pup versus dog

[brandy]

heres a question.. as most know we are on a quest for a canine family memeber. we have decided on a lab. but def. going to go for a purebred.
now we were thinking .. should we get a pup, and raise it from teh get go.. or an older dog.. up to a couple years old.. and trust it?
thats our main concern with the kids.
with a puppy you know the temp. as you can see it from a very early age..
but i do fancy the idea of a slighty older dog, as the kids will be able to play with it more

[buggyracer]

get a pup then you can shape how it will mature and act around kids, and as it will be with you from a young age you shouldnt have any problems as long as you train and socialise it correctly.

[MadPianoPlayer]

get a pup then you can shape how it will mature and act around kids, and as it will be with you from a young age you shouldnt have any problems as long as you train and socialise it correctly.

I would say a pup too. Because if you get an older lab then it might not like the children.

[blondscot]

I would say go for an adult dog as there that many of them that need loving homes. Rescue centres will only home a dog if it is suitable for that type of household!! I have a rescued lab who had been ill treated and he is lovely natured and you could do anything you want to him!! I also rescued an OES when she was 3 and again her nature is brill around kids!
But in the end you will know yourself what will be right for you and your family but i would look into both and see what comes up!

[emb123]

I agree with blondscot - too many wonderful dogs have to sit in relative misery in shelters when they could go to a loving home and share all the love they desperately want to lavish back in return.

Labs on the whole are a pretty dependable breed and it would be unusual to come across one that didn't get on with kids.

Main thing with any older dog is to be alpha yourself - make sure it understands you're the boss, then the kids, then the dog. It can be done with love and kindness and isn't difficult. In practise though, with a lab you shouldn't have a problem.

Puppies are lovely and a real heartwarmer to watch at play but you have more responsibility to make sure you're both properly trained (!) and duties and work with a pup than you do with an older dog.

Kind wishes with your new dog when you get one

[buggyracer]

where very young kids are involved (1-6) as i beleive brandys are, i wouldnt entertain a rescue dog, older than this yes deffo, but not if this age, no child should be left with a dog unsupervised full stop, but as i have said before a puppy may scratch and chew but if an older dog bites you may not get a second chance.

if it were my kids i wouldnt put them at that risk, and whilst rescues do there best to ensure they place the right homes none come with a 100% guarantee.

but its your call brandy, rescues quite often have pups as well as older dogs, so you may get the best of both worlds.

another thing to cosider is if you buy a puppy more often than not you can view both parents, then you can see there tempraments etc and judge for yourself how they will fit into your house and family, but with a rescue you wont have this luxury.

[emb123]

that's sound advice too buggyracer - depends how old the kids are, and even then, very small children should never be left unattended with a dog of pretty much any age or breed, I don't entirely trust cats either!

[porshiepoo]

I think it also depends on the family. If you're confident with dogs and understand how to raise them properly then a puppy would be great but I believe dangerous dogs are made not born.
If you go to retriever rescue then they may have dogs in that they know the background of and have been abandoned through no fault of their own e.g. owners died. You'd also have the back up and help from the rescues and so aren't going it alone.

We've had rescue dogs before and the best we had was a mongrel - a pointer / lurcher cross I think. Talla was very patient with my girls who were then about 18 months and was one of the best natured dogs we've ever had.

The only thing I would seriously recommend whether it be dog or bitch is neutering. If you don't intend to show or breed then there is no need to have hormonal dogs or bitches in the house.

[buggyracer]

ROTFL, well done poo poo. Get them done asap.

I tell you its the new black on this forum.

[porshiepoo]

ROTFL, well done poo poo. Get the done asap.

I tell you its the new black on this forum.

Perhaps you should be castrated? You certainly seem to have rampaging hormones at the mo.

[buggyracer]

Perhaps you should be castrated? You certainly seem to have rampaging hormones at the mo.

well if i ever meet you and cock my leg on you, it may be a sensible request.