extremely boisterous, bowl little kids over in their excitement (or just walking past), they are quite mouthy and can nip the kids hands, feet, ankles, clothes, etc, so therefore need a LOT of training to mould them into the perfect well behaved family member that sometimes the media can portray them as. Don't discard an adult rescue entirely as they can easily blend into the family as if they had always been there ;) Labs just want to be with their people and to please, so an older Lab will be more placid and should cope really well with your kids wanting to smother them with hugs And they will be well and truly out of the nipping stage and knocking the littlies over! A rescue doesn't automatically = problems. Some are rehomed for many reasons, and many might have been raised in a family environment. You only need to meet a few with your kids to see what I mean and to find the perfect fit

Which can only be a good thing. And the demand greater than supply, another reason why prices are following an upward trend!

Not disagreeing sandgrubber, but for someone asking a question which was basically "do I put health concerns before price of puppy" then my answer is going to be YES. It is hard enough sourcing a good dog without knowing all the stuff you have mentioned. And that link I put up is based out of Yass, NSW. They have plenty of Labs that come into their care. I got my Millie from them and happy to pass on the link to their website to anybody considering a Labrador!

Yes, you should be looking for health first and foremost. Or you could keep an eye on this page: http://www.rescuealabrador.com/dogs-available-for-adoption

My Ruby was $1000 almost 5 years ago. I'd expect to pay up to $1500 for my next one Only 6 months before I brought Ruby home, the going rate was $800.

This is true pointers are rare-ish and pedigree puppies can range from $500-$1500 ($1500 being very rarely the case especially for pets) I would have thought labs were around the $1000 $1200 mark but then i dont think many or any pedigree dogs should go for less than around the $1000 mark these days because really in the grand scheme it isnt that exspensive and it can cost quite alot for a breeder to do what they do! Pointers are one breed I had in mind when I said that. Lovely dogs, but I don't think they are in the public eye enough so the average Joe doesn't really know much about Pointers! I think Aussie Shepherds were in the same boat a few years ago but their popularity has risen in recent years, as has the price tag (someone please correct me if I'm wrong )

Oh no I didn't mean to sound snobby or anything No I mean like.. Labs are as common as daisies, they have huge litters, there are a lot of them in supply, so the price doesn't make sense to be extremely high.. I agree they are common as daisies and all the above, except you are forgetting one thing - their popularity. As long as there is a demand for such a popular breed, the prices are going to rise.

Not ALL "rare breeds" come with a hefty price tag because they are rare. Sure, some of them do, but not all. I'd say price is dependent on not only rarity, but how many in an average litter, how easy/difficult they are to whelp, and popularity. Some rare breeds just aren't popular so don't fetch a fancy price tag or they'd never be sold! Labs are popular, hence the price tag. Doesn't matter how "common" they are, they are still pretty damn popular! $1000 is no longer the average price, I would say $1200 would be the norm now, with some up to the $1500-$1600 mark.

My reply was in relation to english.ivy's dismay at $1500 for a Labrador. Nothing to do with the OP. wantsapuppy, it was not a stupid question

What's the difference between the C4 and C5? Just one less KC strain in the C4?

Ditto emery, hope the sick dogs get better soon! Hope mine don't come down with it, but I guess it's a real possibility when I take them to K9 minimum 3 nights a week.

ACWA classes start tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to training Pippa!!! :D Looks like I have 2 DOLer class mates in Puppy Class 1 - bedazzledx2 and boxagirl We'll finally get to "officially" meet, boxagirl Poor Pippa is going to be a midget compared to a Kelpie and Boxer! But she's got "big dog" spirit ;) She takes on both my Labs and goes back for more, much to their disgust once they are finished playing and trying to sleep!