Currently Deciding on whether a lab is the perfect dog for me... Need your help

[need help]

Hello, I am new to this site and currently looking for the right dog for my criteria. I figured since the Lab is at the top of my list I should ask some questions about it to people who spend time with this breed every day.

I enjoy hunting dove, duck, geese, pheasant, and would really like to get into more upland game like rabbit, squirrel, and whatever else out there. So my question for you is this - Would a Lab be capable of each of these types of hunt? Are they good on land as they are in water? Can they point, flush, and track like they can retrieve?

As for my family life, I have a wife and hope a couple kids on the way. Things I need from a Lab would include:
Very easy to train
Good with kids/strangers
Good with other dogs
Able and desire to protect my wife and children if needed. Example: My wife enjoys running in the morning, will the Lab protect her from someone or something that approaches her?

Lastly, things that I desire in a dog/everyday companion are:
Able to take to the lake, park, hiking, fishing, camping, etc.
Strong, athletic, stamina
Be able to hold his own is we run across dangerous wild animals
Cold resistant (I don't know if that is the correct term, but able to withstand a cold day outside when hunting, fishing, or anything else)

Thanks a lot for your help. I need some information for this breed before my wife allows me to buy one...

[bett]

i cant answer the hunting part but can help in the other parts. easy to train but you need to put in the time. great with kids and people and other dogs.protection?hmmm maybe . my husband thinks if need be they would protect and others here have said they had a situation and the dog protected them. mine might lick the boogey man to death or whip them silly with their tails.labs have what's called a "soft mouth" which makes them good for hunting but not sure about holding their own with wild dangerous animals (like what?). they tolerate the cold due to their coats.
and if your wife is "allowing" you i wonder if the dog is going to be welcome as a family member as labs want to part of the family, not isolated away from them.
hope this helps somewhat and i'm sure some hunters will join in.

[need help]

Betty,

All of this does help. My wife will accept the dog as a member of the family without a question... she actually wants a lab over the other breeds I am also interested in. I just meant that she wants me to be completely confident with my purchase. She knows that I have wanted my own dog for a long time now and will take it everywhere with me so she is just looking out for me.

As for the other things. I appreciate your input, it is helpful. How about shedding... I hear that labs shed an enormous amount, but I have also heard that it's only a certain part of the year as well as if you brush them it is not a problem. What do you think?

[Smackbelly&ThePone]

Everything on your list sounds like a lab except for the protecting your wife bit. Not saying the lab wouldn't...some labs turn out to be great watchdogs...but honestly, he would be more apt to lick the bad guy to death. But, having said that, a big dog running with your wife may be a deterrent...especially a black one...for some reason black labs seem to intimidate people more than chocolate or yellow, that's why there are so many in the pound. I would advise you to get the Lab and a can of pepper spray!

As for shedding...yeah, they shed a lot. I have heard that frequent brushing helps but since I am lazy and don't do it I have no experience with that. I have heard that yellow seem to shed more than blacks or chocolate but I am not sure of that. The hair was daunting at first when we got Smack but then we just learned to buy lots of dark clothes and now it doesn't even phase us!

[MickeyTheLab22]

A lab is great at all of those.. as for a watchdog i had a lab chow mix that was a great watchdog.. people say labs arent the best watchdogs. but i disagree. im sure if somebody is about to hurt your wife your lab would attack

[bett]

ok. good. shedding? hahahaha. i have a black and a yellow. i find that my yellow sheds more ,much more than my black guy. brushing helps a lot. i brush outside and we have a long rubbery mat by the back door and i made my husband (that doesnt really sound right-i asked my husband......) and he vacuumed the outside mat because the yellow hair stuck to it and was making me nutso.
that being said...i would never have a house without a lab. they are the best with kids and i cant say enough good stuff about them. they could be a bit nutsy for 2 yrs but truthfully it's all in the training.
there's nothing like a lab and i hope you get yours!
keep us posted.

[Smackbelly&ThePone]

Let me say this...Smack is a big black boy and when anyone rings our bell, knocks on our door, walks by, drives by or even dares to breathe in HIS neighborhood he barks his fool head off...he has a very manly bark...and people who don't know him are afraid and will back off...scared of the big bad scary...LABRADOR! So you never know...Smack wouldn't hurt a fly but they don't know that!

[Benelli_my_lab]

You won't find a better hunting dog!!! We have had nothing but springers, and Nelli is our first lab. We took her out last winter when she was 4-5 months old. She literally (without formal training) ran circles around the springers that were out there. She had a better nose, better tracking, better bird sighting/flushing and would smash through thin ice on a slough without a thought (NO we didn't let her - she was just along for the walk & experience).

I'm not so sure about the rabbit, squirrels, etc. That's something we have trained Nelli NOT to chase - only because we don't want her going after them when we're in the field hunting birds. Also - a hunting trainer we know said it's not a good idea because they tend to chase varmints with their head down in a full run. When they get into thick brush and sticks, that's when the danger of losing an eye happens.

Shedding? O.M.G. yes. I've never seen a dog shed like this. Nelli is yellow and our furniture is all dark brown.
Trainable? Never seen a dog learn like this dog does.
Watch dog? Again... a bark big enough to scare the tar out of you. But get close enough and she'll lick you to death.
Good with kids/strangers/other dogs? Unbelievably friendly and playful
Strong/athletic/stamina? One of the best breeds for those traits (but you will want to watch out for EIC in some) Breeders can answer you as to whether EIC is hereditary - I'm not sure. I think I saw somewhere that it was. ???
Cold resistant? Nelli's happiest times are in the snow and the ice cold water of hunting. (again, watch out for cold tail!!)

Good luck with your search... I hope you find yourself one heckuva lab!!! (and welcome to the board!!)

[gundogpa]

Labs can hunt any upland birds. Some better than others.

They are the kings of the waterfowl game.

I think Rabbits and squirrel would be something you could tran them for.....generally you do not want a bird dog to chase rabbits.

If fur is a big part of your hunting....maybe a continental breed like a GWP, GSP, PP etc......they are not labs and do not have the typical lab personality. (although surely owners of those breeds find them delightful)

By the looks of your list waterfowl is a big part of your hunting......pheasants are a great bird to chase with labs. I see you are in CO.....there must be Grouse of several types there as well......Grouse are we we chase mostly, labs can do a great job there as well.


My advice would be get a lab and train for waterfowl and upland pheasant and grouse........then talk a friend into getting a beagle to chase bunnies with.......no dog beats a mellow voiced beagle chasing rabbits.

Just make sure you get a dog with the skill set you are looking for. Find a breeder who is using his dogs like you want to use yours. Don't get a show dog, don't get a byb dog......get a real field dog.

[Ron AKA]

Originally Posted by need help

Hello, I am new to this site and currently looking for the right dog for my criteria. I figured since the Lab is at the top of my list I should ask some questions about it to people who spend time with this breed every day.

I enjoy hunting dove, duck, geese, pheasant, and would really like to get into more upland game like rabbit, squirrel, and whatever else out there. So my question for you is this - Would a Lab be capable of each of these types of hunt? Are they good on land as they are in water? Can they point, flush, and track like they can retrieve?

I have owned three Brittany Spaniels and now we are raising a English lab (but not to hunt). A Brittany will be better on pheasant and other upland game birds. There is nothing like shooting with your dog on point. I doubt many will have the perseverance to train a Lab to point. While many Brittanies can retrieve in water, some don't like it. Most retrieve on land naturally, and the rest can be trained. Water retrieves are going to be best done by the Lab. That is their calling. I'm amazed at the natural ability of this lab we now have. But beware that a breed is not totally uniform and there are exceptions. I have no idea how one would use a dog to hunt rabbits or squirrels. They are one supreme distraction for upland game hunting with a Britt, and usually require an e-collar to break them of it.

As for my family life, I have a wife and hope a couple kids on the way. Things I need from a Lab would include:
Very easy to train

Yes the Lab we have is very easy. What we got at 6 months would have been 12 months with a Britt.

Good with kids/strangers
Good with other dogs

Our Lab is, but so are Britts. An exception is men with the Lab. She in general does not like them. Probably a breeding specific trait.

Able and desire to protect my wife and children if needed. Example: My wife enjoys running in the morning, will the Lab protect her from someone or something that approaches her?

Our Lab does not like joggers or bikers and will attempt to control them. She also has a loud deep bark for visitors at the door. She is all bark and would not bite. A Britt is not likely to bark or bite. However, many dogs will protect if their owner is actually attacked. Seems like a natural instinct.

Lastly, things that I desire in a dog/everyday companion are:
Able to take to the lake, park, hiking, fishing, camping, etc.
Strong, athletic, stamina
Be able to hold his own is we run across dangerous wild animals

My observation is that each of the two we have had are great companions. If anything I think the Brittanies have more stamina, but I field trial conditioned them very hard. One was as tough as nails and would never quit. On dangerous animals, I think the last thing you want when you enounter a bear for example is a dog. The dog may put up a bit of a show at first, but if things get rough, they are likely to run to you for protection.

Cold resistant (I don't know if that is the correct term, but able to withstand a cold day outside when hunting, fishing, or anything else)

The Labs were bred specifically for this purpose. Ours showed a little hesitation, but went into water that had ice in it.

On shedding this Lab shed nothing until the past few weeks and now she is making up for lost time. Britt's shed too -- just a different color compared to a black Lab.

[need help]

All of this is very helpful thank you. Just about everyone has said the same thing about all bark no bite for typical labs ha which is fine. I would probably prefer that over a dog that was mean to everyone. I just recently heard about Chesapeake Bay Retrievers... are the similar to labs? Better or worse in these areas? I hear they are great swimmers and tougher when it comes to the protective instinct... is this true? Let me know what you think about all that please.

As for the hunting portion, that makes a lot of sense about the dog chasing rabbits and squirrels while you are hunting birds. I would rather not do that. Thanks for the help. Let me know what you know about Chesapeake's and how it fits into my criteria above.

Thanks

[gundogpa]

Originally Posted by need help

All of this is very helpful thank you. Just about everyone has said the same thing about all bark no bite for typical labs ha which is fine. I would probably prefer that over a dog that was mean to everyone. I just recently heard about Chesapeake Bay Retrievers... are the similar to labs? Better or worse in these areas? I hear they are great swimmers and tougher when it comes to the protective instinct... is this true? Let me know what you think about all that please.

As for the hunting portion, that makes a lot of sense about the dog chasing rabbits and squirrels while you are hunting birds. I would rather not do that. Thanks for the help. Let me know what you know about Chesapeake's and how it fits into my criteria above.

Thanks

Chessies can be great dogs, wonderful gun dogs and great family dogs.

They are NOT brown labs though, they are different in many ways.....the people you should ask are chessie owners. I have had one and she was a good dog.....personally I liked labs better. I am sure current owners of chessies could add some real info for you.

[Ron AKA]

One bit of advice on picking a breed I can give you is to be sure to look as carefully at the breeding as the breed. Yes, the breed can define to a certain extent what the dog will be like, but there is quite a wide variation within a breed in most cases.

I was quite involved in pointing dog field trials, and there are quite a few breeds that qualify to compete. However very few are competitive. The Visula, Irish Setter, and Weimeramer dogs are totally out of place, but there may be the odd one somewhere that can actually hunt with some energy (I've heard about red setters, but never saw one). The English Setter and Germain Shorthaired Pointer are Jekyl & Hyde. Those that are show breeding are useless in the field and vice versa. Same to a little less degree with the English Pointers. EP's are the ultimate no holds barred field pointing dog with the right breeding. The Brittany more than I believe any other breed can do it both in the field and show.

Lab breeding I know little about, but I'm sure there are many others here that do. My guess is that there are field bred ones and others that are more show than go. My point is that yes, breed is important, but that is only one small step in making a really good selection.

[onehorse]

I believe a Lab, or any dog, could be trained to do all the things you would like a dog to do, HOWEVER, they most likely won't do them ALL equally well, SO you have to prioritize your needs. If protecting your wife is the main thing, maybe you need to consider a breed that is naturally more protective. If you prefer a dog that's best at hunting furry critters, you may not be satisfied with a Lab. To get a Lab that works equally well on just upland and waterfowl can be quite an accomplishment and a lot of work. You are throwing in a whole new dimension when you add squirrels and rabbits. All in all, I feel that you are expecting too much from your dog and will be dissappointed unless you really think about your goals AND are ready to do a LOT of work. This may sound a little harsh, but it's the fair thing for both you and your dog - whatever breed you get. You may consider this a reality check.
In my case, I wanted a dog that (1) would be a great companion 95% of the time - Labs can't be beat for this, and (2) would be - with a lot of work - a good bird dog for the other 5% of the time.
Those things are both undeniably very doable for a Lab!

[mckjen]

Google the Chesepeak Retriever Rescue they have a wonderful site that helps you evaluate whether a CBR is the right dog for you. They are not generally considered an easy dog for an inexperienced owner.

We picked lab or lab mix when our older 2 were in their last years as our next generation because they are good family dogs, generally happy and socialable. Have a lot of energy (we're a hiking, biking, running, boating kind of family) They are cold tolerant (we live in Alaska). My DH hunted w/our lab/GR mix but only birds. He did have a neoprine vest for the dog. This dog was not a good bear dog but was protective of the kids w/moose. I have heard/read stories of labs loosing their lives protecting their person from bears so they can be good. I think most dogs will rise to the occassion when there is a real life threatening situation.

A friend of mine trained for a marathon w/one of her labs as her training partner. I think it was more for companionship but those bad guys out there are less likely to approach a woman w/a big dog.