Any labrador owners about?

It's very dependent on the puppy and also on what you do with it - how you keep it occupied and how you train it.

I grew up with a pedigree black labrador and after he died my mum puppy walked for guide dogs for ten years when I was living at home so we had ten puppies from 6 weeks to approx 10 - 12 months, consecutively, every year. Our first ever one was a black lab, the rest were retriever/lab or curly coat retriever/lab crosses. They all seemed to chew and wreck things alot but the first one was the worst. He would also eat anything in sight - seaweed off beaches, electrical cables, hands, feet, shoes. I still have the scars from his occasional mad dashes around the place with his teeth bared! He stopped eventually and turned into a lovely dog (although he was too neurotic to make it as a guide dog). Each puppy was different - they all had their own personalities, even from a very early age, and their own foibles.

Labradors are beautiful dogs - still my all time favourite breed - but like most breeds, as puppies they can be hard work.

I have a black lab cross (probably) border collie who I rehomed three years ago - he's a lovely dog and has the best lab traits without some of the worse ones (he doesn't do labrador gluttony, at least not too often, but although he's neutered he occasionally succombs to the wanderlust).

Is rehoming an older dog an option?

Hi pudontour, thanks for sharing your experiences. Unfortuantely due to our childrens ages we can't rehome an older dog (not from rescue anyway) and there do not seem to be too many older labs for sale.

We wil be training any dog we get though.

I think a lab puppy would be a nightmare once you're back at work, which can't be that far away...even with working part time, it's a long day to leave a puppy alone for. Some rescue dogs are ok with children; I definitely wish I'd got an older cat now, as, much as I love our kitten, he's totally bonkers and quite high-maintenance - a puppy would be ten times that!

My family has always had labs and they're great dogs but TBH I would never have one unless they had company all day and lived either on a farm or had a big enough garden they had free rein to around whenever they wanted.

Ours have never chewed things and were very quick to pick up on training but had both the above. I don't think it's a breed that lends itself to being left for periods of time and only having two walks a day, I don't know what your set up is but you'll be going back to work? Perhaps a smaller dog would be a better idea.

We have a black lab, she is 3 now. For the first twelve months, whenever she was left on her own she would chew anything in sight (usually the carpet). We bought a large cage for her which is in our dining room. We are around during the day, so the only time she was on her own really was when we went shopping, and so she would go in the cage/kennel then.

We no longer have to lock her in the kennel when we go out now, but its now become her 'bedroom'. She quite often goes in there (the door is always left open). She has cushions and toys in there, and she comes and goes as she pleases.

Its worked out really well for us. The cage has to be big enough (we got a massive one from fleabay). We were always around during the day, so she only ever went into the cage for short spells. Claire

Thanks again for all your comments. I go back to work part time in September but my H will be in and out of the house all day so the pup will never be left on it's own for long periods of time.

We have a large (well I think it is large depends what you compare it to) garden.

I'm expecting lots of things to be chewed and ruined ?...

We're still in the thinking stages...

Thanks again...

I've never really got the whole "large garden" thing. My two won't play or run around the garden off their own back. They have a wander around for their "business" but that's about it. This is also the case with places we visit, they will play if we are with them but otherwise they just plod. I don't think a garden is a substitute for walking so as long as they get their walks each day I don't see the need for a vast space. What am I missing?

Anyway, I digress

I don't think Labs are chewier than any puppy and I think any dogs has it's negatives so if it's not chewing it will be something else ? I love labs, I think they are great dogs, I'm yet to meet a "bad" one. Of course they are not as wonderful as retrievers but I'm biased ?

Pooch, we have the beach on our doorstep too, so will be doing plenty of walking.

I know training is the key really and have done a lot of reading, but I appreciate that this is only the ice tip.

It's exciting ?

Do you or have you used a dog crate? Ive read this is best for night times but I havent read about the size needed.

The Cinnamon Trust might be worth a look. They specifically rehome/foster dogs for older people who have maybe gone into hospital or care. They are also looking for dog walkers for dogs that are still with their elderly owners, who can't walk them because of frailty or infirmity.

https://cinnamon.org.uk/

Just a thought

Having moved from having a small garden to a house with a much larger, mature garden I totally 'get' the large garden thing! Our lab 'plays' outside all the time when the weather is good - we just leave the door open all day so he can come and go. He has his little running route round the whole place, then likes to explore behind/in a couple of larger bushes, following the scent trails from whatever birds/squirrels have been in the garden. My parents garden is enormous and their dog loves to jump over the bushes, sniff around in the tall meadow grass and torment the frogs in the pond!

Of course garden play does not replace walks but it does replace the need to buy quite so many toys to keep dogs entertained (especially as our lab can chew through even the 'indestructable' ones)

Maybe it's my two then, although my friends dog is the same and they have 3 acres!

We've rented houses with grounds, one even had about 20 acres and during the stay Hugo went crazy the first day and for the rest of the holiday hung out where we were. Now, if there were a stream or muddy puddle he'd play in that for hours.