My first lab help!

[Whoknows]

So I recently got married, bought the house with the yard and now need the the lab. Does anyone out there know someone with a litter on the way or could refer me to breeder that they had a pleasant experience with.

Not necessarily looking for a dog with champion blood lines. Just a house pet with the potential to be a mediocre hunting dog.

Thanks

[Whoknows]

I also wanted to add that we prefer male yellow labs but would be open to all Labradors.

[CC Hurl]

My neighbor's ivory lab just had pups last weekend and I work with a guy here that just had a litter of Black lab pups. I am thinking the ivory's go for about 400.00 or so and I would have to ask what the black labs are going for.

Let me know if you would like me to look into either of the litters more for you.

[00rowe]

CC,

Could you send me an email or some contact info for the folks with the ivory lab pups? Thanks

Mike

BC170 at yahoo dot com

[Whoknows]

CC I would definitively be interested in learning more about those Ivory labs. Your PM is full, could you direct me to the owner?

[CC Hurl]

They also have a web site. [Note from admin: Pleae read forum rules before posting again. Thank You] .com I hope I got it right. If not give them a call anyway. Take care.

[TR21HP]

who knows,

Although you don't want champion bloodlines make sure the pup you are looking at has all health issues addressed. There is nothing worse than having to put down a young dog with hip dysplasia or other related health problems. A little research before hand helps in the long run.

[00rowe]

CC,

I didn't get the address before your message was edited, thanks.

Mike

[gspman]

Quote:

Just a house pet with the potential to be a mediocre hunting dog.

Any dog can be mediocre. You can set your sights higher than that and still get one at a reasonable price.

[RangerJack]

Any dog can be excellent as well, even if you can't afford a "championship dog" from amazing bloodlines, the amount of time and effort put into a puppy is the real factor in the end. A lower priced, family-raised Lab pup should be fine for you.

[eagle_3464]

Agreed, time and effort put in has a huge factor in the end result. That being said, also note that it is only part of what makes a quality pet and/or hunting companion. If you end up with a pup that has hip and joint issues, or worse yet EIC or CNM, what payback do you have for all your time and effort. With todays resources there should never be a labrador litter where either of the parents are not OFA'd and CERF'd, as well as at least one of the parents having EIC, CNM, and PRA clearances. Preferably both parents... Anything less is simply irresponsible breeding. Do yourself a favor, do some research and at least buy healthy genetics.

[hanson]

Little testimonial here from a first time dog owner... Morgan just happens to be a Labrador as well.

Since this is my first dog, I did a bunch of research before deciding on a pup. Like yourself, I wanted a dog that would be good around the house and have the ability to hunt. The trick becomes being patient enough to get the right pup from the right litter based on your criteria and expectations. I'm not sure if I jumped the gun but I got a big puppy now so the decision part is way in the past.

I'm just guessing but Morgan is very high strung, high energy, go-go-go, etc because of the bloodlines I was looking for. I wanted a field trial/hunting dog figuring the instinct is built-in. What I didn't figure in was MY ability to train/shape/guide this little hyper ball of fur into the animal I wanted him to be. I've read a lot of books, watched plenty of videos, and went to obedience training as long as I could handle it. What I've felt all along was I was 3 or 4 steps behind my dog. The questions were why is he doing this and what do I have to do to correct it. I should have been anticipating his behavior and shaping it but I didnt' know what to anticipate, part of being a first time dog owner.

Morgan and I have a long life left together so I'm just saying I'm still behind the curve. If I had the money, I'd send him off to a trainer asap! But I can't afford that.

I still love him to death but its been an eye opening experience for sure! Definitely looking forward to duck season this fall though!

[Whoknows]

Thanks everyone for the helpful tips. I'm still on the lookout for the right pup. What equipment should I buy before I bring a pup home. I'm assuming I need a travel kennel, a few different length leads and some chew toys. Anything else you folks would recommend?

[RumRiverRat]

A Healthy dose of Patience!

Sent u a PM.

[UMC]

Thanks everyone for the helpful tips. I'm still on the lookout for the right pup. What equipment should I buy before I bring a pup home. I'm assuming I need a travel kennel, a few different length leads and some chew toys. Anything else you folks would recommend?

Food dishes, kennel cover if it'll be used in a pickup bed, electronic collar (won't use for awhile but while you're buying...), choke collar, bumpers, dog bed, brush (recommend the furminator for a lab), neoprene vest, orange vest if upland hunting, check cord, a baby gate is helpful for keeping them out of certain rooms.

Expensive little buggers but it's fun money to spend! Don't even want to know how much money I've spent on mine since I got him a year and a half ago.

[Jackpine Rob]

Some of my family choked when I coughed up $$$$$ for a British lab a couple of years ago, and I must admit to whimpering a bit myself when I wrote out the check.

However, when you take into account the food, vet visits, and other items, not to mention the investment of time and energy, the initial cost of the pooch is small potatos.

My first two dogs were "backyard breeder" dogs, very moderately priced, and I couldn't have been more pleased with how they turned out. Of course, I checked out the parents and grandparents and the pedigrees first....

Just make sure you do a little sniffing around before you plop down the cash, and make sure your pup is out of proven working stock. Bench show lines are a recipe for disaster (IMHO), and pups that are bred strictly for color may not turn out as you might want.

[LABS4ME]

Plenty of good solid working Bench 'show' lines out there. I'd rather hunt with many of those than some of the field trial dogs we were surrounded by. Not all show dogs can or will hunt... but many can. Way too broad of a statement. Some field trial dogs do not make good hunters either. It depends on the line and the breeder. Some 'fringe' show dogs carry a MH title to go along with the CH title... they can hunt if they get that far. Many dogs were Dual Champions until the 70s... meaning show and field.

Look into the parents, are they calm tractible dogs? Do they present them as actively hunted? Have they adn their parents been cleared of inherited disorders? Is the whelping pen clean and are the pups clean? Do they behave as being socialized? Not cowering? Alert, bold, rambunctious?

Pick the right litter and everything else will fall into place!

Good LUck!

Ken