Let's Talk About the Pros and Cons of a Lab..... (terrier, golden retriever)
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Sunset, you are whiskey bent and hell bound to bring up all kinds of dogs and then have arguments about why they are great (or not) and how you will handle things (or not) and then tell us you're researching. No, at this point you are looking for justification to put a dog outside and a dog that fits those parameters. We collectively can come up with a list comprised of exactly 0 dogs who meet those qualifications. Either they are good for outside but require working, or they are inside companion animals. You've rolled craps.
Have you looked into goats? They don't drool - they stink sometimes, but they are outside. They won't require walking or potty training. They don't play fetch, so maybe that's a deal killer for you. On the other hand, you won't have to worry about buying 23 balls in 2 months because the goat either killed the ball or buried it. The dwarf goats are needy, though - please keep that in mind as you pick your new best friend. Even dwarf goats need human companionship.
Maybe chickens?
Yep, called him out on this earlier and he just got rude. He's not researching, he's trying to find a dog that he can just throw outside and ignore, feed as little as possilbe and not have to buy toys for.
Sunset, you're confusing us all. You have started a lot of threads. Several of them are about animals that most dog lovers, experienced owners would never,ever, consider owning. You seem to have very specific ideas of what it should look like, but those ideas aren't clear to us. You don't seem to have even a vague idea of what you want a dog for, what you might actually do with your dog, or at least you refuse to say so. You don't sound like you want there to be any work involved in owning a dog (no shedding, put it outside when it's young and active). A lot of the things you say sound like things a person who doesn't really like dogs would say. Maybe you shouldn't get a dog. This is what a lot of people have been trying to say. I'm sorry if it sounds mean, but that's just the way it adds up.
no you told us you want a loyal playfull dog who "doesnt look weird" that aarently you also want to be able to make live in the backyard...
there isnst a single breed of dog that doesnt fit the loyal and playfull category and "WEIRD" is a porsonal opinion of which we DO NOT KNOW your personal definiation
and not one of us is going to aggree with you leaving a PET dog to live in the back yard 24/7...so in short, youve told us NOTHING...
we dont know what kind of energy level your looking for, how much excersize and what kin youll be willing to give, WHY you dont want a dog in the house, how playfull is too playfull? do you live alone, are you socila and outgoing or more of a quiet solitary type, o you have an active social life that would keep you away form home after work or on the weekends ect...
how much grooming are you willing to do? what about training? how much time a ay are you planning on being home for said dog?!
ANY og can fit the "loyal playfull and doesnt look weird" category, but coul be completly 100% UNSUITABLE for your LIFESTYLE...
if getting a dog involved a 10 point inspection Looks would be 1 point...
Loyal and playfull doesnt even remotly help as ALL dogs are loyal and playfull, it just depends on what degree of "playfull" and "loyal" your looking for...
O you want a dog that oNLY likes you and istrusts all strangers kind of loyal? or a dog wholl do what you tell it without a second question kind of loyal, or a og whos smarter than you kind of loyal...
do you want a "can run agility go swimming an then hike for 6 mines in one day kind of playfull or a "toss the ball 3 times and im ready for a nap" kind of playfull? a "ill run arounthe park then come home and sleep kind of playfull? or a "play with me NOW dammit 24/7" kind of playfull.
youll find NOONE on this board who truly agrees with FORCING a PET dog to live outdoors 24/7 (im not talking WORKIGN dogs here im talking a pet being kenneld/tied/ect in the back yar simply for convenience)
so in order to get any kind of anything fro this your ging to need to tell us WHY you feel this og that your aparently planning on getting MUST live outdoors?!
youll find nooone on this board whos psychic (at least not that i know of) and can read your mind to disciover your einfition of "weird looking" either...
and being we ont know you or anything about you we cant tell you rbeeds that would work for your lifestyle because YOU WONT TELL US...
loyal, playfull and "not weird looking" are NOT descritive enough to narrow down the literlly thousands of breeds in the world...
so to make the TITLE easier on you
Lab:
Pro:
EASY TO FIND
Cheap
if gotten form a good breeer/good bloodlines generaly a sweet stable temperment and calm indoors ONCE THEY MATURE
LOVE their people
Con:
they are a popular backyard/puppymill breed meaning LOTS of them in the world now have comepltly unstable temperments
SHEDDING, labs shed year round HEAVILY, even on a good diet.
Drool (typically managable)
CHOW HOUNDS
hyper as puppies and dont begin to mentally mature untill aproximatly 2 yrs old
can be destructive.
labs are ACTIVE, need LOTS of excersize, and LOTS of attention, and SOLID training from day one.
Labs do NOT do well seperate from thier family therefore make TERRIBLE "back yard pets" (aka lawn ornaments)
Last edited by foxywench; 09-01-2012 at 09:08 AM..
Read the Breed Standard for a Labrador Retriever. They are without question the "go to" dog...go to for hunting, go to for rescue, go to for therapy, go to for a guide dog, etc, etc. However, you will only get out of a dog what you put in and I might also add that there are different "styles, if you will" of Labradors. Those that are English Bred and are show dog types, with stockier builds, broader heads and are a bit more laid back. The qualities you seek in a field trial or hunting dog...i.e. birdiness, are the more hyper bred Labradors. You may get the dog at any time, but God gives you the dogs brains when they are about 2 years old. They chew stuff, they shed, they bark and they jump on people and they might run off....that is where YOU come in. You TRAIN them not to do that. As far as weight....read the standard. I am sure you can find a smaller Lab....but 50 pounds is a bit small. They are a simply wonderful breed of dog, but like kids, they come into this world a blob and it is up to humans to help them live up to their potential.
Really, just stop it already. You don't want a dog. You shouldn't have a dog. That's it, that's all.
Very true.
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