Puppies

[RainbowSprinkles]

My dh and I decided that we are going to get a puppy, a labrador retriever, when he gets back from his deployment. He grew up with dogs and he's been wanting to get a dog since as long as I known him. I finally said yes. i have questions though, I hope to find some answers here :)

1.What do I need to get before we pick up the puppy?

2. What is the average price for a lab? I found a breeder who sells them for $650. Is that a good price?

3. What should be included in that price? Like shots, and things like that?

4. What questions should I ask the breeder once we do go see the puppies? The only contact I had so far was a phone call to ask if there were any available and to tell him we'd be stopping by once dh gets back.

That's all I can think of so far, but I'm sure I'll think of more questions later.

Thanks for helping me out :)

[Nakia]

Please consider a rescue. There are so very many awesome puppies/dogs looking for great homes. You can definitely find pure bred labs in rescue situations. Hope you find the perfect pet for your family!

[hornblower]

How to Find a Reputable Breeder

 

Take your time to find a good breeder. Contact your local breed club & ask for referrals. Good breeders won't be advertising in the newspaper or in online classifieds etc. Excellent breeders often have wait lists.

 

Go here & click on Training Textbook. Read through all the pages in the Training Textbook before you get your puppy.

 

Also check out - How to Select a Good Puppy

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/how-select-good-puppy

 

Be aware that good breeders will often want to pick a puppy for you - they'll match the right puppy with your requirements, activity level etc.

 

If you are near a large metro area, there are often assistance dog training organizations which will train puppies for seeing eye & other assistance dogs. They always have dogs which fail the program - but they're often EXCELLENT pet quality dogs.

 

The best breeders do a lot to provide early neurological stimulation to optimize brain development and stable temperament. Check out some videos from puppy prodigies to see how brilliant young puppies can be:

http://www.puppyprodigies.org/VideoClips.htm

 

Puppy prodigies does sell dogs which get released from their program btw.

 

Finally - consider rescue. Puppies come into rescue, even purebred puppies become available quite regulalry.

 

best wishes

[jensway]

Take a look at the local shelter first. The shelters where I'm at always seem to have Labs. Some will be Lab mixes, but sometimes you can find pure breed if that is what your heart is set on. Our last 6 dogs have all been shelter or breed rescue.

 

Contact a Lab Rescue in your area they might have some that would be right for what you are looking for.

 

Our last rescue was a shelter rescue Border Collie/Retriever mix, my son picked him out. "Rocky" was only 4 months when we got him. He 3.5 now and we couldn't have found a better buddy/fit for our family.:001_smile:

[muffinmom]

puppies=lots. of. work.

 

ask me how I know.

[Whereneverever]

If you are getting a puppy I'd suggest reading about crate training.

[Cindy in the NH Woods]

~ a dog crate with a divider that can partition off to fit your puppy, and large enough to accomodate your full grown dog

 

~two fleece liners for the crate, one small one for the pup and one larger that you can fold in half, and use later too. You will be washing these. A lot. ;)

 

~some sort of doggie bed

 

~collar, and six foot leash (or two)

~ appropriate training collars

~ a long rope type leash for letting your puppy play outside while you are pottying her, or working on training with her

 

~kibble recommended by your breeder

 

~broad based food bowls

 

~tons of paper towels

 

~couple of dog/puppy training books

 

~pig ears, kong chew toy, ball, cuddly toy

 

Not necessary, but a sanity saver:

 

~baby gates for limiting puppy's roaming

 

And I so agree with above: lots, and lots of work!

 

Enjoy!

 

Cindy~ First time dog mommy to Tessa vom Birkenwald aka Tessa vom "Barkenwald", five month old German Shepherd pup who is chillin' with the kids and I now, as we watch the Olympics :)

[muffinmom]

Dogs for Dummies helped me a lot.

[Cammie]

Really, really, really believe everyone when they say how much work a puppy will be!! Our Lab is about 5 months now. She is stronger than me, still very much a puppy, needs lots of attention/exercise and is really quite a bit of work. While I still have hopes that in time she will be a great family dog - she cannot be with the kids alone at this time. I think it would have been smarter for us to go with a smaller breed. However, of course we all love her and will try and train her so that we can all enjoy her.

[Samiam]

Really? Can't be alone with the kids?

 

We have a lab, about 8 months old. She's wonderful. She is big, and slightly clumsy, but she's a true sweetheart. She's very smart, too. Love her to pieces! She's a yellow (although she is technically white, there's no official "white lab" label).

 

We had a chocolate lab once. She was also a super smart, sweetheart. She was great with our children. BUT she was high-energy, and even at two years, just a bit much for our household. Plus we didn't really have the yard space for her to get the exercise she needed to burn that energy. We ended up giving her to a family that had a huge fenced in yard where she could run her energy off. It was best for the dog, and our family.

 

As far as the price, I guess it's all relative to your area, BUT $650 seems high to me. Labs in our area go for $250-$350, this is pure-bred pedigree AKC-registered. But honestly, unless you are planning on breeding your dog, there's really no need for all of those labels. The $650 probably comes with a bunch of high-pedigree labels but unless you are showing or breeding, who cares!

 

Labs have a history of hip dysplasia...not really sure what it is, but something to do with back hips not lined up....so make sure the there have been tests (and refund guarantees) for hip dysplasia....although honestly for $650, I can not imagine a THING being wrong with these puppies.

 

I think you have a great list from others about what you will need.

Crate, Food/Water bowls, collar/leash, chew toys. If you have an area where you will not want the dog to go, you might consider a baby gate as well.

 

Expect to spend $300 or more on vet fees within the first six months to a year for check-ups, shots, and spay/neuter will add even more.

 

Labs are big dogs, so the flea and heartworm medicine, which is a monthly thing, will cost more...as the price on this is based on weight of the dog.

 

Big dogs eat alot of food. We spend $65 a month on dog food, but then we do use holistic food.

 

Consider a training class, or at least spend some time researching how to train a dog. Labs are smart, and will pick up quickly, but you do have to put some effort into it. Nothing worse than a big dog who jumps on people or doesn't listen well, or does not return when called.

[Samiam]

Oh yes, and apparently, dogs with flappy ears get ear infections!! I had no idea! Labs are prone to ear infections! Twice since we have had ours (8 months), she has had ear infections. That was $60 a pop for medicine. Plus we have to buy this ear drops thing that we are supposed to put in her ears on a weekly basis to keep her ears dry. The vet says because her ears flap over, it keeps the moistness locked in, causing ear infections. Since learning this, I have had several people tell me they also use these drops for their Labs.

 

Just some things to think about.....but we LOVE our lab!!

[RainbowSprinkles]

Please consider a rescue. There are so very many awesome puppies/dogs looking for great homes. You can definitely find pure bred labs in rescue situations. Hope you find the perfect pet for your family!

 

We will definitely consider a rescue. Thanks, I haven't even thought of that. Tells you how much I know about dogs, ha.

[RainbowSprinkles]

How to Find a Reputable Breeder

 

Take your time to find a good breeder. Contact your local breed club & ask for referrals. Good breeders won't be advertising in the newspaper or in online classifieds etc. Excellent breeders often have wait lists.

 

Go here & click on Training Textbook. Read through all the pages in the Training Textbook before you get your puppy.

 

Also check out - How to Select a Good Puppy

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/how-select-good-puppy

 

Be aware that good breeders will often want to pick a puppy for you - they'll match the right puppy with your requirements, activity level etc.

 

If you are near a large metro area, there are often assistance dog training organizations which will train puppies for seeing eye & other assistance dogs. They always have dogs which fail the program - but they're often EXCELLENT pet quality dogs.

 

The best breeders do a lot to provide early neurological stimulation to optimize brain development and stable temperament. Check out some videos from puppy prodigies to see how brilliant young puppies can be:

http://www.puppyprodigies.org/VideoClips.htm

 

Puppy prodigies does sell dogs which get released from their program btw.

 

Finally - consider rescue. Puppies come into rescue, even purebred puppies become available quite regulalry.

 

best wishes

 

Thanks for the links. I will be reading them!

[RainbowSprinkles]

~ a dog crate with a divider that can partition off to fit your puppy, and large enough to accomodate your full grown dog

 

~two fleece liners for the crate, one small one for the pup and one larger that you can fold in half, and use later too. You will be washing these. A lot. ;)

 

~some sort of doggie bed

 

~collar, and six foot leash (or two)

~ appropriate training collars

~ a long rope type leash for letting your puppy play outside while you are pottying her, or working on training with her

 

~kibble recommended by your breeder

 

~broad based food bowls

 

~tons of paper towels

 

~couple of dog/puppy training books

 

~pig ears, kong chew toy, ball, cuddly toy

 

Not necessary, but a sanity saver:

 

~baby gates for limiting puppy's roaming

 

And I so agree with above: lots, and lots of work!

 

Enjoy!

 

Cindy~ First time dog mommy to Tessa vom Birkenwald aka Tessa vom "Barkenwald", five month old German Shepherd pup who is chillin' with the kids and I now, as we watch the Olympics :)

 

Awesome! Thanks! :)

[RainbowSprinkles]

Dogs for Dummies helped me a lot.

 

Hmm... maybe I will go to the library today.

[RainbowSprinkles]

Really, really, really believe everyone when they say how much work a puppy will be!! Our Lab is about 5 months now. She is stronger than me, still very much a puppy, needs lots of attention/exercise and is really quite a bit of work. While I still have hopes that in time she will be a great family dog - she cannot be with the kids alone at this time. I think it would have been smarter for us to go with a smaller breed. However, of course we all love her and will try and train her so that we can all enjoy her.

 

Well, my dh has been wanting one since I've known him. He grew up with them and is completely aware of how much work they are. I made sure he is, just in case he forgot LOL. It's a good time for us, since he's coming home from a deployment and is gonna stick around for at least a year, hopefully...fingers crossed...

[RainbowSprinkles]

Really? Can't be alone with the kids?

 

We have a lab, about 8 months old. She's wonderful. She is big, and slightly clumsy, but she's a true sweetheart. She's very smart, too. Love her to pieces! She's a yellow (although she is technically white, there's no official "white lab" label).

 

We had a chocolate lab once. She was also a super smart, sweetheart. She was great with our children. BUT she was high-energy, and even at two years, just a bit much for our household. Plus we didn't really have the yard space for her to get the exercise she needed to burn that energy. We ended up giving her to a family that had a huge fenced in yard where she could run her energy off. It was best for the dog, and our family.

 

As far as the price, I guess it's all relative to your area, BUT $650 seems high to me. Labs in our area go for $250-$350, this is pure-bred pedigree AKC-registered. But honestly, unless you are planning on breeding your dog, there's really no need for all of those labels. The $650 probably comes with a bunch of high-pedigree labels but unless you are showing or breeding, who cares!

 

Labs have a history of hip dysplasia...not really sure what it is, but something to do with back hips not lined up....so make sure the there have been tests (and refund guarantees) for hip dysplasia....although honestly for $650, I can not imagine a THING being wrong with these puppies.

 

I think you have a great list from others about what you will need.

Crate, Food/Water bowls, collar/leash, chew toys. If you have an area where you will not want the dog to go, you might consider a baby gate as well.

 

Expect to spend $300 or more on vet fees within the first six months to a year for check-ups, shots, and spay/neuter will add even more.

 

Labs are big dogs, so the flea and heartworm medicine, which is a monthly thing, will cost more...as the price on this is based on weight of the dog.

 

Big dogs eat alot of food. We spend $65 a month on dog food, but then we do use holistic food.

 

Consider a training class, or at least spend some time researching how to train a dog. Labs are smart, and will pick up quickly, but you do have to put some effort into it. Nothing worse than a big dog who jumps on people or doesn't listen well, or does not return when called.

 

Thanks!! :)

[Hockey Mom]

Please consider a rescue. There are so very many awesome puppies/dogs looking for great homes. You can definitely find pure bred labs in rescue situations. Hope you find the perfect pet for your family!

 

I second this. Check shelters as well. There are tons of purebred labs in shelters.

 

The main thing you need to realize is that for the first two years, a lab is very, very energetic. This is also the reason so many end up in shelters. They shed worse than any dog I've ever owned. So if you are 'antsy' about having dog hair everywhere, a lab isn't the dog for you. Labs are prone to hip dysplasia, obesity, and fatty tumors. So be prepared for heavy vet bills. They are also prone to bloat - which is life-threatening and very expensive to treat. Educate yourself on bloat thoroughly so that you will know the symptoms should they ever present themselves.

 

Our lab is over 10 years old. She is the absolute best dog I've ever owned. She is wonderful with all people, but especially sweet, patient, and gentle with children. She loves to chase the little lizards on our patio, and I believe she would die before she ever let any harm come to one of her family members.

 

Have fun picking out your new 'baby'. :)

 

ETA: Here's my lab (Holly) a couple of days ago. My DS7 (the one in the front) adores her to pieces.

 

Edited February 13, 2010 by Hockey Mom

[gingersmom]

I 1000% agree with looking at shelters first.

 

Good breeders do not have to advertise in newspapers.

 

I would see if there is a local dog club in your area (check google). There might even be a Labrador Retriever group in your area.

 

See if there are going to be any dog shows in your area (check out American Kennel Club website).

 

Then you can see the full grown dogs and see their temperment. You can talk to several different breeders. You can ask for references. How long have they been breeding this type of dog for?

 

My sister in law went to a "breeder" for a lab and came home with some dog that I guess if you closed one eye kinda looked like a lab. He was the right color at least. He also had a major overbite which made him look even stranger.

[gingersmom]

Really? Can't be alone with the kids?

 

 

 

As far as the price, I guess it's all relative to your area, BUT $650 seems high to me. Labs in our area go for $250-$350, this is pure-bred pedigree AKC-registered.

 

I thought that sounded really cheap! In my area they go for much more money.

 

The dogs for $250 are the "breeders" who had a nice dog and decided to mate it with their friends nice dog and now they have a litter of puppies and call themselves "breeders".

[Hockey Mom]

With a toddler in your household, you might want to consider an older lab. Lab puppies are really hyper. They don't mean to hurt anyone, but they don't understand that jumping, nipping, and running over obstacles (little people) actually might hurt someone.

 

Oh, and make sure any shoes that you absolutely LOVE are put up on a top shelf for a couple of years. Holly ate ONE shoe of each pair I owned when she was a puppy. If she wasn't so adorable I would have put her out then. LOL

[hornblower]

Do not go by AKC registration alone. AKC continues to allow 'mass producers' to register their pups. That means puppy mills - so long as they do the paperwork - can get their pups registered. Remember also that nobody actually checks the paperwork. There are numerous stories of breeders getting one set of papers, breeding a different *****, using another dog's papers etc etc etc.

 

Membership in a strong breed club with a good code of ethics is a good place to start. Also, if I were going to go with a breeder, I'd be looking at someone who puts their dogs not only in conformation but also in agility/tracking/herding/hunting etc. The dogs should not just look good, but should be able to the 'job' their breed was developed for.

[Lorax]

I would agree with the person that said you might want to think twice about a lab puppy with a toddler. They are very "mouthy". We have a six month old lab who is extremely smart and very sweet. She is settling now, but in the first few months she ripped holes in most of my 9 year old dd clothing and could not be left alone with her due to relentless jumping and nipping.

[LBS]

Labs are such amazing, loving and loveable pets. My biggest surprise, after getting a chocolate male for my young kids (4 and 2) was that they will chew your whole house down to a toothpick. I wish someone had told me to buy a truckload of things for him to chew on.

 

He was our first pet, and cost a lot of money. He had some hip problems and arthritis. Happy dog. Big dog=short life.

 

After he died, I started spending time every day on Petfinders. I researched breeds with the kids, and we oohed and aahed over dogs, and some got adopted, we visited a few (not at shelters, the kids couldn't handle it at that age.)We foster-homed three dogs, who found great homes after us, but did not fit us. (one was horribly rambunctious and not so interested in his people family, and was a cow-chaser; another was unable to bear men and my husband and sons were not going to move out). We foster-homed only because I made it clear that we could afford the time and expense of the best food and medical care and love for only one dog, in our home, so I was not willing to have a difficult dog just because the rules say you can't bring a dog back, nor did I want a dog confused and refused because he did not know what we needed....after that first puppy, we adopted young dogs, and have really never regretted that at all. There are so many specialized breed rescues too, and their application for adopting one of their animals feels like you're adopting a human: I've seen apps that actually ask your birth control plans....passion to love dogs makes it excusable, I reckon.

 

I guess I just wanted to know what a dog was like before committing, since I had been thru a couple of dogs who just never were happy pets for a family. Our dog, on my avatar is a husky/lab/??? mix. She was about 12-24 months, had kennel cough, in heat and maybe heartworm. The pound was getting ready to resurface their kennels so agreed to let us safe-house her. She had been pretty non-responsive when we visited her, but the rescue shelter lady knew best: she is the most wonderful part of our family....I dont' know what we did before her. Oh, yeah, we were able to go somewhere without spending time brushing white hair off our clothes.

 

Hope this helps,

LBS

[TXMomof4]

Labs are such amazing, loving and loveable pets. My biggest surprise, after getting a chocolate male for my young kids (4 and 2) was that they will chew your whole house down to a toothpick. I wish someone had told me to buy a truckload of things for him to chew on.

 

 

 

This was my biggest problem with lab *puppies*. However, if you get a 1 or 2 yo dog from a rescue or shelter alot of the puppy insanity will be done with, I have found them as easy to train as a puppy.

 

I absolutely have loved my labs though. I couldn't recommend a better family dog.

[Once Again]

I've always believed strongly in getting a dog or puppy from a shelter. So far I've adopted two pups in this manner. However, you should know that any dog you get from a shelter has likely been exposed to other dogs with illnesses. It is pretty much the norm that any dog you adopt from a shelter with be sick. The first dog I got turned out to have distemper. She survived with a lot of care, but it was a near thing. The second had some sort of viral infection. It took her a couple of months to get over it, though she was not nearly as sick as my first dog. Just keep that in mind if you get a pound dog.

[Melinda in VT]

DH and I got a lab when we were first married. He was 8 weeks old, and we had him until he had to be put down at 9 years due to fast-acting lymphoma.

 

I have two pieces of advice for anyone considering a lab:

 

1. Insist on meeting both parents and carefully consider their behavior
   
2. Read Marley & Me
   

 

 

I still love labs, but we now have a Golden Retriever. He's a much better fit for our family. (And yes, I did meet both of his parents.)

[Teachin'Mine]

I haven't read through all the replies :blushing: but I was wondering if you've considered adopting a lab from Seeing Eyes for the Blind or similar organizations. I don't know how long the waiting list is for these dogs, but they come having already received a lot of training and make great pets. There are so many reasons why they wouldn't have made a good assistance dog, but would make an awesome pet.

 

I also second shelters as a great place to look. A good shelter knows their dogs well and can make a great match for your family. :) So many animals end up homeless due to financial difficulties.

[GWOB]

We have an almost 6 year old Chocolate Lab I wouldn't trade for the world. She is often better behaved than my 3 human children:001_smile:. We got her when she was 8 weeks old. We looked at shelters, but about 90% of the shelter dogs were some sort of Pit Bull mix, which just wouldn't work for us. We found a breeder (yes, in the paper, the horror!) and met with Zoe's parents. They were big over-grown babies with the sweetest personalities, which is basically most Labs, as long as you are willing to put in the time and effort when they are younger.

 

When we brought Zoe home, we had a 17-month old and a 4 year old. We never had any problems with Zoe and the kids. She grew up with kids around her, so she knew how to act around them. She never bit the kids, except for the one time my dd put her finger in Zoe's mouth. (I told my dd if she put her finger in MY mouth I would likely bite it as well.) Yes, Lab puppies are high-energy. Invest in a Frisbee. They will chase that Frisbee for hours. I would just sit on our back porch and throw a ball/Frisbee and she would chase it over and over. That would wear her out quite nicely. You will have to walk/run the puppy daily. Now may be a good time to consider a walking/running program. We crate-trained our puppy. She was potty-trained within 3 months, which was quicker than my human babies. Provide puppy with plenty of chew toys. We never had a problem with Zoe chewing inappropriate things, except when we left open the trash can, which was really our own fault. Read anything and everything you can about puppy training and Labs. Info is your friend.

 

Honestly, I do not think I will ever be without a Lab. Zoe is a joy and wonderful part of our family. She is delightfully lazy and useless when we are, but more than willing to go for a 6 mile run with me when the time comes. She can play all day or sleep all day, whatever we want. She is very protective, but still piddles with excitement when anyone comes over. Oh, and her favorite place to park her 80lb self is in my lap. And the tail! Beware of the tail, which is almost always wagging and will clear anything off a coffee table. And yes they shed like nobody's business. Invest in a good vacuum cleaner and plenty of lint rollers.