I've been reading some of the horror stories in the puppies & training/behavior forums and frankly I'm terrified of getting a lab puppy.
Ah bless you,it is good to be taking getting a lab puppy seriously as they are very hard work in the early weeks. Maybe an older rescue lab would suit your better? I would advise you to read all you can on the breed and also to remember although hard work and exhausting, they grow into fabulous and loyal members of your family. Good luck
Don’t let the horror stories put you off, but just be prepared for the fact that the early days/weeks may well be hard work! As @Saffy/isla has said, they’re fabulous dogs. Each puppy is different, some are easy, some not so easy, a few are particularly troublesome (as with any breed), but as long as you can keep your sense of humour and get some sleep it won’t be so bad. At least the horror stories have prepared you for the worst, so it can only be better!
Don't worry about what you said you have read. For each puppy is different. Fred was the easiest puppy I have had and Annie was not too bad either. Yes it is hard work, but I think if you can take each day at a time and not worry what may happen. Enjoy your puppy and yes get plenty of sleep, things always seem bad when you are tired.
I did not like having a puppy one jot. It was very hard work, I felt totally unprepared, I was an emotional wreck and I told a friend that if I'd known ahead what it was going to be like I wouldn't have done it. I seriously considered rehoming my pup in the early weeks. And I don't think my pup was that difficult in the scheme of things! It took me quite a long time to adjust and a while for my love to grow for her. She's 22 months now and the sweetest, gentlest, most loving companion. She grew out of the difficult puppy behaviours pretty quickly and we have done lots of training together which has really cemented our bond. I am on my own with her with my 13 year old son so the responsibility is all mine which felt overwhelming in the early days. I also work full time (although a lot at home) which had its own challenge. I use daycare and a dog walker to help me out and also to give me a bit of a break. I adore my girl now although sometimes (but admittedly much less) I still feel restricted because life really changes when you have a pup and you can't act so spontaneously without considering the needs of your dog. Interestingly, when I got my pup I was arriving at work exhausted, resentful, miserable and my two colleagues witnessed this and still got puppies for themselves! They also struggled (different breeds) but now dote on their dogs. I am possibly painting a less positive picture than some might but I honestly felt when I got my pup "no one told me it was going to be this hard." If I had my time again I would try to go with it a bit more, accept for a good few weeks I would feel under siege, but that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't too distant and I'd get there in the end. I definitely agree with Cath about taking each day as it comes, because some of those early days will be amazing and some very testing. It's wise to be considering this now @Jade, because it will go some way to helping to prepare you. If you decide to go ahead you will have yourself the most incredible and loving relationship.
@Plum's mum @Cath @Granca @Saffy/isla Thank you so much. I really feel better. It's not like we've never raised a puppy before I guess I'm just feeling a little nervous . Our 12 year old Airedale Angus just died 5 months ago. We raised him from 9 weeks. Talk about a puppy from hell. We considered changing his name to Satan but he grew into a fabulous dog. I'm just glad I found this site. It's really very helpful.
I have to admit reading the threads are a bit overwhelming sometimes, but I just used it as preparation as to what I may experience & am already thinking ahead to ways to deal with it if it should happen. I've been watching as many videos as I can & reading as much as I can for how to deal with them positively just in case it happens. I have stocked up on LOTS of chew toys & even though I have never liked the idea of crating decided to go with it so have a crate ready also. Already decided at least one day a week in day care to not only give us a break but for him to have fun with doggy pals. I've never had a dog from puppyhood before & am determined to have one while I'm still young enough to enjoy him. Now to find puppy classes for support on his training
@leighxxxx . Thank you. Congratulations on your new puppy too. Yes we already have the large crate from our last dog. We also have weekly puppy socialization group lined up.
@Jade just try to enjoy the time with your puppy cos it'll be over before we know it. If some of my stuff gets ruined by his chewing little mouth or if I get scratched and bitten I'm just going to try and remember it won't be forever and if possible laugh it off. Probably easier said than done before the fact though. I'm going to try my very best to have a well rounded well behaved dog, although a little mischief is endearing. In the long run he probably won't be trained to be everyone's idea of perfection but he'll be mine so that's good with me
We got our dude @ 7 weeks and he's 24 weeks tomorrow. I've never had a dog before, had spent a few years thinking about it then a couple of months researching training and whatnot so I felt prepared....I was not prepared, at all. The last 4 months have been really hard, much harder than I'd anticipated, but mostly the first 6-8 weeks or so. The issues we encountered were the usual kind of things, biting, stealing, digging etc but he has calmed down a lot. For example, his biting stopped pretty much overnight at around 16 weeks. We still have lots of things to work on, he's very jumpy around other people/dogs, his recall has gone to pot, wakes very early etc. The hardest thing to cope with is how disruptive he still is to our working lives. We both work from home and are still nowhere near 'back to normal', I think the old normal is gone for a few years at least. However, we are working on that too and things are slowly improving. This all sounds a bit negative and is maybe not what you want to hear but I just wanted to share my warts and all experience. On the flip side he is a fantastic character, makes me laugh every day, very affectionate, bloody handsome (even if I do say so myself.) and just a great wee dog. When it comes to the ultimate question: Would you go back and change your mind? The answer is no, it's not an enthusiastic no just yet, but I wouldn't change the decision to bring him into our home. His breeder will take him back at any time and we've never gotten anywhere close to that. It is a huge commitment, it continues to be hard work but he's our wee man, we love him to bits and ultimately it's worth the effort.
@Stew Thank you so much . That's exactly I need to hear. It's nice to know that it's "normal" . We pretty much went through the same thing raising our Airedale 12 years ago so I'm sure we can handle this. I don't work so that makes it a bit easier. It helps to get a little reassurance.
You are very welcome. I will also say that this forum has been invaluable for both advice and support. The people here really made a huge difference when we were struggling.
Reading this is helping me too. We have a black lab aged 14 weeks. Took us two years to decide to have another after losing our 13 year old boy, and we thought we were fully prepared but the last month has been very difficult: wall chewing, furniture chewing, attacking his lead, grabbing clothes, refusing to walk, not knowing how to play ... the list is endless. He's a bold, confident character. It's very frustrating and I want to use kindness/rewards to train him but there are moments when I just lose it. We are going to two training classes and will chose which one is best to continue with. I am so tired, mentally and physically. This morning I just burst into tears and thought we'd made a huge mistake so finding this forum is a god-send for my sanity.
@Janet Louise Welcome. Congratulations on your new puppy. This forum is a godsend. I'm feeling a little more confident now. I think I just have cold feet because it's been 12 years since we've had to deal with a boisterous puppy.
We did think of Lab rescue but we thought our two little dogs might save a puppy better. I guess we'll see. thank you.
I got my girl two months ago. She has definitely been a challenging project for the summer but I would do it all over again. If I were to do it all over again this is what I would do differently: 1. Go to a puppy class before you get him or immediately after! Or read as much as you can and watch videos!! 2. Get a snuggle puppy before you get him so he has it for the first night. Game changer!!!!! 3. Crate train right off the bat. Don’t put it off!!!!! My life would have ave been waaaaaaaay easier if I had done the above things. I really didn’t prepare well enough. But she’s soooooooooo worth it
We met a couple with an older Lab today and they basically told us that we were in for a lot of naughtiness and a lot of joy. That pretty much sums it up so far! I wouldn't be put off, but it's good to go into it with your eyes open. For me, Chewie has been my first puppy so although I had read a lot I didn't know what to expect and it was a bit of a shock. That said, I love him to bits and he gives so much love back that I wouldn't change things at all.
I hear you... the stories on here terrified me too! If you've already raised a pup, you know that the reason they make them so cute is so you don't kill them. OK, that's an exaggeration, but it's not all sunshine and flowers and they don't call it "Puppy Hell" for nothing. However, what you get in return is more than worth it. A huge amount of responsibility, some tears for sure, but also a lot of love for many years.
