Within the next month or so, I'm planning on getting a dog.  Basically what I'm looking for is a dog that is good tempered and not aggressive but still energetic enough to go into the field with me during the fall and to the lake in the summer.  From my limited experience with labs, they all seem to be friendly dogs and good with children.  

Also, are there any real differences between black, yellow, and chocolate labs personality wise?

My aunt once had a black lab that was super crazy. He loved corn and wood.

Heh. I'm on my way right after I hang up to go look at one. He's 1 and house-trained and good with kids and all that. I'm taking my two kids to meet him and see what they think. He's reportedly nuts about water and loves to play with kids and other dogs. He barks when people come to the house, but stops when you let them in. Sounds perfect to me!

Gotta go see a man about a horse. Actually, a girl about a dog, but, you know.

Good luck.

my family has always had labs. had a black when I was born until I was 5 or so, then a few chocolates, then 2 yellows. My parents just got another black
the 2 yellows were from the same parents but different litters and were probably the smartest and best behaved that we had, but all were good dogs. The black puppy they have now is a bit head strong, but she's still prety young and had already started to behave better between when I saw her a few months ago and then again about a month later

I should mention also that I have a part lab right now.

She recently got hit by a car and busted up.

She's been chasing cars for six years.

CRC

What's to know?  They're like the black ones,  except they are yellow.

Quoted: What's to know?  They're like the black ones,  except they are yellow.

Chocolate labs?

CRC

We have a yellow boy on the way. He was born 8/31. We have spent two years searching. We were being way too picky. Anyways we had to agree to make him available to the breeder to show and we can't neuter him without the breeder's OK. All we wanted was a healthy lab but that meant we ended up with a dog from champion bloodlines.

He's the redder one on the right in the top picture and on the left in the bottom picture.

Sorry to hear your current pet.  I hope she wasn't badly hurt.

As far as labs go, I've had a chocolate for the past 8 years and he's been great.  Fantastic with kids, loves the water and outdoors, and an outstanding companion.  I still say that he helped me more than anyone during my divorce.

My only complaint is that he's a little more defensive than what most would think of a lab.  He barks at cars going by, people walking in front of my house, any knock at the door, etc.  If you're a woman coming into the house, once he smells you he has no problems.  However, a man on the other hand will get the ferocious bark treatment for at least 5 minutes no matter what I do.  I've heard that chocolates tend to be more defensive than blacks or yellows.  I don't know if there's any truth to that statement, but if Chet is any indication than it's grounded in fact!

It has its good points and bad points.  On one hand, I know that no one will ever enter my house without my knowledge.  On the other, the barking can get a little annoying when a bud comes over to watch the game and swill a few beers.

Still, I don't think you can go wrong with a lab.  Just know that they need plenty of exercise and attention.  If you don't give it to them, they'll devote their attention and exercise to your furniture, your shoes, your clothes, your guns, your computer cables, your landscaping, your fence . . .

E-95

The color really causes no difference in temperament, it's largely in the breeding. Your best bet is to check out breeders in your area (there should be plenty) and check out some of the litters, and the breeding stock to see what kind of temperament they have ... If the breeder won't show you, don't buy from them, it means they're hiding something ... Also avoid "Pet Stores" like the plague, most dogs that have socialization issues stem from spending their early puppy-hood in a tiny cell at the Mall instead of socializing and playing with other puppies.

Info On Labrador Breeders here

Just a word of caution. They will chew up more stuff than you can imagine and will do it longer than most dogs.  We have had Labs and part Labs and they seem to be chronic chewers. Have had Shepherds and Chows and more mixed breeds than you can shake a stick at and none are more destructive. This seems to be the one drawback.

[hippy] you can't OWN an animal!!!!! [/hippy]

One word to stop the chewing, NYLABONE !  Get the "hambone" flavored one.

You will need 3 of the full sized ones.  The first 2 will be consummed rather quickly, the third will last the rest of his life.

Quoted: One word to stop the chewing, NYLABONE !  Get the "hambone" flavored one.

+1

Also we had lots of luck with a product called "Bitter Apple" (pet stores will sell it) spray it on crap you don't want the puppy chewing ... it tastes bad to most of them so they don't touch it.

Puppies are the worst when they are teething ... When our Lab was that age we kept a 10LB bag of carrotts in the freezer at all times ... He'd get several during the day to curb the chwing and numb his sore teeth/gums ... It seemed to redirect the chewing habit for us, when he wanted to chew he'd beg for a carrot rather than lay into the furniture.

Thats Rusty a couple years ago.
We have always had Labs and always will best dogs hands down.
Yellow and chocolate are our favorites but blacks are great too.
A word of caution, we have had many labs over the years without any problems. The pup you see above is the exception.  After our yellow of 13 years dies two years ago, we were looking for another pup and my mom in Illinois who was driving out for Christmas, found one and brought Rusty out.  He was from a very reputable breeder who is also a Vet in Iowa and from champion lines, both show and field.
The problem is, this dog is NUTS !
I mean hyper as hell, will not EVER settle down no matter what and is untrainable. We have a couple of options for him but he will be going away one way or another.
We have tried EVERYTHING.  From several different trainers, private and in groups.  Changed diet, used holistic meds, everything.  Even the trainer at the humane society who scoffed at us when we told him about Rusty said he has never seen a lab like this.. Best we can figure and a vet agrees, he has a chemical imbalance that isn't correctable.
Sad, but we are at our wits end and will be starting over.
Choose your pup wisely.

Labs are diggers. My half lab used to bury its damn Milk Bonz. They also dig holes for what seems to be no reason at all.

Quoted: Quoted: What's to know?  They're like the black ones,  except they are yellow. Chocolate labs? CRC

They taste chocolaty.  The yellows are more twinkie flavored.

The best dog I ever had was a Doberman/Lab. ( Mother was a Blue Dob. father was a Field champion lab ). Black, short hair. Dob looks, Lab instinks, retrive anything, (never lost a bird). But wouldn,t go in the water after sept, so ducks were out. Good watch dog, great with kids, and slept in our bed most of the time.  I've only seen one advertised in the paper since then, but couldnt have a dog at the time.
Currently have a yellow lab  14 mo old and he is GREAT....!!! ( Man should be so lucky as to find a wife as good as his dog)....!!!

Quoted: Labs are diggers. My half lab used to bury its damn Milk Bonz. They also dig holes for what seems to be no reason at all.

Not if you get them a kids pool to play in. The main reason they dig is to get in the cool dirt.

Labs are great family pets. But can chew everything you have to pieces when they are pups. But like has been mentioned it's not to bad if you give them something to chew on that is theirs and train them to only chew on it.

We have two female yellow labs and they are the sweetest creatures you can imagine.  Something to think about though.  Labs shed all the time.  Think about the color of your carpets and flooring when picking the dog.  We have light colored tile and carpet.  If we had black dogs you'd see the hair everywhere.  And don't think you can keep up with it unless your dog will live outside most of the time.  Ours are spoiled babies that have their own couch, sleep inside, and spend a lot of time inside.  

I've had several, all colors.  They are a bit hyper, they are chewers, they are diggers.  They are also the most fun, most loving, and cutest full size dogs there are.  Get one!

The Lab I had growing up was the smartest dog we have owned yet ..... very well manored with no formal training . He lived along time ; was a great companion .

Make sure you get one from a reputable breeder,they do have health issues. Hip dysplasia being one of them and knee problems. They are great family dogs and very protective of the family. I can't stress getting from a good breeder.

We picked up a male black lab puppy about 3 weeks ago and I'm estimating he's about 12-14 weeks old. We named him "Stormy" because hurricaine Frances had just blown through. We got him through a pet rescue and they told us Labs are the hardest dogs for them to place, because there are so many of them.

Stormy's very smart and even tempered, but full of energy and loves to play with our other dog. Housebreaking was easy. It only took him a few days of watching our 11 year old Beagle go outside before he picked up on where he was supposed to do his business. If it's going to be a house dog, I would reccomend a crate and crate training. It's worked great for us.

If we don't keep an eye on him he will chew up everything in sight, but the Nylabones seem to work. About 3 hours ago he tried to eat a toad. The bad taste made him run around shaking his head while he was trying to dig a ditch in the grass with his face. He'll forget and try it again in a little while.

Quoted: Make sure you get one from a reputable breeder,they do have health issues. Hip dysplasia being one of them and knee problems. They are great family dogs and very protective of the family. I can't stress getting from a good breeder.

What she said.  I've got friends on another board who absolutely freak out if anyone buys/sells/breeds Labs without proper certification of hips and eyes.
 You can find info about it here;

www.conservationcafe.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=7&DaysPrune=365&submit=Go

We have a female yellow and she is the most loving dog you can imagine. Her name is Madison and she is very spoiled.

Capt. Picard, you actually have one couch for your labs and one for yourself? That is nuts!!! The wife and I thought about buying another couch as well, but Madison allows us to use hers when she is not on it so it works out well.

GREAT dogs. ;)

Got a yellow male last year.
Fantastic dog with kids.  They can do anything to him and he just takes it.  He will bark at moose and neighbors once or twice until we tell him its OK and then he is quiet.  Good manners and we have trained him OK.  We can walk him without a leash and he is un-cut.
Great dog.  Spend the money to get a good breeder, the cost of the pup is nothing compared to the overall cost.

My sister and her husband have a Chocolate and a Yellow (Yellow is about 1 year older).  They are a bit rambunctious, but tolerate all the pulling of the tails and ears and attempted ridings from the baby humans (3 yr and 1 yr) without even growling.  They had to cut the Chocolate's tail down to about 4" because she kept wagging it so hard and hitting it on things that she would split the skin and fling blood everywhere like a Monty Python skit.  Every Lab I've ever 'known' will run straight for water every chance they get - hmmm, people should probably use them for duck hunting - and I've never known of an honery one.  I would recommend getting the tails cut down to 2" nubs (you'll still know when they are happy because they wag their entire back ends) and work on their obedience all the time because they act like puppies their entire lives.  

check you I/M , or maybe email...i forgot..which one.

i'm a professional retriever trainer..
take my advice with a grain of salt..or listen???

yellows normally are a little more hyper ..than the black dogs.
shed more too..
stay away from YxY matings....

chocs..i know i'm gonna take heat for what i'm about to say...
but 95% or more are genetically unfit..most pro trainers wont take them for training..unless they are properly bred from a proven line...by black and yellow dogs..with no CxC or CxY parents.

blacks..hard to get a bad genetically sound black pup out of a proper breeding.

i would......
only get pups out of working stock...preferable from hunt test or trials. these dogs are the cream of the lab world. intelligence..and health..

personally..i like english dogs..style, build and a low key temperment.

i expect alot out of my labs..not only for hunting..but due to my family life.

Muddydogs Sassy Jazz SH
Jazz is a phenomenal dog..3000+ retrievers on live/dead game not counting dummies. 140 pheasants on 1 shoot and 77 teal on one day the only dog working for a rotating group of hunters that lasted damn near all day. 200 yard solid blind retrieves. probably the easiest dog i ever trained.





Huggybear and Shaft...and my my number one dog wrangler...
the boy is 3 about to turn 4 and can handle working dogs on blind retrieves.
Huggy and Shaft are out of the personal dogs(Jazz) of my self and another pro trainer. 4 sale to either non hunting or hunting homes..
of course an AR-15 discount would be given and a portion of the proceeds given to the site.
the wife says atleast one must goooooooooooooooooooooo...

Spectre..
one thing i have found is that alot of people dont exercise and work the dogs..correctly. not singling you..but in general...people who speak of behavior issues...like this..

take retrievers..
they have been breed for hundreds of years to do  one thing..they need to retriever..either running or swimming.

if eased into a challenging role of chasing the canvas dummy...to buzz off engery..they will gravitate to this..you wouldnt believe how many avg joes and josies..have shown up at our place shaking thier heads in disbelief...at a psycho dog..

i'll take the dog out ..and tease it a little with a canvas dummy and toss and immediately...you see a "LIGHT GO ON"...

the look on the dogs face will tell you everything..
"THIS IS WHAT I NEED"....

i show them how to reward the dog with the dummy...and i get calls 2 months later saying its a "NEW DOG" and they thank me and sing my praises to the dog training gods..LoL.

no biggie...

NOW..on the other hand...
there is a % of the canine population..thats just freakin nutz....i'm talking out there...beyond belief.

i call it...the " MOMMA LAID ON ME TOO MUCH" syndrome..i honeslty think its not genetic..but an issue of maybe nutrients or O2 supression in the womb from a pup thats cord is twisted or something like that..

i've seen bad ones come out of "perfect" litters...with no rhyme or reason from many breeds.
i have also thought about the vaccine issues causing it...

NOW..a breeder...should take back a crazy dog...if really proven that its not an environmental issue from the home.

my family has always screened the home and people very well...
cause there is a reason...

"CRAZY PEOPLE HAVE CRAZY DOGS"....
no offense..spectre..please dont take it this way..
but you see some people at wallyworld and at home depot and you too shake your head and tell yourself  that person is nutz...

i look at them and tell my wife...
" can you imagine what their dog is like"....jezeeeee i hope they dont call us one day..

i'll help anyone out..anyway i can..
just IM me...


also..

call me hard...but i have no aversion to putting a psycho dog down..no dog is worth..the damage it can do to a house.. or god forbid a kid..

5 minutes and its a done deal...in a vets office.
easily done.

no reason to self-euthanize...by other methods.

SPECTRE..
i have a MOM- law..going thru you way in a few weeks...if you want to check out shaft or huggy..for a replacement.

i'm a huge OB guy..everyone of the dogs i train is around a loaded gun..i cant afford an unruly dog anywhere around...

my friends call the dogs my dog corps..lol..they are like 4 legged marines..
dogs are capable..of far more limitations that most humans will make them do...

the dogs know most people are whimps...over them. LoL. my wife included..

How could I not pick him???

Anyway, as far as chewing goes, mine is an active chewer but has never destroyed anything in the house.  When we're not home, he's outside though, so that helps ALOT.

They love to swim, they're great with kids.

One thing to remember, this is a high activity dog.  Be very careful how much you feed a lab (free feeding is a big no-no) and don't let him get overweight.  This will avoid alot of joint problems in the future.  Lots of activity should be encouraged.

A trend in labs these days is to breed smaller labs.  They're better for hunting I guess.  My male is about 65# at 2.5 years old.  Granted he's on the small side, but there's nothing wrong with a 75# male or a 65# female.  

Quoted: check you I/M , or maybe email...i forgot..which one. i'm a professional retriever trainer.. take my advice with a grain of salt..or listen??? yellows normally are a little more hyper ..than the black dogs. shed more too.. stay away from YxY matings.... chocs..i know i'm gonna take heat for what i'm about to say... but 95% or more are genetically unfit..most pro trainers wont take them for training..unless they are properly bred from a proven line...by black and yellow dogs..with no CxC or CxY parents. blacks..hard to get a bad genetically sound black pup out of a proper breeding. i would...... only get pups out of working stock...preferable from hunt test or trials. these dogs are the cream of the lab world. intelligence..and health.. personally..i like english dogs..style, build and a low key temperment. i expect alot out of my labs..not only for hunting..but due to my family life. www.hunt101.com/img/175889.jpg Muddydogs Sassy Jazz SH Jazz is a phenomenal dog..3000+ retrievers on live/dead game not counting dummies. 140 pheasants on 1 shoot and 77 teal on one day the only dog working for a rotating group of hunters that lasted damn near all day. 200 yard solid blind retrieves. probably the easiest dog i ever trained. www.hunt101.com/img/175903.jpg www.hunt101.com/img/204108.jpg Huggybear and Shaft...and my my number one dog wrangler... the boy is 3 about to turn 4 and can handle working dogs on blind retrieves. Huggy and Shaft are out of the personal dogs(Jazz) of my self and another pro trainer. 4 sale to either non hunting or hunting homes.. of course an AR-15 discount would be given and a portion of the proceeds given to the site. the wife says atleast one must goooooooooooooooooooooo...

Check your IM please.

I've had yellow and black labs..   I want anoher one, but don't have the time or means for one..

It's rough on me and my daughter to walk past the board with all the puppies for sale at Sportsmans Warehouse!

Labs are great dogs but the last one I had was the dumbest bucket of shit I've ever seen.

NEVER BUY A DOG FROM A PET STORE.  THEY ARE MENTAL!

My last one I got from a pet store would constantly jump up and down for no reason.  He would not eat unless I hand fed it to him or stood right by him.  If I put the food bowl out and left out and walked inside he would dump it over and never touch it.  Figured after a few days he'd be starving and eat but even then that stupid dog was too dumb to eat.  He was a cutie though.

spectre..
reread my post..upthere..

i editted it...

Thanks Muddy and no offense taken.
I might just be very interested and will let you know asap.
As for Rusty, We are active people with four kids who always want to play with the dog.  He has been hyper since we got him and hasn't changed with age as some have predicted.  He pants furiously, non stop regardless if he's worked hard or just relaxing. I say relaxing but he NEVER does. Our dogs are family and indoors with us. Rusty has never been this because he will not settle down, ever. He bounces off the wall, running and just rambling through the house.
For reference, he's a big lab, 100-105 pounds and on the skinny side. We have two younger kids (4-6) and he doesn't bite but he just knocks them around like bowling pins.
We have taken him to group training, private training, personal training all to no end.
Tried the diet changes, holistic to the tune of $200-$300 a pop no change.
We tried an experiment for several weeks one time.  We literaly ran him ragged. Walks three times a day along with throwing balls or training dummies for as long as our arms would go. He would pant, drink and just go right onrunning around.
I don't like the idea of putting him down but letting him go and become someone elses problem, someone who might not treat him well because of his behavior is not an option.
I think I know what has to be done but that doesn't make it any easier.
He's unlike any lab I have ever owned or been around.

have they checked his thyroid...is he cut???

my friend had a dog like that...once...

i forget what his name was..it was a chocolate..that was a freebie. and it was nutz...and ran everywhere..never sat still..unless it was in a coma..and snoring.

my friends and i always called it "RUNNING DOG"..

being in indian country..we have a habit of calling things..liek we see it..just like the old indians did..

"running dog"


my hunting budy calls JAZZ "white trash" since i bred her to a black dog..
no yellow will ever have her now...

i now have "WHITE TRASH" stenciled on her crate.

Absolutely cannot go wrong with a lab of any type.



 Big part of picking out a lab:


Know the parents, and if they have not had their hips checked, do not buy.


I cannot stress how important it is to know if they come from parents with good hips.

Don't buy if you don't know.

This will ensure a long life for your pup.

hips are a crap shoot...

50% environmental...

all the good breeding in the world does no good...if the dog ends up doing something cronically that causes a disruption.

50% of all vets misdiagnose HD...routinely. and cant give a good Xray position to save their life.
the position of the dog during the Xray will make or break the OFA reading.

hips are very important..dont get me wrong but the variables are very strong..

I'll second the notion that the chocolates are not the best pick.  IIRC, that color is from recessive genes and a "weaker" line overall. Maybe wives tale, or maybe not.  YMMV.

Labs and Goldens are great dogs.

BTW, Clinton's dog, Buddy, was a chocolate lab.  Talk about ruining the breed!!!

I had a yellow female which was a fantasic dog. My current dog is a black male named Lucky. He's a rescue dog. I've been real lucky with both, very little chewing. I do have a friend at work though who's lab would destroy the house on a regular basis. Labs do require exercise, and lots of attention.

Quoted: ( Man should be so lucky as to find a wife as good as his dog)....!!!

Same goes for woman finding a husband as faithful and undeniably devoted.

Overbreeding in Labs is a problem so you must choose your breeder with care. Top breeders offer health guarantees. Stay away from the excessive breeders, those that breed for the very light yellows ect. Hip certification from both parents is important but not 100% reliable. Expect to pay top $ for a good one. They are not dogs to be left alone and need alot of attention and work. They are not "apartment" dogs as an example. I strongly recommend "crate" raising for all dogs but Lab's in particular. The up side is they are just about the smartest and easiest to train dogs you can get IMO. Great with kids and loyal to the death, I swear my Black Lab is part human, he is so smart. If your willing to take a Lab in as part of the family and devote alot of time to the pup you cannot get a better breed.

Make sure to keep him active if he gets lazy your done for

SPECTRE;

Contact a local or state LE agency Canine Trainer and get that dog evaluated right NOW! If he is truely hyper and crazy for the ball, rag, stick, etc. and will hunt, hunt, hunt for it if you throw it in the bushes, (I mean 5-15 minutes and still hunting) is well socialized and not situation shy, somebody will take him and give him what he desperately needs...a job! Drug dog, bomb dog, etc. there is always a need for good ones...and Labs can make some of the very best!

(BTW you can possibly write his value off as a tax deduction if an agency takes him and will sign a receipt for you)

Yellow lab = best dog in the world.  Here's mine:

I have to disagree on the "Chocolate=poor quality" remark.  I have raised 4 labs, and my chocolate was heads and shoulders above the rest.  These were champion bloodlined dogs from workingstock.

The chocolate was a fantastic hunter, and even pointed quail.  Would not give up if given the command "dead bird". Best retrieve of all time was on a broken winged tundra swan, what a fight!
Even trained him to "bring me a beer".

He died when he was 15 years old, I still tear up when I think of him.

Quoted: Yellow lab = best dog in the world.  Here's mine: users.rcn.com/philistine/TULLY.JPG

                                      Got a love that Lab

I have a German Shepherd/Yellow lab mix (possibly Golden Retriever), and everyone i know has commented on how great a dog she is.  Shes 9 right now, so she's getting up there.  Energetic as a puppy, but not too bad.  My grandpa owns woods and a lake, she loves it there.  (its about an hour from my house).  all i have to say is 'wanna go to the LAKE?' and she gets really excited and if any door in any vehicle is open outside, she'll hop in.  My neighbor has a black lab.  He's more energetic than mine ever was, and slobers more.    One day i was determined not to quit throwing the ball  until he quit.  it took a looong time.o
Both great dogs.  Goodluck.

Quoted: have they checked his thyroid...is he cut??? my friend had a dog like that...once... i forget what his name was..it was a chocolate..that was a freebie. and it was nutz...and ran everywhere..never sat still..unless it was in a coma..and snoring. my friends and i always called it "RUNNING DOG".. being in indian country..we have a habit of calling things..liek we see it..just like the old indians did.. "running dog" my hunting budy calls JAZZ "white trash" since i bred her to a black dog.. no yellow will ever have her now... i now have "WHITE TRASH" stenciled on her crate.

That freebie chocolate sound like Rusty.
If by "cut" you mean nuetered, yes he is and it didn't change his problem at all.
The vets have checked his thyroid as well.
Perfectly healthy just whacked.