Hi, there. I'm getting a working black lab puppy in a few weeks and I know I haven't even begun my journey with her but want to know what I can do with her when she gets older to simulate what she's bred for without actaully working her?
My Meg is working back lab from a long line of FTCh. She is nearly 3 and a content family dog. I did a year of Kennel Club obedience classes with her so we nailed her recall. She is never on the lead and as long as she gets free running with a few water retrieves she's a happy girl. I didn't teach her to retrieve she just did it. Make sure you post some puppy pictures....have fun Emma and Meg .
Tatze is half show half working line and a very happy family pet who helps me raise Guide Dog pups ...
Hello from Lady (7 year old) and me. My girls is 100% working dog and I do work her in the winter but the rest of the year, ie the vast majority of the time, she is a normal pet dog and perfectly happy. I try and make sure she has some socialisation with other dogs on our walks together, which is easy to do as we have regular walk times that coincide with other walkers. I also give her a bit of "work" to do with tennis ball retrieves on most of our walks and she loves that, particularly blind retrieves where she has no idea where the ball is and has to rely on me to get on target then hunt for it when she's in the right area. Other than that she's really no different from any normal pet lab - maybe a bit more of a hunting drive, but otherwise a lovely companion and pet.
Harley comes from a working background. We do agility every week, scent training and gundog training every few months and we also doing a lot of retrieving on walks. When she was younger we done several puppy classes then adolescent classes which helped give me suggestions on ways to keep her mind active. When outside she is very energetic, but at home she is very chilled.
Both mine come from FTCH Sires and working Mothers, one isn't worked and one is worked by a friend, but working is only a small part of the year, about 3 months, unless you are rough shooting. I do gundog classes during the Spring and Summer and when we are out walking I will give them some interesting retreives, hunting the hidden tennis balls. Mine love to retrieve and walk around the house with various soft toys in their mouths. I think if you fulfill the desire to retrieve, it doesn't really matter if they work or not, perhaps what they don't have, they don't miss.
