Getting my first dog
Discussion
I’ve never had a dog but have always wanted one. I am looking at a white lab puppy, 4months old. Fully house trained. Can anyone give me some tips on owning a Lab? I have always wanted one so now I am very excited. The dog will be around kids all over 10 yrs old. How long can I leave it alone for? How many times to walk a puppy? All tips appreciated.
My family are ready to own a dog and look after it. I feel a dog could help us get along better and I am very affectionate towards them. I have the budget to tend towards a dog’s needs. But I’m not sure if we could cope with a Lab’s rapid growth. Are they docile and calm?
Cheers
Ps
Here she is
I haven’t purchased her yet.
My family are ready to own a dog and look after it. I feel a dog could help us get along better and I am very affectionate towards them. I have the budget to tend towards a dog’s needs. But I’m not sure if we could cope with a Lab’s rapid growth. Are they docile and calm?
Cheers
Ps
Here she is
I haven’t purchased her yet.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 11th June 12:11
Very quick question - are you comfortable with the place it's coming from? I only ask because at 4 months old that's slightly later than usual for picking up a puppy, so would want to be sure there isn't anything untoward.
Are you able to see the mother/father and any other litter mates?
Are you able to see the mother/father and any other litter mates?
There are lots of generic puppy guides, as said, knowing the origin is a lot of the battle I understand.
We got our first dog 18montsh ago, a 7 year collie greyhound lurcher boy, rescued from a family who had him from a pup but could no longer come.
He has been excellent in every way, but you have to plan for the worst, especially with a rescue or (partly in your case) matured dog.
...
We both work full time, which in part was the reason for getting a Lurcher, however we still pay for someone to walk him for an hour a day at around mid day.
On top of this we walk him for a minimum of half an hour a morning and night, typically off lead. Typically also an the morning is an hour now, as my partner does a 6k run with him most mornings.
He then we us from 6pm through till we go to bed, all morning, and almost all weekends. He sleeps on the drop landing two steps up from ground level which he likes, allows him to know where we are and if we leave, he is not allowed upstairs.
Social interaction is as important as exercise, he gets alone if we go to the Indian restaurant at the end of the road, or a posh meal out, but generally he is with us any time we're not at work. We pick dog friendly pubs/cafes or sit outside, even in the rain, holidays are a week in the lakes or similar usually and we do go out less. He likes an open fire, rub behind the ears.
The day time walks cost between £13-10 hr (£65-50 pw) depending on where (we have just moved from Staffordshire to Merseyside) this has been augmented with 'daycare' at the local kennals, which have just gone from £16/day to £17, the same rate as overnight boarding and the same place we use if unavoidable such as a family wedding abroad.
Vets are something like £100 a year for vaccinations, KC and L4. £65/quarter for flee and worming tablets. One 1 off fee of about £150 for a Sunday afternoon emergency appointment for a twinged back, including two injections (anti inflammatory and a muscle relaxants I think) and weeks medication to go home (oral pain killer liquid), he is not insured.
The new house has room for a outdoor kennals and run, but given his short hair and the mild rise in dog theft unlikely my parents dog I expect we will keep him inside and walked midday.
That's a basic summary anyway.
Daniel
We got our first dog 18montsh ago, a 7 year collie greyhound lurcher boy, rescued from a family who had him from a pup but could no longer come.
He has been excellent in every way, but you have to plan for the worst, especially with a rescue or (partly in your case) matured dog.
...
We both work full time, which in part was the reason for getting a Lurcher, however we still pay for someone to walk him for an hour a day at around mid day.
On top of this we walk him for a minimum of half an hour a morning and night, typically off lead. Typically also an the morning is an hour now, as my partner does a 6k run with him most mornings.
He then we us from 6pm through till we go to bed, all morning, and almost all weekends. He sleeps on the drop landing two steps up from ground level which he likes, allows him to know where we are and if we leave, he is not allowed upstairs.
Social interaction is as important as exercise, he gets alone if we go to the Indian restaurant at the end of the road, or a posh meal out, but generally he is with us any time we're not at work. We pick dog friendly pubs/cafes or sit outside, even in the rain, holidays are a week in the lakes or similar usually and we do go out less. He likes an open fire, rub behind the ears.
The day time walks cost between £13-10 hr (£65-50 pw) depending on where (we have just moved from Staffordshire to Merseyside) this has been augmented with 'daycare' at the local kennals, which have just gone from £16/day to £17, the same rate as overnight boarding and the same place we use if unavoidable such as a family wedding abroad.
Vets are something like £100 a year for vaccinations, KC and L4. £65/quarter for flee and worming tablets. One 1 off fee of about £150 for a Sunday afternoon emergency appointment for a twinged back, including two injections (anti inflammatory and a muscle relaxants I think) and weeks medication to go home (oral pain killer liquid), he is not insured.
The new house has room for a outdoor kennals and run, but given his short hair and the mild rise in dog theft unlikely my parents dog I expect we will keep him inside and walked midday.
That's a basic summary anyway.
Daniel
Zetec-S said:
Very quick question - are you comfortable with the place it's coming from? I only ask because at 4 months old that's slightly later than usual for picking up a puppy, so would want to be sure there isn't anything untoward.
Are you able to see the mother/father and any other litter mates?
She’s a former guide dog in training who has to be given away due to the owner becoming sick. The mother isn’t there I don’t think but the puppy grew up with a 10 month old. Are you able to see the mother/father and any other litter mates?
I’m fairly confident that’s she has been treated well. She looks happy in all pics and well nourished
Nice dog, it would appear that it's had a lot of training already, so might be good as long as it's been done well.
Labs need a lot of stimulation, and when young can be destructive if they don't get enough mental and physical exercise. I would suggest at least 2 walks a day one morning, one evening, and probably a minimum of an hour at a time. Mix in lots of play and stimulation in between and it should be enough on the exercise front. Each dog is different, but I personally wouldn't leave a dog alone for anymore than 4 hours at a time, so if you all work or are not in during the day, you'll need a dog walker, relative or neighbour to spend a bit of time with the dog at lunchtime. I do know pwople who go out all day and leave their dogs, but I personally think that's cruel.
Docile and calm? Some are, some aren't. They do eventually grow up and become great loyal companions, but their early few years can be boisterous and playful.
Your kids are old enough to understand that a dog needs personal space, and therefore it should be fine. Its young enough to grow with them.
Bear in mind you can take your kids almost anywhere, but you often can't take a dog...in this sense they are quite a responsibility.
Labs need a lot of stimulation, and when young can be destructive if they don't get enough mental and physical exercise. I would suggest at least 2 walks a day one morning, one evening, and probably a minimum of an hour at a time. Mix in lots of play and stimulation in between and it should be enough on the exercise front. Each dog is different, but I personally wouldn't leave a dog alone for anymore than 4 hours at a time, so if you all work or are not in during the day, you'll need a dog walker, relative or neighbour to spend a bit of time with the dog at lunchtime. I do know pwople who go out all day and leave their dogs, but I personally think that's cruel.
Docile and calm? Some are, some aren't. They do eventually grow up and become great loyal companions, but their early few years can be boisterous and playful.
Your kids are old enough to understand that a dog needs personal space, and therefore it should be fine. Its young enough to grow with them.
Bear in mind you can take your kids almost anywhere, but you often can't take a dog...in this sense they are quite a responsibility.
Edited by cbmotorsport on Monday 11th June 16:05
Guide dogs are bred for their purpose. Generally they are intelligent and calm.
They are truly wonderful when they are working (with the harness on) but as young dogs they are not much different to non working dogs.
Try and find out how much/ what training your potential dog has had.
Also guide dogs may give you advice on further training.
4 hours is the longest to leave a dog, particularly a young one
Good luck
They are truly wonderful when they are working (with the harness on) but as young dogs they are not much different to non working dogs.
Try and find out how much/ what training your potential dog has had.
Also guide dogs may give you advice on further training.
4 hours is the longest to leave a dog, particularly a young one
Good luck
Most young labs that I've met have been the opposite of docile and calm, but it does depend on the individual dog.
They can be very excitable and need a lot of exercise. As mentioned by another poster, if not stimulated, they'll destroy your house.
My cousin had one that chewed everything - door frames, doors, carpets, shoes, furniture - anything he could get hold of.
If yours has been guide dog trained I guess this will only be the preliminary stuff (house-trained, etc) as she's so young.
They are incredibly loyal and affectionate as a breed and pretty clever with the right training.
They can be very excitable and need a lot of exercise. As mentioned by another poster, if not stimulated, they'll destroy your house.
My cousin had one that chewed everything - door frames, doors, carpets, shoes, furniture - anything he could get hold of.
If yours has been guide dog trained I guess this will only be the preliminary stuff (house-trained, etc) as she's so young.
They are incredibly loyal and affectionate as a breed and pretty clever with the right training.
Labs do need a reasonable amount of exercise but it's not a good idea to overdo it when they're a puppy (ie still growing), especially not with the joint issues labs can have.
I believe the guide is 5 mins per month of age. Some pups can need a little more than this, but you can build it up as they get older.
I believe the guide is 5 mins per month of age. Some pups can need a little more than this, but you can build it up as they get older.
We leave our dog for upto around 5 hours while at work, occasionally maybe 6hours but that is absolutely max and his is an adult dog.
8hour working day, plus commute, less the hours walk, but factoring in the walk varies in time because half their clients want a mid-day walk so they share the time slots out a bit.
With a let out just before bed, he does 8 hours without issue, but makes it very known if he needs to go when you're trying to push your lie-in upto around the 9hr mark.
Daniel
8hour working day, plus commute, less the hours walk, but factoring in the walk varies in time because half their clients want a mid-day walk so they share the time slots out a bit.
With a let out just before bed, he does 8 hours without issue, but makes it very known if he needs to go when you're trying to push your lie-in upto around the 9hr mark.
Daniel
These are quite different breeds you're considering.
Perhaps it would be better to think about what kind of home you can offer a dog (how much time it will be alone, how much exercise you can realistically provide, how much training you are willing to do, how much grooming you are willing to do, etc) and what you want from a dog (what size of dog you want, what type of dog you want, whether you are bothered by excessive moulting, etc). This will help narrow down your choices.
Perhaps it would be better to think about what kind of home you can offer a dog (how much time it will be alone, how much exercise you can realistically provide, how much training you are willing to do, how much grooming you are willing to do, etc) and what you want from a dog (what size of dog you want, what type of dog you want, whether you are bothered by excessive moulting, etc). This will help narrow down your choices.
Labs are great as a family dog. I think most relevant comments have been made but just in case:
As a puppy/young dog they will chew everything in sight. It's not a bad idea to use a crate during the early months. They do actually quite enjoy having their bed in a crate and once they've got through the chewing stage they will happily transition to a bed in open space. If you have a utility room or space where there's nothing chewable then that will do the same job though. (Friends thought their utility room was lab safe but she still managed to chew the door architrave, the skirting board and the satellite dish cables)
Labs are designed to eat everything and anything. This includes other dog sh*t, horse sh*t, rabbit sh*t etc. With luck they will pass through this phase early on. Don't be tempted to feed them from your table. Nothing worse than a slobbering lab at your knees whilst eating. If you do want to feed them odd scraps make sure it's from their normal food bowl (ours loves broccoli for example).
I concur with the exercise; at least two good walks per day for a minimum of 30 mins and ideally an hour. If you get the chance to walk them for a 2/3hrs (as a mature dog) it is great to see them collapse on their beds and give you soulful eyes!
Leaving them for extended periods is less than ideal. We can go up to 8hrs with our 6 year old but we only do that if left with no other choice. Generally we won't go beyond 6 hrs but fortunately the nature of my work means he is rarely left without company for more than 4 hrs.
The biggest pain is when you want a holiday. Our dog has never been kenneled and I don't think we could ever put him in a kennel now. We are fortunate that we do have a neighbour who will either take him in or if it's a short break feed and walk him from home. There is no question, however, that he misses the attention if it's the latter and his eating is affected. There again, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing your dog wag his hind legs off when you come home.
And lastly, they molt and they molt! We're fortunate that we have a flagstone ground floor; carpets would be a nightmare but be prepared to vacuum daily if you're particularly houseproud.
When all said and done they are generally some of the best natured dogs and even though their needs can be quite demanding they repay in companionship 10x over.
As a puppy/young dog they will chew everything in sight. It's not a bad idea to use a crate during the early months. They do actually quite enjoy having their bed in a crate and once they've got through the chewing stage they will happily transition to a bed in open space. If you have a utility room or space where there's nothing chewable then that will do the same job though. (Friends thought their utility room was lab safe but she still managed to chew the door architrave, the skirting board and the satellite dish cables)
Labs are designed to eat everything and anything. This includes other dog sh*t, horse sh*t, rabbit sh*t etc. With luck they will pass through this phase early on. Don't be tempted to feed them from your table. Nothing worse than a slobbering lab at your knees whilst eating. If you do want to feed them odd scraps make sure it's from their normal food bowl (ours loves broccoli for example).
I concur with the exercise; at least two good walks per day for a minimum of 30 mins and ideally an hour. If you get the chance to walk them for a 2/3hrs (as a mature dog) it is great to see them collapse on their beds and give you soulful eyes!
Leaving them for extended periods is less than ideal. We can go up to 8hrs with our 6 year old but we only do that if left with no other choice. Generally we won't go beyond 6 hrs but fortunately the nature of my work means he is rarely left without company for more than 4 hrs.
The biggest pain is when you want a holiday. Our dog has never been kenneled and I don't think we could ever put him in a kennel now. We are fortunate that we do have a neighbour who will either take him in or if it's a short break feed and walk him from home. There is no question, however, that he misses the attention if it's the latter and his eating is affected. There again, there's nothing more rewarding than seeing your dog wag his hind legs off when you come home.
And lastly, they molt and they molt! We're fortunate that we have a flagstone ground floor; carpets would be a nightmare but be prepared to vacuum daily if you're particularly houseproud.
When all said and done they are generally some of the best natured dogs and even though their needs can be quite demanding they repay in companionship 10x over.
Don't believe all the horror stories about a Lab chewing everything in sight, Ours chewed the strap on my wife's handbag and a pair of my headphones when he was 3 or 4 months old and that's been it. He's now 2yrs and 4mths.
I did the recommended 5 minutes per month for exercise until a year old. Plus plenty of stimulatin at home.
Now it's a minimum of 1.5 hours a day during the week. More at the weekend.
Lot's of socialisation with people and other dogs from 8 weeks old.
We did get a cage for him but never closed the door on it as he was so laid back it wasn't needed.
I did the recommended 5 minutes per month for exercise until a year old. Plus plenty of stimulatin at home.
Now it's a minimum of 1.5 hours a day during the week. More at the weekend.
Lot's of socialisation with people and other dogs from 8 weeks old.
We did get a cage for him but never closed the door on it as he was so laid back it wasn't needed.
moorx said:
These are quite different breeds you're considering.
Perhaps it would be better to think about whathome you can offer a dog (how much time it will be alone, exercise, training, grooming, etc) and what you want from a dog, size and type of dog you want.
Perhaps it would be better to think about whathome you can offer a dog (how much time it will be alone, exercise, training, grooming, etc) and what you want from a dog, size and type of dog you want.
Very much this. Ask all you want in making the choice, and go with what you feel is right for you, but they are very different dogs and it has to be up to you which you go for.
Daniel
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