Choosing the right puppy.

[a2]

As most of you will know, the Admin household is hoping to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet soon. (puppy NOT baby )

so,

After reading up and showing the children different breeds, we have decided that the labrador is the one for us (both Admin and myself have had labs before)

Basically its the colour and size of the lab thats got us stumped!!

Do we go for:

Black, chocolate or yellow? do they have different Temperaments?

Do we go for the Labs from show lines which are stockier and heavier-boned, with a large blocky head and dense coat.

or

The Labs from Hunting/field lines which are lankier, more athletic and agile, and more energetic, with a narrower head, longer muzzle, and sleeker coat.

What do i need to ask the breeder?? like hip score and papers? what papers should they come with? what the hip score about?

What jabs should they already have( if they about 10wks old) ?

Yes i know im asking a lot....but i want to get our first dog right.

Thank you :x

If you can answer the above questions, then feel free to help yourself to KME's drinkies GuinnessGuinnessGuinness

Getting into the christmas spirit now

 

[dave2]

Depends what you want the dog for. i.e. pet, show or work.

We used to have labs for over 25 years. My wife is/was an expert on them and she would give you good unbiased help on what to do and where to go.

You can pm me and we can go from there.

Dave

 

[Apache]

As most of you will know, the Admin household is hoping to hear the pitter patter of tiny feet soon. (puppy NOT baby )

Finally! :C

After reading up and showing the children different breeds, we have decided that the labrador is the one for us (both Admin and myself have had labs before)

They are generally good natured dogs, but they are big. I know it's stating the obvious but everything costs more for a bigger dog, food, medication etc.

Black, chocolate or yellow? do they have different Temperaments?

Yes and no. Chocolate labs are rumoured to be more daft, but it's far more down to the owner's personality and the training of the dog rather than the colour.

Do we go for the Labs from show lines which are stockier and heavier-boned, with a large blocky head and dense coat. or

The Labs from Hunting/field lines which are lankier, more athletic and agile, and more energetic, with a narrower head, longer muzzle, and sleeker coat.

I prefer the working strains, and they do tend to be healthier. I assume you just want it as a pet?

What do i need to ask the breeder?? like hip score and papers? what papers should they come with? what the hip score about?

Testing has come a long way with Labs, and it's now common to have hips, elbows and eyes tested. I will take each in turn.

1. Hips and elbows. X-rays are taken of the hips and elbows and sent down to be scrutinized by an expert panel in London. They are looking for signs of poor joint anatomy that would predispose to hip or elbow dysplasia, leading to arthritis. Hip and elbow problems are still very common in this breed. The score is like golf - lower the better. You want both parents to have scores less than 15 for hips. It is meaningless if both parents haven't been done.

2. Eyes can either be examined by an expert or blood taken for a DNA test. The best method by far is the DNA test, the examination is a poor second. The DNA test will let you know if each parent is a carrier or free from the disease. With the eye examination it just shows that there is no disease present at the time of the examination - they could be carrying the disease or even go on to develop it later. The examination should be repeated every year - ask when last done. The DNA test lasts for life.

What jabs should they already have( if they about 10wks old) ?

Depends on the vet! Some practices start vaccinating as early as 7 or 8 weeks. We wait until 9 weeks and a 2nd jab at 12 weeks. It doesn't matter if the pup has no vaccs, it might be better as you can go to your own vet for the first and second injection of the same make of vaccine.

Yes i know im asking a lot....but i want to get our first dog right.

I'm sure you do.

Make sure the puppies have been wormed. They need doing at 2 weeks then every three weeks until 12 weeks old. This is really important as all puppies are born with worms!

Find out what food the puppy has been getting and if you want to change the food do it gradually over a few weeks. All you need to feed a puppy is wet or dry puppy food. There is a load of crap talked by breeders giving Weetabix, raw meat, scrambled eggs, goats milk, milk powder - all you need is puppy food, nothing else!

Make sure you see the ***** with the litter and go to the breeders house to see the pups. Don't agree to meet anyone in the middle - think puppy farmer!

Always choose a big good sized, forward going pup. The little one in the corner cowering looks cute, but can often be a grumpy, snappy loaner.

Have you thought whether you want a dog or a *****?

Do you have any other questions?

I need a beer now.

 

[a2]

A big thank you for both replies.

Two quick replies before i get the kids off to bed.

Yes we want the dog as a family pet not a show dog.

and

We want a male NOT a female.

Admin has just said that he doesnt want a chocolate lab or a chunky one, so that narrows our search.

Dave2s wife and apache...will you both fit in my pocket so i can take you along when we get a pup? lol

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How much should i be looking at for the pup?

Ive seen ones in the paper for

 

[Andy™]

get a cat instead. they walk themselves for a start

 

[batty]

Don't no much about labs but I will say don't rush into anything. We did that with our last dog and lived to regret it. Make sure you get him from a good breeder and good luck.

 

[a2]

[quote name='Andy

 

[NozSpark]

I am allergic to cats so thats a no-no. Plus i have plenty of little admins really eager to do the walks.

That won't last long (especially when it's raining)

 

[Apache]

Yes we want the dog as a family pet not a show dog.and

We want a male NOT a female.

Male is a good choice. If you want a pet then my suggestion would be a dog that maybe is not suitable for showing [bad colour, conformation etc] or not good for working.

Admin has just said that he doesnt want a chocolate lab or a chunky one, so that narrows our search.

I quite like chocolate ones, but they are reputed to be more hyperactive! Chunky is down to what you feed it, but the working strains are more slender.

How much should i be looking at for the pup?Ive seen ones in the paper for

 

[Sidewinder]

Our Lab/Collie X was a rescue dog from a local dog's home, runt of the litter, vets bills have been very low, temperament has been excellent, to the stage of one of my daughters when tiny, pushed her finger into Lady's eye almost to the end it seemed & she grunted, whimpered and ran off!

We may have been lucky, I have posted a pic of her on here a little while back & Admin, you have met her!

Apache may disagree, but, I believe that it is possible for "mongrels" to be more hardy & have a better temperament than true pure pedigree hounds!

However, the training & upbrining does have a lot to do with it, just like kids, Admins you'd know about that, Patch, it seems you have no idea about that bit!!! :innocent ]

 

[Apache]

Apache may disagree, but, I believe that it is possible for "mongrels" to be more hardy & have a better temperament than true pure pedigree hounds!

I agree with you 100%! Many pedigree dogs are in a limited gene pool hence the high prevalence of inherited diseases. My little dog is a Patterdale [sleeping on my knee, with the laptop as I type] and they have a bit of everything in them!

I'm all for mongrels, what gets my goat is when people cross two pedigree dogs, come up with a daft name and then charge daft money for it - eg Labradoodle, Springador, Sprocker.

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Two things I have not mentioned yet [really for the sake of completeness] are microchipping and insurance.

ALL registered pedigree dogs get 4 weeks free insurance with the kennel club and some breeders try to use it as a selling point. Vets bills can mount up, and if you don't want to worry about money when your pet is sick and needs to see a specialist insurance is a shrewd move. Look for policy's that give cover 'for life' some stop paying for chronic conditions after a year (no good if dog got early onset arthritis). Also look whether the cover limit is per condition or per year. The cheapest policy will never be the best.

I would always have a pet microchipped. It is cheap, and effective way of reuniting you if the dog runs off [or slips the lead]. God forbid if the dog was stolen it is some proof of ownership.

 

[Sidewinder]

^+1

Our mongrel is chipped!

 

[binky]

Buy a cage !! After much debate (the wife saw no point in having a cage), more wee and turds on the floor than i could stomach (I'm used to cats which are easy to litter train) and damage to various household items, especially the stair bannisters, I bought a cage. Best thing we have done - Ruby keeps cage clean, when we pop home to let her out, it's straight out into the garden (grass is growing well!). House training seems to have followed on naturally since without a single accident - ruby has even taken to going out the cat flap without any prompting from us. I'm happy, the cats are happier, the dog is happier because she isn't getting constantly told off, and even better the lingering smell has evaporated from the kitchen, plus nothing is getting damaged. Wish we had done this sooner.

 

[a2]

I'm all for mongrels, what gets my goat is when people cross two pedigree dogs, come up with a daft name and then charge daft money for it - eg Labradoodle, Springador, Sprocker.

Bullstaff and shih tzu is one that comes to mind.

:^O

The funniest ive heard is

affenpinscher and a poodle = AFFENPOO

Cocker spaniel and a poodle +cockapoo

 

[a2]

The pitter patter of tiny feet has arived!!!

 

[Apache]

Lovely. Is it's head the same colour as his body in real life? Name?

 

[a1]

Yes, Mate - or at least it looks like. Name is Sandy.

 

[Apache]

Yes, Mate - or at least it looks like. Name is Sandy.

Very original

Looks a nice pup!

 

[SparkySue]

Hi Admin & Admin 2,

Good luck with the new arrival - he

 

[a1]

Very original

Eh? :|

Looks a nice pup!

Thanks.

Hi Admin & Admin 2,Good luck with the new arrival - he