Which breed to get?! Confused!

rising_from_the_ashes

PuppyLove wrote: »

Yes by a long walk i would be happy to go for an hour, maybe longer in the evenings. Sounds like a lab is our best bet then.

Do they moult a lot?

:rotfl::rotfl:Oh myyyyyyyy :rotfl::rotfl:Sorry .... they moult all the time!:D

It just goes through stages of light moult and "OMG I only hoovered 1/2 an hour ago" moult.....

PuppyLove_2

I really would like a puppy and am happy to put in the hard work and take it to training classes.

Haha looks like i will be hoovering a lot then, maybe if i get a brown on the fur will blend in with the sofa :rotfl:

krlyr

If you're definately convinced you want a pup then I would try to get as much dog experience as you can before you get your own pup. Do you have any local rescues that need dog walkers? Neighbours, friends or relatives who'd appreciate a dog sitter for an evening or let you join them for walkies?
It will take a bit of time to research for a reputable breeder and most will have waiting lists so plenty of time to gain some general dog experience in the meantime. Please don't be tempted to take shortcuts and adopt a pup from any old breeder, with a breed like the Lab you'll risk health issues like hip and elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, multiple eye conditions, myopathy, and less common but still noted in the breed, autoimmune diseases and deafness, as well as potential behaviour issues through poor breeding (disposition to some behavioural issues can be genetic)

Gingham_R

Your local lab rescue will probably be really keen to hear from you if you awnt some experience walking, practising recall and grooming labs. In turn, you'll get a feel for what they're like when they haven't been trained to walk on a loose leash (think I'm going actually fly through the air if he pulls any harder) and you'll learn how rewarding it is when they learn something new.

When you've had some experience, and you've read up on what you need to do for a puppy (look at dogstardaily as a starting point) you can look for reputable breeders. Be really careful of irresponsible breeders, who may not have socialised the puppies properly.

Croatoan

I echo what everyone has said about research. The beauty of going for a lab, if that's what you decide on, is that when you're ready you probably won't have to wait too long to get one. If you pop over to Champdogs they list 1006 lab breeders with 84 litters currently ready (whereas for the breed I plumped for they list only 34 breeders and no litters). You should have no problems finding a good breeder among that lot.

Mojisola

Is one of you at home all day? It's really not fair on a puppy if you're out at work.

virgin_moneysaver

dirtysexymonkey wrote: »

ive experience of labrador and beagle pups. id go for a lab. beagles are a pain to train and dont half like to chew! good luck whichever you decide. and good luck with the inevitable "WHY YOU NOT GETTING A RESCUE DOG?!!!!!!!!1111" posts that will pop up soon. getting a puppy is a heinous crime to some!

you can have the best of both worlds & rescue a pup from a rescue centre - look at
https://www.manytears.co.uk
even though they're based in Wales - they have a networl of fosterers all over the country, & they have pups

Hillbilly1

Can't think of a better dog than a retired greyhound - if we din;t have cats we would have had one.

Instead have got an elderly Peke - we both have slipped discs and are fair weather walkers. . .

moomin5

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

Can't think of a better dog than a retired greyhound - if we din;t have cats we would have had one.

Instead have got an elderly Peke - we both have slipped discs and are fair weather walkers. . .

Many greyhound rescues cat test so plenty of greys go to live with cats.

bedpotato_2

If you're going for a puppy and have never had one before, there will be several things that will come as a shock to you. Firstly, the amount of crying and pleading for attention it will do if you leave it alone even for a second. The amount of sleep deprivation you (and your neighbours) will suffer for the first week is unreal. Secondly, the amount of "accidents" until you get it toilet-trained. You will need to restrict it to a part of the house that has lino and no carpet (probably the kitchen) and get used to mopping up piddles 24/7. Do NOT smack it or scold it for having accidents. Apart from the fact that it's too small to be able to control itself yet (the poor thing can't help it), it will be of no use anyway, because dog's brains work in such a way that they relate your reaction to whatever they're doing NOW. They do not possess the ability to look back in time and relate your anger to something they did two hours or two seconds ago, so unless you shout at your dog in the very moment he is doing something bad, do not shout at him at all.

This particularly applies to dogs that run away when off the lead. If your dog runs away and you shout at him to come back and then when he comes back you smack him for having run away, he will relate the smack to what he's doing NOW (i.e. coming back) and will think "If I come back, I get a smack. I see. I won't come back next time." Make sure you do not train your dog to run away by punishing it every time it comes back! Loads of people make this mistake because they don't understand that dogs' minds work differently. I see loads of people shouting themselves hoarse for their dogs to come back and then scolding and wallopping them when they do. We have no way of communicating to our dogs "I'm smacking you for something you did ten minutes ago" so the poor confused dog always thinks it's being smacked for something it's doing wrong right NOW. It thinks coming back must be bad. Either that, or it thinks you're just a violent pack leader who engages in unprovoked random outbursts of violence. So whenever your dog comes back to you, ALWAYS praise it and tell it it's a good boy (even if it was doing something naughty when it ran away) because coming back when you call is a behaviour you want to ENCOURAGE, not prevent! Also do not make the mistake of taking the lead off at the beginning of a walk and not putting it back on until the end. That way the dog will associate the lead with the end of its freedom and will be very reluctant to come back and have it clipped on. It will soon get to know the paths you go on and will know exactly when you are planning to put the lead on, and will dodge you and not want to come back. To avoid this, put the lead on and off at regular intervals during your walk, and each time the dog comes back to have the lead clipped on for a minute or two, give it a treat or a fuss. That way, instead of the lead being something negative (the end of freedom) it will be something positive (a treat or lots of praise).

Those are the basic things. Recall and toilet training. Also, you will need to train it NOT to have separation anxiety. The way to do this is to leave the room frequently and then IGNORE THE NOISE and do NOT COME BACK until it starts being quiet again. Do this frequently, for longer and longer periods at a time (very short at first).That way it will quickly realise that the result of being noisy is that you don't come back, whereas the result of being quiet is that you return. Dogs learn things in terms of action and result. If they like the result they got last time they did something, they will do it again. If they don't, they won't. So if it sounds all pitiful, crying and whimpering, do NOT give in and go and cuddle it, because it will learn how to manipulate you and will reason to itself that making noise is the way to get you to come back. Once it is being quiet, go back in the room. It will get very excited and start jumping up at you and whimpering in happiness that you've come back. You do not want to train it to jump up - it may be fine now, but once it turns into an adult dog jumping up at people is undesirable! So you do NOT want to reward that behaviour with your attention. Ignore it if it paws you or jumps up at your legs, and just potter about the kitchen pretending to do something and do not even look at it until it settles down dejectedly. The second it is quiet, go over and give it a huge fuss and praise and cuddles! That way it will learn that YOU are the one who decides when it gets attention and when you have time to play.

This is how I trained my puppy and after six days he learned to sleep quietly in the kitchen alone and wait calmly for me until I came back downstairs the next day. Now he's a big boy he sleeps with me but it's important in those early days to get them used to the fact that sometimes they'll be left alone. It was very heart-wrenching ignoring his little cries, because it seems cruel and goes against your instincts, and I did a lot of crying myself, but at the end of the day it's WORTH IT and the end result will be that both you and your dog will be a million times happier.

Another thing: when it comes to things your puppy is frightened of - fireworks, cars, other dogs, the TV, kitchen appliances, noise or sudden movement in general - do NOT pick him up to comfort him, as that will only reinforce his idea that those things must be frightening. If you just take no notice and carry on calmly and normally, he will take his cue from you and gradually conclude that since you are so calm, those things mustn't be so frightening after all.

Hope this helps.