Babies: 9 - 12 Months

I think we are getting a lab retriever...

That is the mix we have been researching. Any one have one? It's said to be a great family dog.

Now, we just have to find a puppy to adopt! We are in MA if anyone knows somebody with a litter - keep us in mind :)

Re: I think we are getting a lab retriever...

  • Labs can be great family dogs. They are also one of the most "abandoned" breeds because people don't realize how high energy they can be. That being said, I grew up with one and it was the best dog I ever had. GL.
  • We have a lab and she is great.  She loves kids, although she's scared of DS right now.  I'm sure once he gets older and can throw a ball she'll fall in love with him.

    Are you just looking for a dog with some sort of lab in them or is there a specific breed you're looking for in the mix?

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  • We have a 2.5 year old choclate, she is the BEST! Everyone compliments how mellow she is but she is well exercised and she hunts in the hunting season. We have been very on top of training and being consistent with her. They don't have to be high strung.  Good luck! You will love him/her!

    Here  is a pic of my baby with my other baby!

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  • imageeris1995:

    Are you just looking for a dog with some sort of lab in them or is there a specific breed you're looking for in the mix?

     

    My husband is interested in a pure Lab or a Lab Retriever....the problem we are running into is a lot of people have litters on the way but they won't be ready to go home until the Fall. We'd really like to get the puppy this summer for training.

  • As long as you train them, retrievers are great dogs.  They require a lot of exercise. 
  • imagekayleebugs:
    imageeris1995:

    Are you just looking for a dog with some sort of lab in them or is there a specific breed you're looking for in the mix?

     

    My husband is interested in a pure Lab or a Lab Retriever....the problem we are running into is a lot of people have litters on the way but they won't be ready to go home until the Fall. We'd really like to get the puppy this summer for training.

    They are the same thing.  The full name for a Lab is Labrador Retriever. 

    Have you checked out petfinder.com

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  • imageeris1995:
    imagekayleebugs:
    imageeris1995:

    Are you just looking for a dog with some sort of lab in them or is there a specific breed you're looking for in the mix?

     

    My husband is interested in a pure Lab or a Lab Retriever....the problem we are running into is a lot of people have litters on the way but they won't be ready to go home until the Fall. We'd really like to get the puppy this summer for training.

    They are the same thing.  The full name for a Lab is Labrador Retriever. 

    Have you checked out petfinder.com

     

    Um you can tell I know a lot about dogs huh?? He said a labrador and a golden retriever mix...and called it a lab retriever...is that wrong?

    I've looked on petfinder but i'm not thrilled with the idea of having the puppy shipped and not meeting him/her first.....

  • I have a 5 1/2 year old Lab mix that we adopted from the Humane Society. He is great but VERY high energy. Just be aware that they require a TON of exercise. I'm training for a tri and he can outlast me on my run and he goes to doggie daycare 3 days a week.
  • imagekayleebugs:
    imageeris1995:
    imagekayleebugs:
    imageeris1995:

    Are you just looking for a dog with some sort of lab in them or is there a specific breed you're looking for in the mix?

     

    My husband is interested in a pure Lab or a Lab Retriever....the problem we are running into is a lot of people have litters on the way but they won't be ready to go home until the Fall. We'd really like to get the puppy this summer for training.

    They are the same thing.  The full name for a Lab is Labrador Retriever. 

    Have you checked out petfinder.com

     

    Um you can tell I know a lot about dogs huh?? He said a labrador and a golden retriever mix...and called it a lab retriever...is that wrong?

    I've looked on petfinder but i'm not thrilled with the idea of having the puppy shipped and not meeting him/her first.....

    It must be a guy thing because my husband thought the same thing when we were looking into getting a dog.  There are Labrador retriever and Golden retriever mixes, but I don't think they have a special name.

    I didn't know that about petfinder- I thought the dogs were first shipped to the local place and then you could meet them.  I look on there every once in a while but never used them.

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  • Please, please, please DO NOT get a dog from a backyard breeder!!  If you are looking to get a mix and buy the dog, you are buying from a backyard breeder.

    I would strongly encourage you to look into rescue groups, shelters or petfinder - you can meet the dog beforehand as I'm sure there are plenty of lab mixes in your area.  Rescue groups have typically fostered the dogs and can therefore give you insight into the dog's temperment and whether it will be a match for you or not.

    You might also consider a slightly older puppy/young adult dog as they will be MUCH easier to train/housebreak - puppies are a ton of work, especially with a LO.

    Good luck in your search!

  • We got our dog who is a lab / boxer / pit mix from a rescue group when he was 12 weeks old and he is the best dog ever. He adores DS and is very protective of him, he loves other cats and dogs and is awesome with the neighborhood kids. We found him through Petfinder.com and we also got our 2 cats from there as well.
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  • We have a 3-year-old black lab and he is truly part of the family.  He's great with DD and she LOVES him.  All he has to do is yawn or breathe loud and she starts giggling. It's adorable. 

    That said, we put a lot of work into training Miles.  Luckily labs love to learn and are very food-motivated, which aids in the training.  I'd recommend a basic obedience training course, especially considering you said you don't know much about dogs.  The courses are really designed to train the owners, not the dogs. 

    Labs are also high energy (some might even say insane), fun-loving, and obsessed with their owners.  Miles is my constant shadow.  It's awesome:)

     Good luck!

  • imagekayleebugs:
    Um you can tell I know a lot about dogs huh?? He said a labrador and a golden retriever mix...and called it a lab retriever...is that wrong?

    I've looked on petfinder but i'm not thrilled with the idea of having the puppy shipped and not meeting him/her first.....

    Really?  Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, given how popular labs and lab mixes are, you should be able to find a shelter or rescue near you where you can meet the puppy before you take them home.

    Wife, mom, Ob/Gyn resident
    Sarah - 12/23/2008
    Alex - 9/30/2011

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    "I say embrace the total geek in yourself and just enjoy it. Life is too short to be cool." - Shirley Manson, Garbage
  • imagencbelle:

    Please, please, please DO NOT get a dog from a backyard breeder!!  If you are looking to get a mix and buy the dog, you are buying from a backyard breeder.

    I would strongly encourage you to look into rescue groups, shelters or petfinder - you can meet the dog beforehand as I'm sure there are plenty of lab mixes in your area.  Rescue groups have typically fostered the dogs and can therefore give you insight into the dog's temperment and whether it will be a match for you or not.

    You might also consider a slightly older puppy/young adult dog as they will be MUCH easier to train/housebreak - puppies are a ton of work, especially with a LO.

    Good luck in your search!

    You rock ncbelle.  I hope you know that.  And as another poster said, labs are constantly abandoned b/c people don't know how high energy they are.  Go to petfinder and rescue a lab.  Oh, and hire a trainer/behaviorist to help you train the dog.  They're pretty high up on the dog intelligence scale.  In fact, they're on the top 10. 

  • I'm going to ditto previous posters - please adopt from a shelter.  Shelter dogs are wonderful (we have a boxer mix who's a big goof) and you have the added benefit of knowing that you are contributing to the "good side" of pet adoptions as opposed to the other side of potentially deplorable conditions of a breeder.

    That being said, I think you need to rethink your choice of breed. Its true that labs are intelligent, loyal, etc., but they also need a lot of exercise and for someone who doesn't know a lot about dogs, that may become overwhelming super quick.  My dog is not high energy or a high energy breed (although who really knows what he has in him) and he needs at least 3 walks a day and is much happier with a trip to a park in addition to his walks where he can flat out run for awhile.  I don't want to discourage you from getting a dog because of the wonderfulness that comes from owning one, but I also wouldn't want you or the dog to be unhappy because you went into things unprepared and weren't aware of the time committment even a non-puppy will take.

  • Hi,

    I don't post alot but I just wanted to let you know that I am in MA as well. We just adopted a 7 month old mutt (terrier mix) from Brockton Blue Dog Shelter in Brockton, MA. They were wonderful and would only let us meet dogs that would fit our family. Our dog, Mischa is awesome - she is very good with our DD and our cat. She was house broken and crate trained.. one thing I did not want to have to do ! We have not had one accident !! This made is so much easier on all of us.

     I can honestly say it was the best decision we ever made adopting a dog. I would highly recommend it. I also highly recommend Brockton Blue Dog Shelter. I don't have the website but you can google them and they will come up. They also have a tab for the animals that are up for adoption. The other thing I like about them is that they make you take a obedience class with the dog... it is in their contract. We actually start Puppy Kindergarden on Thursday ! They believe that is why they have a very low rate of "returned" pets.

     Good Luck with your search !! If you have any other questions.. just let me know.

     

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