Bigger Dog ownership?

[nliedel]

You people do not understand shedding until you have a Siberian Husky basically explode twice a year! I have raised St. Bernards and had a Gorgeous Golden and I thought I knew what shedding was. Along came Mani-Nana. No dog can have that much hair! I vaccuumn three times a day in March and October. At least and still can't keep up! At least she confines herself to two blows a year

 

[Pea-n-Me]

German Shepherds shed a huge amount, too, year round.

Just wanted to say I think a Golden Retriever is a great choice for a family dog, particularly for first time owners.

Would like to say IME it is not so much male vs female as far as personality goes, but temperament of the individual dog that matters. Find one who is friendly to both people and other dogs, regardless of whether it's a male or female. I like both.

Yes, dog ownership is expensive, but so worth it. It is also an investment of time, but the rewards are very sweet.

Good luck, you've gotten some great information on this thread.

 

[goofyforlife]

I grew up with a male lab in our house he was great....

We have two female dogs now....Both are great (even with my 2 yr old nephew)

We chose a female for our last pup because:

A) Males in most breeds tend to be larger.
B) We decided to yellow spots on the grass would be better than on our shrubs.

 

[skooniebird]

a little background...I have always been a cat person but while I was a Nanny my family adopted a golden and I have been in love with them since. Now this was 15? years ago when I worked there so I need some refreshing as to what all care and expenses they need.

Dh wants a lab and I want a golden and I feel the urge that it is soon time (cat willing the company) but I want to know what I am getting into. The girls are getting older and are great with our cat.

Are boy or girl dogs better with children in your OP?

How often/expesive are the vet visits a year?
How many times a day to you walk or let out approx?
How many pounds of dog food a week do they go though for your bigger dog? (Still not sure if we want a golden or lab, dh likes shorter hair)
How many years did it take them to get out of the puppy stage and follow basic commands? When do yoou start lessons?
Where do you crate them, if so, during the away times?

Any major thing I am forgetting?

Btw, are purebreeds better with kids than a SPCA puppy?

We want to get a younger puppy. I really want one that will travel in the car for short trips to school, stuff like that, etc...

P.S. anyone in PA having golden or lab puppies???

I love our 4 yr old Golden, but OH THE HAIR!!! Go Lab or a darker golden breed more for sport not show with shorter hair. They are wonderful dogs, either breed, not alot of difference. After initial fixing, puppy shots and all that we only see the vet once a year if there are no problems. About 80- 100 dollars maybe. Premium food is best for one humongous reason. POO I bought a bag of regular food once and our dog pooped over twice as often, and much larger looser stools. No fun. We started puppy training classes at 4 months and then did advanced puppy training after that with a group who breeds and shows Goldens and were very knowledgeable. I always had female dogs growing up, but have read extensively that neutered males make better pets. No PMS? I don't know .At 4 he really is just starting to REALLY settle down. Their worst trait is liking people so much and training them not to mob your visitors, or people walking by, or just anything human is the hardest thing about them. I stay at home so Rhett goes out in our fenced yard every 2 hours or so. I hate teh cold and am a bad owner for not walking him more. Big dogs need to be walked daily. He goes from 10 pm until like 7 am without going out just fine. As a puppy we crated him any time we weren't there to immediately take him out if it looked like he needed a potty break. We got him at 6 weeks and he only had 2 accidents since then. But I watched him constantly when he was being housebroken and would sweep him out the patio door yelling no the second it looked as though he may go. LOL We trained each other well. I always had little dogs but have changed to a big dog person now. Will always go Golden or Lab from now on. Good luck.

 

[mookie]

Youve got some great responses here. I do have a few things to add from our own experience.

We have 2 labs - one a purebred yellow male (Mulligan) and the other a lab/border collie mix female (Mookie - hence the screename!). They both are really great dogs, but Mully took awhile to get there. His puppy stage lasted until he was almost 3, and I know several other lab owners who agreed with their own dogs. Those 3 years were pretty trying. He wasn't a very hyper dog, but he did have problems marking (even tho he was nutered.) and chewing. He even broke out of his crate a few times!! But he is definitely the most loving dog you will ever meet. He love kids, even if he's never met them before, they can use him as a jungle gym and he will not even be fazed. His hair is definitely a problem - it's everywhere!!! Clothes, car, etc. Be prepared for that.

Mookie has always been a great dog. She sheds a lot too, but not as much as Mulligan. I do think that females aren't as "block-headed" as males, and are easier to train.

Both my sis and my mom have Goldens. I do know that they shed too, but the one thing about this breed is that you can groom them, where labs you really can't, so the hair factor might be worse with labs. My mom gets her dog groomed every month and a half, and it really keeps the hair down.

My sis rescued her retriever, and he is by far one of the best dogs I have ever known. My moms retriever is a bit hyper and needy, so I guess you can't really classify every dog into their breed generalization. One thing I do know is my mom and my sister both have had severe problems with their dogs hips. (My mom's dog has even had a replacement already.) I know this is common in both breeds, but so far, we haven't had a problem.

Good luck in whatever you decide. I think both breeds are pretty similar, so you should be happy with whatever your choice will be.

 

[budbeerlady]

We have a great (huge) yellow lab named Fred. He is such a honey. He is 9 now and just hangs out in the back yard. He doesnt travel far now days and we dont even kennel him except at night. (He would have to go pretty far to get to the neighbors) But when he was a puppy/ 2-3 years old he could knock your legs out from under you. He is huge and wouldnt mean to hit you but if he cut the corner short of if you stepped out in front of him he couldnt stop in time.
My parents black lab female is in the house and she sheds ALOT!!!! She is a great dog but she hangs out in the kitchen and takes up alot of space. She had a hard time sticking around and had to be tied out if it was for a long time outside. Both dogs are very loyal and very hungry. Fred can eat!!!!!

We just got a blue heeler this past weekend. I love the little pig dearly but puppy shots are expensive! I just last night paid out $60 for his first visit. And now I go back again in 3 weeks (I called around that was cheapest for our area and I like the vet) That was a well puppy exam, worming, 1st shot and a hearworm pill. And then there is the crating, he does really well untill about 4am. (I keep telling myself, he is only 9 weeks it will get better. And it reinforced to Dh that there will be no more babies in this house) No matter how tired that poor boy is before bedtime he wakes up at 4 and wont go back to bed. I let him out to go potty and then he wants it to be play time. We feed him in his crate and that is his safe place that is all his own. I am not having a real problem with the potty training, and our vet recommend a loud no (or can of pennies if needed) and if needed a time out for puppy teething on us.

Good luck with your new pet decision! They are a long time commitment and when properly trained a great companion.