Special Care for or Advice About Labradors?

In case you're interested, we just got a training kit from 'the DogFather' Don Sullivan, and he's really good. It's about $70 w/shipping. Here are a couple links: http://dogfather.tv/
and http://www.thane.com/products/promos/perfectdog/about-don...

Good luck!!

Hi N.

Read "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor. It is a GREAT read - about positive reinforcement with pets and people. All the best

I just brought home a 70lb "baby" German Shepherd. Adopted from the animal shelter. He literally missed "high school" so now the whole family is going to obedience school and it's really great!

Good luck

S.

You can get "Toughchew" dog bedding from Orvis (online, catalog, they also have a store in Preston Center in Dallas but I don't know if they have these in stock). I have two incorrigible chewers who chewed all their bedding to pieces, literally, but these beds stumped them and are still intact and used daily after over six months. Some dogs are still able to destroy them, but they'd probably be perfect for a puppy.

Do you have a fence in your backyard?

We have a Lab/Border Collie Mix. She likes to escape from fences and is an expert at it. We have a wooden fence and wouldn't recommend a wooden fence. If you can afford it, get a chain link fence, they last much longer. The wood fence, our dogs have chewed on them and torn them up and we are repairing it frequently.

I would go thru basic dog training-obedience class where you all help in training your dog. That has helped us a lot. We have kids also and you will need to be sure and show attention and play with your dog as well. A dog is like a toddler in a way. They get jealous when they don't get any attention. I would invest money in a crate/kennel. We keep ours in our house and when guests come, our dog goes either outside or in her kennel. I would get a licksit, it's an attachment they sell in pet stores that you can buy for your outside faucet. Your dog licks the faucet and water is always available. You don't have to worry about bowls and filling up the water bowl outside. It is great!

You might check into some books at the library on dogs and children. They might be helpful. We have taught our kids by example. Show them how to touch the puppy- gentle touch and petting by you doing it. They will learn from you. You might get a Barney video or videos/books on taking care of a puppy or dog.

Hope this helps and good luck.

labs are great family dogs and great around children! we have two (a black lab and a chocolate lab). they are very energetic and LOVE the water! we take ours swimming as often as possible (out on the boat or to the pond at the park) and it is a special treat for them. we have a 5-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy and they are SO good with the kids! no worries, i'm sure she'll blend right in with the family with no issues! :-)

I have a dog that's half lab...they do tend to dig and chew (lots of chewing) as puppies. Make sure you have a Kong for him to chew on - those keep them busy and satisy their urge to chew. Long walks also help with the high energy - in our puppy training class we learned that a tired dog is a more obedient dog! Our dog has been great with our baby - and I've always heard good things about labs with children. Make sure your kids know to treat the dog with respect - and the dog ususally returns the favor. I'm already trying to teach my 10 month old to be nice and gentle with the dogs - I think that's the most important thing - then the dog will love the kids and be protective of them. Also - they're oftentimes not aware of their size - so if she bumps your kids around some at first it's not that she's being aggressive - they just don't realize their mass and strength! Good luck!

I just read your post, and I wanted to tell you about a wonderful resource specifically for your situation. "Living with Kids and Dogs" (book and website) is geared for family living with pets and children! To learn more about her techniques and tips, please click here:
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All the best,
C.

Labs are great dogs for families with kids. We have had many dogs over the past 10 years and almost all of them have been labs. Both of my girls have been around the dogs since they were infants. Not one of the dogs has ever nipped at any of the kids. We currently have a 100 lb lab/great dane and my 2 yo old climbs all over her and the dog just lays there. (Not sure that she enjoys it, but she doesnt get rough with my dd) We also have a 10 lb terrier and the dogs are night and day and they get along great!
Labs love to run and most like to fetch. They do require lots of play time. Even if its just your kids outside running with them. Many of them do dig in the puppy stage, but we have never had a major problem with it. I think you will enjoy the dog. How nice of you to take her in. Good Luck and have fun.

We have Bella, who is only 3 months. We love her, though she is a handfull. I have an almost 2 year old son who adores her. They are playful, active dogs, who require a lot of exercise and attention. I have noticed if i don't get Bella out for a walk, for at least an hour she turns into Kujo the psycho dog!! I usually can get a 30-45 min walk in before or after dinner (depending on how my son is) and a shorter one around 8:30.
She also has a tendensy to dig! She's dug up a handful of my plants, some grass, and a hole near the foundation of the house- to keep her cool!!
I am planning on getting a plastic baby pool for her to hang out in this summer. I've heard labs love that!
Good luck with your new addition!!

We have had Tank for 11 years now. He was here before the kids. He adjusted very well to them. They are wonderful family dogs. However like everyone has said they love to dig and chew. Tank is old and 1/2 deaf now so he just kind of goes from room to room. When the kids were younger they used him for a step stool and dress up buddy. After our son was born the dog decided there were better things that fell from the high chair than cherrios!

I recommend lots of exercise for him. The good news is that they are very pprotective of thier family. My husband had a person he worked with that I didn't get warm fuzzies about and he stopped by one day. Tank was laying on the floor next to me and jumped in the chair with me and proceeded to growl at the guy.

Animals will warm your heart and definatly become a member of your family!

Hi N.,
I think it's great you're taking your son's dog for him while he goes to the Navy! : )
My experience with labs as a child is they are extremely loving and great pets.
However, if left outside for long periods at a time, they will tend to dig holes and get out of the yard.
Our lab was continuously digging out and my mom and dad we're always paying expensive shelter fees to get her back from the pound! However, in the dogs defense, my mom was very busy with 4 kids and has admitted she really didn't give the dog the time she needed.
They really like people and attention and he/she will need lots of chew toys through out the puppy stages.
Again, that's just my experience but I'm sure everyones is different.
Good luck with everything and good luck to your son! : )

I have a 1 year old black Lab ,and we got him when he was a puppy full of energy and would chew and bit everything he would find ,But that one thing Labs have they are very chewy ,My husband is a store director for Petsmart and he would bring him lots of toys and Signed him up for dog training classes, One thing I can say is that these dogs and very smart and protect children alot ,I have a 4 year old and 7 year ,he is great with them , He is very playful and full of energy ,It is also very important for them to be walked everyday for aleast 45 minutes a day ,There very loving and respect children alot ,My girls would always play with him ,As long as you make him apart of your family he will be ok they sence and feel the love thats given to them ......Enjoy you dog ,its the best dog for Children to have ...

My 2 1/2 year old and our black lab get along great!! Labs are really know for their gentle nature, especially around children. The only time my dog is ever defensive of any sort is when you give him food (seriously I have never heard my dog growl unless he is being fed). So when you feed him make sure no little hands or other paws are around his dish (my dog will growl at the cat if the cat approaches when I give him his food). Other than that they just loved to be loved. Most love to play catch or tug of war with toys- they just love to play in general. Good Luck, I know you will just love having that dog around, they are soo fun!!

www.momtomombiz.com

Our first lab was also a menace! He chewed threw the linoleum floor, drywall, wood. But we loved him completely and now have our second. I just started reading the book Be The Pack Leader by Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. While I was hesitant at first becuase some criticize his tactics, I am impressed with his descriptions of reinforcement and reward. It applies to all aspects of your life including children! I'm not far into but have learned so much about how my attitude can affect my dog and kids and how a slight change in me can affect change in them.

Good luck! In the long run you will be so happy to have the dog in your life. They are so great with kids!

Sorry I didn't see your post earlier, but here's my 2-cents worth! American Labs are bred for high energy field work and tend to be very energetic (as opposed to English Labs, which are prone to be more mellow). Training takes persistence, consistency, creativity and patience. They are also very smart -- good for them, not for you!!! They'll figure out quickly that you can make them do what you want when they're on the lead or in "school" and will do fabulously, then be uncontrollable maniacs at home.

It's imperative to understand the pack mentality and impose it! They need to know where they fit in quickly, or they will get so big and unruly that they'll be calling all the shots.

"Leave it" is one of the greatest commands you can learn. Start out small with frequent rewards. With dog on leash, walk him/her past a treat on the floor, saying "leave it" with tug on the leash whenever they want to move toward the treat. When they get past the treat make a big deal out of it and reward with a treat. Repeat, eventually working past the treat, ball or other temptations with little or no correction. (By the way, always praise in a high, enthusiastic voice -- you are trying to be the most interesting thing in their environment.) When you master this walking on a leash, do the same thing on a loose leash at sit (put them in position with sit/stay command, drop the treat or toss away from you, give them "leave it" until you call them to you and reward them for doing a good job), etc. This way you can start to set boundaries in your home with "leave-it" rather than trying to eliminate everything they can get into. Trust me, they will even get into trouble in an empty house!!!

Good luck ... with time and patience you will have a family member who exibits all the characteristics that have kept Labs at the top of the popularity heap for decades!

Congratulations! Labs are the best family dogs EVER. They are a bit rambunxious as pups, but have the most loving, gentle and patient disposition.

I haven't had the chance to read through other responses so some of this might be a repeat, but wanted to quickly give you a couple tips.
- Buy a KONG toy. THey are the most durable things ever. You can put peanut butter or big milk bones in them and they will keep the pup busy and actually last unlike most toys. (Get the bones big enough so one end hangs out and the rest is inside. They bite the end off then have to work on getting the rest out. Great general toy for playing and especially good to leave with them if you are leaving them in the crate for a while. Keeps them busy and wears them out and makes going in the crate not such a bad deal.)

- Buy some apple bitter spray. From 6 months to 18 months they tend tend to do a lot of chewing. This is great for spraying on furniture and shoes so they won't be so tasty to the pup. Also handy when the pup gets older and possibly has allergy problems and licks herself. The occasional dog likes the flavor, but most are turned off by it.

-Only give compressed rawhide. It takes longer to chew (lasts longer) and the other rawhide comes off in bigger chunks that are more likely to choke them or plug up their system.

Good luck!

Labs are sweet sweet sweet wonderful dogs but full of energy a lot of times. They're bred to retrieve water fowl so they are smart, like water and typically have "soft" mouths. Any dog can bite or hurt a small child even on accident so you should supervise their time together especially in the beginning. Kids need to know how to behave with the dog just as much as the dog does. Maybe your 8 yr old can take the dog to obedience classes at PetsMart or something like that. I think it would be a great way to learn responsibility and bond with the dog.

Labs can be a bit "chewy" so invest in some good dog toys. Nylabones are good -- rawhide not so much. Also, look into getting him a crate if he doesn't have one already. A lot of people are aprehensive about this thinking they're "caging" their animal. Dogs are denning animals and actually enjoy having their own space. It's really helpful in potty training. Also, it will give you peace of mind at night and when you're away that the furniture or back yard isn't being destroyed. Always always always take a dog's collar off before putting them in the crate.

Our 3 yr old lab loves our baby who is only 12 mths old, but she's always been around him, and I'm the alpha (dominant one) over the dog. In other words, our dog knows that I'll kill her if she harms my child. That sounds harsh, but she is an animal.

I don't think you'll have a problem as long as this new dog has been around children some. But, you'll know soon. Just watch the puppy around your kids to see how it reacts. Also, this is a good time to teach your kids about dog care and behavior. Not all dogs like kids, so it's good to teach your children how to behave around them and take care of them early.

Yes, labs have an enormous amount of energy so I suggest you try to take pup for a walk each day if you can, even if it's just 15-20 minutes. It will help alot for the rest of the day. It will relieve any boredom and anxiety the puppy may have if it's just left outside all day with nothing to do. Playing fetch with a tennis ball or frisbee is great fun too!

Also, if the dog is indoors, get a nylabone so it won't chew up everything else. I recommend The Monks of New Skete book on raising puppies for all kinds of common advice and help. It's a great resource. Also, Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer is excellent too to watch on tv if you get the National Geographic channel. Good luck, and try not to lose your mind. Labs are great dogs when they get older, but high maintenance as puppies so get ready! Your kids will love it!

N.,

I missed your original posting and did not it see it until your "What Happened" follow-up. I just HAD to send my congratulations and encouragement!

I am both a dog and cat lover, and by far, the BEST dog I ever owned was a Black Lab. She had the SWEETEST personality - as I came to learn is common to labs. Labs are extremely child-friendly and will form fast relationships with any other pets you have, as well. Our lab was about 9 months old when we got a 6-week old Manx kitten. They became "best buddies" for their whole lives.

I do encourage you to go through some "basic training" now, because large dogs often need a little help curbing their enthusiasm in order to be "house-friendly" (as our lab's tail was just at coffee table-height and would swipe off a cup of coffee if she wasn't thinking.) LOL. Labs are "oral" because of their retriever breeding, so it will be good to subject her to some obedience training while she is young. Our lab responded to a whole range of verbal and hand commands.

My husband was a bird hunter, so he personally trained our lab, Abbey, to retrieve. He used a book called "Water Dog" (I can't remember the author.) She was a MARVELOUS "working dog" - in that she would retrieve all day long and then want to retrieve MORE! Abbey absolutely LOVED the water, so even when we didn't take her hunting (seasonal) we would lake her to a local lake, or park with a pond, so that she could enjoy her innate "water drive." Your whole family will have tons of fun watching her retrieve, too. Get one of the training dummies that hunters use to teach retrieving (these are usually soft, red plastic, oblong (capsule shaped), "throws" that are "studded" with little soft nubby spikes all around; they have a nylon rope loop on one end. Using this dummy, you can really get some momentum behind your throw, so that it sails very far out into the water.) My husband would make Abbey "sit" until he had flung the dummy and she would intently watch it sail out and splash-land. THEN he would "release her" to "go get it." This could go on all afternoon. On the way home, she would CRASH out in happy dog-dreams after HOURS of fun with us.

Labs are extremely people-friendly and particularly LOVE their people. Once when Abbey was not quite full-grown, we were invited to swim in a neighbor's pool. We tried to coax her in to swim with us, but it was her first experience with a back-yard pool and she was not sure about getting into something that did not have a shore. We decided to just leave her alone and get used to it on her own terms. Not thinking, I dived off the board and made a big splash, going under. INSTANTLY, she made a full leap and hit in the middle of the pool right by where I had come up. She grabbed me (softly, no teeth - but FIRMLY) by the upper arm and swam me to the side before I knew what was happening. I got a small bruise on my upper arm and little scratch from her toenail as she was swimming me to the side of the pool, but we could not do anything but PRAISE her! She had been frightened for me, and her instinct was to SAVE ME - whether I needed it or not. I offer this story so that you will be aware and use a little caution when first doing something like swimming with your lab. But, this account should also be encouraging that labs are so concerned with their family's safety. It helped me to understand why you are always reading newspaper accounts of labrador "daring rescues" of people in trouble. Abbey learned to love to swim with us, even though she never did not like the fact that WE were going UNDER water (it continued to WORRY her.)

You are in for the BEST experience of your "animal companion" lives! Unless I miss my guess, your son will have to select another pet of his own when he returns - because you will all be attached to YOUR lab.

Best wishes to all and prayers of safety for your son in the Navy,
K.

All the advice from others was great and the testimonials for Labs were wonderful! Just a note: All suggested getting Kong toys, etc. for the dog. 1)I saw an Animal Planet segment once on teaching dogs to differentiate between "their" toys and all other items. Sitting on the floor with one dog toy and 1 item between you and the dog (who is facing you). Say to the dog, "Get your toy!"; if the dog reaches for the correct toy, "Good dog!", give a small treat (also if you want to train with a clicker, click and give a treat). If the dog reaches for the shoe, etc., say "Wrong" (not meanly, just "wrong"), take the shoe away and no treat. Repeat again and again. As smart as Labs are, the dog will learn quickly how to differentiate. Use other dog toys and other items to vary it and give the dog a wider experience. It takes a TREMENDOUS amount of patience to train a "hyper" dog, but it is so worth it. 2)ALSO, if you don't have a crate, splurge and get a very large one from the start (used & sterilized or new). My husband didn't believe in using them years ago when we adopted a retired greyhound. We ended up having to return him to the adoption center since when he was disturbed by the grandchildren during his sleep (and sprawled out he took up lots of room), he would snarl and lunge at them. He did this 3 times in one week without biting or touching any of them, but we returned him. I feel if we had gotten a crate as we had been advised by the adoption center, we may have been able to keep him. In his case, he had been raised in crates and they were his safe haven. 3)ALSO, Labs will destroy the grass in their trails around the yard, so if you can "plan" their trail into your landscaping, you'll save yourself grief, or build them a dog run filled with sand. Ours kept our pool filled with dirt and mud from her dives into the pool and subsequent runs around the yard. The pool vac ran overtime, but she was a joy and we didn't mind. 4) OBEDIANCE TRAINING from the start, either from videos, Tv shows or person to person. Good luck and enjoy.

Hi N. ~ I didn't read your post until just now but thought I'd offer some advice. I am a breeder and exhibitor of Labrador Retrievers and have been for 20 years. We have home bred Champions, many titled obedience dogs and several titled gun dogs. So I have LOTS of experience with this breed and raising them. We currently live with 11 Labradors varying in age from 7 months to 8 years.

You didn't mention how old this pup is that you are getting? Can you give me that info. it will help with what advice I have for you.

Also, it really depends on the dogs bloodlines as to how hyper it is. A Labrador should be a very calm and quiet dog as this is how they were bred to be originally. Being a dog bred to retrieve water fowl they must be able to lie quietly for hours sometime waiting for the ducks to fly in. Most of us professional breeders continue to breed this type of dog. If you're pup is overly active she/he is most likely a field bred Labrador (they have been bred for much higher energy) or back yard bred (they have been bred with not much thought put in to the breeding). She will need training and a lot of it to try and corral that energy. I would highly recommend crate training her too. This will assist with house breaking; give her a safe quiet refuge in which to sleep and also a safe place for you to leave her so that she isn't destructive of your property. A swallowed dish rag could leave a costly surgery or a life threatening situation. A dog that digs, chews excessively and generally tears up the place is a bored pup. She needs direction and things to do that are safe and non destructive. Setting up a kennel run for her in your yard may also be an option for you. This will give the dog its own space to do what it likes (dig) and not destroy your yard. I would not allow her at this point to have the run of your place, inside or out. Get a leash on her and keep it there. Tether her to you so you can form a good strong bond. Be firm and teach her what behavior is acceptable and which behavior is absolutely NOT acceptable.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. I can provide you with my email address if you want to take this thread off line.

Congrats on inheriting one of the best dogs you can have for a family..but yes, "problems"come along with the package as well. I have had a Black Lab, "Luna" for 12 years and several other large breed dogs befor her and I do have a few suggestions. 1st, skip the leash. Get a well fitting harness for walks and training. This way you can lift her up when she is not doing as wanted and instantly stop her bad behaviors, rather than her straining against the lease and pulling you along. 2nd, get a dog crate if you keep her in the house, especially overnight. It is not horrible, she will come to think of it as her "home" just like an outside dog does of their doghouse. Try not to use it as punishment though, just sleeping and throw some of her things in there and she will willing spend time in her cubby. Just make sure you get a larger one as she grows. ALSO a GREAT method to potty train her if she isn't already. 3rd, as for digging..Luna is 12 and I STILL have to deal with her digging up everything I plant. All she is trying to do is stay cool, so I let her know it is A OK to get between the fence and the garage in that shade and dig all she wants. I have also sprinkled cayenne pepper in areas to keep her from digging. This works, but sounds awful and I'm not suggesting it for your flower beds, but if you place some of their poop in the hole and cover them up, they will more than likely avoid that area..at least for awhile. At this point I keep a fan in the garage and cool water to drink during the day while they are out. I have put borders around my flower beds and "lawn art" in them as well to distract them form laying on my plants.
4th, for the biting, a slight pop on the nose and loud "YIPE" will alert her to the fact that she has hurt you, this is what the mother dog and fellow puppy mates would do to get their point across. 5th, the jumping. Sternly push her down and walk away. Once you remove yourself from her everytime she jumps up she will get the picture and stop. 6th, please understand beforehand there are going to be cuts and scrapes and tears from both your kids and the puppy...love them both and your family will reap the benefits! ENJOY!

I'm not sure how I missed this either but I had to add my two cents. :) We got our lab puppy a week before my third daughter was born. She has been great! I do recommend working with your puppy a little each day with basic commands (everyone one in the family at some point should participate in this). Our puppy has responded well to her training especially when it's done with treats. :) We got several books (and dvd) from the library and my husband watched videos online. Also, in addition to walking, nylabone, and kong, tennis balls are great. We play ball with our puppy for 15 or so mins and it wears her out. She loves it...after all she is a retriever. :) (Don't praise the puppy until she releases the ball though :).) She also loves loves loves a plastic water bottle. We take the cap off (and make sure it is sturdy plastic) and she plays with that forever. Fair warning though she tends to get very excited playing with it. Do include the kids in the puppy training. My daughter even taught our dog her own trick--high five. My daughter was soooo proud of herself. Great tip if the puppy is jumping...tell the kids to put their knee up as she jumps. It won't hurt the dog and it only takes a few times before she figures out not to jump. I also taught my daughter to not pet our puppy until she becomes calm and submissive...after a few seconds she will lay down and show her belly then my daughter will pet her. We also tell our daughters to be the leader...give commands firmly but not yelling (we showed them the difference). Labs are GREAT dogs and ours has been a wonderful addition to our family. Good luck with your puppy!

HI- I know you ahve already posted your response, but I just thought I would send you a note.

We had a Lab (choc) for 10 1/2 years and unfortunatly he died in February. He was the best dog anyone could ever imagine. He had a fantastic disposition, especially with our kids (now 5 and 7) and we were so sad to see him go.

He was very energetic the first 2-4 years, but still fantastic. just remember she is a puppy and puppy proof your house. Keep in mind, she probably will chew stuff (esp toys) but the more picked up things are in her area, the better she will be. I agree completly with the person who recommended the Kong toys. Our Lab ate every other toy we gave him.

You're very fortunate to have inherited a Lab. We decided to get a smaller breed this time around (a Cavachon) but would have another lab in a minute! Good luck and stay patient!

We have a white lab and they are terrific dogs but they shed like crazy!!! I would highly recommend the iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaners. They really help with the dog hair if the puppy stays inside. Neutering really helped our lab settle down, but they do need lots of exercise and plenty of chew toys!! Have fun!!

G. V.

Hi -

I work at a vet's office and we see a LOT of Labs. My recommendation would be to get some pet insurance. We see many cut paws (from metal lawn edging - get rid of it if you have it. Could save you potentially thousands of $), and obstructions b/c many of them eat anything and everything. Your lab will likely act like a puppy for about 2-4 years so be prepared for boundless energy. Have fun and good luck.

I have had a lab now for several years. She is pretty good with the kids but watch the tail. She's knocked the little one over with it a few times. I have my seven year old throw the ball to her 10 times twice a day, before its too hot and around 5:30 pm. WE alwasy brush her outside, usually when she's eating breakfast. Brush her teeth too because that helps with training a couple of times a week. I walk her everynight at 8:30 to 9:00 pm. Sometimes I walk her in the morning and do a lap with her and the kids once a day. This all adds up to about 2 miles or so. That will calm your dog down.

I'm glad you like your Lab. We've also found that the KONG brand toys are great. we have a huge male Lab and he carries his KONG ball around with him like a security blanket. He hardly chews any thing else now. Of course he's 3 so that is part of it. They are great dogs. Enjoy!
K.

We have labs, and they can give such great love and friendship! Labs are puppys for a very long time (like 3 year!). But they are also very obedient with the right training, and listen really well once trained, that is part of what makes them great hunting dogs.

I have two black labs. They are a HUGE bundle of energy, but I love them to death. So does my two year old. Some advice: Make the dog a real part of your family - take it on outings with you as much as possible - that way it will be accustomed to going, and it will make his day more exciting for him, and expend more energy. Start watching the dog whisperer on TV. He works wonders, and has good advice. Invest in a Kong - my dogs love this thing - there are great recipes for filling it online - on a hot day, I use peanut butter to plug one end, fill it with chicken broth, and stick it in the freezer - cools them off, and keeps them occupied for a while!
Good luck - labs are really one of the best breeds in my opinion, and they are AWESOME with kids!! They will all becomme best friends!

N.,
As my aunt told me, "Labs chew 'til they're two and shed 'til they're dead." Our nearly two-year-old has calmed down a lot...less chewing and digging. Enjoy!
K.

I know this is an old posting and they just posted your follow up today, but I had to respond. Last year I received a Rott/mix puppy. She was a biter and a chewer and she loved to jump up on people. I usually have had labs who by the way are very easy to train, and I potty trained her which at the time I thought was more important than the other problems. She is so cute and we have had her for one year now. I ended up giving her bones and chew toys and this really cut down on her chewing, we put all of our shoes up high and we didn't continuously give bones etc. because we didn't want to hurt her teeth and we didn't want her to become bored. I love the fact that she is a puppy at heart and I see it in her eyes and that is why I didn't want to train her right away. I don't mind that she wants to lead me when we walk even though all of the books are against it. I just bought her a lead leash (but not the kind that goes over her nose/mouth) and this really helped with the pulling. If the dog jumps, turn your back before she gets to you. You have to do it every time and she will get tired of jumping and I always follow up with "no Jumping"

Anyway, Labs are fabulous. They are very easy to house train, they are great with kids and they are loving and sweet but will protect you without any training if you show them lots of love. Make sure you introduce her to other animals and don't be surprise if she brings you a few unwanted items ie. a dead bird etc.
Take Care!!

Hey N.!

I was a dog handler/trainer in the military and know labs pretty well. If you need any additional advice or an outsider's opinion, let me know!! Good luck!!

Hi N.
I just saw your post and thought I would respond too. We have a black lab mix. We adopted her about 2 years ago, she was 8 months old at the time. She was found as a stray. when we first got her we had to keep her away from her food bowl for about two minutes after filling it so that she would learn that there would always be food available, she would literally attack the food and just inhale it otherwise... lol
well to make a long story short we have found that she only chews things when we are gone longer than usual 'now', her way of saying I am not happy with you, in the beginning she did chew more, It was more of a I am bored thing, as long as we kept her active she was much better. We used to have a condo and it didn't have much yard space, so she would get very bored, to the point were she had figured out how to open the gate and take herself out for a run. But we have been in a house with a nice big back yard for a year and a half now and she has settled down so much, she can run and play all she wants now... She has been the best dog ever, The kids have gotten on top of her and she'll just lay there patiently. My son actually took her bone right out of her mouth the other day so he could play with her and she didn't even budge. You just need to spend the time with your dog to train them, they are extremely smart dogs and they really do become part of your family. :-) good luck with your new addition and I am sure in the long run it will pay off

Not sure how I missed your original post but wanted to comment. I have a yellow labrador. He is now 5 and absolute the best dog EVER! At 6wks old he had 1 accident in the house and never again. With all labs, I reccomend crating them until at least 1yr while you sleep and are gone.. trust must be earned. My dog is extremely smart, we used to put him in his crate for bed around the same time every night then he figured out what time that was and would sneak off while me and the husband watched tv.. I would assume my husband put him in there, and he assumed I did... really my dog (Morgan) was sneaking off and sleeping under our bed! I never knew.. then in the morning I would see him out and figured my husband let him out and he figured the same about me... This went on for an entire week before we realized he had NEVER been crated... and he hasn't been ever since :O) When my dog was 9months old my oldest son was born and he was a crazy dog but super gentle w/ my son.. He would lay on the floor next to him and protect him, he would carefull pull out my sons pacifer and leave it next to him, he ran to me every time my son cried w/ that whole "lassie look" Now my son is 4 1/2 and is autistic.. my dog follows him everywhere.. he was never trained for anything but seemed to have picked it up on his own.. when my son is doing something like getting into trouble..Morgan comes running to me and again w/ the "look". My son goes out in the back yard and I ALWAYS send Morgan out w/ him... I usually watch from the window.. I have seen my son reach for the gate to walk out and have seen Morgan nudge him away. I now have a 15month old who crawls over to him and loves on my dog and he lays there and lets the kids play w/ his collar etc ...The kids will even sit w/ the food bowl in their lap and feed him morsel at a time.. he is super gentle w/ them. I really think that you should make sure that you do work w/ her early with feeding.. don't let her become food agressive ( i read in earlier reply of someone) start early and put your hands in there, feed them w/ your hands, pet them while they eat.. so that later on they don't become food agressive.. if you start this early enough you won't have any problems...its not really in a labs nature to be agressive. Obedience class is always good. Socialize her w/ people and other dogs as much as possible..I don't think I did that enough now when my dog sees new people or another dog he gets sooooooo excited and wants to play and go crazy like he has been in a cage his whole life. Spoil her rotten and love her and she will be the best dog you EVER had!!!

We have a 9 yr old Lab and I will tell you that they chew and are puppy crazy for about 2 yrs. You will need to leash train and maybe even put them in a puppy school at a petmed or something like that. Keep things off of the floor and crate train when you leave, especially if things are getting chewed while you are gone. Our dog loves to sleep on the couch while we are gone..very sneaky. So now we put things on the couch to block it, toys, anything to block it, and she won't get up there. She is THE SWEETEST dog I have ever known and we have a 5yr old and a 2 yr old. They lay on her, pull her tail, up in her face, etc and she NEVER hurts them. She loves them and...she was here first so some dogs would have reason to not like new little kids. Labs shed BAD!!!! My advice is to have him/her shaved in the summer. You can have petmed or somewhere like that do it, they can use the razor at a certain level (we use level 7) and they shave enough to where the hair is less than an inch long so they just look nicely groomed, you don't see the skin at all. It helps A LOT. You will love this dog, get through the puppy years and you will never regret having her.

have fun! W.

Hi N.,
You are very lucky to be inheriting a Lab:) They are the best, not to mention smartest dogs you can have. I have two very sweet Labs, a Yellow (4) and Chocolate (2). To tell you the truth, they are pretty horrible as puppies (but what puppies aren't)?! Once you get passed usually the 2 year mark, they are perfect! Mine as puppies have chewed up pillows, my couch, every pair of underwear I had, slippers, door frames, my down comforter, etc. Definitely start obedience training as soon as you can, and it's not as much for the dog, but for the owners. I have an 11 month old daughter, and they are so great with her. She crawls over them, tugs on their ears and mouth, and they just sit there like "is she done yet"? She loves them, and they love her:) You just have to be patient and not give up on her...once this puppy stage is over, she will be much easier. Good luck with her:)
J.

Hi! I just saw you post; sorry to respond so late. I also have a wonderful lab--such amazing dogs! I would HIGHLY recommend the Halti or Gentle Leader for walking, as labs need lots of walks and exercise. You can buy it at PetsMart. It is a safe and easy way to walk your very energetic doggy. I tried a harness and found the Halti to be a better solution. I have purchased 2 (they upgraded the model in recent years) in the last 5-6 years for my dog and still use both. Also, someone mentioned hitting for obedience training. You should never have to hit a dog--for training or discipline. I would urge you to research this. And lastly, try not to budge on table scraps as labs can be terrible scavengers/beggars. Enjoy your sweet puppy; she will add so much to your family!

We have had lab mix pets and our son has a purebred lab, which is 5 months old. We use what they call, Apple Bitter spray to help with the chewing. You can get it at your local pet store and it works. You spray it on things that they like to chew on and it gives them a bitter taste, that they don't like. It only takes a once or twice and they won't chew on it again. We used this for a dog that was chewing on the treated wood deck and had a dog that liked to lick our hands and we sprayed a little on the deck where she would chew and our hands and it broke them of the habit.

I have to say, that having chew toys for them really helps and letting them know what toys are theirs and which ones aren't.
It can be done, but it will test your patience.

Good Luck and have fun.

Here's one more---check out some obedience books from the library and begin on some immediate training. This will be the best investment in time you'll ever make. Get her used to the leash by walking her around the back yard and even the house 3-4 times a day. Within a couple days you can begin taking her for walks, assuming your vet approves. There are varying opinions at what age it is safe to allow a dog on other dog-travelled sidewalks and grasses due to horrific dog diseases. Make sure you call your vet and discuss this with him/her. If you can't take him out, make sure he's getting lots of supervised play time. Most chewing and digging is from boredom. Also, a piece of advice a dog trainer gave me years ago---if you want a pet, bring it into the house. If you want an animal, leave it outside. Your dog needs to be in the house with you. 3-4 days of non-stop training (don't leave the house if you can help it) will have your dog house broken. Good luck!!

Hello N.,

I have and is experiencing everything you are going through, I have a mixed lab and he's a big one. I just came to the conclusion that you have to treat them like one of your kids. I found myself not leaving certain things out that he can get to, and not allowing him to get to certain areas in the house. He watches everything I do and remembers where I put things (lol). I just said I will give him time to grow which will hopefully happen soon. I have three boys (11,10 & 6) and they are fine with him, but I just have to remind them that he gets tired and doesn't want to play all of the time. Just stick it out and it will be fine.

N., I have so much empathy for you! I grew up with two black labs and they are fabulous, crazy, playful, intelligent animals! That being said, my family learned the hard way that if you raise a lab without obedience training the dog will soon be running the house...into the ground!

I now have a family and three well-behaved dogs of my own and I think back to my labs and feel really bad for them. We didn't know what we were doing and their life suffered as much as ours did because of it. I could tell you story after story but I will just say this: Get a trainer. The sooner the better! I highly recommend K-9 University (www.k-9.com) for training, boarding, etc. They have two locations, Plano and Richardson/Garland.

Our oldest dog had behavioral issues when we adopted her. We tried to handle it on our own but, after having two vets tell us to either put her on ‘Doggy Prozac’ or euthanize her we almost gave up. Instead, we took her to K-9. In less than two weeks, they had her doing all the basic obedience training tasks for us like she had done it for years. And she was so happy and proud of herself. With the exercises they taught us, we’ve been able to keep her anxiety problem under control. We learned so much! Actually, we both agree that the lessons made us better parents, too!

I’m not saying that your dog is anywhere close to like our pup. I’m just letting you know what they are capable of. They’ve seen it all. Seriously. And they are just as good training ‘regular’ dogs. For our other two pups, they don’t have issues like the oldest one but the trainers taught us some important breed-specific information that explained some ‘quirks’ each had and our house is a much happier home now because of it.

They have various programs to fit different needs and a great ‘lifetime guaranty’ plan. As well, if you board with them after the training, they work your dogs when they take them out each day. It is great! We go on vacation and our pups come home from the kennel better behaved than when we dropped them off. Reasonably priced, too. What I like most about the way K-9 trains is that they don’t use clickers or treats. The dogs just ‘want’ to do it for you. It’s awesome. They just ‘get’ how dogs think and the dogs totally respond. Be sure to have your children participate in the training if possible. It will not only give the kids a sense of control with the dog but they will also possibly learn some life lessons for themselves.

I commend you for taking in your son’s dog almost as much as I commend your son for fighting for our country. Bless you both!

Wow! I feel like you are talking about my life! We got a lab 4-5 months ago and it has been a long haul. We got him from a shelter and we were told he was about a year old, but we believe he was more like 7-8 months old. He is a very social dog and has lots of energy, which is hard to keep up with at times. This is our second lab and the reason we got another was how great our last one was. We knew getting him from a shelter anything could happen, but we took the risk.
There are times I want to get rid of him, but the more we work and spend time with him, he just keeps getting better and better. One problem we are having with him is the chewing. He also likes to snip at you trying to get you to play or when he gets excited and it does scare the kids (I have an 8 and 5 year old). Just something we are working on and he is getting better at it. I guess the question to ask yourself with getting this dog, do you have the time to spend with him?
Good luck! jk

Just saw your request for advice on Labs. We've had them for 15 years. Our first was the best trained, thanks to the work we did with a wonderful trainer named Emma Court. She has helped us with our other labs as well, and they would be as good if we were more diligent. Emma is great because she trains both the dog and the family; when my mother came to visit, Emma specifically worked with her because she had had a knee replacement and was a bit shaky around the new 50 pound puppy. She also worked with our (then) small children to show them how to behave around a dog. Emma is very positive, and comes as your convenience. Her number is ###-###-####. I would start sooner rather than later; labs are adorable but they grow quickly. Enjoy yours.

In addition to the nyla-bone, get a kong on a rope. They are pretty much indestructilbe, and dogs seem to love them. (And the rope makes it easier for the kids to pick it up and throw it without getting slimed, lol)

Great idea about the obedience training. Start now, and stick with it. They're great dogs, and good with kids, but they can be "puppies" for a long time.

We have a nearly 2 year old black lab that we got from a family that didn't have time to train her. She was just over one year old when we got her and not fully house broken. She learned that quickly and her chewing on things she's not supposed to has improved a ton. Still we cannot leave her at home unattended without her chewing on things she's not supposed to, so we have a kennel for her for that. We used to have her sleep in it too in case she got a chewing urge at night! Now she sleeps on our bedroom floor unkenneled and is very good. We have a "toy box" for her (read: small cardboard box) that we keep her toys in so she has plenty of stuff to chew on. She knows it's hers and it's so cute when she goes over to it and pulls something out to play with. I think time is the best cure for her chewing hyper ways. Obedience training would be of great help as well as ours loved to jump up on people on first. "Sit" and "stay" and "lay down" are priceless! We have had some luck with the Cesar Milan tactics as well and had to use some of it on her at first because she would get so wild, she needed to learn to stay still until we told her it was okay to get up from laying down on the floor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cesar_Millan

Cesar is my idol. I highly recommend him.

We have a 5 1/2 year old yellow lab (Maggie Moo) that is actually more white than yellow. She has been the best dog in the entire world!! She is so smart and always knows what you are saying to her. We got her when she was 9 weeks old and had to put in some work when she was young, but now she is so well behaved and calm. She is wonderful with our 2 1/2 year old son. I won't go into the techniques we used for chewing, biting/nipping, jumping or walking on a leash, but if you want me to tell you what we did, let me know. This would be much too long of a response if I went into it all.

Hello N., Read Ceaser Milon's books. His newest is called "Be the pack leader", the other is "The dog whisperer". They are the best!! Good luck.

N.,

I skimmed the responses, and wanted to add something that I didn't see.

While this is most common in Chocolate Labs, seizures are fairly common in Labs. Our chocolate lab has epilepsy. (All other things were ruled out by the vet.) It is a very scary thing if you don't have a clue that it is coming. I though our dog was drunk / having a stroke when I saw his first one.

We also have a black lab mix, and he has never had a seizure - and he is is about 9 years old. Our chocolate one though started having seizures when he was about 2 years old.

I don't want to worry you - just something to look out for. I wish somebody would have told me so I wasn't so scared when I saw it for the first time!

BTW - the chewing stops by age 3... :)

A few more cents worth. We have 2 labs, male and female. We got them as babies, brother and sister, We crate trained them.
Brock is the chewer- so he gets only a kong toy, which he still hasn't destroyed. They are just gems, the gentlest, sweetest dogs made, along with the goldens. I got them because the grands were coming and we wanted no aggression at all. These dogs are lovers and yearn for companioship. They want to sleep next to your bed. They are also good protection, in that they are good barkers, and they know who belongs and who doesn't. Mine are 8 now, and we will get more labs through rescue, when these sweethearts time on earth is done. I would crate her, with her chew toys, until you can be with her, so that she is not chewing everything. Good luck.

We have a lab/boxer mix. He did not out grow the chewing until 3 years. He had to keep him in a crate for that time frame but then out grew it. He still has a habit off carrying shoes and shoes around when he is excited but never chews anymore. AWESOME dog. I would do it all over again. VERY easy to train if you spend the time with them.

Labs are great dogs when trained properly like any dog. I have 2 pound puppies that are great with my little boy, but they are definitely chewers. The best advice I can give is to allow the dog to have their own toys that they can chew, and destroy. I know it seems odd...how will they know that their toy is allowed and my shoe isn't. You train them that's how. It is messy cleaning up the shredded parts of stuffed toys, but it is much more pleasant than the dog chewing your favorite shoes or your kids favorite toys. My dogs have a basket full of their toys, and my son has his own basket full of toys. My dogs will NOT touch my sons toys. We went on vacation, and had someone watch the dogs. They left them free in the house, and when they came home it looked like it had snowed in the house. They emptied the stuffing out of their toys, but they didn't touch any of my sons toys. Good dogs!

It's late, but I had to chime in.

Congratulations - you will not find a better breed to share your life with. I admit to being a little biased... after nearly 13 years, we had to put our yellow lab down a little over a year ago. It was the single hardest decision we have ever had to make in our adult lives. Excruciating. Some advice - labs start to slow down as the years progress, and their ability to enjoy what they once did becomes less and less (they are particularly prone to losing their mobility as they age due to their back legs/spine/joints giving out). Give her a full, wonderful life while she's able to enjoy it. Believe me - you will get more from her than you can possibly give her in return. Our lab is now in heaven and his memorial reads... "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Enjoy her!

P.S. On separate note… please thank your son for his service to our country.

Labs are great dogs to have around children. But they are very hyper dogs for about the first 2 yrs of their life. To keep him from jumping on the kids, put her on a leash and everytime he goes to jump, stop, make him sit and calm down and then start walking again. You have to hold the leash firmly when correcting him. But they are wonderful dogs to have. Good Luck

Hi N.! What city are you in? Email me directly:

____@____.com

Hello, I know im late with the response but "better late than never". We have 2 dogs, 1 lab (our second to own) and 1 mixed breed and keep both in kennels. We call them their "houses" and have fixed each one up with comfy blankets. While im sure they would rather be with us, they actually go in their houses on thier own and seem to enjoy them - its thier place! I also am a BIG believer on doggy toys - my boys have a large basket that hold all of thier toys - from stuffed ones to squeeky ones - and when they want to play with them they go get them on thier own. Also, I want to agree with the Dog Whisperer suggestion, I have been working his tactics with my 2 and have noticed a large change in their behavior. Most of all I enjoy my dogs, I don't leave them outside, they are a part of our family and live inside just like us! Whenever im frustrated I just remember we chose to include them in our lives and its up to us to give them the best we can! Hang in there and keep smiling, after all these years we can now look back and laugh at the chewed up shoe's.

We have a golden retriever and they have very similiar personalities to loving Labs! If you decide to do some training - we sent our girl to a "boot camp" where they board and train the dogs at the same time (it only costs a little more than boarding alone - so really makes sense to combine it with a trip you have planned). She is excellent now - and great on the leash as well as staying. We went to a place about 1 1/2 north of Houston call Furrst Place (http://www.furrstplace.com/)

I just read your conclusions and I would like to add that we had a black lab for 15 years . She was the best companion dog and gave us years of pleasure. Labs calm down after puppy-hood and become life long friends. They are good with kids and absolutely love them. I'm sure once you get over the puppy stage you will be very happy with your new family member.

i have a brown lab, 4 yrs. old, i rescued her 2 years ago.
she is precious, great, great, great with kids. you need not fear that, because labs love children. my first black lab was a bitter like yours and use to tear up newspaper. we found out that was because when she was a pup we used to discipline her with the paper and that was her revenge when she saw newspaper. she also like to chew the legs on furniture, so we bought her the chew bones. this seemed to work well. maybe its the black ones that due that, because my brown one doesnot do anything destructive, except dig in the yard. this she does to be cool. she digs a hole in the dirt and lies in it. most of the labs will do this. Hope i helped a little. they are great dogs, so just be patient. also as far as walking her, mine pulled too, but I bought a harness for her so we would not hurt her throat, we keep a tight reign on the leash and when she starts to pull, we give it a tug and say walk...keep doing this and you will find eventually she will walk by your side.

M. s.

Hi N., I saw your posted reply but I still wanted to reply to you. We have two yellow labs and they are awesome! They are both 2 years old now. Labs are great with kids. I didn't see if anyone mentioned the peanut butter in the kong. For a special treat put peanut butter in her kong and freeze it. Give her the kong when it's nice and frozen and she will absolutely love it! I like to give this to our dogs when I know we're going to be gone for an extended period of time. They love it and it keeps them busy. Congratulations on your new member of your family!

Exercise, exercise, exercise. This is what your dog needs to run off the crazy energy that she has. We've had a chewer and digger and when I started walking him twice a day, he had a way to channel that energy and he stopped being destructive. All the obedience training in the world won't give you better advice that to wear your dog out. Think about it like having kids--when they are tired, they are much more mellow. Your dog needs an outlet to release her energy. SHe's still young too and will grow out of a lot of this, but exercise will get you through this puppy time!!

I know this is very late in responding to your request but I could not resist. Our family is on our 2nd lab who is 4.. I would not trade our dog for the world. They are big, lovable and goofy. Ours is not really a chewer but he does like to carry items around to get attention. Our first one was a chewer. She had gotten mad at us and chewed a whole sofa and jumped through a glass window. (She had separation anxiety) LOL. Our second one is male a different. They do calm down at maybe 2. Training I highly suggest, we did not and wish we did. We also have a electic fence so he is free to roam about the yard which is nice. We can let him out and he really enjoys it but that is when your lab is alittle older.
Good luck.
J.

N.
Sorry to respond so late, I just saw your original questions today. Out of all the dogs I have had throughout my life, our black lab was by far the best family pet. She initially was eating and chewing up the house, we got her at 7 wks old, and my husband and I were newely weds. She would have benefited greatly (had we known at the time) from a crate. We would block her into our kitchen while we were at work and she would either chew up my cabinets, or do some other type of damage and she usually would escape. She was also a little obsessed with water. The swimming was great exercise for her, and if there is anywhere you could take your dog swimming that is a great thing to do with her. Our dog mellowed out after she was 2 years old, and she was so good with our children....she had four babies brought into the house, and would let the kids sit or stand on her, pull her tail....without a care. I recently read Cesar Milan's book, and he gave excellent advise about training any age dog, and the main thing was to exercise the dog. I highly recommend his book. I hope you and your family enjoys your new pet. We have had other dogs, but none as wonderful and well rounded as our black lab was. I wish you all the luck!

I know I'm late to the game, and you have tons of advice. But, I searched, and didn't see one piece of advice that I was thankful for (I have 2 labs, now 8 and 9)

Get a gallon of natures miracle. if the puppy does any type of messes in the house, and you use natures miracle to clean it up, it gets rid of the smell so that even the dog can't smell it anymore. Most other products may remove the smell for us, but the dogs can still smell it, and it could encourage the dog to have an accident in the same place again.

Also, labs are puppies for a LONG time. we were told 6 months, then a year, then 2...
In our case, they really didn't calm down before 2 and my 9 yr old could easily be mistaken for a puppy (except for his white beard).

Have fun! they are great dogs who are lovable, loving and great with kids

Yup I know I'm late too but I just had to add my 2 cents!! (Although you've received some great advice!)

We adopted a lab mix and one thing that really helped me was leash bonding. Since you said she is not leash trained yet this may help. Basically all you do is have her wear the leash around the house with you for a few days. When you sit she sits or lies down etc. This made a huge improvement on how my dog acted while on her leash.

As far as dogs and children, the main rule is never leave children alone with the dog. When I take a shower and get ready for work my dog stays in the bedroom with me so I don't have to worry about my son and her interacting in a negative way. Remember they are part of the family but they are also animals. So they think and react to things differently than we would.

Good luck with your new furry family member!!

Hi,
I see you have gotten great advice.
I wanted to also suggest books by the Monks of New Skete (raising a puppy and How to be your dogs best friend) both are training books. The puppy book was the BEST book I ever read. I reccommend it to others all the time and they say the same.

I had a yellow lab years ago. She was the most awesome and energetic dog I ever had. Yes, labs chew...she ate a whole wicker couch once! They dig when bored so make sure the dog gets at least a morning and an evening walk daily. One thing I did do was teach our lab to walk on the treadmill...it sounds crazy but she loved it and it gave her nice walks on rainy days.

The best thing I ever invested in as well was a Halti. Labs have extrememly strong neck muscles and walking one wrecks havoc on your shoulder and arm muscles. At the time I was suffering from tennis elbw...the halter is worn on the face and puts pressure on the top of the muzzle.... our dog trained with it in 2 days and never again pulled....the concept of where the nose goes the body follows was right on. She learned quickly to follow not lead in a walk and was the perfect walk partner.

Good luck to you!

I don't know if you are still checking responses but... this commitment is not so much about changing the dog but changing your behaviors. You will need to devote a lot of time during the day in order to give this dog exercize. The more exercise you can give, the better behaved your dog will be. Your dog will need long walks/runs in the AM and PM - not just throwing a ball in the yard. As someone mentioned, the dog is bored. She(?) is like a child who is kept in the living room and not running around enough during the day.

Plus, YOU need dog obedience training. It takes skill and thought to properly control a dog. I am sure that everyone has watched "The Dog Whisperer." He stresses how important it is for the owner to show certain behaviors.

Getting a dog like a lab is a lifetime commitment of daily activities with your dog. My husband, who had a golden retriever when we met, taught me the love, devotion and personal time that it takes to keep a well behaved dog (otherwise your dog will be like so many others that jump on people, chew furniture and will not stay in the yard).

Hi - I saw someone else mentioned the book, Marley and Me - definitely try to read it (http://www.marleyandme.com/) - I got a copy at the Ashburn Library - it is an awesome book. I have 2 kids 4 and 6, so reading was hard until I started doing it after they go to bed - I read that book so fast I couldn't put it down.
Looks like you've had great advice - I can't agree more - Labs are one of the best breeds. I take care of a 8 month old puppy - he is extremely well trained and calm - he also attended Lab Boot Camp. He's an awesome dog - listen's well to the key command, "Drop It" - of course he always expects a treat, so sometimes will pick things up just to get a treat, but it just shows how smart he is. The best thing to teach is also putting your leg/knee up to block the dog from jumping up on people - my kids tried it when this lab tried to jump up on them, and he immediately stopped.

Good luck!

I have a 7 month old yellow lab. He has not chewed any furniture or walls (yet) but he has chewed ... my glasses, a light bulb, tons of stuffies (stole my daughters beanie babies we had packed in the basement) the remote control, swolled a pair of my daughters thongs, had to bring that back up with perixode,the garden hose, and he is a counter surfer big time. Oh and he broke his leg when he was six months old jumping out of the water onto the seawall at our cottage. That was our stimulus check plus some. We have a 10 year old yellow too. The pup is almost bigger then him at this point and hes about 80lbs. But I would not trade him for anything. He is funny and and loveable. Just remember to keep your humor with you. But he is very smart too. He walks great on a leash, comes when he is called, does a high five and with a point of my finger he will lay down. We do training for about 15 minutes every day. My husband will be training him this fall for duck hunting. Good luck to you. They are very loyal and loving dogs. You couldn't ask for a better pet.

Hi, I just read your post and post-post! I just finished a great book "Marley & Me"....you might want to read it!

~J.

N.!

We have a Lab and they are the best dog! Love kids! However, as our vet advised us...they can be puppies for like 5 years! Ours is going on 4 and she has settled down alot, this past year! They love to play, so if your kids like to play have them throw balls to the dog, or get lots and lots of dog toys to help with the chewing..

Also Bitter Apple, you can buy this at Pet Smart, and it is completely save, but if your dog is chewing furniture etc...spray this on it, it will cure it! It tastes aweful so once sprayed and she tastes it, she will associate it with that and she will stop chewing...our lab loved shoes...so we would spray that on the shoe, and she stopped!

Good Luck. Hang in there, and I am sure you will agree that they are the best dog! We love our Shadow, and couldn't imagine our home with out her.

C. Freeman/____@____.com

N., we have a 10 mos old lab, she is a yellow lab and I have a daycare and nine grandkids ranging from 2 years to 19. she is exellent with the daycare kids and very well behaved. she minds better than the kids half the time. LOL She is the most effectionate and gentle dog. she never chews on anything that she is not suppose to and I have never caught her digging.
we had friends that had a black lab andshe was so gentle and protective of their kids. she will get very attached toyour kids...I will be surprised if your son gets the dog back when he comes home. They getso attached to people...she is Sammy and she belongs to my 16 year old son....she actually cries and whines when he stays overnight somewhere.
If your lab is anything like her...you will adore it. My other dog is a miniature pomeranian and they look like Mutt and Jeff together. Sammy is so protective of Bitsy. She can play really rough with the bigger dog that comes inour yard but knows the difference with our cat and Bitsy and seems to be the same with kids. mac (16year old) he plays really rough with her romping and throwing her ball but she is as gentle as can be with the small kids.
Good luck...I think you are in for a great experience. L.

I have a quick respose to the chewing. We put mouse traps on our chair cushions and all it took was one of those going off and scareing our puppy and she never touched those cushions again. Before that she chewed like 3. Actually she pretty much stopped chewing everything after that trap went off.
Good luck!

Sorry to respond so late but just saw your post today. Labs are fantastic family dogs. They are extremely active. My parents have a black lab who is 12 now and she if finally calm! Took till about 9yrs old for her to be really calm, but part of that was our fault cause we didn't follow thru with the obiendence training. Labs are huge food hounds, when I was in college and home visiting she got in my bag and ate my birth control pills!! We learned not to leave ANY food out or she would get it. When she was younger and my nephews were too, she would follow them as toddlers around and if they fell down she was right there nosing them up and checking on them. She is still a huge love and I truely believe kept my parents from empty nest syndrome! Your kids will have the best memories of this dog when they are adults!

Oh, how wonderful--- I DO encourage you to check out The Dog Whisperer - a cable show on the National Geographic Channel - or his books ( his name is Cesar Milan) or tapes -- his theme - exersize exersize exersize -- you or your husband can walk her with your 8 year old - and the 3 could either j jog along or be in a stroller - doing that drains some of that energy and best of all - establishes that you are the boss - and the leader and #1--- etc --- she needs you to be boss first - and affection 2nd - which is not how a lot of Americans deal w/ their dogs - which --- in his view ( and lots of others) means trouble - labs can be coaxed into being quite destructive if you are not ''boss'' -- so be a wonderful powerful woman- ( oh, you'll have such fun!!)

Blessings,
J. ( mother, grandmother, and happy 'boss' to a 1 year old Golden Retriever who I am teaching to use a treadmill as I'm a bit old to give him the runs he needs - it works - )

HI there! As someone who has owned and taken care of MANY LABS at all stages of life they need one thing above most other breeds....long walks and jogs. If you have a bike and a local park nearby, you will have the happiest most well adjusted dog you'll ever own! They HAVE to get that energy out in some way and having a yard doesn't count they must get out and explore for at least 45 minutes a day and get panting. I had the worst chewer ever created and I started running her at the park around the track alongside me on my bike and in a few days I noticed a 180 in her and I started losing weight...BONUS!! If you are pressed for time I would suggest looking into an insured dog walker in your area. I own my dog walking business in Sherman Oaks, CA. You can go to www.petsit.com and search by zip code. With a dog that energetic and strong PLEASE don't settle for a neighbor kid that wants $5 bucks a walk. A professional will know what to do and keep the pup safe. Take care and good luck!
Jen

I have two dogs. One is 7 yrs old and I have 2 daughters that are 10 and 12. The girls love our dogs and the dogs love them! It shouldn't be a problem to have the dog around your children. Labs are sweet dogs and they are a protective type of dog too.

I also have a lab who is 4 years old who we adopted as well when he was 6 months. My kids put this dog through the ringer and still do, he is the best kid toy. But he also was a chewer and we invested in the 14 dollar red solid rubber kong ball! It is his nukky as we call it. We are on his 4th one, we buy one a year but they last! And anytime we have company and he gets excited he gets his ball! Anytime he goes to chase kids he's got the ball. We had a crate too which we would put him in, but he now sleeps in our king size bed! I know so bad!

I grew up with a black lab who was a part of the family, he unfortunately died in 2006. My parents were so used to having a dog that a few months later they get a yellow lab. Labs are awesome dogs, but they do need training and a lot of exercise. Once the dog is about 2 yrs old he should calm down :) Good Luck!

I just have to say Labs are the best dogs ever. And even though our almost 3 yr old yellow lab is still terrible...I wouldn't get rid of her for nothing. We got her when she was 8wks old and since then she has been a menace..she ate the padding under our carpet...she loves socks till this day...she has stolen food from the table while I walked away...whatever she can find she will put in her mouth..My husband loves it! If you ever read the book Marley & Me...well lets just say Marley has nothing on our dog!! Seriously, Cesar Milan the dog whisperer cannot help her...she is like a litte human...she sleeps on the couch or her crate...yes she lives in the house! They need lots of attention!! So good luck...and I'm still waiting for her puppy days to be over! :-)

Wow- All these responses for love the dog just gag me. Labs ARE great dogs, a blessing of a family member, and a true joy of a pet - once the work is done. The real issue here and now is making a commitment to the "animal" that does NOT come at the expense of more important stuff - namely your 3 yr old. Both are at a short term stage of needing huge amounts of time & energy invested from you/your family to create desireable long term results. If everyone's happy about doing both - Great. If your scooping poop or cleaning floors or treating fleas, ect...while unassisted and unhappy, what's going to be left in the tank for the kids? Make the choice first, so you will always know exactly what your working towards.
Good Luck !!

I had a black lab for years as a child. One of the best dogs I've ever had. Not much in advice about them- they're an all around great dog. The only advice I have is to "be the pack leader"- check out Cesar Milan (http://www.cesarmillaninc.com/)- watch his show whenever you can, get the book, whatever. He knows what he's talking about. I do believe that most problems people encounter with their dogs happen because people treat dogs like people, instead of like dogs. Dog psychology and behavior is very different than ours and they really need a leader. If you're not the leader, they will become it and then you could have biting, potty problems, etc. (with any breed).

A young lady who owns/operates her own dog training school that you might want to check out...www.doggonegoodtraining.com
She's very good....

Hi N.,
I have had labs my whole life and I have a 2year old yellow lab now and a 3 kids ages 19&16 and 8 month baby. Labs are big chewers right up to about 18mos.to 2years. A great distraction is a Big Rubber Kong Toy filled with Bones and Peanut Butter works like a charm toy is indistructable. Also we walk our lab with a leash called a gentle leader it stops the dog from pulling but doesn't hurt them, works great..But make sure it fits properly so it works and doesn't hurt the dog a store that sells them can help you fit it to your dog. These dogs are very faithful and loveable...Good Luck L.

Hi. I need to be brief, so here goes...

Get the book "Living with Kids and Dogs Without Losing Your Mind." Then hire a knowledgeable trainer if not behaviorist who has experience in integrating families and dogs. Check out www.DogsAndStorks.com for great advice and information. There is a trainer search on there, and I know someone is in TX, but it is a big state so I recommend you check it out.

Management and conditioning the dogs and kids for leadership skills combined with body language knowledge, zones and rules...structured activities, adults present for the younger children with hands on dog.
- Encourage appropriate play only. No rough housing...ever.
- No mouthing, nipping, or biting any part of any human, ever.
Provide alternative activity to build another behavior for the dog to do that disables him from mouthing, nipping, or biting. This works with other problem behaviors too.

I could go on forever, but must head off to train dogs and owners for the evening.

I wish you luck and encourage you to contact an area trainer who has knowledge of child development AND dog behavior and who uses constructive/humane, not compulsive/aversive training methods.

All the best!

hi N.,
i just saw your request...and in my opinion, you couldn't have inherited a better breed. they do have alot of energy, but you said you have a great yard, and i'm sure she'll love to play outside. i have a black lab that is six years old, and he is by far the best dog i have ever known...(i'm a little biased, but i also have a cockalier, (cocker spaniel/cavalier king charles spaniel mix), and he is definitely not as naturally great as a lab. a bit of advice in case you haven't heard this before...if she jumps, grab her paws when she jumps up, and squeeze them...until she feels it. sounds awful, but i found it to be less mean that kneeing them in the chest, and it worked very quickly. he is now about 75 lbs., and never ever jumps. as far as the barking,(i was given these tips from a trainer), mix some water with lemon juice, and put it in a spray bottle...if she barks for no reason,or when she's in the crate, etc.. spray her nose with the mixture. important to be consistent...and she won't like it, so she'll stop the barking. i know you will love her, and the little ones will too. i have a three year old, an 8, and an 11...and i they just get and give so much love to their dogs... as far as walking on a leash, try a choker collar, the kind with the metal prongs..you won't have to pull very hard, and before you know it you will barely have to hold the leash. my three year old can walk my lab, because he won't pull her. (she can't walk the 25 lb. cockalier...he's wild on the leash..)good luck!

As everyone here has mentioned, Labs have a "puppy stagee" of at least 2 years. Once they get past that mark, they are remarkably fast learners and extremly intelligent as well as good with children. For a good read though, you should read the book by John Grogan titled "Marly and Me" true story from a journalist and his pet Lab that changed his life. All dog owners would appreciate this book, but you especially being the proud new owner of a Labrador. I HIGHLY recommend it.

N.,
Bark Busters! Ryan Brown has the Pikes Peak area and is absolutely the best dog trainer in the area! He trains you as well as the dog(s) which is a must if you expect the dog to listen to you. Bark Busters also gives a lifetime guarantee. It's worth every $!! The sooner the better but Ryan is absolutely wonderful with dogs of any age! He loves dogs and loves his job! barkbusters.com 877-280-7100
Have a great time with your new family member!
C.

We have a chocolate lab, Zoey who is one year. It has been a crazy year with her. We have four children, and from 3 months up 2 of them would not be around her because she was so "nippy" grabbing anything that she could. Once she lost her teeth it got better, even with doing everything the dog trainer told us, but still has not gone away. A stern "no!" is what she taught us and seems to help. Also, a tap on the snout with a plastic propel bottle, has a hollow sound the dogs don't really like (don't worry, I'm not advocating hurting or hitting your dog). She will chew ANYTHING up, except kong extreme (black ones) or the super size kong she can't get her mouth around. She loves to fetch the kongs also as they bounce and are lots of fun. We fill them with some peanut butter (she has her own jar) when we'll be gone for a while. We have invested a lot of money in this dog, (including training at $75 an hour every 2 weeks) but are dedicated to making her part of our family. Each day it seems to get better. One of the best things the trainer taught us if she is really hyper is to put her on her leash, then put your foot right next to the hook/collar and she will lay down, leave her there until she relaxes, then you release her to get up and sit. This will help bring out her own calming devices....good luck!

I had to share. When I got my yellow lab puppy, Tyler, he was an absolute menace. Thank God he wasn't a digger, but he destroyed just about everything inside and outside my house, including ripping the linoleum floors up in both my bathrooms and eating the vanities. He was almost uncontrollable for the first 2 years (he was even asked to leave obedience school because he was too disruptive), but after that he calmed down and I could not have asked for a better pet. He and I were inseparable until we lost him last August to old age at almost 14.

You've got a lot of work ahead of you, but a lot of reward as well. Just be consistent and firm, and look into obedience training. Your puppy probably won't be expelled!

Hi N.,

I am a dog trainer and a Mom so I understand what you are going through. I also have trained hundreds of labs both as a personal dog trainer and as a Guide Dogs for the Blind trainer.

I have a training website that has free dog articles on it that you may find helpful: http://webdogtrainer.com/media.php

My training website also walks you through the entire training process with access to me for any special questions, so if you want to check that out too you can and there is a ton of information on it about me too: www.webDogTrainer.com

I hope things are going OK for you and I'd be happy to help if you need it!

J.

Labs are great but they tend to mellow out about age two!. crates are sometimes needed, mine loves hers. Read Marley and Me (soon to be a movie) and get involved in a puppy class, the trainers give great tips. Lots of chew toys, we got pretty much one of everything at Petsmart. The ones that conceal food are a great way to keep our Maddie busy for hours.
D.

Hi N.. I pretty much have to agree what most have said. Labs are wonderful dogs. We have 2 of them, both yellow. One is 8 and the other 4. Maggie, the oldest was a huge problem with chewing. The youngest one has never had that problem. I have a home daycare and the kids just love the dogs. They are there playmates. They will need lots of exercise. But be careful because they will go and go. Will not stop playing unless you stop. They would go till they dropped. Good luck. You will love the experience. C.

I'm very late on this, but just had to share... we had some of the same issues with our dogs, so our vet recommended Barkbusters. These guys are fabulous!! It's not cheap, but it is the best program I've ever heard of, and it comes with a lifetime guarantee that they will come back & retrain your dog for its entire lifetime if you start having issues again.

If you're interested, PM me & I'll send you the info.

oh, yeah... Congrats on the new pup! I had really wanted a lab, but my hubby is wary of "big dogs" haha!