Does anyone know if labradors make good family pets. any info on labradors would be appreciated.?

Question

Training?
male or female?
good and bad points?
how are they by thereselves (not for long periods)?
Colour?

Thank you

Answer 1

We have a female AKC Black Lab and I would not trade her for anything in the world! Training--easiest dog I have ever trained. Period. I never have to raise my voice to this dog at all--a whispered command is obeyed instantly and she responds to hand signals well too. This dog doesn't even beg--and she is royally tempted too since my 2 yr old seems convinced she is starving all the time! :) I also want you to know that as a work-from-home mom of a 2 year old--I haven't had tons of time to work on training with our Lab in the 5 short months since we got her and I feel she is one of the best mannered dogs in our whole neighborhood. I maybe put in 2 hours per week working on commands and manners. That's it. She picks things up quickly and is not particularly motivated by treats--she'd rather be praised for good behaviors. She heeled automatically right to my right leg within the first week of owning her. Amazing dog!

Family? I cannot separate her from my 2 year old--they do almost everything together and my Lab tells me if there's anything the slightest bit wrong with my son. She'll grab his shirt in her teeth to prevent him from doing something dumb--like trying to get out a door or out of our yard while I'm doing yard work. She physically gets in between him (or me) and strangers. All of it was instinctive too--I didn't train her to do that--in fact, she's still technically a puppy and won't be a year old until December. My son is pretty typically rough with both our dogs--he just under 2--he pulls the occasional tail or ear and jumps on them unexpectedly. He likes to try to "ride" Shadow. To give credit where it's due--neither of our dogs have ever so much as growled at him or showed their teeth. Shadow will, however, push my son away if he's being particulary beastly or "dump" him off her back and move away. She's very gentle and understanding of his unintentional roughness.

Other good points are they are very clean and good-smelling dogs--I don't have to bathe her nearly as frequently as our Pug (who gets a distinctly musky "male" dog stench within days of a bath). Shadow (our Lab) smells good all the time! Labs do shed, however--about twice a year heavily, so be prepared! Shadow is very protective of the house and yard, but friendly with everyone (including other dogs) once she's been introduced. She adores our male Pug and we do not attempt to separate them--they even share a kennel at the boarding kennel when we travel. They sleep together too which is really cute.

Downsides: Shadow is very clingy and does not like to be separated from the family in any way. She does get separation anxiety, but it is not extreme--she usually settles down fine once we're out of sight. We've left her in the house with our other dog for as long as 8 hours with no messes or disasters, so we do trust her in the house alone but she is always pathetically glad to see us come home. Shadow tends to be underfoot a lot because she stays so close--this can be frustrating when you're vacuuming or cooking.

Labs are big chewers when they're young--we have to keep rawhides on hand all the time or she will select something personal of ours (or the baby's) to vent her toothy frustrations on. They can be VERY destructive in a short time--until they outgrow this stage, I'd recommend you keep your Lab crated or confined to a "chew-free" zone in your house when you can't supervise their chewing activities. We're remodeling our house and were astonished at the variety of things she's able to get to and chew up--PVC pipe, buckets, drywall, mop handles, electrical cords, etc. Be very diligent in making sure harmful things are out of the dog's reach at all times or they will hurt themselves unknowingly. Our vet told me to be especially careful about not leaving dental floss lying around--this can lead to an expensive surgery if the dog swallows it. Also, vinyl bones are NOT Lab-proof--we found out the hard way--Shadow ate one and threw it up undigested.

Keep in mind this is a working dog with excessive amounts of energy. Did I say excessive? How about limitless? I run once or twice a day with Shadow for at least 2-3 miles, plus she plays with the Pug and my son all day in between. And she still wants more. We have a large fenced yard for her to run in, but it could be bigger, I'm thinking. Labs need a lot of exercise or they start tearing up your things or worse--start looking like fat couch potatoes from inactivity. This is not a condo or apartment dog unless you are a regular daily runner. I'm sure you've seen all the fat Labs being walked--well, that's because the owners didn't make or live up to the exercise commitment necessary for this type of dog. Labs are happiest being active playful members of an equally active family. Don't condemn yours to a half-life of eating treats curled up on the couch--too obese to move! Get out and run with them and reap the healthy rewards for yourself as well!

This is my first Lab and I adore her. I've owned other smart and/or large breeds like my goofy Dalmatian that passed a year ago. I grew up with Collies (another great gentle breed) and I've owned a Shepard (good), a Chow (tempermental), and Cocker Spaniels (never again). I would also recommend our Pug as a good family dog--though he has some health problems that are inherent with the breed--you'd better not mind going to the vet a lot! Our Lab is fixed and has moderate hip displaysia that does not require surgery--but we are mindful of it and keep her active and thin per our vet's instructions to prevent her from having any ill effects from it. We also feed her twice a day instead of just once since this helps to prevent bloat in large breeds--ask your vet. Labs also need lots and lots of water--keep a big bowl down all the time!

Lastly, and speaking of water, please do not deprive your Lab of the occasional swim or romp in the yard with the hose! Our Lab just loves it and it's really comical to watch. We're a boating family and our Lab really enjoys our weekend trips out on the boat--unlike our Pug who is almost catlike in his ability to avoid getting wet!

Good luck with your Lab! Congrats!

Answer 2

I have a chocolate lab, and he is the most hyper dog! He has been pretty hard to train, and as a puppy he chewed on any and everything. Sometimes if he is home by himself for a little while he still finds something to chew on. I also have friends with a yellow lab and when he was younger he acted a lot like mine, but then I know someone with a female chocolate and she is really mellow. Don't get a lab though if you do not have time to have it exercise, or you do not want a hyper dog.

Answer 3

We have a chocolate lab/Weimeraner mix who is the best dog I've ever owned. We don't have kids, but I have several great-nieces and great-nephews of different ages. She knew immediately how to treat each of them. She left the little boy who was afraid of dogs alone, played a little rough (but not much) with the 11 year old boy, was very gentle with the 8 year old girl, who's a little hesitant about dogs, and just sniffed at the baby. She absolutely adores my husband (and likes me, but not like him). She's also very bright--she learned commands we didn't even know we were giving her, just by our habits and what we would say at certain times (if she's on the bed, I just clear my throat and she jumps down immediately). She is also very patient--she has diabetes, and I have to give her insulin twice daily. When I finish mixing it and go to where I give it to her, she's either sitting there waiting or comes when I "shot time," sticks her leg out, and waits. She's an indoor dog, and we leave her inside while we're at work--her only bad habit is if she thinks we're gone too long, she'll get a napkin or kleenex and chew it up.

Answer 4

You can buy from a responsible breeder for a lot less than $1,600.... And if your goal is to better this particular breed, then you might want to start by finding a mentor or trainer who will get you involved in handling the breed first. Learn the breed, learn to handle, and THEN invest in a dog that will get your show career started. Or get your puppy and join a local group or club involved in showing to learn the basics. Until then, there are plenty of responsible breeders with pet quality - or starter show quality - dogs that aren't so darn expensive. Mom has reason to be leery. Besides, if you plan to do any show work with this pup you MIGHT want to consider that this particular breeder is NOT involved in showing. None of her dogs are titled and most don't have any kind of show history. If the parents aren't proven to meet the standard by a judge, then the pups probably won't either.

Answer 5

labs in general usually make great family pets.
although they are so popular there are a lot of labs that have been bred poorly,meaning the breeder didn't know what it was doing and that commonly results in temperamental and personality issues.Your best bet is to go with a professional breeder(try AKC.org).
there aren't really any "bad "points in labs,they are very energetic and need regular exercise.
males can be more dominant than females,but neutering usually takes that away.
labs are also know for chewing,but if you train them as puppies not to they usually won't have that problem.
about color,I really don't know if there is a difference.but I like yellows the best.

Answer 6

Yes, they're great! Golden rule of training: be consistant. Golden rule #2: don't start anything with a cute puppy that you don't want to deal with in a 75 lb dog!

Male of female won't matter. Males are easier to "fix".

Puppy bladders will hold for as many hours as they are old: 4 months = 4-5 hours.

Stay with black or yellow labs. Chocolates are a fluke and may have "issues."

Answer 7

Training? Easy! They are quick learners (buy you must be consistant while training)

male or female? I prefer male, but they always seems to show their "lipstick" at weird times

good and bad points?
Bad - chew and eat ANYTHING, shed A LOT
Good - Funny facial expressions, and funny noises (yawns, growls, they let you know their mood), they are very loyal, bark whenever someone/thing unfamiliar is in their yard, fast learners

how are they by thereselves (not for long periods)? They are fine, but keep them occupied w/ toys - never leave any dog alone for a long time - they will get bored and tear up your home!

Colour? YELLOW (i prefer field labs, tall and slender)

Answer 8

Labs are great family dogs!!! They are really smart. I prefer to have females, because I think that they are more calm and there is no humping (lol). My family has had labs and my dad currently owns a blonde lab. She is great with people and kids. They need a moderate amount of exercise. That means that they are not total couch potatoes, but are not dogs that need vigorous exercise everyday. As for color, they come in Black, Chocolate (brown), yellow and blonde. I wish you luck on finding the right dog for you.

Answer 9

All Retrievers make excellent family pets. Son-in-law has a golden, female...she is the most loving and gentle dog I've seen...easy to train, well behaved, housebroken and great with their other 2 pets and new baby.

Answer 10

Labs are great family pets! They are easily trained with proper guidance. My lab is great with my 3 year old daughter and anyone who comes over, she always listens to commands.
As far as color goes, it is reported that chocolate labs have more eye sight problems than labs that are black or yellow. Chocolate labs are also known for being a bit more hyper than the others.
Be sure that you have time to commit to training, as well as walking or running your lab before you get one.

Labs get really attached to their owners, when my husband was away for a week, our lab would look for him and sit by the door and whine. Just be sure that you have enough time to invest in the animal.

Answer 11

we have a huge(he's 7 months old and weighs 60 pounds already) food obsessed yellow lab and he is the best chicken...I mean Dog in the world...we also have a 5 yr old daughter who is pretty rambunctious...if he wasnt a good family dog, he probably would 've bitten her by now