A bit of a read. On the search for a Labrador Retriever

Albertadiver · #1 09-12-2022, 05:44 PM

Ok here goes. A bit of a story to share.

This past June, my wife and I had to make the heart wrenching decision to put my best friend Duke down. Our beloved black lab.

The purpose of this thread is that I am seeking some direction from other fellow dog owners. We are starting to search for another lab.

We did find a litter on Kijiji recently and went and had a look, but it didn’t feel right. Our preparation so far has been reading up on Ceasar milan books on puppy training, and keeping an eye on kijiji and going through lab breeder websites.

Two days after we put our lab down, I ended up in an ambulance ride, and suffice to say, I’m very fortunate to be writing this post. I’m middle-aged and shouldn’t have nearly died, but I didn’t, and I’m determined to heal up and get better. What I didn’t expect is the mental toll this took, and have been diagnosed with a form of PTSD that I’m getting professional assistance with. Being intubated (conscious) in intensive care for 4 days is no joke.

I think the joy of having another pup in the family will go a long way in assisting with my healing process. At the same time, I do have some reservations.

What we’re looking for:

- Primarily a family dog. I may try to hunt birds, but I never did with our first lab.

- ‘American’ style lab. Chocolate or black. We liked that our Duke was a big guy. He kept an eye on things when we were backpacking, but was a big wussy as well.

- Male – just our preference

- We are not trying to replace our lab. We know that every dog is different and we will learn to love the new personality. We do love labs, and their positive personalities.

- I’ve done a lot of reading on CKC. What’s most important for us is a healthy pup, that comes from healthy parents. We went through the costs of TPLO surgery (6+k) with our dog, and understand what those sorts of things entail.

- Trying to avoid backyard breeders, but not really interested in the ‘elite’ attitudes we’ve seen with some breeders.

- Cost is a concern, but we realize that this is hopefully a 12yr+ commitment. This leads me back to trying to ensure we have the best setup for a healthy pup, but you’d have a tough time getting me to pay 3k for a pup.

What the dog’s life will be like:

- We are believers in boundaries and limitations Ceasar Milan style. Give a dog consistent expectations, and they thrive.

- Lots of daily walks, backpacking, and camping trips. All year round. He’ll have a harness to carry his food and my scotch.

- Interaction with other dogs, with friends. Not a fan of the dog park gong shows.

- The pup won’t be left alone for extended periods of time due to work arrangements, but we will still be kennel training and ensuring that separation is considered normal.

If any of this makes sense to you, would appreciate pointing in the right direction. So far, most of our search has been kijiji and it’s only so reliable. I don’t like wasting the time of the sellers (or myself for that matter)

I am following the fact that the shelters are packed. This is something we’ve thought about, but it can be such a wild guess on what you’ll end up with. For the amount of costs for future vet bills, we’ve kind of leaned towards an actual breeder. Still torn though because of the dire need for adoptions.

Appreciate the read.

Thx

tirebob · #2 09-12-2022, 06:18 PM

I can’t add to anything lab specific but just want to say your old pal Duke looks like he was a handsome fella and I am super happy you are working on the upswing sir! Dogs definitely have their own healing powers for our souls!

Tungsten, · #3 09-12-2022, 06:35 PM

I walk in an off leash area,met all sorts of dogs, a lot of labs over the last 6-8 yrs.Some Ive met as a pup and now their 3-6 yrs.Most all are ball dogs and very good with other dogs.One thing they all have in common is none that I know of are breeder pups.

My own is a bit of a mix but mostly lab,almost 10,she still runs fetches the ball etc.
No health problems and can still jump into my truck.A rescue in 2013.She was 6mo old so I got to see what I was getting size wise.

Not dissing breeders,but I think youll find your pup elsewhere.

DiabeticKripple · #4 09-12-2022, 06:51 PM

Talk with Danielle at Prairiestorm Kennels.

She is still breeding and I believe she has some blacks and chocolates ready to go right now, with another litter planned soon.

My boy is from there and he’s just an amazing dog. Great with other dogs, he really doesn’t care at all about them. Kids can do anything to him and he just plays with them too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Albertadiver · #5 09-12-2022, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

Talk with Danielle at Prairiestorm Kennels.

She is still breeding and I believe she has some blacks and chocolates ready to go right now, with another litter planned soon.

My boy is from there and he’s just an amazing dog. Great with other dogs, he really doesn’t care at all about them. Kids can do anything to him and he just plays with them too.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you. Sounds like the temperament we are seeking. I’ll reach out. Great looking pup!

Pixel Shooter · #6 09-12-2022, 08:06 PM

Sent u a pm. Plan on a breeding in jan/Feb

kingrat · #7 09-12-2022, 08:34 PM

I can second prairie storm. Our lab is exactly what you described and I couldn't be happier with him.

amosfella · #8 09-12-2022, 08:36 PM

While Caesar Milan has some good advice, However his advice won't work on all dogs. I'd also take time to look at Upstate Canine Academy on youtube. That guy takes what is needed from all quadrants of the dog training spectrum. So, he show and teaches all kinds of tools that you'd have to go to at least a dozen different trainers to get.

He's got really good videos about how to deal with problems, using ecollars (an invaluable training tool), and other things like that. The styles are different, and not every style works for every dog.

Avoid force free training. From my observation (as my sister is a force free trainer), that works with 10% of the dogs. For the rest it causes exasperated problems. I take a force is always on the table, but only force when necessary approach.

Hope this helps.

Albertadiver · #9 09-12-2022, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amosfella

While Caesar Milan has some good advice, However his advice won't work on all dogs. I'd also take time to look at Upstate Canine Academy on youtube. That guy takes what is needed from all quadrants of the dog training spectrum. So, he show and teaches all kinds of tools that you'd have to go to at least a dozen different trainers to get.

He's got really good videos about how to deal with problems, using ecollars (an invaluable training tool), and other things like that. The styles are different, and not every style works for every dog.

Avoid force free training. From my observation (as my sister is a force free trainer), that works with 10% of the dogs. For the rest it causes exasperated problems. I take a force is always on the table, but only force when necessary approach.

Hope this helps.

Appreciate this. We don't view Ceasar as the be all - end all, but do align with how he approaches interactions and training.

With Duke, he didn't require the E collar but that was something we looked into. My brother used them with his dobermans, and it worked for him. They have turned out to be very well behaved dogs, but not our cup of tea.

I'm never going to say that my wife and I are pro dog trainers, but I will say that we are darn proud of the life we gave Duke, and he was happy understanding what was expected of him.

tolait · #10 09-14-2022, 12:48 PM

Big X 2 for Prairie Storm

AlbertaSam · #11 09-16-2022, 11:34 AM

May I suggest Kristy at Oaklane Retreivers in Tisdale Sk

We got one of the pups from the Ben x Barley breeding last fall and we are super happy with the dog he is turning into.

Kristy has been awesome and answered all our questions before and after the purchase (still does every now and then).

DiabeticKripple · #12 09-19-2022, 06:49 PM

Cheapest thing of owning a dog is paying for it.

Buying a papered dog is way worth it for a dog that exerts the best of the breed. You dont want to cheap out now for a dog that might have health issues down the road.

58thecat · #13 09-13-2022, 07:11 AM

Sorry for your loss and good to see your on the mend, can’t say who is better for dog breeders but wish you luck and post up your new family member when it does happen.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Immigrant · #14 09-13-2022, 10:34 PM

I am truly sorry to hear about Duke…
As you know, We recently got a new black lab pup. The breed is completely new to me, as I grew up with Rhodesian ridgebacks all my life. Ridgebacks are calm, low energy dogs. Not too smart, but good companions. I must admit I was shocked at how intelligent the Labrador breed is. It’s crazy how quickly she can learn stuff and take cues from body language and hand gestures. If only my kids could learn that quick! The only thing holding her back is my ignorance in how to train her properly.
Compared to my ridgebacks, it’s like they had a grade 2 education and the lab has a Phd. There were no plans to hunt with her, so I was not concerned with her redneck pedigree. I only paid $300 for her from a farmer. But so far I think she will be the best dog I ever had. It’s a privilege that my son can enjoy her too!
I hope you find what you are looking for.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk