Anyone got a Labrador?

not always great with kids

No kids but I actually thought they were noted for being very good with children.

that's the rep indeed, have seen docile playthings turn on kids, just saying, not an expert

I think, potentially, any dog can turn nasty but some breeds are more prone than others.

An expert told me that of all the breeds Labs are the highest offenders with kids. Especially if they come along after the dog who sees them as a threat to the pecking order.

Told a great friend of mine this after their 1st child, their 'lovely docile' dog turned into a monster. they quickly had the dog rehoused

BTW that was before the fashion for Staffies and Pit Bull types came along I know nothing about them.

yes foxy, thats exactly what happened.............

Hi pecker.

WUFF WUFF

Yes, I think that scenario can be problematic and again, with any dog.

I am surprised to hear that Labs are the worst offenders.

I thought that was a bit of a myth and just arrived at through sheer number of labs and numbers of labs in homes with children.

I have one, my third, all have been wonderful dogs and companions.

It's the most popular breed in the USA, year after year.

Iawn, yep I was a bit shocked to learn that as without kids they are so brilliant. squares It was a top RSPCA officer who told me they are way ahead of the other breeds for 'turning' on kids.

Strange fact, but can't argue with the experts. Mum always had a lab (3 in total) and brought 5 kids into the world without any issues at all.

Also, I imagine it would be unexpected and they are probably given more leeway around kids than most breeds.

Good point squares, As a parent myself I would'nt try to 2nd guess if my child was safe in the same room as my dog, even while I went to make a cuppa.

Had a golden labrador (Honey) 30 years ago. She only came to us because her previous owner had had a child, and the dog went for it once when it started crawling.

A lovely dog, but stupidly greedy. Would wolf down a whole tin of Pedigree chum and mixer in literally three seconds.

As we had a septic tank, I used to put used Durexes in a bin in the bathroom. First morning after acquiring the labrador, we found the previous night's johnny lying on the landing, licked spotlessly clean. Could have used it again.

Another morning we found a wrapper from an unused bar of Simple Soap, but not a flake left of the soap itself.

The dog did meet her match once, though. One evening she was with my girlfriend at the local riding stables, and someone had ignored the sign above the molasses bin ordering users to REPLACE THE LID. Honey spent a very uncomfortable night groaning on the sofa after that. Still didn't stop her eyeing the bin up every time she passed it subsequently.

Feb 18, 2020 -- 5:55PM, i_agree_with_nick wrote:

I think, potentially, any dog can turn nasty but some breeds are more prone than others.

Border Collies tend to cower if treated badly, a staffy will rip your face off if treated badly

That's from seeing it first hand so could be wrong on the whole

My family has had them since I was 5 years old. Never had an incident with one ever, always great with kids. Not saying I don't believe other posters about labs, but stuff like this is mostly anecdotal, and like I said nothing but good things from my end.

Hank, I hardly think the information from a top RSPCA manager/trainer is anecdotal, as they have to keep records.

yep, why I said most...

Can be unbelievably greedy. A friend who keeps chickens has one. There were 10 eggs in a bowl on the worktop. The dog scoffed the lot including shells.

He was sick as, but you just know he would do it again.

I have a Lab he is 9 next month, been a great dog for me. I bought him as a pup with my winnings from Azerbaijan in Euro Song Contest(sorry for aftertiming) only thing is he has just started limping with arthiritus.

ive had loads of em ova the years and amazed that none of em gave any of my kids a nip wiv what they put em thru in their early years tbh - can only speak as i find but mine have always been thru same breeder and cudnt fault the ones ive had thru my hands tbh

have a black lab

best dog ever no issues 9 years

lovers her food eat the plaster off the wall when a puppy

put some cod liver oil in food for artaritis

never owned one but family have had a couple and known a few of other folks

hands down the best of dogs , all got unique personalities and never ever will you get a dog as child friendly as shearer says

seen kids jump all over them etc and they are calm as anything , amazing dogs

someone I know got  PUP sa few wks ago they woke and it ripped up all the kitchen lino

hello

my affinity goes back to the days when my blind gran brought/dragged me up - long story - but she didnt have a labrador but two otha dogs - a beagle which i cuda happily took for a walk and lost her if you know what i mean cos its character was orrible -neva bit anyone mind- and a big mongrel - not even sure of the cross but a big black thing wiv loadsa hair that was gentle as a lamb - me gran went far too young at 65-66 so when Andrex came along it was always gona be my choice of dog - and happy to say ive neva had a problem

I have two labs and two kids, got both dogs when they were puppies. Fantastic dogs, soft as anything, but as others have alluded to will eat and continue to eat if you let them.

if I get a dog it would be a lab , great natures and a bit of daft about them , they would eat all day if you let them tho never know when there full

ive had a few that hav luvd the curtains much to the other halfs disdain

I have a Labrador cross (Alsatian?).
Twice on her medical history vets wrote "excellent temperament".
She loves food, and would eat 24/7.
I was clever and put loads of mustard on a ham sandwich and showed it to her.
I thought she would smell it and turn away.  One bite from her and I was left holding the crust.
Eat first, think later.

We have always had dogs, the first one that I remember was a black Lab bitch who was by some distance the best pet we ever owned. She was much loved and lived with us for 14 years before we had to let her go, I'm one of 6 and not once was there any temper shown towards us as kids, quite the opposite in fact and she was very protective towards all of us. If you are going to get a puppy iawn then I strongly urge you to get pet insurance, my little fella contracted meningitis aged 2 and we thought he won't make old bones but he is 9 today and bounces around the place no problem thankfully.

Ultimately I think you're better off getting a cross-bred from an animal sanctuary than any kind of pedigree dog from a breeder.

More relaxed, fewer visits to the vet, and they'll follow you to the ends of the earth.

i had a labrador bitch golden, amazing dog, best ever companion, crazy though, eat like ****, but they would exercise like ****, loved walking and running amok on the beach, missed so much.

I had a resue labrador cross for some years ...  ate like a horse .  Always good around kids unless teased .  Back legs went in the end ,although she was a hefty dog .

Labrador's make a tasty spit roast, and know one can tell the difference if you declaw them before cooking.

Joined: 08 Apr 06 | Topic/replies: 39,809 | Blogger: Coachbuster's blog
I had a resue labrador cross for some years ...  ate like a horse .  Always good around kids unless teased .  Back legs went in the end ,although she was a hefty dog .
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same as mine

The condom story brought a smile to my face, SFBTW.

Never had a Labrador myself but they always seem so friendly. IF they do attack more kids than any other breed, then it can surely only be a numbers game, with there being so many of them.

Apparently more window cleaners fall off ladders than accountants do!!

Ultimately I think you're better off getting a cross-bred from an animal sanctuary than any kind of pedigree dog from a breeder.

More relaxed, fewer visits to the vet, and they'll follow you to the ends of the earth.


Aren't they likely to have been mistreated and have behavioural issues?

Most seem to be the victims of household break-ups.

I've had two cross-breds from Heaven's Gate in the Mendips and one from Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard. They've all been perfectly behaved from the word go, with none of the neuroses that seem to plague pedigree dogs which people I know have bought from breeders.

I've never ended up with dogs which refuse to come when called, or who cower and hide, or who lie down and refuse to move. By contrast, from the first moment these dogs saw me they followed me everywhere and obeyed just about every command straight away (they were 7, 9 and 4 when I got them). They're just so desperate to have a human to follow again that there's no way they'll take the p1ss.

The seven and nine year olds were setter crosses who had been in a cage for a year after their owner had died. They lay together quietly in the car on the journey home, then got straight up on the sofa together the moment I opened the front door, and shut their eyes. Good luck with that with a pedigree setter!

Other than the male tending to catch mange from foxes, I don't think I had a problem with them, until they each had a stroke and were put down aged 17 and 16. Again, you don't get that kind of a vet-free experience with most inbred pedigree types.

Much the same with the sheltie-cross I currently have. She's now 15, and still follows me for 6 to 8 miles a day into Taunton and around its betting shops. She got a couple of bouts of vestibular syndrome (wobbliness) in the autumn, but she's fine again now. Utterly perfect temperament, but still a proper dog, catching rabbits and so on when she was younger.

Her previous owners had divorced.

If you go to a reputable sanctuary, they will tell you of any behavioural issues, and not give you a dog that's not suitable for you or your circumstances.

Have a look through the dogs here, and see how any behavioural issues are listed:

https://www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org/animals/dogs/

My first dog as an adult was a Kelpie/Bull Terrier. I found her in my front yard and she looked terrible so I assumed it was a stray. Later I found out it belonged to a bloke around the corner so I gave her back. Then a couple of weeks later he came around and asked if I could take her because she and the other dog he had didn't get on at all. I said 'great'.

This bloke was a pig hunter and Jo (that was her name) was a pig hunting dog. They don't hunt pigs like Babe they hunt wild boars with huge tusks and the dogs often get killed. It's not my cup of tea but hey - it's a free world. Jo was apparently a particularly ferocious pig hunter and her numerous scars and disfigurements were evidence of that.

At the time I had a 19yo cat and Jo's owner was terrified that Jo would kill it because apparently it wouldn't be the first time. I was a bit worried myself after hearing that but Jo just ignored the cat. The cat drowned in the pool not long after. (Maybe Jo pushed him).

Anyway not long after I got Jo my son was born. Two years later my daughter. I couldn't have asked for a better dog for my children than that ugly battle scarred former pig hunter. My kids wrestled her,poked her eyes,tackled her,rode her like a horse,jumped on her,twisted her already mangled ears,subjected her to all kinds of indignities,sometimes even slept on her. She loved it. She was a Star!!

The cat drowned in the pool not long after. (Maybe Jo pushed him).

Sorry about your cat, but I laughed like a drain when I read that.

I've often wondered if drinking massively chlorinated water and a diet of raw chopped Kangaroo meat led to our cat's long life (19) before his untimely death in what can only be described as suspicious circumstances.

Some people I know with dogs only feed them meat, and definitely not dog food.
They all look really well, lean and fit with bright eyes and good coats.

About four in all, which is a very small sample, but I always remark how well they look.

A meat-only diet isn't any healthier or more natural for a dog than it is for a human. Left to themselves, dogs scavenge virtually everything, seemingly relying on puking up to deal with the stuff they shouldn't have swallowed. Mine gorges herself on excrement, rotten wood, corn (especially cobs missed by the combine) - dogs thrive on all of those for the minerals, vitamins and roughage they don't get from meat alone.

The dogs you see on a meat-only diet may look well in passing, but I'll bet at home they're scooting and itching and farting, and they'll definitely be in and out of the vets to have their anal glands emptied all the time (their stools will be too loose to empty them normally).

You're wrong on all points screaming.

good sleepers and snoorers