Labador Retrivers

**canunez** · 05-15-2012, 09:38 AM

So this may seem odd, but I have seen a Yellow ( what seems to be an English ) Labador Retriver being walked by it's owner on several occassions. Either on Manayunk Ave or towards the Kendrick Rec.

Sadly I can't seem to catch the owner and talk to them. Either I am on the bus or in my car. Trying to find out where they got the dog.

**seand** · 05-15-2012, 09:44 AM

I thought the origin of the breed was from Labrador, in Newfoundland, Canada, hence the name. Yellow or chocolate or black they are all the same breed in my understanding. Even if the lord on Downton Abbey has one.

**canunez** · 05-15-2012, 10:16 AM

Yes, Sorry Labrador Retriever. Computer froze while hitting save and I realized, I forgot to spell check.

**walnuthill** · 05-15-2012, 02:33 PM

If you're looking for a Labrador retriever, I recommend checking out some of the suburban shelters and rescues. Labs and lab mixes are quite common--less so in the city, but I know they're not difficult to find elsewhere.

I grew up with 4 labs: 1 chocolate, 2 black, and 1 yellow. If you get a lab, you will want to take up jogging or other outdoor sports/activities so your dog can take part. Or do as I did as a kid, get a tennis ball and throw that thing 80+ times until the dog is worn out. They are extremely athletic dogs with a lot of energy. They aren't the brightest dogs in the world, but are generally sweet and loyal to their owners.

This breed exploded in popularity in the late 1990s, and since then the dogs I see seem to be much bigger, taller, and lankier. The ones I grew up with were stocky with a rudder-like tail and domed head, basically like the breed standard says. Poor breeding practices often result in hip dysplasia, a common problem in labs.

Good luck in your search for a dog!

**seand** · 05-15-2012, 02:38 PM

I have a lab pit mix and I seem to have got all the crazed "I want to keep playing SOME MORE" of a Lab plus a lot of extra muscluture and athleticism. But very affectionate and good with kids.

**walnuthill** · 05-15-2012, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by seand

I have a lab pit mix and I seem to have got all the crazed "I want to keep playing SOME MORE" of a Lab plus a lot of extra muscluture and athleticism. But very affectionate and good with kids.

Generally they are great with kids. I adored our family labs. But yeah, you better be ready to exercise a lab! I grew up with a large back yard on a pond and remember throwing that tennis ball for what seemed like hours...and that crazy dog would still be ready for more.

What I find funny though is that I have a pit bull and get the usual reactions to that breed. Meanwhile I was bitten in the face by a yellow lab (not my family's, it belonged to a family friend), an injury that required plastic surgery and I still carry a faint scar. People never seem to believe me when I say the most vicious dog I ever met was a lab, not a pit...

**seand** · 05-15-2012, 02:50 PM

The lab pit mix seems a common one to find in shelters, not because they are bad pets (quite the contrary) but because they are a classic dog for the "more exercise than I bargained for" category. But on the plus side you can say "I own a pitador".

**OldMama** · 05-15-2012, 10:02 PM

I have a huge black lab rescued from the Montgomery County SPCA. He's a really big fellow- used to weigh 110 but we started the weight loss dog food and he's down to fighting weight 89 pounds. He's a old guy and is rapidly turned white (like his owner) but he still needs attention and exercise. I take him to doggie day care two days a week when I work and he's much happier for it.

Labs are generally great with kids and with other pets. Ours loved his cat (she wasn't fond of him, however) and he lets the guinea pig alone when he's hopping around the house. The down size is they shed tremendously for a short haired dog, especially this time of year when they lose the winter coat. And, truth be told, they're not terribly smart. but very sweet and loving.

**alex** · 05-15-2012, 11:01 PM

I've heard a lot of people say that labs are friendly and great with kids, but my experience was the opposite.

My old dog was a black lab and my current dog's a pit bull. The black lab didn't like children and was dog-aggressive and the pit bull is the total opposite - great with kids and has lots of dog friends.

I'm not going to attempt to make any sort of case for generalizing about breed, because dogs are as individual as humans. But I have done well adopting adult animals, once I knew a little more about them and understood what I was seeing. They change so much in childhood, and I think that when you adopt an adult you have a better idea of what you're getting, and they're also usually past the chewing-everything stage.

**kimlet** · 05-16-2012, 10:16 AM

A quick way to search local rescue organizations and shelters is through Pet adoption: Want a dog or cat? Adopt a pet on Petfinder (you can search by breed and location).

**dogoagogo** · 05-16-2012, 10:27 AM

I have a big lab/mastiff/pit something or another available for adoption. Just sayin. About a year old, neutered. Needs work, but runs good.

**seand** · 05-16-2012, 01:01 PM

Any hugely popular breed (like purebred labs) is more likely to be overbred and this may impact temperment. Lord knows it does with many cockerspaniels. Every dog is different.

Most labs I've met have been very kid affectionate. Most pits also, plus a very high tollerance to manhandling from the kids you don't see in other breeds. My pit/lab is super high energy but extremely kid-tolerant and very friendly to both people and dogs. He is not the brightest and because he is so hi-key, he does sometimes put off older dogs who don't want to play with them as much as he wants to play with them.

**dogoagogo** · 05-16-2012, 07:03 PM

Yup, that's the boy I have now, to a T. But he's very gentle with other dogs, just enthusiastic. Soft mouth, like a lab.

**taxgirl** · 05-18-2012, 11:24 PM

We have a lab/boxer mix who came to us through the SPCA on Erie Avenue. He is a rescue and we like to joke that he has lived his life knowing that he won the lottery - he is such a delightful, energetic dog!
He was the first dog that I've ever had (I was scared of dogs before we got him) and I have no doubt that when the time comes to get another dog, we'll get another lab mix.
I have three kids but our dog is our "first born." We got him long before the kids came along and he never exhibited the least bit of aggressive behavior towards any of them - even with the occasional attempt to ride him or pull his ears.

He has been wonderful with all of the kids and is such a big part of our family (going on 13 years now).
I say all of that to say that if you're looking, consider a lab mix AND consider a rescue. You won't be sorry!

**lexrex** · 05-19-2012, 06:03 AM

is that there are two main sub-lines to the Labrador breed. The American line is sleeker, and the British line is chunkier. You are starting to see a similar thing with boxers. Some look like fawns while others have that huskier chest. Growing up in the '60s when boxers were popular you only saw the husky ones.

**ColeenH** · 05-19-2012, 07:57 AM

I second looking in shelters and rescues. There is a rescue based out of Warminster that is dedicated to labs: Brookline Labrador Retriever Rescue Home

**OldMama** · 05-19-2012, 08:54 AM

I agree about rescues. I've never owned a puppy and it's not high on my list to do so. My old guy was 5 when we got him. We were his third home- both other owners took him to the pound when they downsized. He's 10 now and we've just downsized. It's been an adjustment for him and he was a mess at first. He's much happier now that he goes to day care two days a week and gets to play with other dogs. I thought my daycare expenses were behind me but apparently not.