sandgrubber Posted October 20, 2011 Share Posted October 20, 2011 Any dog with a few small children around is going to need watching. For the dog's sake as well as the kids. I was told about a family Lab who was taken to the vet to be PTS because it bit one of the kids. After the vet had killed the dog, they noticed that it had several staples punched through its ear. I've had a couple problems with Lab pups placed with families with young children. The biggest problems arise when the puppy is encouraged to think of kids as playmates and play isn't supervised. Games get going, like puppy chases kids, kids run and scream. Puppy thinks it's a game. Puppy has sharp teeth. This can go down hill rapidly. Labs have very high pain thresholds and generally, strong bite inhibition. Some have very little drive and very strong nurturing personalities. If you talk around, you'll find loads of people who had a Lab for a best friend as a kid . . . most of them get Labs as adults. A low drive mature Lab will be about as easy as it gets, for kids dogs. But puppies go through stages, and rules are required . . .no matter what breed of dog you have.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 don't know if you've seen this ornot wantsapuppy, its a list of breeders who are selling mature labradors: http://www.dogzonline.com.au/breeds/mature/labrador-retriever.asp might be useful I guess how I look at it is this: Do you have a good training club that you can easily attend for about the first two years of pup's life? Knowing the things that can go wrong, are you committed to work through them, and do you have the means to work through them (i.e. access to good trainers, money to spend on private sessions if needed, and time to implement training)? You don't have to answer that here ofcourse, they are more questions for you to ask yourself if you think the answers are 'yes' to those above questions then I'd say go ahead with your research for finding the right breeder and puppy for you. And before you get your puppy have an idea of the rules you want to implement and an idea about how you'll implement them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) I would also find out who in your state breeds for Guide Dogs, here in WA only certain lines get used, those pups from those lines are usually quieter dogs ( well the ones I have met have been). My Mason's sister is a guide dog in training and at 2,5 years old is a lot quieter than heaps of other labs I have met... ETA the whole litter are very quiet easy going, easy to train dogs- its from their mum I think as she herself is so laid back and non hyper. Edited October 21, 2011 by Mason_Gibbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I don't know how the media represent labs, I've never really taken much notice. But I am in my 50's and in the neighbourhoods I grew up in labradors were about the most common household pet. Families were large with lots of kids close in age, the puppy/dog played with the children unsupervised, there were no obedience classes or puppy schools and we considered the dog clever if it could sit on command and a veritable genius if it could shake hands. They were great dogs, and there was no paranoia over whether they'd knock the kids over or nip them.......they did because they were puppies and the kids dusted themselves off and got on with play. I can't recall anyone being warned off from getting a lab because their kids were young......in fact quite the opposite. Haven't you noticed that people have become less tolerant of things these days? I am only 30, but when I was a kid, we could be smacked by our parents and people wouldn't accuse them of child abuse, we could fall off our bike and break an arm and our parents wouldn't be trying to sue someone, we could be nipped by a dog and it was our own fault for tormenting them. These days, it's the exact opposite. Child abuse claims flying all over the place (some random in the shopping centre YELLED and swore at my sister for her telling her own child off in the shop!!), people are suing for every accident that happens, and dogs that nip children are bad and should stop socialising with the kids. Things change!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I would also find out who in your state breeds for Guide Dogs, here in WA only certain lines get used, those pups from those lines are usually quieter dogs ( well the ones I have met have been). My Mason's sister is a guide dog in training and at 2,5 years old is a lot quieter than heaps of other labs I have met... ETA the whole litter are very quiet easy going, easy to train dogs- its from their mum I think as she herself is so laid back and non hyper. Ruby's breeder supplies for Guide Dogs too btw. Ruby was a ratbag of a puppy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 Now I'm more confused then ever :(G All it really comes down to is, do you have the time required for a Lab puppy with 4 small children requiring your attention? Not your training skills, as plenty of novice owners got a Lab as their first dog and have survived. Just comes down to time, as they are babies themselves for such a long time. That is something you just need to ask yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 (edited) If lab puppies are so awful and such hard work, how on earth did they get a reputation for being such great family dogs? I've had 3 Aussie pups in the past few years and I can honestly say that not one of them was even a fraction of the work that's described here. Exactly what I was thinking, this thread makes labs sound like demon dogs ETA: Spelling Edited October 21, 2011 by Aussie3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 a better question to ask is - are you ready for another baby and all the 24/7 work to go with it. If the prospect of another child is frightening then maybe leave a baby puppy for a couple more years If lab puppies are so awful and such hard work, how on earth did they get a reputation for being such great family dogs? It's an assumption made by so many people despite the fact they're not exactly low in the level of effort and care they require. They see them as guide dogs and that makes them automatically quiet, calm, level headed and low maintenance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 a better question to ask is - are you ready for another baby and all the 24/7 work to go with it. If the prospect of another child is frightening then maybe leave a baby puppy for a couple more years If lab puppies are so awful and such hard work, how on earth did they get a reputation for being such great family dogs? It's an assumption made by so many people despite the fact they're not exactly low in the level of effort and care they require. They see them as guide dogs and that makes them automatically quiet, calm, level headed and low maintenance. That's very true, we would have people come in wanting to get a lab pup and they would be under the impression they "came trained already" as they are guide dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wantsapuppy Posted October 21, 2011 Author Share Posted October 21, 2011 a better question to ask is - are you ready for another baby and all the 24/7 work to go with it. If the prospect of another child is frightening then maybe leave a baby puppy for a couple more years If lab puppies are so awful and such hard work, how on earth did they get a reputation for being such great family dogs? It's an assumption made by so many people despite the fact they're not exactly low in the level of effort and care they require. They see them as guide dogs and that makes them automatically quiet, calm, level headed and low maintenance. Another baby is no hassle haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeyjangels Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I dont know i think a lab with a quiet calm nature can be found. I have 2 labs and i think they have been easier to handle then some of my prior dogs. I do make sure they go out daily tho and that the older ine exercises at least 20 mins a day plus training. I wouldnt pay for private training unless there was a behaviour problem. Our club closes for jdec and jan and i train on my own - i dont attend with mason anyway as he has finished all the trial classes. Gibbs i will teach on my own mostly as i want to do things slightly differently I have a Lab with a quiet calm nature. Jangels is only 21 months old, & I frequently receive compliments about how quiet (& gentle) he is. He so laid back people have assumed he is 7 or 8 years old. He is very spoilt & has very little time without human company. So I am guessing this combined with his pedigree has resulted in our beautiful boy's easy going perfect nature Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
**Super_Dogs** Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 It's an assumption made by so many people despite the fact they're not exactly low in the level of effort and care they require. They see them as guide dogs and that makes them automatically quiet, calm, level headed and low maintenance. That is so true!! Labs are really easy to train .......... but they have to be trained Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziwong66 Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I have an 8 month old labrador boy in care ATM, hes gorgeous but was surrendered to a pound due to being too much for young children, and owners not having the time for him! Hes just a typical young Lab who needs a bit of training $350 with all vetwork done if anyone in Adelaide is looking for a Labrador ;) One of my friends, is meeting Sampson this weekend in the hopes that all goes well and they are suited to adopt Sampson. They sadly lost their geriatric dog a few months ago but are ready for a new furkid family member. I've got my that all works in their favour so Wilbur will have a playmate and a friend at obedience classes :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zug Zug Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 No need to apologise. I am looking for a puppy at the moment and I am also very unsure about prices. Different breed - but I am glad you asked because I find the replies help give me some context to the prices I am hearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baby Dragon Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 I haven't read the whole thread, but as others have said I'd suggest considering a rescue Lab, aged 3+ years that has been living in foster care. Have the rescuers match you with a dog, and then get an opinion from a professional trainer, have them assess the dog and test it's temperament. Any info you can get on the dog's health checks and history would be helpful too. Some people might think hiring a trainer to assess the dog is going a bit overboard, but I think it's important to have as much info as possible about the dog before you make a decision. Another idea is, have you considered going on the waiting list for a career changed assistance dog or guide dog? The wait can be a while, but the trainers should be able to give you a lot of info on the dog's temperament and match a dog to your family. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted October 21, 2011 Share Posted October 21, 2011 If lab puppies are so awful and such hard work, how on earth did they get a reputation for being such great family dogs? I've had 3 Aussie pups in the past few years and I can honestly say that not one of them was even a fraction of the work that's described here. Exactly what I was thinking, this thread makes labs sound like demon dogs ETA: Spelling Labs are not demon dogs. They continue to be preferred by guide dogs and by millions of families who are in the second, third or fourth generation of Lab owners because, apart from breeders who don't cull for temperament problems and people who buy family pets from lines bred for high drive, they are great with kids. You can't expect ANY puppy to know how to handle a mob of kids without supervision of both the dog and the kids. The biggest strike against Labs, in my opinion, is that people tend to think they are automatically 'nanna's' in the sense of the dog in Peter Pan. Sorry. No dog of any breed is qualified as a child minder. All dogs require supervision and guidance around kids. Not necessarily formal training. But somebody MUST set some bounds, both on the dog and on the kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilmisssascha83 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 It's an assumption made by so many people despite the fact they're not exactly low in the level of effort and care they require. They see them as guide dogs and that makes them automatically quiet, calm, level headed and low maintenance. That is so true!! Labs are really easy to train .......... but they have to be trained Am in total agreement. I worked with a guy who wanted a labrador as he saw and heard stories about mine and just thought she came like that. I did set him straight telling him she was from a rescue organisation, I take her to obedience school, once or twice a week, I practice training every day, she has 2 walks a day, and the vet bills, food, toys etc isn't cheap. ( he was thinking he could get one, it would be calm, already trained and would sit outside all day), he thought walking wasn't needed and that if the dog were to come indoors it wouldn't make a mess. oh and yes he wanted a puppy. I don't think Sasha is the best trained dog in the world but she is getting there and while its nice that people comment on how well behaved she is ( sometimes) I have taken the time to continue training her. He just thinks that all labs come trained as "they are guide dogs" so they are calm and placid etc. I really hope he doesn't get one as I know he isn't ready for not only a labrador but any dog at this stage. I am pleased though that you are taking in everyone's words. Ultimately the decision is up to you but its nice to see you asking questions before you get a pup. It is very easy to be swayed into a pup as they are adorable and I understand the need to have it grow up with your kids but you have to ask yourself in all honesty if you have the time to look after essentially another baby. I think the suggestion of contacting a guide dog organisation to see if you could have a pup to raise and then give back is a great idea. I know customs do this as well. Basically you get a pup, you treat it as if it were your own ( gives you a taste of what it's like to have a pup in the house) and then after 12 months you "give" it back to be trained as a custom's dog. While it would be sad I think it would give you a great insight to what it would be like having a pup in the house with kids and it is also a great service to the community. Some rescue organisations like where I got sasha from DO match you with your dog. You meet, you have a 2 week trial to see how it is with the dog in the house for at least 2 weeks and then after that period is up if you chose to adopt you can. Some also will send the dog interstate ( provided that you are a good match). You just need to ask. I initally thought I wanted a pup but after weighing up everything I thought it wouldn't be the right thing for me right now. But I have ended up with the best dog I could ask and yes she was a rescue dog so I don't really know her history but with the right training etc she is turning out to the best dog she can be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I would also find out who in your state breeds for Guide Dogs, here in WA only certain lines get used, those pups from those lines are usually quieter dogs ( well the ones I have met have been). My Mason's sister is a guide dog in training and at 2,5 years old is a lot quieter than heaps of other labs I have met... ETA the whole litter are very quiet easy going, easy to train dogs- its from their mum I think as she herself is so laid back and non hyper. Ruby's breeder supplies for Guide Dogs too btw. Ruby was a ratbag of a puppy But was that litter in specific for Guide Dogs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Mindy's litter was specific for guide dogs and they all turned out to be terrors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mason_Gibbs Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Mindy's litter was specific for guide dogs and they all turned out to be terrors! In WA they only use dogs with certain lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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