Still doggie shopping...

[binny]

Sorry gang Im sure you are all tired of my questions by now.

There are no Golden Retrievers available that fit the " family with young kids and a cat" profile available irght now. Well there are but they are in Utah. OR they cost $300. I really dont want to spend that much on a dog that may be selfish of me but I would rather rescue a dog than to buy one you know?


I know that a lot of you have Labs too and there are several Labs at the shelter that might fit our profile I really want a Golden but I know that Labs are great too.

So I guess my point is, in your experience, which has been the better family dog?

My options at this point are to have one brought up from Utah from the Golden rescue there or get a lab mix at the shelter or just wait a while and see what comes up here.
TIA

 

[FANTASMIC]

ok. I'll go first LOL

LOVE LOVE LOVE LABS!!!! We have a yellow lab and he is about 12 now. Great with kids, cats, dogs, squirrels you name it he loves it. One thing, they do SHED and I mean SHED alot!! You could probably have a herd of dogs by the time they are done shedding and there is no slow season. I know other family members and friends with labs and they have nothing but praise for them. They are hyper when young and are extremely intelligent. (Can ya tell I Love my boy) We are actually looking into getting another one. Happy dog hunting

 

[wvjules]

Personally, I would go with a shelter/rescue dog. I'd rather save a dog's life than pay $300 for one.

 

[mrsv98]

LABS LABS LABS!!!!!!!!! Do you think we love our lab? We have a 6 yo Black Lab who is just the best. She is WONDERFUL with our 2yo DD and has been from the start. As Fantasmic said, she is very smart and sheds all the time. It is a running joke in our house. DD will say, "Mama, there is dog hair on the stairs." I just tell her that's the way life is in our house! We are getting a puppy in Feb, probably a yellow according to the breeder, to be a companion and to keep Sammy young and active. It will be crazy for a while but we think it is well worth it. One thing, especially with labs, a crate is your best friend. Keeps the puppy/young dog from getting into trouble - and they do when young - and gives them their own space. We had two with Sam, a really large one and a smaller metal one. She still uses the smaller metal one. I draped a blanket over the top and it is partially inside the open closet in my DH's office. It is cozy and den-like and she loves it. She has her favorite toys in there and can go in whenever she wants - we don't crate her anymore, no need.

My only caveat is make sure you know what the "mix" is when you rescue a dog. Even with a wonderful even-tempered lab as one parent, you still might get aggressive tendencies if the other parent was something like a huskie, dobie, rottie, and the like.

Have fun looking and good luck!

 

[DocRafiki]

I really dont want to spend that much on a dog that may be selfish of me but I would rather rescue a dog than to buy one you know?

You are not being selfish! Just the opposite! It is selfish to buy a dog that was produced for profit. Don't support the people who have caused this overpopulation problem! Yea for you!

Labs are great but very energetic and shed a LOT, as has been said. I have a lab/pit mix. He has his problems but is a joy. And it makes me even more happy to think where he could have been had he not found me. We're both lucky to have each other.

 

[Kermit]

I have a mixed breed Lab we got from the Humane Society, and we just love him to death. He's a part of our family. The people at the HS said that he was Lab/Cocker Spaniel mix, but he seems to have some hound in him, too. He's about 65 pounds and probably a little less than 2 feet tall, so he's about half the size of a real Lab. He does shed, and he acted like a puppy for a long time (meaning he chewed everything and had to be constantly supervised), but he was so adorable that we didn't mind at all.

Labs are very smart dog. Our dog is incredibly smart, despite his Cocker Spaniel heritage. He understands a lot of words (some that we didn't even want him to learn), and he's very good at communicating so that we know what he wants and needs. He rings a bell when he wants to go outside, and he gets in his kennel when I put on my shoes. We do still kennel him when we leave, even though he's over 3, but he loves it in there. Things are less scary when he's in his house.

 

[janette]

Here's a few I like

Ginger

Pepper

Bailey

Goldie

10481

 

[Disney Doll]

You'd be hard-pressed to get a "bad" Lab, unless it's a mixed breed with somehthing "funky" in the mix.

I have an English Springer Spaniel. Cute, great personality, great with kids, happy, VERY energetic, can be hyper if you don't consistently obedience train them, sheds...but the hair rolls into little tumbleweeds that rollout from under the couch as soon as the company you really want to impress arrives! There's not a million hairs everywhere though.