Hello all, Me and my OH have come to the decision of buying a dog. We have 2 daughters (3 and 5) and a cat. We have been wanting a dog for a while but we thought we’d wait until our first daughter started school. We understand that our daughters are very young however I am currently a stay at home mum (I don’t plan to stay as one, only until they are both in school), so I will be home to care for the puppy all day, other than 1-2 hours while shopping. I take little one out sometimes to the park while the older is in school, so can take the puppy out there once their vaccinations are done. We are a semi-active family, I normally jog most nights while OH looks after the kids, however some nights we all stay in, and on weekends we normally spend our times at the forest or at the beach, where the dog could swim. We have large open areas of space in the local area where the dog can free run once they have learnt recall. I can dedicate a lot of time to the dogs training, and will be spending a lot of time with it. Are Labradors good jogging partners, obviously not as puppies but once they have matured? And are they good for agility, this is no where near as important as making sure they match our lifestyle but I have always wanted a dog to be able to compete in agility, even if it’s not competitive. Does it sound like we would be good owners to this breed? Could you suggest some other breeds that might also be suitable for us? I know this is a long post, so thanks to anyone who replies!
Hi @Poppy, when I think of jogging, and agility I don't of a Lab. I think of a cattle dog, or a border collie. Labs I associate with high intensity work for relatively short periods in retrieving. And of course as assistance dogs.in hospitals, and for the blind. My Lab has done agility work, but her eyes truly sparkle when she is asked to retrieve or do scent work. The latter is a sport they were made for although they are not in the same league as blood hounds. They also generally love water. I think you need to think about the instinctual drives of various dog breeds and the dog sports you'd like to pursue. Think of the occupations that come close to your intended sports, and then reflect on the dog breeds used in those occupations.
Thank you, we were looking at border collies, but apparently they aren’t good with families, which is of course our biggest concern.
I'd say a Labrador could be a good match for your family. You have plenty of time and want a dog that will be out and about with you and Labs love company. I know a number of people who do agility for fun with their Labs, so unless you want to compete seriously then I wouldn't let that stop you. I do have some reservations about jogging with a dog, even once it's well over a year old, as I don't think it's much fun for the dog. Dogs like to stop and start sniffing as they go, or else be involved in a game with their owner - but then this wouldn't just apply to Labs and I do know people do canicross so this is just a personal opinion. Do be aware that all puppies are bitey but many Lab puppies can be very bitey. They will grow out of this but you would need to plan how to keep your children safe while they are small. Baby gates between rooms can work well, keeping pup and children separate unless you are directly supervising. Also think about what will happen when you return to work, as your dog will still be very young. I worked full time with my last dog, a chocolate Lab, but had arrangements in place for him to be taken out twice a day ( and I also took him out early mornings and evenings). So I'm not trying to put you off, just saying think ahead about whether you will be able to afford dog walkers or have reliable family nearby to help. When my son was about 3 years old (thirty years ago!) we had a Cocker Spaniel puppy and she was a wonderful dog. Great nature, friendly and full of fun. This might be another breed to consider - though I'd go for show lines rather than working lines.
A huge well done for thinking about getting a dog, and researching it, before getting one. Way too many people don't! And well done again for having the patience to wait until your lifestyle means you can have one. The more you can learn before you bring your dog home, the more you will get into place to avoid any problems. Totally applaud you on all of this. As a trainer, I've seen many families with young kids struggling when trying to raise a puppy. This is not surprising: A puppy needs just as much time and attention as a human child. Seriously. The only difference is that puppies grow faster. But still, the first year of your dog's life - sometimes beyond if you have a challenging adolescent - is going to be extremely demanding on your time. From getting up at 5am for a toilet trip, to training with breakfast, to supervising every second the pup is out the crate, to taking the pup out to a new location every afternoon for socialisation... It's pretty exhausting. It can also be very rewarding. But personally, I wouldn't want to do it with 2 young kids to look after as well. As a breeder, I won't home to families with children under the age of 12yo. You might think 'oh so what - we don't want a dog from you...', but I think it's better to try to look at the reason why we (and many other breeders!) do have restrictions on homes with kids. For us, the reasons are: Parents simply don't supervise dog-child interactions closely enough and it's the dog who suffers (gets shut away or removed or - worst case scenario) rehomed as a result. Labradors are boisterous dogs, and can easily knock a kid over just running from one room to another - again, somehow or other, it's the dog that suffers. Labs mouth a lot as puppies and can be very bitey. This is not a good mix with kids who've grown up watching Disney and want to cuddle the puppy. Children often don't recognise subtle cues a dog gives out when they have had enough, or want space (ie the dog looking away or turning away - these things are not clear to them), so they persist in whatever they are doing to the dog - causing the dog to escalate to a growl or worse. So - all that's one reason. Another reason, is what I've observed running classes: Which is that families are incredibly busy and families with younger kids, the busiest, because they need the most parental attention. Jonny has karate on Mondays and Cecil has piano on Tuesdays and Wednesdays we have Brownies or Cubs and Thursdays is... and so on.. and then the weekends there are children's parties and visiting grandparents and so on. And the dog's training and time spent with the dog always ends up coming at the bottom of all this, whatever people's priorities are. I've had many people say 'sorry, we can't continue on the next training course - we're not free on Wednesdays because it's orchestra'... And whilst homes at first fully expect the dog can join in on everything they do, the reality is that this stops happening pretty quickly because the dog needs someone's focussed attention all the time and no one can just chill - plus supervising kids and puppies at the same time, is really hard. And dogs are frequently not allowed in kids' play areas. So: The puppy and the human children are in direct competition for parental attention. And being the biological offspring and human, the kids almost always win this competition... and the puppy loses out. HOWEVER: There's a proviso. It CAN work. In some circumstances, I have known of extremely dedicated homes who have successfully combined kids and dogs - but they also tend to be experienced dog homes. Usually the dogs have come first, so the owners have a lot of knowledge about dog training and behaviour and how to raise a puppy - before adding in a child. You might want to think about homing a suitable adult labrador? You can request a dog which is fine with children or has previously lived with young children. This way, you will find it much easier because adult dogs are less demanding than puppies; usually are not going to chew everything, pee everywhere, don't need socialisation, and I think you would find it all round easier. Plus you could start jogging immediately with him or her! There are labrador-specific rescue organisations you could put your names down with... Yes, typically they are. You might want to look into Canicross as a sport you can both participate in: http://www.canicross.org.uk/Welcome_to_Canicross_Trailrunners.html There are loads of labradors which see reasonable and good levels of success in agility. Definitely you can 'be competitive' with a labrador in agility. These training aspirations you have are great and will help you develop a close bond with your dog. My one concern would be the age of your children (and that there are two of them, quite young - albeit one at school). Raising 2 young children, IS a full-time job - so just because you are based at home, doesn't necessarily mean you can therefore also raise a puppy. One person can only go so far. But if you are ultra committed and dedicated and good at managing time, and happy to sacrifice other things (free time!), then you might be able to do it well. I don't think it's the breed, so much as the age of the dog. I would recommend considering an adult rescue dog, which has previously lived with children and has no issues with kids, over a new puppy. The exact same things would apply with any breed of dog. Good luck!
Our kids are 6 and 11 and raising our pup has been a challenge especially with my 6 year old. As said Labs do mouth and "bite" a lot when growing up and teething so having a 5 month old dog mouthing a 3 year old child isn't a good outcome. They are babies/ toddlers as well when growing up and have a mad half hour now and then. I'm glad we've waited and kids are old enough to take in all the changes (you have to teach them as well as the dog!). Saying all that we wouldn't be without a Labrador in the family now.
The first pup in my life arrived when I was about 5 and my brother 7, I remember travelling home with her in the car and she bounced all over us and bit us to pieces, by the time we got home we were both in tears! But apart from that I only remember the lovely family pet she became. When my current nearly two year old was a pup she was a nightmare for biting, bouncing, whirling, twirling, leaping, zooming! My son was 11 and she would hang off his clothes and chase him and when we went to the park I would always have her on the lead around children as she'd make a bee line for them and jump all over them given half a chance. So, with that in mind I wouldn't get a pup with very young children, I would just find it too stressful, it was hard enough with just one 11 year old! But she is a lovely gentle girl now and a loving companion to both my son and me.
