All labs are great dogs eh...

This isn't really for anyone on here, just a rant really about how people decide to go for labs without any thought of health tests or the temperment, because all labs are great, so that one from the litter in the paper would be a great addition to the family, no questions asked, money given sort of thing.

I was walking home the other day and saw a Lab go for and attack a Boxer, a fight then started out, straight away, which took three men to seperate, as the fight was pretty bad, the owner of the lab looked at the end of the tether, apparently the had got a lab because of their good nature, but seem to have got 'a bad one', and they don't know why, apparently he's two years old, and came from the free ads...

mmmm I used to groom a bad un. Totally inappropriate home.

The sooner people really believe Deed not breed the better because they will understand that with only a few exceptions its the owner or poor breeding that makes them that way.

I totally agree. And also, even folk who do it all 'right' and get a Lab from a reputable breeder, often do not research the breed properly. Then they can't cope when their 'teenaged' Lab exhausts them with his sheer amount of energy, his chewing, his pulling on the lead, etc.

My Lab is a rescue, and when I was searching for the 'right' Lab for me, it was shocking just how many of this breed featured in the free ads etc.

There are also many at the relevant breed rescues, and a lot are there purely because their owners didn't bargain on having such a high energy dog!

Andrex has a lot to answer for!

Have these people not seen or read Marly and me ...
Only dog to have a proper go at ozzie was a black lab..

It does seem that some people do need to wake up, I know someone who wouldn't have a staff or a staff cross, but now are planning on breeding their cross breed dog to sell pups to be able to afford to buy their daughter a rottweiler, the dog has no tests, is a nice dog, but only a year, the male they want to use, their only going on looks, and what he's like in the park

I don't think its all Andrex, their a breed that everyone seems to have, or every road at least, and when people see a good well behaved dog they think that all of them will be that way, the same that when people see a aggressive dog they think that all of them will be that way

Sounds about right unfornatly.

And this is why I've never been "breedist" ~ it's the individual dog that counts not the breed. Breed may give you an idea of the sort of behaviours & behavioural problems to expect, but cannot & will never account for individual differences between dogs. It's also why I'm not interested in Crufts & other dog shows because beauty pageants don't interest me.

BTW one of my labs often takes instant dislikes to boxers too . I've no idea why, & can only guess that there's a reason like he can't read their faces, has had bad experiences in the past etc. I just try to avoid boxers & put Barney on a lead when near a boxer. Shame, because it's the one breed my husband would really like to own!

Yes I think more people need to watch Marley and me!

It's is sad people see an agressive dog and tar them all with the same brush, and vice versa, so to speak.

I was actually joking about the Andrex.....

Though that said, those puppies are so cute, people do get a shock when they get a Lab puppy and then it develops into a big, strong bouncing dog that they can't control because they didn't do any training while the pup was young...

RE 'MARLEY & ME'


Sales of Labs actually increased after that book was published, so reading about the problems associated with some young Labs didn't dissuade many people from getting this breed...

Also because Labs are associated with being guide dogs and assistance dogs, people do assume that the breed is going to be calm. They don't always realise that young Labs can be a real challenge.

I would not get a lab as half the people who own them end up blind .