I've Fallen In Love

[black magic]

I'm someone too who has never really been into labs for probably the opposite reason, all the labs I come across are massively overweight waddling things.

You do realise this is a fault of individual owners?

So true.

I know Scout is still only young, but I have not found it hard to keep her in shape, and I'm a novice owner.

[black magic]

I'm someone too who has never really been into labs for probably the opposite reason, all the labs I come across are massively overweight waddling things. As someone has already said, people seem to get them for the wrong reasons.

So rarely do you see a fit looking lab that it is kind of off putting. I also have been put off by the chocolate craze which has seen the rise of byb's and dodgy temps.

HOWEVER I saw one at one of K9 Forces workshops who was stunning to look at and a friend now has one who he exercises and trains regularly. Toby is a lovely dog and one I would be happy to own myself.

ETA: a lady I meet has a shitzu who I also have a secret crush on. Not a small dog person but this little girl is a real character

Ooooh, I wonder if that was my girl we were at one of K9 forces workshops earlier in the year :wink:

[Loving my Oldies]

Cosmolo - I've been meaning to tell you about a little fluffer we have in care at the moment who I think you would die for too!!! This thread reminded me. He is a 7 month old Papillon X Maltese that soooooo needs a home where he can use his brain. He is as active and switched on as a Kelpie and just dying to please. I've never met a little dog like him - he has obviously taken on a lot of the Papillon traits as I've seen many of them doing flyball & agility - that is what he was built for!!!!

I haven't put him up for adoption as the worng sort of people will want him because he is young and fluffy and I want him to work!!!!

Oh, I so want to see a photo of him, Trish - pretty please.

[mokhahouse]

I am the owner of two labs and in fact I have trouble keeping the weight on them. They are both lean and fit.They are both trained and exercised daily and have access to the yard to play so when they are indoors they are either asleep or loving you. IMO they are a fantastic breed and are so devoted and willing to learn. I am not going to bash any ones elses choice of breed,everyone is looking for something different in their dogs. I am a labrador and collie person. I get exactly what I expected from my two labs.

[huski]

I am the owner of two labs and in fact I have trouble keeping the weight on them. They are both lean and fit.They are both trained and exercised daily and have access to the yard to play so when they are indoors they are either asleep or loving you. IMO they are a fantastic breed and are so devoted and willing to learn. I am not going to bash any ones elses choice of breed,everyone is looking for something different in their dogs. I am a labrador and collie person. I get exactly what I expected from my two labs.

I don't think anyone has bashed labs, in fact most people have said they like them but they just aren't the breed for them.

[Lablover]

Have any of you guys (trainers or the like) ever worked a dog that wasn't yours that you secretly fell in love with it...wishing you could take him/her home?? Just curious.

Short answer - No.

That being said, a good dog is a good dog, whatever the breed. Mind you if GSPs could handle the cold water better, I might entertain the thought of owning one (if all the working labradors in the world suddenly disappeared).

[Quickasyoucan]

I'm someone too who has never really been into labs for probably the opposite reason, all the labs I come across are massively overweight waddling things. As someone has already said, people seem to get them for the wrong reasons.

So rarely do you see a fit looking lab that it is kind of off putting. I also have been put off by the chocolate craze which has seen the rise of byb's and dodgy temps.

HOWEVER I saw one at one of K9 Forces workshops who was stunning to look at and a friend now has one who he exercises and trains regularly. Toby is a lovely dog and one I would be happy to own myself.

ETA: a lady I meet has a shitzu who I also have a secret crush on. Not a small dog person but this little girl is a real character ;)

Ooooh, I wonder if that was my girl we were at one of K9 forces workshops earlier in the year :wink:

Yes that was her, she is gorgeous!!!

I wasn't lab bashing btw, unfortunately I just find the breed attracts people who think you can throw one into a backyard and hey presto perfect family dog, yes that may happen on the rare occasion but the other side of the coin is the seriously annoying over excited lab that jumps up, scratches you, snatches poo bags from your hand (yes it has happened to me) and eats them and is generally the annoyance of the dog park, or the lab that is so fat that it can hardly walk. :p

I am sure those who own labs find this frustrating too.

A working dog or a fit and well trained and polite family pet of any breed gets my vote every time. And having seen working labs on TV a few times that is stunning to watch.

[Guest RosieFT]

Not quite on topic..

rubystar I have seen your dogs and i cannot believe they would ever misbehave... I had the pleasure of briefly handling your girl and she was magnificant.. Try a foxterrier in a highly stimulating environment... LOL oh thats right YOU did.. !! hee hee

I grew up with a lab and she was a fantastic dog. My mum must have put lots of work in but I spent my very young years 'training' her to do all sorts of things. I have a strong memory of being at the beach, then mum trying to get all 6 of us kids into the car, she told Beth to sit stay while she piled us in. We drove home, unpacked the car and then mum realised we didn't have the dog! We all piled back in, drove back to beach and there she was in her sit/stay in the car park just waiting. LOL But boy could she destroy a bin!! :-)

My OH didn't want one when we were researching family dogs because all the ones he had seen were fat. I didn't want such a big dog or I would have got one in a heartbeat. I have many fond memories of Beth.

[RubyStar]

Not quite on topic..

rubystar I have seen your dogs and i cannot believe they would ever misbehave... I had the pleasure of briefly handling your girl and she was magnificant.. Try a foxterrier in a highly stimulating environment... LOL oh thats right YOU did.. !! hee hee

I grew up with a lab and she was a fantastic dog. My mum must have put lots of work in but I spent my very young years 'training' her to do all sorts of things. I have a strong memory of being at the beach, then mum trying to get all 6 of us kids into the car, she told Beth to sit stay while she piled us in. We drove home, unpacked the car and then mum realised we didn't have the dog! We all piled back in, drove back to beach and there she was in her sit/stay in the car park just waiting. LOL But boy could she destroy a bin!! :-)

My OH didn't want one when we were researching family dogs because all the ones he had seen were fat. I didn't want such a big dog or I would have got one in a heartbeat. I have many fond memories of Beth.

How's little Rosie going? It's a shame you didn't come back to class! You should try handling Millie now, she's obsessive about getting into heel position as soon as she knows we're about to work! It might not be perfect, but I don't even have to ask her and she jumps into position at my side She's picked up confidence at training class now, wanting to say a little hello to other dogs, as before when you first met her, she only had eyes for humans (still does very much so).

OMG about your old dog being left in a sit/stay at the beach That is hilarious, though I bet the poor little thing sat there as the car drove off wondering what on earth she had done wrong to be left behind If you can't call that a rock solid sit/stay then nothing is!!

[ozjen]

I don't mind labs, I just find them a bit boring My friend has a chocolate lab named Oprah and I love her, just not for me.

What is boring about them? Genuine question, I am going to collect my lab puppy next weekend and am very curiuos to hear your answer.

Nothing in particular, the same reason I find BCs, goldies etc a bit boring, maybe it's because they are quite popular and you see them around a lot. They just don't appeal to me as a dog I would want to own and train etc.

That is my perception of BC's - way too popular in the dog sport world. Smart little buggers that are perfect for it, and even though I'm into dog sports, it's not a breed I actually want to own myself. So each to their own I guess. I just get my back up when people see these overweight, out of control Labs and paint all Labs with the same brush My girls are very trim and although highly excitable when they're out at a highly stimulating place, they are generally very well behaved young ladies! A joy to have.

I'll second that, I've met Rubystar's Millie and it was lovely to see a Lab who was nice and trim and she was very well behaved and she's not the only Lab I've met like that. People often develop incorrect perceptions of various breeds and while some aspects of each breed may be true each dog like each person is an idividual and when we each find that perfect match it is wonderful. There are many breeds I like but would never have and there are dogs I've had that no one else but me would love but to me they were or are perfect. There is something out there to suit everyone and sometimes its not the one that we expect that we fall in love with.

[RubyStar]

Thanks, ozjen It was actually Ruby you met And Millie is even trimmer and better at obedience than Ruby

[poocow]

Yes I fell in love with a Goldie called Macca - he was a permanent resident at the kennel, probably still there I secretly wanted to go steal him one night but its slightly illegal :rolleyes: Hes developed HD as well from living on concrete 24/7 too I miss my boy so much. There was rumour the owners wanted to rehome so I started sussing it out but it was just a thought - my ex-bosses turn against anyone that leaves the kennel so I'm not a popular person now. Macca was so easy to train as well, just loved to work with me, taught him lots of tricks. So good natured as well.

Working in kennels turned me off labs and staffys for life. Thats not saying I haven't met some lovely labs, but I would never own one.

As for the person who mentioned BCs being smart - want Toppy? Hes the dumbest thing on this planet, I think hes actually got mental problems from being abused in his past life.

[black magic]

I'm someone too who has never really been into labs for probably the opposite reason, all the labs I come across are massively overweight waddling things. As someone has already said, people seem to get them for the wrong reasons.

So rarely do you see a fit looking lab that it is kind of off putting. I also have been put off by the chocolate craze which has seen the rise of byb's and dodgy temps.

HOWEVER I saw one at one of K9 Forces workshops who was stunning to look at and a friend now has one who he exercises and trains regularly. Toby is a lovely dog and one I would be happy to own myself.

ETA: a lady I meet has a shitzu who I also have a secret crush on. Not a small dog person but this little girl is a real character

Ooooh, I wonder if that was my girl we were at one of K9 forces workshops earlier in the year :wink:

Yes that was her, she is gorgeous!!!

I wasn't lab bashing btw, unfortunately I just find the breed attracts people who think you can throw one into a backyard and hey presto perfect family dog, yes that may happen on the rare occasion but the other side of the coin is the seriously annoying over excited lab that jumps up, scratches you, snatches poo bags from your hand (yes it has happened to me) and eats them and is generally the annoyance of the dog park, or the lab that is so fat that it can hardly walk. :D

I am sure those who own labs find this frustrating too.

A working dog or a fit and well trained and polite family pet of any breed gets my vote every time. And having seen working labs on TV a few times that is stunning to watch.

Thankyou for the lovely comment about my Scout.

It always makes you feel good when someone thinks your dog is beautiful.

I told her and she flicked her ears back and battered her eyelids in response

[RubyStar]

Scout is truly gorgeous!!

[Guest RosieFT]

Rubystar - i am pleased to hear Millie is doing so well. I was so envious of her 110% focus on me, or my treat bag or both! LOL There was Rosie just wanting to meet everyone and everything thing and sniff and smell and definitely NOT eat her treats! LOL

Rosie is doing well. She is a very good dog, (*most* of the time), with a beautiful nature. She is now banned from the bathroom when the kids have a bath as she has (finally) realised that there is water about and the kids do splash, uber exciting for a dog who has a water obsession! Still she normally just licks the edge of the bath (eww) and has only fallen in up to her shoulders LOL , but is now banned :-)

I found I was getting upset (and embarrassing myself!) at obedience as Rosie tried her best but could not get focused with so many distractions. She did improve alot in the stationary stuff, but I don't think she would ever have got a loose lead walk with 20 other dogs in the class. I found I was coming home with negative feelings that Rosie did not deserve and unfortunately, I did not get the help i needed at the club. I don't blame the club, they had huge classes and I was obviously a gumby LOL.

Beth was a wonderful dog and all labs I have known have been great dogs.. I am wondering what I am missing?? what do they do in the kennels etc that is so bad?

[Kavik]

They can just be high mainenance in a kennel or daycare situation :D

Destructive (chewed fences, put holes in the walls), noisy, mouthy, take your fingers off for a treat or toy, pushy with the other dogs, play rough, very strong and pull on lead, dig in water bowls making floors slippery.

Just fairly naughty big boofers

[RubyStar]

But you've just described SO many different breeds

I can liken it to me going around and saying all GSD's are aggressive. I have met a couple of GSD's and each one has gone for Ruby. One was a 9 month old pup who ran up to her and went for her, not once but twice, it scared the crap out of Ruby. Another was an adult dog, we met walking past each other on a nature path, the dogs were sniffing each other's faces (Ruby with submissive posture as always, underneath the GSD) and then it went for her. But I realise this is not the nature of ALL GSD's, it comes down to the individual dog and also how they are raised. If I went around stating all GSD's are dog aggressive based on my run-ins with a handful, it would definitely offend the GSD owners on here. So that is why us Lab owners on here are slightly offended with the generalisations.

I'm not usually one to debate, but I guess I just love my Labs too much to not say something

Edited June 5, 2009 by RubyStar

[Kavik]

That is just my experience with the Labs we had in at daycare (and is consistent with my experience with Labs at parks as well, I am careful if there is a Lab I don't know as sometimes they barrel up to my dog and get in his face and the owners just think he is being friendly. My GSD gets quite intimidated by them). We had a LOT of Labs come in. Can't have just have been my perception, all staff at the daycare thought the same thing, and from poocow's post, other people who are involved in boarding have a similar experience.

The GSDs that came in tended to be a bit stressy in the busy daycare environment (including mine), and did not play anywhere near as rough. The Labs were not stressy in general.

ETA: I am not saying they are not nice dogs or that they are necessarily naughty at home, this is in a busy, highly stimulating environment where there are lots of dogs in off lead together. The Labs and gundogs in general got very excited and could be difficult to control. It is not a big paddock with acres to run around, it is an enclosed space with lots of other dogs. Barrelling around at top speed is not really a good idea for a big dog in a little space surrounded by lots of other dogs!

Edited June 5, 2009 by Kavik

[black magic]

They can just be high mainenance in a kennel or daycare situation

Destructive (chewed fences, put holes in the walls), noisy, mouthy, take your fingers off for a treat or toy, pushy with the other dogs, play rough, very strong and pull on lead, dig in water bowls making floors slippery.

Just fairly naughty big boofers

I understand that everyone has the right to an opinion, and of course not everyone is going to like the same types of dogs, but have to say that this is a definite overgeneralisation of the breed.

Perhaps the "type" of owners should be looked at rather than the breed of dog. Are the owners of these dogs ones that don't spend much time with their dogs, training etc and see daycare as an alternative to interacting/training their pets. Are they including them as part of the family?

There are types of dogs that I don't like due to interactions that I've had with them, however I wouldn't ever say that all dogs of that breed are the same, as I'm sure for every bad one i've met there, would be a great one out there, so how would it be fair of me to say that every dog from that breed fits into the same box or deserves that label

[Ellie1]

I only got my puppy today but I have had the pleasure of spending time around many labs at my breeders place, at the Lab shows and I have met Rubystars lovely girls, before I commited to another dog I wanted to spend time with certain breeds and see what they are like. I have had staffys, ridgeback and I had a lab x as a child. And I must say I love Labs, they are so people friendly anad are eager to please. My ridgeback didnt like certain people and I couldnt take her within 100 meters of another dog, she was also very very difficult to train ( it wanst just me a professional dog trainer tried to train her and Gabby would have none of it). I guess its good that we all love different breeds it makes the world an interesting place, but I for one am definatly a lab lover..