[marsha=whitie]

how do you convince someone that labs aren't always "nuts?"

(I'm trying to get my cousin to adopt one of my friends "oops" pups. They're lab/doG knows. The cuz wants a golden... are labs and goldens close in temperment?)

 

[Keechak]

I can't help you all the labradors I've ever met were very energetic

 

[Independent George]

Ditto. In theory, I realize that not all Labs are nuts, but in practice, every Lab I ever met except one has nuts (and he's 8-9 years old).

Then again, to me, that's a feature and not a bug. I happen to like the Lab variety of nuts.

 

[FilleBelle]

I guess I don't know what you mean by "nuts." Do you mean difficult to train? Energetic? Aggressive?

It would seem to me to be a silly thing to assume that all Labs are any of those things. They are the breed of choice for Canine Companions for Independence, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and many SAR/bomb/drug sniffing programs.

I have never met a Lab I would consider "nuts." Labs are the breed that made me fall in love with dogs. Growing up, my dad's best friend and his wife always had two black Labs. They were gentle and friendly and fun and they had soulful eyes. They never tired of playing fetch, but they were well-trained and gave up the game when asked. They were tolerant of children, other dogs, cats, and small critters. John and Katie used to bring them to church, leaving them tied under a tree during the actual service. On more than one occaision I actually left Sunday school on the pretext of going to the bathroom and never returned, preferring to sit with them under the tree, instead.

Katie and John still have two dogs, although they are now yellow. One is a purebred Lab, the other a Lab/Golden mix. The Lab is a facility dog. The mix is a hearing assistance dog. In the manner of most service animals, they are almost eerily well-behaved.

Having said all that, they are not the ideal first family dog that so many people think they are. It's hard to find a well-bred Lab and ones that aren't well bred may have serious behavior issues inherent to the genetics. They are easily trained and eager to please, but they are full of energy and really do need a job like those listed above. Without some sort of task to perform, they need excessive amounts of training and exercise to be happy, balanced animals.

I have found Goldens and Labs to have very similar temperaments, but I'm sure diehard fans of either breed will disagree with me.

ETA: I obviously have two Lab mixes myself. They are both very strange, but I don't think their strangeness has anything to do with them having Lab blood. Alvin is uninterested and detached with strangers, perhaps as a result of being on the streets or perhaps having to do with being part Shar Pei. Clifford has some anxiety issues I attribute to primarily to his severe disabilities (lameness and deafness), but which may also come from having been abandoned and spending way too long in a shelter.

 

[RonE]

how do you convince someone that labs aren't always "nuts?"

By arranging a meeting with a lab who isn't nuts.

High-energy, high-stamina doesn't mean nuts, unless the dog is under-stimulated and under-exercised. Labs were breed to run all day and too many peoplke think they are meant to lay in front of the fireplace and look good.

My black lab needed lots of exercise until a few months before he was put down at age 14. Now that he's gone, I'm getting fat.

BTW, the biggest variation I've seen in appearance and temperament has been among Goldens.

 

[animalcraker]

I've known Labs and Goldens with a variety of temperments. Some were crazy bouncing off the walls, others were so mellow you'd think they were zombies with no life in them at all. With all of the Labs and Goldens I've met the quality of thier temperment reflected on the quality of thier breeding. All of the poorly bred dogs I've met were overly exuberent and crazy or lifeless and lazy. Whereas all of the well bred ones I've met have been active, playful, and inteligent without being too much too handle.

I'm curious why you want your cousin to get a pup from this opps litter that's only part Lab at best. Is there something wrong with them deciding to get a golden or a pup not from your friends litter?

Another important thing to note is that Goldens and Labs are NOT THE SAME THING. They may be very similar to us outsiders who aren't passionate or owned by one. But to those in the know there are significant differences that may steer someone towards one breed and not the other.

 

[digits mama]

I agree with what was said above..especially the part about looking good in front of the fireplace.

I dont think Labs are nuts at all. I think alot of people base that opinion on the fact that there are SO MANY out there that they want to deem that theory based on bad owners and untrainied dogs. So many breeds are high energy and need an outlet or they tend to reek havoc. I just can seem to figure out why so many want to paint a picture of any breed with the same brush..makes no sense to me.

But then again. The world is full of know it alls with a mouth full of crappy ammo.


I dont know how you are to convey that to your cousin. But good luck. Just make sure he or she gets what they want in a dog or it could mean disaster if they are not happy with it.

 

[Laurelin]

Why do you want your cousin to get this dog? I wouldn't encourage them to get something they weren't comfortable with or didn't want. A labrador doesn't fit everyone's needs. I've had one before and have no plans for ever having another one. I just don't mesh well with the majority of labs I meet for some reason.

Labs and goldens are similar but not the same and there may be a reason they prefer a golden to a lab. I agree that both breeds vary a lot between individuals. I think that's because they're so popular and overbred there are many that don't meet the standard and fall both ways of it imo. Goldens are very hit or miss with me. I either really really like the individual dog to the point of wanting to take it home or the individual dog drives me crazy. I notice that most goldens I want to take home are seniors. There is something special about an old golden. My own lab wasn't crazy but he was active and a handful at times.

 

[jbray01]

I would have to agree with RonE.

Labs as a breed are not inherently nuts. They are very high energy, but other than that they are typically very loving, loyal and very goofy dogs. i guess the goofiness plus energy is what creates the nuts stereotype...

to show your friend that labs are not nuts, i would say take them to a place where a lot of labs are ie a lab rescue, and then they will get a better idea of the temperament of labs.

or even better just take them to a shelter and have them pick out a dog that has a temperament that will match their lifestyle.

As a Lab owner I would say my dog is very energetic. If I did not exercise said energetic dog, yeah I might say she'd be nuts.

Heck, I'd be nuts if someone expected me to lay around all day and do nothing...although laying around all day doesn't sound so bad to me right now...

 

[Sammgirl]

Most labs I've met have had two main attributes: 1) they're very energetic 2) they need alot of attention from people.

I'm not sure if that equals nuts, though.

 

[Mdawn]

I had a Golden that passed away a few years ago...he was the sweetest, most gentle, laid back dog I've ever known. He loved to go for walks and such but was just as content to lay at your feet. He was an awesome dog. I still miss him.

Eddie, I often say is 'nuts'...really he is just energetic and he's very social. He likes a lot of interaction from people and wants to be included in everything. Once he gets his energy out, he can be pretty mellow. Normally, a quick game of Frisbee will take the edge off and he's more calm. He can be pretty hyper at times, when he's been cooped up. The hardest times I have with him are in the mornings and when I get home from work. He NEEDS to be able to get out and run and stretch those legs. With Uallis, he's more laid back in personality and doesn't HAVE to be in the middle of people and what they are doing; whereas Eddie is always there and "in your face". It's just his personality. I love it although it bugs me at times. I prefer the more laid back personality of Mastiff's and I doubt I will seek out another Lab after Eddie...but Labs are good dogs with the right owner...the same with any other breed.

 

[Marsh Muppet]

The cuz wants a golden... are labs and goldens close in temperment?)

There are differences, but they are a good match in the crazy department.

 

[LastCallLabs]

Theoretically you shouldn't have to convince someone who is looking for a dog to choose a specific breed.

Even if your friend meets the most mild mannered Labrador, you can't guarantee that these mixed breed puppies are going to be anything like that.

If your friend is seriously considering adding a dog, let him or her choose what is right for their family.

 

[Dogstar]

There *are* differences in Labs and Goldens. I'm considering a (field/performance) bred golden for my next competition dog. I haven't decided yet. I've really enjoyed working with the goldens I've had as client dogs, almost to a one, and my experience is the opposite with labs- while there are individuals I like, as a breed, I don't care for them quite so much. (I think it may be that the bench dogs in both breeds are too heavy for my taste; the obedience/field goldens I've met have been MUCH more moderate in personality and ability to settle than the field-bred labs (I have not, in fairness, met any obedience/hunt test (as opposed to trial) labs who WEREN'T also conformation dogs, and those I liked fine although I wouldn't want to own them.)

 

[sheltiemom]

I've had nothing but good experiences with labs...they were on our list of potential breeds when we were first looking, but DH was very concerned about hip problems. My aunt had a lab for years that was great with my kids, even as babies, and the ones that now regularly escape from my neighbors yard to come and visit are lovely dogs. My neighbor talks all the time about how hyper the younger one is, but compared to my bc and aussie, she's pretty laid back...get her together with my bc and they can do some laps in my yard, but pretty soon it's nap time. No problem wearing her out.

 

[RonE]

I think most us would agree that, if we're talking about a lab MIX, all bets are off.