Molz_25 Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Hi, In a few weeks time we will be welcoming another addition to our pack - a male labrador puppy. I already have a 2 1/2 yr old Maltese x Poodle named Molly, she is very hyper and active and a little bossy at times. We will be getting the puppy from a reg'd breeder and I am just wondering if anyone has any tips/advice as to how I could pick a puppy that will complement Molly. Preferably one that is calm, since Molly is so hyper and active and likes to be bossy and 1 hyper dog is enough hehe I guess with puppies it is a bit harder to pick a 'calm' one since they are still young and want to play...but any suggestions would be welcome... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss B Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 My advice - be guided by your breeder Tell them about your family, your lifestyle, Molly's personality etc. They should know the temperament of their pups inside and out, and will be able to help you select a pup that will be well suited to your family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pandii Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I too would be guided by your breeder But is there anything such as a calm lab puppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gareth Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 Best way to pick a new pup is to let the breeder pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 ..and just remember the lab will grow quickly.. all that boisterous weight could be a bit much for your current little girl!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molz_25 Posted March 1, 2009 Author Share Posted March 1, 2009 Hi All, I will definitely have a chat to my breeder. I have taken Molly to the dog park and seen her with a 6mth old lab puppy (sooo cute...and FULL OF ENERGY..) she gets a bit scared and runs away when they start to play too rough with her though. Also, Molly is an inside dog...but the lab puppy while everyone is at work will probably be outside for the time being. Would it be best for the puppy to have Molly be outside with him as well for company? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretel Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 <But is there anything such as a calm lab puppy > I think 'calm lab puppy' = oxymoron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I'd not recommend a small adult dog be required to handle the antics of a large breed pup without supervison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 I'd not recommend a small adult dog be required to handle the antics of a large breed pup without supervison. Neither would I. Also not advisable, safe or kind to leave your puppy outside while everyone is out. Seperate the 2 inside or crate the puppy, if not away for too long. Although dogs dont really worry about size when sorting out who is boss from the sound of Molly it may be advisable to choose a smaller breed. Even when people are very used to dogs & their behaviour there can be accidents with too large a size difference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 When we got Benson we were guided by the breeder. Although I fell in love with a pretty little red merle girl, the breeder recommended her black tri boy as being most suited to us. I wanted a dog that was calm and pretty much "bombproof". A pup I could take anywhere and he'd cope. I got it in Benson. Best thing I ever did was listen to the breeder. Benson takes everything in his stride, with a happy outlook on life and is everyone's friend. Can't ask for much more than that in a dog. Plus he's grown up handsome (man-pretty, my daughter calls him!), well-mannered and with a cracking sense of humour. We have an elderly Lhasa Apso who we put with Benson right away. She coped fine, Benson was a huge puppy but Kassy kept him in line and wasn't above giving him a nip to make him behave. She's got hardly any teeth so it was a token reprimand but he got the idea that Kassy was there first and therefore deserved respect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molino Posted March 1, 2009 Share Posted March 1, 2009 If not away for long periods of time, you could leave them both outside. Molly would put the pup in line if he did anything she didn't like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemesideways Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 When we got Benson we were guided by the breeder. Although I fell in love with a pretty little red merle girl, the breeder recommended her black tri boy as being most suited to us. I wanted a dog that was calm and pretty much "bombproof". A pup I could take anywhere and he'd cope.I got it in Benson. Best thing I ever did was listen to the breeder. Benson takes everything in his stride, with a happy outlook on life and is everyone's friend. Can't ask for much more than that in a dog. Plus he's grown up handsome (man-pretty, my daughter calls him!), well-mannered and with a cracking sense of humour. Completely agree. Let the breeder choose! With my boy Rover, we talked to the breeder and said, Here is what we want in a dog. Breeder replied, Yep I have the perfect pup for you! He is exactly what we wanted, calm, happy, loves everyone and everything in life. In regards to having your smaller breed dog alone with the pup, if Molly is a bit scared, then leaving her alone for hours with the puppy would not be advisable. Have the pup outside (as long as your yard is completely secure, safe, fenced in, plenty of shade and lots of water) and the smaller dog inside. Or if your not going to be out for that long, have them both inside and crated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molino Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I've seen a couple of families with a small dog and lab/goldens together and there are no probs. In one case, the small dog was the dominant one - was standing up next to the golden and had its front paws on its back hehe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippa Posted March 2, 2009 Share Posted March 2, 2009 I'd tell the breeder what sort of personality I like in a dog, and what I plan to do with the dog and let them choose the best one for me. Have done that before and I got the perfect pup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odin-Genie Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 When I got my golden retriever, I told the breeder about Odin's temperament, living arrangements etc and she selected two pups I could choose from. That worked well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 (edited) we have big & small dogs & they are never left together unsupervised until such time that we are happy. Having said that our small dogs grow up with the big dogs from a very early age where both sides are taught the rules of interaction & no one is scared or overwhelmed .They interact well BUT big is big & small is small & introducing them incorrectly will set up a life long nightmare Given your dog has already shown a lack of confidence around a young lab that it only has to deal with for a few minutes you need to plan the yard & ensure you have a time out/safe area set aside from day one for the little one & then be prepared to put alot of time & effort into the lab baby who will be used to playing roughly & like a typical lab with its litter mates & mum.You will need to teach it "gentle" & also ensure the little one doesnt torment either.Both will have to meet half way. It can be done BUT the work must be put in from day 1 & be very patient & alot of training. Done correctly you will have 2 life long friends .done incorrectly it will be a nightmare. "If not away for long periods of time, you could leave them both outside. Molly would put the pup in line if he did anything she didn't like.'I would never recommend this at all. Should also add speak with the breeder.They should already now what dog you have anyway & that ideally there different sexes but your breeder should be able to suggest which pup unless you are wanting a set colour.?? Picking the right pup will be very important so you may need to wait on colour & sex Edited March 3, 2009 by settrlvr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvsdogs Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 I'd be waiting to see how they get on b4 leaving them alone at all. They may be a similar size to start with, but a lab puppy will grow quickly & the resident dog needs time to having a strange puppy in her territory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Would it be best for the puppy to have Molly be outside with him as well for company? Please keep them separate when unsupervised while the Lab is a pup! Even up to about 18 months old. Labs are puppies for what seems forever, and in the case of my Lab, when she was about 1 I decided to leave her unsupervised in the house with our little maltese on a hot day and when I got back a few hours later, the Lab had played with the little one so much that she was close to death (she would play with her by grabbing her around the neck and shaking like she was prey or a fluffy toy ) Emergency trip to the vet and she was fine, but I regretted leaving them together. Now the Lab is 2, she is trustworthy with the little one thank goodness! But they do still get kept apart during the day when I'm at work - Labs outside, maltese inside Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Molz_25 Posted March 3, 2009 Author Share Posted March 3, 2009 Would it be best for the puppy to have Molly be outside with him as well for company? Please keep them separate when unsupervised while the Lab is a pup! Even up to about 18 months old. Labs are puppies for what seems forever, and in the case of my Lab, when she was about 1 I decided to leave her unsupervised in the house with our little maltese on a hot day and when I got back a few hours later, the Lab had played with the little one so much that she was close to death (she would play with her by grabbing her around the neck and shaking like she was prey or a fluffy toy ) Emergency trip to the vet and she was fine, but I regretted leaving them together. Now the Lab is 2, she is trustworthy with the little one thank goodness! But they do still get kept apart during the day when I'm at work - Labs outside, maltese inside Omg...now THAT is what I want to try and avoid. Glad to hear the relationship between your two dogs is better now I'm just wondering, if you keep the both of them separate would that mean that they won't 'bond' together as much? Thanks for everyone's advice. We do want a particular colour - Yellow (I don't mind black but since Molly's my dog I don't get a say) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted March 3, 2009 Share Posted March 3, 2009 Would it be best for the puppy to have Molly be outside with him as well for company? Please keep them separate when unsupervised while the Lab is a pup! Even up to about 18 months old. Labs are puppies for what seems forever, and in the case of my Lab, when she was about 1 I decided to leave her unsupervised in the house with our little maltese on a hot day and when I got back a few hours later, the Lab had played with the little one so much that she was close to death (she would play with her by grabbing her around the neck and shaking like she was prey or a fluffy toy ) Emergency trip to the vet and she was fine, but I regretted leaving them together. Now the Lab is 2, she is trustworthy with the little one thank goodness! But they do still get kept apart during the day when I'm at work - Labs outside, maltese inside Omg...now THAT is what I want to try and avoid. Glad to hear the relationship between your two dogs is better now I'm just wondering, if you keep the both of them separate would that mean that they won't 'bond' together as much? Thanks for everyone's advice. We do want a particular colour - Yellow (I don't mind black but since Molly's my dog I don't get a say) Now I have 2 Labs, and the little maltese follows my 2 Labs around EVERYWHERE. She won't eat her dinner unless she gets to eat outside with the "big girls" and she sleeps on their bed with them sometimes. You can have them together when you're there to supervise to ensure the Lab behaves appropriately around a smaller dog and they will still bond If Molly doesn't like big, boisterous pups then the bonding may take longer but don't worry, they'll eventually get there! Just remember the safety of the little one first and the bonding will follow in time. The only lab I need now is a black! Yellows are my fave, but chocs are real cuties too. I want one of each! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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