Thoughts on Brittish Labs

[wayzata]

I am 14 and have a springer spaniel, sadly he is starting to reach the end of his hunting and my dad and I have been looking at labs. We have had out mind set on a brittish lab for a while, just want to hear your thoughts on Brittish Labs, and waht should I look for while shopping around and looking at breaders? And hopefully my gift under the christmas tree is moving! hehe hint hint dad! Thanks a lot guys.

[caseymcq]

There has been a ton of discussion on this topic.

Here is one thread with several pages worth

Lab Types

You'll get a lot of opinions going both ways.

[gp13581]

I've got two british labs that are awesome. They are a bit smaller than a typical american lab, well mannered and smart. Exactly what I was looking for. Mine came from Royalty British Kennels.

[wormdunker]

I too have a British from Royalty British Kennels and cannot say enough about the dog. Great facility, very caring breeder, wonder dogs, great service. No one could live to regret dealing with John. Good Luck, don't rush your decision just to have a wiggling present. Christmas is only one day, you will have the dog a lifetime. Take your time visit breeders, meet the studs and dams.

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I think they are the perfect dog!!!!

[Jmnhunter]

I got my 1st dog ever last year, a brit, and love him, he is smaller than the americans, seems to be calmer than the other typical labs you see. got mine from river valley british labs

[setterguy]

I've always found them to be very polite, and well mannered. They always want to hunt the left side of the field though, and the need to break every day at 4 for tea gets a little old. I do love the accent too.

Couldn't resist.

[Ufatz]

Oh PLEASE don't fall into the Chrismas Puppy trap. A new puppy is a wonderful thing if you have give a lot of thought to the joys and the obligations. You indicate you are now 14-years old. Consider that when your new dog is ten years old you are going to be 24....maybe out of school or in school or married or working in Indonesia.

Just give it some time before you jump. Think of what is going to happen to the dog when you leave for school. Or Indonesia.

I really don't mean to ruin a guys holiday. But I really like to think about the dog too.

[pureinsanity]

After reading these posts i cant agree more. A lab is a lab is a lab. Pure bread or not.

I have a mutt/lab at home (not mine, wifes) hes got a heck of a nose, retrieves when he wants too, does everything else a normal lab would... Here is the kicker though. He is gun shy, he would rather play keep away then fetch, and he often times just lays down because he doesn't want to chase after whatever. And he rips the guts out of toys...

What I am getting at is you can make or break a lab or any dog by the way its trained. I didn't train this dog, she did. She flat out spoiled it to be a lap dog or fireplace dog... All its good for is sitting by the fireplace and chewing on toys. She doesn't grasp the concept that when I get a new puppy I am the one to feed it, water it, take it potty... I told her there might be times ill ok her to but for the most part 99% of the time I will do that.

I will be training it, it wont have toys, it wont be allowed to be on furniture, it wont be allowed to play tug of war with the other dog, and it wont be left out in the house all day, well not for a while.

You can train just about any dog to be a good hunter. Sure some might have more hunting blood in its genes, but I have seen 50$ dogs do better then 1000$ dogs. It is all in the owner who trains the dog. But you also get what you pay for.

Do you research. Look at the mother and father. My last lab had short nails, short hair, just the right sized body and head. It was exactly what I wanted. It also is exactly what I will look for in my next dog too. Her dog has long hair, it sheds like crazy no matter what food its on, it has talons, not claws.

To each their own. You don't have to pay big bucks to get a good hunting dog. You pay more money for good genes so you have less of a problem with your dogs health....

The good hunter part is ultimately up to you the trainer. Do things right and you can have the best dog you ever had as well as a master hunter.

[S.D. Ice Angular]

How come he is going to Indonesia??

[Farmboy1]

While I agree that training is the most important part of any dog, you cannot take good breeding out of the equation. With labs especially, there are a TON of genetic problems caused by poor breeding, hip displasia, EIC, poor eyes, etc. I would personally hate to be into a dog for 1,000 hours of training, and watch the poor thing struggle to walk at 5 years old.

Take your time, do your research, and you may need to pay for the dog of your dreams. The initial cost of a dog is very small compared to the overall costs of the dog in the long run. You could get lucky and get a fantastic dog from the pound, but I would prefer to have the cards stacked in my favor.

[Scott K]

I got my 1st dog ever last year, a brit, and love him, he is smaller than the americans, seems to be calmer than the other typical labs you see. got mine from river valley british labs

I have 2 British Labs from River Valley British Kennels, I couldnt be happier with the dogs, or the breeder/trainer. The only complaint I have of my 2 dogs, are that they are house dogs, and they do shed. They are a lot mellower then regular labs, smaller, but have the same desire to hunt all day long. They are the most loyal dog I have ever owned. I have a 2.5 yo male, he weighs 55#, and a 6 month old female that weighs 27# . They have a great nose, and love to hunt! I too have a 14 yo son, he loves to work and play with both dogs. Get one, you wont be sorry!

[pureinsanity]

I have 2 British Labs from River Valley British Kennels, I couldnt be happier with the dogs, or the breeder/trainer. The only complaint I have of my 2 dogs, are that they are house dogs, and they do shed. They are a lot mellower then regular labs, smaller, but have the same desire to hunt all day long. They are the most loyal dog I have ever owned. I have a 2.5 yo male, he weighs 55#, and a 6 month old female that weighs 27# . They have a great nose, and love to hunt! I too have a 14 yo son, he loves to work and play with both dogs. Get one, you wont be sorry!

My uncle has a golden retriever and he said he puts a raw egg in his dogs food once or twice a week and his dog hardly ever sheds... I have never tried it but he swears by it

[Scott K]

I was told that makes their coats shiny. Maybe it would help with shedding as well?