So the girlfriend (of 6.5 years) & I were wanting a dog for a while. Everyone we know has a dog and do all the great dog stuff and take them camping and everything. The problem is I never had a dog before growing up so don't know much about them, she on the other hand had them growing up and is a vet tec, so probally knows lots. We kinda decided on a Labrador Retriever (preferably chocolate). Does anyone know much about them also what is better male? or female? I work in the oil patch so I am not home very often and she will be taking care of it most of the time. Anybody have any ideas or suggestions that can help me make a good decesion. p.s I would also like to start hunting as I already quad, camp, sometimes fish, thanks for the help and suggestions

 

I have a black lab still going strong for being over 12 yrs old. My personal preference would be a male, but thats only because I've ever only had males in the family. Also, most of the chocolates that I've encountered while out on walks with my dog or friends that have them seem to be a little more hyper than the other colors. Labs are great people (yes they will tend to think of themselves as human), loyal and although goofy at times, are actually very intellegent animals. The bigger breeds will sometimes suffer from hip problems labs included, if possible ask about the history of both parents. Work with the pup when it's young to establish good habits from the start and you will have an awesome companion for many years. When you go to check out a litter of pups, your future dog usually will pick you out.....Post some pics.

 

Good dogs, you have to train them and stay on top of the training, since she will be with the dog most of the time let her do most of the training but not all. I can not stress this enough DO NOT let the dog sleep in the bed with you guys. If you are away alot the dog may becme protective and you will have a big problem. Talk to some trainners in the area, not back yard ones, people who show dogs and do comps with the dogs stuff like that.

 

Spot on James. Get a male, they are a lot more companiable than females. From what i've seen Lab females tend to stick more to a single person and themselves, not that' they're aggressive, they're just more quiet. The males will respond more to the activities you're looking for. JMO from what I've seen.

 

how protective will this type of dog be. ex a stranger coming around the house either her by herself or no one home?

 

That depends on how you raise him and train him. They are known to be alert but not completely alerting, they will bark a few times but not like pits, who will bark til they see you. They ones i have seen have been big babies, very intelligent and tireless for playtime.

 

My lab is protective of the house but once I let you in, he's all about the tennis ball. He has 2 distinct barks, one thats sounds defensive, and the other just playful, the defensive bark is very deep and anyone that comes around and doesn't know the dog will be apprehensive to him. Like Rick said, with any dog it's all in how you train them. Mine will defensively bark like crazy at a stranger in the yard, doubt he would ever attack anyone, unless they attacked me. I was play fighting with my father a few years ago and Lucas bit my dad in the behind because he thought I was being hurt.

 

I have a black English Lab and they are great dogs..115 lbs the only downside of the English lab is hair is everywhere in the summer months, they shed a lot.

 

I have three dogs that were dumped at my place.....all protective as heck if stranger is around ( don't even look at my wife) but nice and loving to kids....all female.....I have had great male dogs in the past, but i prefer females.

 

Retriever/Labs, water lovingest dog you'll ever own. In fact my 6 month old will take her two front paws and splash around in her water bowl. She also jumps into the tub after I get out of the shower and licks up all the water. Loves to play, heck she like to play keep away. Really happy I brought her home.

 

dont know if the saying is the same for labs, but for goldens, the saying goes:

females say "love me love me love me"

males say "i love you I love you I love you"

rings true for my golden. he is the most caring animal I have ever seen. just loves to be near you, follows you around the house, loves to play, but is totally fine just layin around the house when I am working.

my neighbor has a black lab, and he and his wife bought it while he was out of state for a long period of time for school. the pup brought the wife to tears it was so crazy and all over the place. those dogs are MACHINES. they are full of endless energy, but they are, just like goldens, the nicest dogs you will meet.

also if you hunt, you wont regret a lab. good luck choosin! take lots of pics!

 

I also have a Black Lab. She's a 6 year old female. I had her spayed at two years, but she didn't calm down much. She is full of energy, and VERY intelligent for a dog. Growing up, we had boxers and shepherds. But, this is my first Lab and now I'll always have a Lab. I grew up with female dogs, so mine is a female.

I trained her from a pup, and she is continuously being trained, whether it be through play time or directly for an hour or two a day. She has learned obedience behaviors, voice commands in the field to get her to her "toy", and she's house broken and trained to use only one part of the yard to do her business. Her only bad trait is she doesn't calm down in the truck.

Mine is attached to both my GF and I, but very loyal to me and not so much her. She sleeps with me on the bed when the GF isn't around, and is extremely keen to outside noises and smells.

It is a lot like a child in that you will need to train it -continuously, discipline it, and be patient. But, love it and spend a lot of time with it and it'll be your best friend for the rest of it's life!

Zoomed to catch her in the brush watching for my commands from afar.


Taken at the river this summer.

 

Some great advice given to you already. As you are a first time dog owner, I would recomend buying a book called, "The Monks of Newskete", before getting a dog. It will give you tremendous insight on how dogs think and behave from birth up till death. They are actually monks in upstate New York the specialize in German shepards, however their tactics and information apply to all canine species. I guarantee you will be glad you read it once you get a dog. They also explain to you what to look for in a canine so you can the dog best suited to your wants.

http://www.newsketemonks.com/

http://www.newsketemonks.com/dogs.htm


Good luck,


Tim

 

I am no expert but have had different breeds and bred and sold them. First thing is DECIDE what you want from the dog. Sounds like you want a companion and a guard/protection dog for your girlfriend. I too, am away and wife gets scared at night. We settled on a Cane Corso (Italian Mastiff), we had English Mastiffs before and they are just too big. I like female dogs too, although as mentioned, they can be somewhat aloof, as opposed to a male that will be your "buddy". My sister has a golden lab and it is a great dog and is also VERY protective of property and family, female too. I bet you Vet Tec girlfriend probably knows more than all of us. But if you do decide to get a serious gaurd dog, a couple I like are the Cane Corso and the Boerboel (originally a farm dog from South Africa). Both of these can do the job and are good family dogs too. Couple of sites, www.castleguardcanecorso.com, and www.dogsbydale.com. Good luck, a dog seems to just make a persons life better somehow. Oh, we also always keep a Jack Russell Terrier around too, they are a hoot, and do great with big dogs, if raised with them the little JRussell usually bosses the big dog around.

 

^^^^^^ Hey man I just looked at the castleguard site and they have an awsome looking dog that is obedienced trained and housetrained for ADOPTION (They are pretty pricey dogs), they have 2 for adoption, the best looking one is Zephyr. Good luck