weve finally chose a 14 week old lab?

Question

after visiting lots of dogs weve chose a lab. she had been turned down by a breeder course she said the lab wasnt going to be big enough. and turned down by someone who wanted her for a gun dog course they said she was to soft. but we fell in love with her. anyway im after advice on training espesially and expieriances with the breed if anyone can help. and also can you really tell these things when a pup is so young. thanks.

we have got proof of her vaccinations and she is not from a breeder, we got her course she wasnt suited to her old home.

Answer 1

At 14 weeks the breeder might be able to tell if she is too big to show. Unlike some other breeds, the height limits for Labs in shows is very strict. If the dog is one-half inch over the maximum height is disqualified.

There are temperment tests done on puppies even younger that this, ask the breeder if one was done on your pup and that's why the hunter said she was too soft. Or did the hunter own the pup first?

Ask the breeder for trainers he/she recommends and find the local lab club near you. Contact the lab club and see what/who they recommend in your area.

You can find clubs here:
http://www.akc.org/clubs/index.cfm?nav_area=clubs

Enjoy your dog!

Answer 2

Excellent choice! However, I want to warn you about parvo. A dog that's this young, even if it's been vaccinated, is quite vulnerable to parvo. The maternal antibodies can prevent the vaccine from orking. I suggest you keep your puppy at home until it's older, has had the complete series of shot, and has a strong immune system (vet visits, of course, are ok, and needed). Do mwatch her closely, if she seems lethargic, has diarrhea or vomits, contact your vet ASAP. I've seen WAY too many parvo cases the last 2 months, so maybe I've become a little too nervous about parvo, but I just thought I'de give you a heads up:) Good luck with your girl, labs are great dogs!

Answer 3

In my opinion puppies are just like kids, they will constantly amaze you with how they grow and change, but I never wanted a dog to show or hunt, and I'm partial to shelter mutts, so this is just my opinion.
Ignore the idiot that said 14 weeks is too old to get a dog. That's rediculous! I've had wonderful experiences with adopted adult dogs, age is not a consern.
There are wonderful books and classes you can take to teach you how to train the dog without driving you both nuts. Labs are wonderful pets and very easy to train. You won't be sorry for choosing her.
Good Luck and Congratulations on the new addition to your family.

Answer 4

Congrats!! I have a 7 month old and we love him to death! Labs are very very smart breeds.. I started mine with a crate right away, taken him out and telling him go potty, hourly! Then every 2 hours until he knew he needed to go even if he didnt need to go very much,, Now he goes whenever I take him out! He loves his crate,it is his own place to relax. I use it when I have to run errands as well so I know he can not get into trouble while I am gone. I am a stay at home mom so he is not left very often, but I reccomend using a crate. Repitition is very imprtant as well.. No yelling just a firm voice. Use treats for training. Also I suggest watching The dog whisperer on Discovery channel. He is amazing! Hope you enjoy your new Lab as much as we do! Good luck

Answer 5

You can certainly tell if a dog is gun shy that early, and you can guess-timate size though you never know at that age, I've seen the runt of a litter become the biggest of the litter once they are full grown.

Labs are full of energy as a puppy, once you discover what motivates your puppy, it will be a good training motivator (Some dogs are food motivated, some are toy motivated.)

Not everything works for every dog, you may have to adapt some of your training strategies for your dog.

Labs are intelligent, and great companions, I'm sure you will be very happy with your choice!

Answer 6

Yeah you can tell these things when a pup is young but probably not until after 4 or 5 weeks. It's good she was turned down by a breeder cos you then got her, but she must come from good stock if her litter was considered. The most important thing to do when you get a pup is to socialise her and get her used to all kinds of environments. Take her to the pub when it's quiet (if they let in dogs) and let her meet some strangers. Give them some treats to give her so she finds it an enjoyable experience. She should also be accustomed to children. If you have kids, go along with them to school one day (with permission from the teacher of course) and let the kids see her (in small groups of 3 so she doesn't get scared) and make it as enjoyable as possible for her. Do this quite a lot and you'll have a happy, well socialised dog who isn't afraid of strangers. It is also very impostant to let your dog become accustomed to other dogs. A puppy socialisation/training class will be good for this, but go along before you join. If the classes are small (10 people or so) and everyone seems to be enjoying it, and there is no 'punishment' training methods used, then join. But don't let your dog be around other dogs until yuo have all the vaccimations complete! Toilet training is also very important. You should NEVER punish a puppy if it goes to the toilet in your house. Remember, it doesn't yet know it's not allowed, and the very act of relieving itself is rewarding, so the puppy will become confused and hide when it goes to the loo in your house. Best way to toilet train is to take her out EVERYTIME she eats, drinks, wakes up from a nap and after play time. Reward her when she goes outside but just ignore her when she goes inside. She'll being to understand the connection between peeing outside and getting a reward. Another good thing to do is to take two or three nights and have everyone in shifts so that the puppy is taken out every 2 hours. It's a pain to not get the sleep, but ultimatly your pup will learn much much faster. Never punish your dog if you are training and she's not getting it. SHe may be bored or tired. Two 5 minute training sessions a day should be enough for just now. Also, DOGS AREN'T HUMAN! This is the biggest mistake people make when training their dog. They expect it to think like a human. It NEVER will. Instead, you have to think like a dog (in your case just now, a puppy). Put yourself in her shoes and you'll make much better headway. Also, go along to the vet with her when she doesn't need any shots and let her have an enjoyable experience there as well to make vet trips easier in future, and they'll be able to give you some more advice or leaflets.

Answer 7

Hiya Romore
I'm so happy for you, you have made a good choice, Labs are very easy to train, they are very intelligent dogs, you could start by taking her to puppy training, get her socialised with other dogs, humans, even children, i have no doubt that you and your family will do good by her, you sound a very responsible person, once she tuggs on your heart strings that's it, your a dog lover for life lol lol, you have some many years of fun ahead of you, she will make you laugh sooo much, and they make the best of company, just 1 thing about Labs, they are like a Hoover, they will eat anything, plastic bags slippers watches, you name it she will try and eat it..... Good luck Romore, happy times ahead... :-)

Answer 8

They are really easy to train that is why they are used as guide dogs. Do not let bad habits start, Be firm and all ways be consistent, food and praise are the rewards you use. Use a combination of words and hand signals initially. They learn the signals first and eventually the words. Buy a good book or get a lend of one from your library. Good Luck

Answer 9

Labs are wonderful. They're good with family and are usually extremely loyal. You should start with the basics: sit, stay, down, and leave it commands. I find it easiest to work with a dog when they're on a leash. That way, you have control.

To sit, I usually start them in a standing position. Tap their back near their tail and say "sit". Usually they get the hint that sit means to put their bottoms on the ground. It's pretty easy.

Down is pretty much the same thing. From sit, point to the ground and tug down on the leash a bit. And say "Down". They usually get the hint.

Stay is a little harder. Since dogs of this breed usually want to be right by your side, it may be a little harder for her to catch on to this one. But, tell her to sit, then tell her to stay. Slowly back away, and everytime she moves say sit, stay. Keep backing away and increasing the distance. Eventually, they'll figure out what you're wanting.

Leave it is pretty easy. Anytime you want them to leave something alone, gently pull them away from it and say leave it. Eventually, they'll learn what you want.

Consistency is important. Try to train for a few minutes at a time several times a day. Remember, "good dog" is just as rewarding as a treat.

Answer 10

I'm so pleased for you,she will make a good pet,I had a white Retriever for 14years,I took him training once a week and it was well worth it,get her used to the shower at a early age,
Watch it with the food they love food!!!! you don't want her starting with hip trouble.
Hope this as been a help to you.