Quote:
Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB
As someone who knows a lot about labs and goldens (I'm a volunteer puppy raiser for an org. that provides service dogs to people with disabilities), let me clarify a couple things. First, some of them shed, some don't. Some labs shed very little, and some goldens have shorter hair and only shed a little. In my opinion, I don't know if there is a finer family dog than a golden retriever. My family has had different breeds of dogs over the years, but it keeps getting goldens. They're easy to train, very patient, not overly hyper (usually), not aggressive, gentle and happy, and LOVE their people. They will follow you from room to room, and though they love to go outside and play/run, they are happy indoors. Labs are wonderful too, but they have more energy and can be too hyper around kids.
Now, I'm a big fan of the pound/shelter too, but I certainly understand why people look for a puppy from a breeder. Puppies are easier to train, and when you select a purebred dog after you've done your research, you know generally what type of a dog you're getting. Many dogs at shelters have suffered trauma or have behavioral issues that require a lot of extra patience, and by purchasing from a breeder, you also usually have an idea of the kind of health issues in the dog's line. For example, the hip displaysia you mentioned is NOT common, in fact it is a fault. Labs especially may get arthritis in the hips when they're older, but hip displaysia is actually a developmental disability usually apparent when the puppy is young. On that note, please realize that every breed has diseases and physical "issues" that commonly plague it.
Regarding chewing and other bad behaviors, that is common with puppies and adult dogs that aren't trained. Dogs require an owner that can provide consistent correction and praise, especially when they're new to the household. Dogs are actually happier when they are told what to do...the owner needs to be the alpha dog. It is challenging at first when you have a wild puppy that needs to be watched like a hawk, but after a few months of training, it's amazing how well-behaved even a young puppy can be. Whichever dog you end up with, please take some obedience classes!
If you'd like to read up on which breeds would be good for your family, here are a couple good sites:
AKC: www.akc.org
Animal Planet: http://animal.discovery.com/breedsel...lectorindex.do |
First, I want to say that I think it's great that you're a volunteer raising puppies for service dogs. It takes a special person with a huge heart to do that! And I can imagine how difficult it must be to give up the dog you raised and bonded with... but it also must be so rewarding to know that the dog you trained will be given to someone who is blind or physically challenged so that person can have a better life.
You obviously do have a lot of knowlege and experience with raising dogs, but we do have different opinions on a few points. Hip dysplasia is indeed a problem in the larger dog breeds. (along with arthritis in the hips that you mentioned).
"Hip dysplasia is most common among larger breeds of dogs, especially German shepherds, rotweillers, Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, mastiffs, and Saint Bernards. It can also be seen in smaller breeds such as the cocker spaniel and the springer spaniel; mixed breeds may suffer from it as well."
http://www.workingdogs.com/vchipdysplasia.htm
It is not always very easy to tell which dogs will have hip dysplasia. One out of two of our labs showed signs when he was about 7 years old. (He was also a rescue dog).
From the same web site above:
"Some dogs will show clear signs of hip dysplasia at a very young age, before the arthritis sets in. For them, a commonly used surgical method is available to prevent its onset. But for many canines, the symptoms will not be obvious until severe, crippling arthritis has developed. At this point, the options for treatment are limited and complex. "
I have had two yellow labs (oh, those are wonderful animals!) but could not believe the amount of hair that came off of them! I spent a good half hour to an hour every day in the backyard brushing them, but I would still get big balls of fur all over the house. It seemed like I spent most of my life vacuuming!
The best dogs we've ever had came from the pound and the greyhound rescues. One of our greyhounds was abused on the track and has scars on various parts of his body from being beaten.
Yet, rather than being mean, he is so loving. He has never growled.. ever. His only issue is he's a bit hand shy....but he's coming along nicely. The vet thinks he was hit on the face when he was racing.
Personally, I'd rather have an older dog. The dogs we rescued from the pound were already housebroken, and knew how to walk on a lead.
Yet the one dog we ever had any trouble with was the bloodhound-- which my parents bought from a breeder for a pet and to show. (My parents used to raise and show champion bulldogs, but wanted to try a bloodhound.) Although she was a wonderful show dog, she was not a good "family" dog.
The "chewing issue" was not a lack of training... nor was the biting.
I did forget about the drooling problem that SueBarton mentioned. Our bloodhound would shake her head and drool would go flying everywhere-- on the sofa, the walls, etc. These are definately not good indoor dogs!
Dug up an old photo of our bloodhound.
