Will a Labrador ruin my house????
14 July 2004, 05:15 PM
#5
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Really does depend on the temeprament of the dog and the way you train it.
Dog hairs everywhere are a racing certainty - as is a fair amount of slobber! You may well have to kiss goodbye to clean kitchen floors too!!
If the dog is a nervous one they may well chew things if you're out of the house - though this can often (not always) be helped by a good supply of toys!
Their food bowls can attract flies in the summer - but dried dog food helps this enormously.
Oh - and they have a tendency to...erm...I mean they can often...erm...ahem....suffer from flatulance.
Also - never mind your house, think what they'll do to your car!! Slobber on the windows and the seats - and the gentle odour of wet dog wafting from behind the rear seats!
Absolutely worth it though I'd say!
Dog hairs everywhere are a racing certainty - as is a fair amount of slobber! You may well have to kiss goodbye to clean kitchen floors too!!
If the dog is a nervous one they may well chew things if you're out of the house - though this can often (not always) be helped by a good supply of toys!
Their food bowls can attract flies in the summer - but dried dog food helps this enormously.
Oh - and they have a tendency to...erm...I mean they can often...erm...ahem....suffer from flatulance.
Also - never mind your house, think what they'll do to your car!! Slobber on the windows and the seats - and the gentle odour of wet dog wafting from behind the rear seats!
Absolutely worth it though I'd say!
14 July 2004, 05:33 PM
#6
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We have two labs and they don't moult too much. They are black which may account for that, and they come from gundog rather than show stock which might also help. They do like regular and long walks but once they are grown up they can be left for a couple of hours or so with a few toys without doing damage. At night of course they are left much longer without causing a problem.
Our dogs bowls never have food in them long enough to attract flies
. And they can fart for England. Not too slobbery though.
They are great company and entertainment and I could not imagine having any other type of dog (flame suit on). Having said that they do (like all dogs) benefit from a bit of training so you have at least some influence over what they get up to.
Our dogs bowls never have food in them long enough to attract flies
. And they can fart for England. Not too slobbery though.They are great company and entertainment and I could not imagine having any other type of dog (flame suit on). Having said that they do (like all dogs) benefit from a bit of training so you have at least some influence over what they get up to.
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14 July 2004, 05:45 PM
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Does depend largely on the temperament of the dog and if anyone tells you, bitches are less likely to chew than dogs - ignore them! Although my bitch isn't a Lab, she's a GSD, she has done an estimated £800-£900 worth of damage by chewing things in little over a year. Not all of the chewing was done while she was left on her own either 
14 July 2004, 05:45 PM
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As a puppy and if left alone for long periods with no toys then yes it will chew anything it can get its chops around. For example a lino floor with a tiny corner poking up, no difficulty for a labrador to rip the whole floor up from that as experienced with my labrador years ago 
He managed to redecorate the whole of the utility room on his own by ripping up the floor, chewing the corners of concrete walls and wooden units and not to mention countless pairs of shoes and slippers.
Wooden cupboards/kitchen units etc, will munch through the corners of the doors in no time. Furniture? No hassle for those jaws.
Basically yes it can easily ruin your house. Thats why its importnant to understand how to look after it, how much time it needs and how long it can't be left for without company.
Ours was a case of had to be left for a day and couldn't be taken with us and my parents paid the price when they got home to find what he had done
And yes they can trumpet for England!
Would I have another one (if I had the time) - most definately! Either a Labrador or Golden Retriever would be my only choice as a family dog
He managed to redecorate the whole of the utility room on his own by ripping up the floor, chewing the corners of concrete walls and wooden units and not to mention countless pairs of shoes and slippers.Wooden cupboards/kitchen units etc, will munch through the corners of the doors in no time. Furniture? No hassle for those jaws.
Basically yes it can easily ruin your house. Thats why its importnant to understand how to look after it, how much time it needs and how long it can't be left for without company.
Ours was a case of had to be left for a day and couldn't be taken with us and my parents paid the price when they got home to find what he had done
And yes they can trumpet for England!
Would I have another one (if I had the time) - most definately! Either a Labrador or Golden Retriever would be my only choice as a family dog
14 July 2004, 06:04 PM
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Not necesarily
Got two Rotties, one nearly 5 and one 14 months.
Get a big crate for when you are out, and make sure its got plenty of toys when you are in.
Got two Rotties, one nearly 5 and one 14 months.
Get a big crate for when you are out, and make sure its got plenty of toys when you are in.
14 July 2004, 06:09 PM
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As a puppy and if left alone for long periods with no toys then yes it will chew anything it can get its chops around. For example a lino floor with a tiny corner poking up, no difficulty for a labrador to rip the whole floor up from that as experienced with my labrador years ago
14 July 2004, 06:27 PM
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Depends on the training - sister in law got one and it had its moments early on but she soon tamed the beast
14 July 2004, 06:29 PM
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They probably will, but it's very hard to stay mad at them
I've built an outside kennel where she can stay when we're not around.
Lots lots of toys, when she gets bored of one hide it and give it back a few days/weeks later ("aha, new toy !")
Females tend to be a bit calmer (on average).
They make great companions.
I've built an outside kennel where she can stay when we're not around.
Lots lots of toys, when she gets bored of one hide it and give it back a few days/weeks later ("aha, new toy !"
)Females tend to be a bit calmer (on average).
They make great companions.
14 July 2004, 09:04 PM
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I have a yellow bitch who is now nearly 14 years old. The only problem i've had is that she took a liking to the door frame in the kitchen, she made it look like a half constructed beaver lodge (this was done at night when alone) and finished by the time she was 6 months old
She was taken from the Sandringham Line which was the founder pedigree line in Britain, the sire and Dam were very well to do We have hell with blonde fur come moulting times. If you have a carpet, forget it. We eventually moved to laminate flooring because of it. Sometimes you can pull great wodges of fur from her and it just never stops for around 6 weeks 
She is old now and sadly drops her guts often (farts not sh1te) but we never had a problem with that until a couple of years ago. I have never known my dog to slobber unless one of the kids was tearing her with a piece of chocolate and i do believe that if i put her own wares in her dinner bowl she would eat it. Nothing is ever left in the bowl at all and in fact if we wash it, it looks dirtier than before we touched it
Her hips are on the go now, she has tablets which Redkop (thanks Lynne) prescribed to her which have helped but sadly its all catching up with her now. She is older than the kids and i just cant imagine life without her around the house. One thing a lot of peeps never talk about is the wrench you get when they're gone. Consider this also its just as important as all the other stuff.
If you buy a Lab, you know what you will be getting. I think Labs and Retrievers are a superb family pet. Not to big, not too small, very friendly (as 99% of dogs are) but there is just something about them that makes them the best all rounder
All IMHO of course
(this was done at night when alone) and finished by the time she was 6 months old She was taken from the Sandringham Line which was the founder pedigree line in Britain, the sire and Dam were very well to do
We have hell with blonde fur come moulting times. If you have a carpet, forget it. We eventually moved to laminate flooring because of it. Sometimes you can pull great wodges of fur from her and it just never stops for around 6 weeks She is old now and sadly drops her guts often (farts not sh1te) but we never had a problem with that until a couple of years ago. I have never known my dog to slobber unless one of the kids was tearing her with a piece of chocolate and i do believe that if i put her own wares in her dinner bowl she would eat it. Nothing is ever left in the bowl at all and in fact if we wash it, it looks dirtier than before we touched it
Her hips are on the go now, she has tablets which Redkop (thanks Lynne) prescribed to her
which have helped but sadly its all catching up with her now. She is older than the kids and i just cant imagine life without her around the house. One thing a lot of peeps never talk about is the wrench you get when they're gone. Consider this also its just as important as all the other stuff.If you buy a Lab, you know what you will be getting. I think Labs and Retrievers are a superb family pet. Not to big, not too small, very friendly (as 99% of dogs are) but there is just something about them that makes them the best all rounder
All IMHO of course
14 July 2004, 09:07 PM
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When we had ours, she went through a chewing phase at about 18 months old, where anything wood within range got chomped.
When she got older, she still liked to chew, but she just used to savage scraps of wood from the garage, and left alone stuff in the house.
She was lovely & had a great temprement (only ever bit me!), would love to have another.
John.
When she got older, she still liked to chew, but she just used to savage scraps of wood from the garage, and left alone stuff in the house.
She was lovely & had a great temprement (only ever bit me!), would love to have another.
John.
14 July 2004, 09:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Buzzer
Her hips are on the go now, she has tablets which Redkop (thanks Lynne) prescribed to her which have helped but sadly its all catching up with her now.
which have helped but sadly its all catching up with her now.helped my lab x retriever last til a month off his 18th birthday, sadly missed
he could still get up stairs until he was 16/17
14 July 2004, 09:39 PM
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Buzzer I know what thats like Mine basically outlived his body, his mind was fine but his organs started failing at the age of 14 and we had to have him put down. It was devasting as he was an integral part of the family. One of the hardest things you have to do is having to have your dog put down. My parents couldn't watch but I insisted on being with him, was soppy really cos I held his paw etc and just watched his eyes close and balled my eyes out but for me it was important he didn't go on his own and I was with him at the end. I was in my mid twenties then. I still miss him now. The worst and most difficult part of owning a dog. My parents have not got another one since and although I have wanted another dog ever since I am not home enough to be able to give the time and attention they need.
Mine basically outlived his body, his mind was fine but his organs started failing at the age of 14 and we had to have him put down. It was devasting as he was an integral part of the family. One of the hardest things you have to do is having to have your dog put down. My parents couldn't watch but I insisted on being with him, was soppy really cos I held his paw etc and just watched his eyes close and balled my eyes out but for me it was important he didn't go on his own and I was with him at the end. I was in my mid twenties then. I still miss him now. The worst and most difficult part of owning a dog. My parents have not got another one since and although I have wanted another dog ever since I am not home enough to be able to give the time and attention they need.
14 July 2004, 09:41 PM
#21
It really depends on how much of a clean freak you are. If you don't mind dog hairs on the carpet/furniture, smells, slobber etc then you be fine.
One thing I can say as an ex-doberman owner, is that even a really short haired dog can leave hair all over the place (admitted not as bad though).
Not to mention the inevitable chewing of whatever your dearest possession is - in my case the TV remote!
You may benefit from renting/borrowing a karcher carpet cleaner ever year or so to clean the carpets with
One thing I can say as an ex-doberman owner, is that even a really short haired dog can leave hair all over the place (admitted not as bad though).
Not to mention the inevitable chewing of whatever your dearest possession is - in my case the TV remote!
You may benefit from renting/borrowing a karcher carpet cleaner ever year or so to clean the carpets with
14 July 2004, 09:45 PM
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B2Z
dont say any more mate. I just couldn't bare anything like that but as you did, i would also have to be there
Ian
That's got my interest, Synoquin, i would take it that this is a prescription drug given the "quin" in the name. How much is it, is it something you can request or will the Vet have the last word?
dont say any more mate. I just couldn't bare anything like that but as you did, i would also have to be there Ian
That's got my interest, Synoquin, i would take it that this is a prescription drug given the "quin" in the name. How much is it, is it something you can request or will the Vet have the last word?
14 July 2004, 09:46 PM
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Originally Posted by ariel
Get a Gordon Setter!
Lovely dogs, and there is no uncertainty then.
House trashing a certainty.
Still miss the booger tho.
Lovely dogs, and there is no uncertainty then.
House trashing a certainty.
Still miss the booger tho.
14 July 2004, 10:35 PM
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No the anti-inflammatories were stopped by the vet as she losing her stomach lining and being sick often
She has a tablespoon of CLO each day. She likes the taste
I shall have to see vet and see if he would up the dose
Sorry Danny, OFF TOPIC. but it does show what you've got to look forward too
She has a tablespoon of CLO each day. She likes the taste
I shall have to see vet and see if he would up the dose
Sorry Danny, OFF TOPIC. but it does show what you've got to look forward too
15 July 2004, 03:53 PM
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Right thats my mind made up!!!
Off puppy hunting this weekend...after a golden male lab!!!
Wont be aloud in the P1 though!!!! Have to use the g/f car
Off puppy hunting this weekend...after a golden male lab!!!
Wont be aloud in the P1 though!!!! Have to use the g/f car