Financial cost of getting a Labrador Puppy

Raksha

A working dog is normally smalller that a show type. However, good health test results don't always gaurantee a health pup, as diet and lifestyle also contribute to joint problems.

poohzee

Raksha wrote: »

A working dog is normally smalller that a show type. However, good health test results don't always gaurantee a health pup, as diet and lifestyle also contribute to joint problems.

Thanks Raksha - what type of diet would you suggest? I am not keen on BARF, but I had a look at Orijen and was wondering what everyones opinions are?

Raksha

Orijen is the food of choice for many of my friends (I'd feed it if I could afford it).

majicbus

Raksha wrote: »

A working dog is normally smalller that a show type. However, good health test results don't always gaurantee a health pup, as diet and lifestyle also contribute to joint problems.

Indeed, far too many people think that a Lab being as it is should have soo much exercise when young, this is wrong, they shouldn't be doing a great deal of walking at all, more games and training in the garden.
The rule of thumb is around 5 mins of walking per month they are. So 30 mins of walking for a 6 month old.
Also no jumping in and out of cars and sofa's, up and down the stairs etc. I would always lift a dog under 1yr into and out of a car - or use a ramp.
A good diet, Orijen is my choice if i could afford it all the time, my boys(not Labs) are on Arden Grange and mixed with BARF.

I've grown up with working Lab's, though don't personally own one myself now, i find that they need a lot of stimulation, more so than prehaps a show line.

Prior to getting my breed of choice i visited many fun days with my breed and also shows to meet and greet breeders. This can also be done with working lines at trials(afterwards). I purchased many books on my breed and took advice from everywhere before taking the plunge.
Good luck with your search.

Also for insurance, i have found that the Kennel Club one to be very good and on par with PetPlan, yet slightly cheaper. So if you get a KC reg pup it should come with 6 weeks free insurance with it.

foreign_correspondent

Will you be going back to work full time when the little one is older? If so, please factor in the cost of a dog walker, so that you dont end up in the same situation as this family: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2166799

Do be aware that a puppy and a two year old can be hard work, and a big bouncy pup like a labrador will be likely to knock the little one over on occasion (in addition to the normal puppy stages of nipping and mouthing) - it can also complicate housetraining as if the dog soils on the carpet where your little one plays it adds an extra worry, and it can be hard to focus on the pup 24/7 with the demands of little ones on top!

Have you considered adopting a mature dog? Many are being rehomed due to financial reasons and are already used to living with children.

If you do start looking for a pup, please do be careful about where you buy from and do your research about what health checks should have been done on the parents prior to breeding them, so you can make an informed choice - labs are prone to hip dysplasia, which can be painful, debilitating and costly to treat.

olias

Fire_Fox wrote: »

If you want the kids involved then you might consider clicker training, there are some cheap books on Amazon. Clickers can apparently be used to train out unwanted behaviours as well as train for recall and to sit etc. I find it quite fun to do with my cat!

You might also consider reading up on canine nutrition, as a good diet can help with behaviour and protect against joint and weight problems. Gruel type foods won't provide sufficient protein, vitamins/ minerals or essential fats for a growing puppy once the mother's milk is gone, and cow's milk is not recommended for dogs as it can give them the runs. I would not personally want to pay hundreds of pounds a dog that has not already been weaned onto a puppy food with a high meat content.

Maybe I wasn't clear, but I meant a specific propriatery puppy gruel. The one I used was Chudleys puppy weaning food which has all the vitamins/minerals/fats/proteins etc etc etc in it and is mixed with warm water to create a gruel. An added bonus is it gives the dog gorgeous 'puppy breath':D.

Olias

Rev

I wasn't keen on barf either, but found prize choice mince. It's frozen in blocks so just defrost as needed, I mix a small amount in with orijen. I prefer this to the usual wet dog food as it's just 100% meat so I know exactly what they're eating.

I can also vouch for arden grange, my boys did excellently on it. I only switched them to orijen because is better quality food and works out cheaper in the long run for me.

Raksha

Just a word about working strains (of any breed). They tend to be high maintenance to keep them occupied - they are bred to work and if you fail to provide them with suitable 'work' they will find other things to do. Labs are bred to have things in their mouths, and they don't know the difference betweem a 2 year olds toy (or hand/arm/leg) and their own toys - this means a lot of Labs get rehomed young. You need to have a good 'bite inhibition' programme in place, especially with a breed which is so driven in this direction - a soft lab mouth can still hurt when it's full of puppy teeth.

poohzee

foreign_correspondent wrote: »

Will you be going back to work full time when the little one is older? If so, please factor in the cost of a dog walker, so that you dont end up in the same situation as this family: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2166799

Do be aware that a puppy and a two year old can be hard work, and a big bouncy pup like a labrador will be likely to knock the little one over on occasion (in addition to the normal puppy stages of nipping and mouthing) - it can also complicate housetraining as if the dog soils on the carpet where your little one plays it adds an extra worry, and it can be hard to focus on the pup 24/7 with the demands of little ones on top!

Have you considered adopting a mature dog? Many are being rehomed due to financial reasons and are already used to living with children.

If you do start looking for a pup, please do be careful about where you buy from and do your research about what health checks should have been done on the parents prior to breeding them, so you can make an informed choice - labs are prone to hip dysplasia, which can be painful, debilitating and costly to treat.

Hiya thanks for your comments, I wont be going back to work Full time, my full time is my family and my part time job is just some time out for me!

I know there are lots of mature dogs out there looking for a home, however I want our dog to grow with our family and be part of us, whereas a mature dog (who may come with its own set of problems) may not be with us as long as we would like.

My mum already has a dog so both my kids are used to being knocked down! I appreciate your concern regarding taking on a puppy and a 2 year old, but I feel we are ready as a family to commit to this.

poohzee

Raksha wrote: »

Just a word about working strains (of any breed). They tend to be high maintenance to keep them occupied - they are bred to work and if you fail to provide them with suitable 'work' they will find other things to do. Labs are bred to have things in their mouths, and they don't know the difference betweem a 2 year olds toy (or hand/arm/leg) and their own toys - this means a lot of Labs get rehomed young. You need to have a good 'bite inhibition' programme in place, especially with a breed which is so driven in this direction - a soft lab mouth can still hurt when it's full of puppy teeth.

Can I use the clicker training to enforce bite inhibition?