um gettin a lab from a friend. I have the choice of anyone i want i picked out a male chocolate. La ter on i heard that they are wild and never calm downdoes anybody know anything about this?

 

They say all Lab's take about three years before they calm down. We have a Lab mix (is black with bleached areas and a spotted tongue). She is about four now. And hasn't really calmed down.

We looked a clipped 1 year old Male at the Humane Soc. this weekend and it was fairly clam after it had a chance to run in the fenced area (what else to expect after being stuck in a kenel). We would have taken him home if our other dog had gotton along with him.

I don't know how much diff. being cut makes but, that can be an option where nothing can do anything for a hyper female.

Randy

 

every chocolate lab i have seen is a moron...

 

I just got a chocolate lab. He's about 8 mos old now and is freakin' satanic....he's downright nuts. It's a love/hate thing. I wouldn't call him a moron though....crazy? Absolutely.....dumb?...well...he's smarter than many humans I've met

 

Our neighbor has a chocolate male and that dog is dumb as a box of rocks. He's been cut as well. I'm taking care of my roommates black male lab right now and that's the best dog I've ever seen. Calm, layed back, very obedient. The only thing that gets him excited is when you pick up a ball.

 

Girls take longer to calm down than the boys, suprisingly.

That's not to say that the boy won't continue to be hardheaded.
I have one of each (brother/Sister) and they are 2 1/2 years old.
We have hunted labs for 30 years. Our old boy had to be put down from the arthritis and dysplasia that they are prone to.

Many will tell you that this is a sign of poor genetics, while it may be true in some cases it is actually a predisposition to all labs. Duke was 14 calendar years old and only went downhill after a full life of hunting. Its all about age. Will the dog get it at 3 or at 13.
Make sure they do the dysplasia tests, they can tell if the pup is more prone to it happening very early.

EDIT:
Hey man I didn't see this was you. Every dog we hunt comes from my cousin I told you about there in Needville. He's been breeding them forever. Most all chocolates. And yes chocolates are harder to handle than black and yellow in that order.

 

One side note about ours little spaz, when she was about six months old we had her in the kitchen with a kid gate and went to shower. When we came back down stairs there was a 6" dia depression almost through the drywall and just a few specs of dust on the floor. I wanted to wring her little neck so bad. It was a fuax paint too.

Randy

 

Labs were bred to hunt, if you keep one pinned up inside all day the dog is going to go crazy. You have to walk these dogs a lot or let them run in a field etc... Chocolate labs have a lot of energy, they want to hunt till the day is done, thats why most people think they are "stupid" because they are so active. I don't know how many of you guys duck hunt, but most of my buddies have chocolate or yellow labs as their bird dogs, very well behaved and well trained. I say go with whatever color choice/sex choice you like best. But be prepared to spend time with either one. Just my observations......



James

 

Labs of any color are the greatest dogs ever. It takes a year or two to really settle down but a "snipped" male can be a real family dog. Training is the key to a lab being a good dog. And of course the key to training a dog is first you have to be smarter than the dog.

 

labs are very smart even though they might not seem like it. All that is is a lack of training. ALL retreivers are hyper some until they can't move easily. You have to keep a lab occupied or your stuff gets torn up, unless it has LOTS of toys. Some dogs are too smart. They know exactly what you want them to do and don't care.(unless punishment is threatned.) Think of it as having a kid with adhd on speed. If you train your dog correctly no matter what it is it can be a good dog. you can also train it to not be so hyper, but good luck with that.

 

I couldn't have said it better. It'is all of those traits that make them outstanding bomb, drug, search and rescue, and guide dogs. One of the most intelligent breeds around by far. They can "act" stupid when they're young, and especially when not worked properly.

 

We love our choc. lab. He is 15 months old and has calmed down alot. There were a few times when he was 5-6 months old that he was literally bouncing off the walls with energy. He needs to get his exercise if you want him to behave, but I think any hunting/working dog would be that way.

 

As soon as I can slow my traveling down, i am getting a dog (never not had a dog, i need some companionship that wont talk back!) I live alone in a house on 3 acres so the dog should have plenty room to run. I am still up in the air about color, but i am wondering what yall think about male/female. I am not interested and breeding and he/she will be snipped right away. I will probably end up adopting one through a lab adoption program, hopefully <2yrs old.

 

My lab is officially yellow, but hes dark, like fox red....He turns 7 this year....And he hasnt calmed down YET....He's from hot-wired field stock, with some english mixed in....Hes a hunting MACHINE...last pheasant hunt he flushed our limit in 15 minutes...Snow goose season was fantastic...

Here he is outside a duck blind 2 years ago...Of course as I snapped this pic, 4 greenheads buzzed us....After watching them fly by he looked at me like "Hey!!! Why didnt you SHOOT!?!?!?!?"

If I get out of bed before daylight, he thinks were going hunting...When I let him out he'll go sit by the truck

Chocolates are tough tohandle, but I have seen a few that are brilliant

 

I TOTALLY agree!!!!!! Ive only been around 2 chocs but they were both