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Need more Labrador info.

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Scooonie

New Member
So as posted last week I have been thinking about buying a Chocolate lab pup that some friends of mine just had. I went and looked at the pup's a few days ago and noticed the mother was pretty darn small and the father was just over a year and very skinny. I've never really done a ton of research on labs but I knew I have seen thicker more muscle defined Labs then these two. After doing some research there are two different kinds of labs. The American Lab is what my friends have and are also knows as field labs. These are thinner and have longer legs. And the English version of the lab is quite a bit more stocky and has a more boxed face and muscle definition. I definitely like the looks of the English lab quite a bit more and I'm wondering if anyone knows if there is a much of difference in temperament, health and anything else between the two?

Also, if anyone knows of any good Lab Breeders that they could recommend that would be great. Thanks for any info!

Jess
 
Well, I certainly dont claim to be any sort of expert on (well anything) dogs. Check the AKC site. They may be able to tell you more about the difference in the breeds. I have heard fo the two different versions but have never honestly been able to tell them apart or I have never seen the two breeds together.

Hope you enjoy your new pup when you get them.
 
As the owner of two American Labs, I can tell you the temperaments are the same in both types. I pheasent hunt with mine and their drive is outstanding, I am sure they would do well at any type of hunting. That said, just like any dog they are all differant and how they are raised and trained will make the world of differance in the dog. Have the pup look away and make a loud noise and watch it's reaction, starteled is OK, scared is not so good. Lots of other keys to look for also, check out info on selecting a dog, not just a breed or breeder.
My dogs are both females with one being a bit bigger about #60 and the other is about #50. The larger is the mother of the smaller one and is now 6 1/2 yrs old and the other is 1 1/2yrs.
Decide what you want the dog for first, is it a hunting dog, or is it a family dog that hunts? Upland or duck? it all makes a differance.
For what it's worth, IMO, if you want a duck dog I'd lean towards a English, anything else I'd take the American everytime, less food, smaller piles and easier maintenance because of the smaller size.
Good luck!
 
The English Labs are supposed to be more laid back and docile than the American Labs. Alot of field dogs are trickle downs from field trial dogs, which in this country are usually bred pretty hot. The English trials are totally different than the ones here so they don't want a dog that's so wired. Here they want speed so that's why the American Labs are thinner and alot more athletic looking.
Generally the English Labs are smaller than the American variety.
 
I have an american black lab. He is small and can run and jump forever! He is the best non-pointing pheasant dog i have ever hunted behind. But he is pretty wired and it's hard to get him to sit still when duck hunting, this is also trainer error, but if he wasn't so wired it would be easier to train him to sit still!
 
I've heard sometimes that the male American black labs can sometimes be almost impossible to keep half way calm. They say that the females are more the likely a lot more calm and able to be taught quicker. I've also heard that the female doesn't have the stamina of the male but that's been shot done a couple of times already by a cpl of guys I know. I think it really just depends on the dog...

Can anyone recommend obedience training methods? Should I send her to an obedience school or is that something I should be able to do myself and save the cash?
 
Obedience is something that I think that you could be able to do on your own. Get some books and read up on it before you get the dog. Don't try too much too soon and KEEP IT FUN. When he does what you want make a big deal out of it and act like he just did the best thing in the world. I reward with praise instead of treats. I want the dog to work for me instead of his stomach. Just remember that at first it will probably go really well and then the little sweetheart will figure out that he doesn't really HAVE to listen to you. Just keep patient with him and it will be alright. I'm not a pro by any means, but I do work with a dog everyday that I must be in control of- any questions feel free to PM me. Good Luck.

BTW, personally if I were in the market a black one would be my only choice. I know that there are great ones of all color, but I think that the highest percentage of good ones are black. Also, when picking sex just go with what you want. The good things about labs is that they are machines and they don't get frustrated easily with repetition. In other words they are highly trainable.
 
Thanks for the info guys!
Does the color of the lab really make a difference? I just can't see it making any kind of difference in intelligence/behavior. I think it's just the most people prefer blacks and they stay traditional and use blacks for hunting/competition dogs.
 
A lab is a lab is a lab, it all depends what you make of the dog. Train the dog what you want it to do and it will do just that. These dogs will give their life for you, pick one out with good lines and make sure that it has certified hips,eyes, EIC. You need to really look around before jumping on a dog you find that is all part of the fun of getting one. Teach it the three basics "sit" "come" "stay", once it has mastered those then get some books or do some research on the web their is all kinds of training methods stick to one type and have fun don't get frustrated they will test you sometimes. For your first one I would really lean towards a female, they are easier to train I have had some really hard headed males. I can't remember some of the forums but you could google gun dogs and should find some. How much are you willing to spend or what is your price range?
 
Scooonie said:
Thanks for the info guys!
Does the color of the lab really make a difference? I just can't see it making any kind of difference in intelligence/behavior. I think it's just the most people prefer blacks and they stay traditional and use blacks for hunting/competition dogs.
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I think that the color can make a difference, but if you do your homework it you can ensure that it won't be. If you really want an "off color" like a yellow or chocolate get one from a litter that has random colors. In other words I would stay away from a litter that has 2 chocolate parents and 100% chocolate pups. Given that situation I would say that it is a pretty fair bet that color was a big factor in the breeding of those to parents. With such a high % of chocolate pups I would guess that the breedings that led to the parents were aimed at producing brown puppies too. IMO when people breed dogs for color above all, then more desirable things (like drive, brains, temperment, health) take a back seat. I would get a chocolate pup however from a litter that maybe had parents that were say black and yellow and had a mixture of all color pups. In other words get a chocolate from a litter that just happened to have a chocolate as opposed to trying to get it.
 
timekiller said:
I think that the color can make a difference, but if you do your homework it you can ensure that it won't be. If you really want an "off color" like a yellow or chocolate get one from a litter that has random colors. In other words I would stay away from a litter that has 2 chocolate parents and 100% chocolate pups. Given that situation I would say that it is a pretty fair bet that color was a big factor in the breeding of those to parents. With such a high % of chocolate pups I would guess that the breedings that led to the parents were aimed at producing brown puppies too. IMO when people breed dogs for color above all, then more desirable things (like drive, brains, temperment, health) take a back seat. I would get a chocolate pup however from a litter that maybe had parents that were say black and yellow and had a mixture of all color pups. In other words get a chocolate from a litter that just happened to have a chocolate as opposed to trying to get it.
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The mother was a Chocolate and the father was a Black. The father is only a year and a half old and it was the mother’s first litter. They are both very well tempered. Neither has had any kind of health issues and were both just checked out recently and have a complete bill of health. She had a litter of 12 pups without losing one. Isn't that a pretty large litter? I think it was 8 blacks 2 chocolates and 2 yellows if I remember right. I went and checked out my pup yesterday because she was the first to open her eyes and they are bright blue. What's the chances that they stay blue or will they most likely change?
 
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