Hi All, New to the forum and am so grateful to have found this! I have been interested in an english lab but came across a breeder who has english dad but american mom. Irs the dogs first litter so she doesnt know exactly what it will look like. I was wondering if people can post pictures or email me some of their dog. i know every dog is different but just wanted to know others experiences. Did they have more calm temperment like english but look more american ? or the other way around? i would love feedback, thanks in advanced! still on puppy search
My dog is half American (Dad) and half English (Mom). You can see a picture of him next to my post. My dog definitely doesn't have a calm temperament. At least not yet. He's a lab so it's expected until they age more, I would think. My dog is only 1 and a half. He gets super excited around new people, dogs, etc. But he's also the best. I think every dog is different and just because you get an English Lab, it doesn't necessarily mean they will be calmer. I think as long as your dog is health tested and you work on your training, he should turn out to be a great dog, even if he has some flaws.
Hi Lindsey Exciting times getting a puppy.if you don’t want to show or work your dog either would be fine. Even by going for a cross you cannot guarantee which traits the puppy will have as within the litter there will be variances. I think you would be better to decide which type you prefer the look of. I wanted a big dog but didn’t want the broad stocky look of a show lab. Therefore I picked the biggest by birth weight from a working litter. Still no guarantees with that although Toby is a big strong dog. More important to make sure the parents have been fully health tested and you see the pups with their mother. Let’s us know what you get.
I don't think you can predict too much, especially when you mix bench and field style dogs. They will most likely have the wonderful Lab personality, but what they will look like is too dependent on their exact linage. Unless you really want a bench dog or a field dog, I think you will be happy with any combination of Lab traits. Our First Chocolate, Ginger, was a rescue, so I don't know about her parentage. She looked like a cross, because she was pretty big but also tall with a fairly thin face for a Lab. Our second Chocolate Tilly was an English/American Mix, though her Dad (Field/American) was a Field Trial Champion, and her Mom (English/Bench) was a Master Hunter. She was a great companion, but probably the least birdy Lab I have ever seen. She took after her mom in configuration. Cooper is all Field/American and is very birdy. Her mom was a Senior Hunter, and her Dad a Master Hunter. She looks a lot like both of them, very tall and very fast.
Thanks for all of your responses you guys, I am just seeing them now! I have been looking since September and boy even just shopping for a pup is a lot of work, its like looking for a house, lol. My husband finally said yes to getting a pup and im so excited I cant even put it into words. I am deciding to go with a black female puppy. The litter was bred from an american chocolate mom. However I dont think that she is 100% full american. Her nose and mouth wasnt as long as english so that looks american to me but temperment was calm and had shorter legs. The owner/breeder doesnt know exactly what mom is possibly crossbred, she never met parents when she got her dogs because all she cared about was that it was purebred. English Dad was on site too. Regardless of everything, I am super excited and know I will love the dog no matter what and cant wait to train it and see its personality come out. Im going back today to select the one from the litter because they didnt have collars on yesterday. I hope i can spot the one i liked yesterday, will keep u guys posted for sure! they are ready on christmas
Our Perci has a field trial mom and show dad. Think that moms genes win out. She has the look of her mom but with big feet her temperament is very field trial like but then her dad was a very active hunting dog just with a bit more posture. I was never worried about the outcome, in part as i had seen a dog from the prior litter where the dad was the son of our stud dog. I would be more focused on the health scores of the parents and if you can deal with the field trail temperament. The English labs are en large calmer with a slower recharge rate, ie require more rest after an activity like a walk. Google Stonnie Dennis who did a great YouTube video comparing the two types. Could be helpful to you as you think through what you really want. In any event I remain skeptical if you can detect much character in a young puppy at less than 8 weeks. Ours was the smallest and calmest. She turned out exactly the opposite, larger than some of her brothers and full of energy
oh wow! yeah its definitely hard to see or predict what their personality will be like. I chose a chunky but cute and what seemed to be quite chill and more laid back personality. we will see what she turns out to be like lol. mom and dad were both on site when i met them. mom was more chill but field type and dad was more active which was show type. its never exact, every dog is different ive learned! lol
That breeding would be quite an outcross, so it would be difficult to predict what you get - the puppy could take after mom or dad more, on various different traits. The good news with an outcross, is the COI will likely be very low, meaning the pup will have a healthier immune system and be more resistant to disease (on average).
I agree and am happy to hear that! Im so excited! Havent had a dog in 7 years. Time for a new adventure
Just a minor comment, American Field style dogs often have longer noses, but a little less square than typical bench dogs. Cooper is the first Lab we have had that could easily hold two tennis balls in her mouth.
Our lovely old man dog Jake came from an American Mum but English Dad lab.....he was huge....100 lbs of love.....he inherited his Mums height AND his Dads big build and head.....and had amazing Caramel eyes - he loved his walks and to run and play....he was so tall we ended up getting a counter high table as he’d just rest his head on a regular height table....he was a fantastic dog - very intelligent and he lasted to 14....he was our international Ambassadog - he moved from the US to the Netherlands with us and also visited the UK, France and Belgium. I wouldn’t hesitate to get another US\English mix...Good Luck
I watched the National Dog Show on Thanksgiving. I could not believe the Lab that was best in breed. I know I like the look of field dogs a lot better, but I would have thought that this dog looked to heavy even for a bench dog. Some times I think we ought to split Labradors into two separate breeds, though some outcrossing between bench and field is probably healthy for the breed.
