Mar
14
Quick question on Labrador Retrievers?
ByI have been searching through breeders on the kennel club website (UK) for a lab, but some of the breeders point out that the parents of the puppies are working dogs.
I am after a family pet and she (the puppy) will be brought up as one, as apposed to a working dog.
Does it make any difference when it comes to temperament, or suitability as a family pet, if her parents are from a working bloodline?
Thanks dog chick. We are a very active family, so a little extra exercise isnt an issue.
Hoku, please explain you’re comments. I am looking through extremely reputable breeders on the kennel club website, all accredited. I am not interested in a rescue dog, although I admire you for suggesting that I do.
8 Comments
March 14th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
yes. the working dogs tend to need A LOT more exercise.
They also have a slightly different look to them.
But they are all 100 % sweet
March 14th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
To tell you the raw truth, if you want a family lab go to the shelter and adopt one. They are awesome dogs no matter what but they will love you so much more if they are rescued! there are tons of lab puppies out there you dont need a puppy from the internet that is only bred for one thing. Please adopt
March 14th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
I’m proud of you for taking into consideration the working lines of these dogs! While they do come from that descent, they also make excellent family dogs. I mean, they’re the top family dog according to DogsInCanada Magazine.
They do need exercise, like daily walks and some fetch. Other working dogs like Border Collies are more intense with their work and need more exercise in order to channel their herding instinct which can make them too much to handle for the average person.
Hope you find your forever friend!
March 14th, 2011 at 3:10 pm
We got a full lab, with papers, and she is absolutely nuts, hard to train and then found out that she actually came from a puppy mill, and was interbred. We had labs before, and they were the greatest dogs, this one is really hard to handle.So when they say working dogs what the heck does that mean?
March 14th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
I have had two labs in my lifetime. They are very extremely overly hyper more than you can imagine until they reach 2 years old and then they are “man’s best friend”.
Until the two year period is up you have to exercise and stay on top of any behavior problem.
A lot of the Labs end up in the shelters because they are just so much work. I guess that is why they are part of the working class is only thing I would link them to in working class.
Good luck.
March 14th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
Well you have two choices for parent labs: working or show. They both have good points and bad points. A good working dog usually has to be good at obedience, but may be more high energy. If a dog is a working dog, it can still have a decent temperament. That’s where lots of conversation with the breeder is helpful to get an idea of their temperaments. IF you can VISIT the breeder and meet the parents, even better, but I know that is not always possible.
At the same time, not all pups from working parents are meant to be working dogs…so if you find a good breeder, you can request that you get the mellowest pup based on their observation and any temperament testing they do.
Also really important is that the breeder does appropriate health testing: OFA or PennHIP test for hips, CERF for eyes, cardiac testing, etc.
You may also want to consider a labradoodle that looks more labby. There are some very good labradoodle breeders that do all of the testing as well as breed for a “family dog” type of temperament. Check out http://www.cedarhilllabradoodles.com
March 14th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
no it dosent matter especially for labrador retrievers their jobs have nothing to do with urban living, it would make a difference if say you were buying a dog from a hog dog bloodline which would mean alot of gameness, but a labrador retriever i mean their calm and their jobs are like search and rescue, bird dog, occasional guide dog , you have no problem id say go ahead and purchase
March 14th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Dogs from a purely working bloodline tend to be more driven to do the work, or any work. If you lead a very active lifestyle that the dog will be part of it shouldn’t be a problem. Just be prepared to play fetch, alot!
If you want a couch potatoe dog, I wouldn’t get one from working bloodlines though.
The advice about asking the breeder to pick the mellowest pup is good, just as in show dogs, all the pups from working lines don’t always work out, a very few might not have enough drive to be competetive.