Labrador Retriever

[Vector]

Originally posted by Toad
MT, he really doesn't look grossly overweight in those pics.  

Yes, I agree, he looks great. Good looking shiny fur. You have lifetime friend there midnight

Octavius, is that a lab? She has same kind of "albino nose" as our toller.

[myelo]

Originally posted by Elfenwolf
Myelo, I hope PETA gets all over your bellybutton for furnishing alcohol to Tanner, and don't try to claim he brought his own beer either.

If you knew Tanner, you would realize that he was just posing for the picture. He's a Guiness man and would rather drink toilet bowl water than cheap beer.

Regarding PETA, Tanner likes to hunt, loves to eat meat, believes it's fine to have pets (he has 3 humans), and supports medical research involving animals, as long as they are cats. In short, he considers any PETA member that stands still long enough to be leg-hiking material.

Midnight, congratulations on Bradley.

[SFRT - Frenchy]

Aaaaah the little bugger ... Toy, 2.5 month.

[Elfenwolf]

Originally posted by LePaul


I *beleive* Queensland Heeler/Blue Heeler/Australian Cattle Dog all refer to the same breed, yes?  Mines an ACD, also know as a Blue Heeler (refer to the picture above)

Is yours a blue or red?  I got lucky, mine has the double-mask  

Yeah LePaul, I saw your pic. Mine is a mixed blue and red also so she looks almost identical to yours, maybe just a bit more red in her face. Great dogs, IMO. Mine is spoiled and goes everywhere with me, including water skiing. Summer times it's almost impossible to keep her out of the pool, which is unusual for a Queensland. It's funny, too, but she always swims clockwise. I'm curious as to rather she'd swim counter-clockwise if I took her to Australia. I'll post a pic as soon as I can dig one out.

Toad, thanks for the info on Labs. I've suffered through German Shorthairs, and mine was decent enough as a pointer but was just a crappy companion dog and loved to fight other dogs, and there's nothing worse than having to break up a fight between a shorthair and a fellow hunter's dog. I had a Springer that as soon as you hit the field he'd take off and you'd see him flushing birds 500 yards away. That'll piss ya off.

A buddy of mine has an English Pointer, and he's a great hunting dog- unfortunately you have to run the dog the last few miles to the fields to wear him out enough to keep him close to you, otherwise he'd run ahead of you about a quarter mile, hunting by himself.

I've never been keen on jump dogs for pheasant because my reflexes suck, and the sheer beauty of a dog on point adds so much to the hunt. I've checked out the web sites, and a Lab will be my next dog, as soon as I can get rid of my wife's damn cats.

[Toad]

Elf,

Glad you enjoyed the links.

Be advised, though, there's no guarantees on "pointing labs". Those sites will talk about "sixth generation pointing lab" and such... but you can have a "6th gen" that points and one that doesn't out of the same litter.

All you're doing there is increasing your chances... and chances seem to be good.. but there's still no guarantee.

However, it does seem to carry through. We've had all our pups point so far. . A pointing lab makes one nice pheasant dog.. while maintaining its ability as an excellent waterfowl dog too. Double Bonus!!!  

The other thing to watch for, as I said, is that the Labs look like Labs. If some guy is advertising "pointing Labs" and the sires and dams have heads and tails that strangely resemble an English Pointer or a Shorthair... well, ...... "if it walks like a duck"...  

We generally schedule one or two litters a year. Go ahead, get rid of those cats and give me a heads up when you're ready. Chief is going to be in the 2003 breeding rotation for certain. We're still using Charlie this year.

[Toad]

Vector,

Oct's pup is a Chocolate Lab. Chocolate is a "double recessive". There was a time not so awfully long ago that Chocolate pups were routinely destroyed as defectives. IIRC, they were also banned from Show Competition, but that has changed.

They have no black pigment at all. The noses and eyelids are that "liver" color.

Chocolates have "caught on" in the States and are becoming popular. Prices are going up on them. They are still pretty rare in Europe however and breeders still seem to think of them in a negative way.

We just had a litter of 6 blacks and 2 chocolates. We could have sold 50 chocolates; everyone that called seemed to want one. The two we had sold first.

Even my Vet partner used to say "every Chocolate is crazy." Now, though, Charlie has changed his mind. There are real good Chocolates out there and many of them.

[LePaul]

Originally posted by Elfenwolf


Yeah LePaul, I saw your pic. Mine is a mixed blue and red also so she looks almost identical to yours, maybe just a bit more red in her face. Great dogs, IMO. Mine is spoiled and goes everywhere with me, including water skiing. Summer times it's almost impossible to keep her out of the pool, which is unusual for a Queensland. It's funny, too, but she always swims clockwise. I'm curious as to rather she'd swim counter-clockwise if I took her to Australia. I'll post a pic as soon as I can dig one out.

I got mine at 5 months old, the people kept her locked in a kennel all the time since ACDs are high energy dogs and they couldnt handle her.  As a result, my dog loves everyone, so, as my friends say, has the love of a golden retreiver but is smart  

Mine loves water too.  Even bought her a lifejacket so she can jump in and waddle around.  What's funny is she likes to snap at the splashes her feet make.  So as a result, she propels herself along trying to bite the splashs, and also ingest a lot of water.  Part of her routine is to come back to shore, shake, and release a hellacious burp (we're talking one that would put a beer drinker to shame).

Don't happen to recall paddling clockwise or not

Be interested in seeing what yours looks like.  We fostered a Red for a few weeks that was later adopted by some really cool people in Canada (New Brunswick).  Want havoc?  Have 2 Cattledogs!

[Octavius]

Originally posted by Vector


Yes, I agree, he looks great. Good looking shiny fur. You have lifetime friend there midnight

Octavius, is that a lab? She has same kind of "albino nose" as our toller.

lol!  No actually thats a yogurt container she got into  She has a strange white band of fur on her tail though.

[midnight Target]

He's doing fine, sitting next to me as I type. Loves everyone and everything.

He hasn't shown any "retrieving" ability, but he may be just insecure still. He was living with a family in an apartment! He needs lots of excersize, but he is a great dog.

[Elfenwolf]

Originally posted by LePaul


I got mine at 5 months old, the people kept her locked in a kennel all the time since ACDs are high energy dogs and they couldnt handle her.  As a result, my dog loves everyone, so, as my friends say, has the love of a golden retreiver but is smart  

Mine loves water too.  Even bought her a lifejacket so she can jump in and waddle around.  What's funny is she likes to snap at the splashes her feet make.  So as a result, she propels herself along trying to bite the splashs, and also ingest a lot of water.  Part of her routine is to come back to shore, shake, and release a hellacious burp (we're talking one that would put a beer drinker to shame).

Don't happen to recall paddling clockwise or not

Be interested in seeing what yours looks like.  We fostered a Red for a few weeks that was later adopted by some really cool people in Canada (New Brunswick).  Want havoc?  Have 2 Cattledogs!

LOL Mine bites at the splashes too and she also has a life jacket, but she only wears it when we go skiing or camping. As soon as my wife gets home I'll post a pic.

My nephews have three ACDs, but they're pro rodeo bull riders and they use them to keep from getting stomped on by the bulls as they pratice. (Been there, done that- bull riding is NOT fun and no matter what you ALWAYS get the crap beat out of you, so it's not worth a 20 dollar bet to ride one). It's cool the way they "heel" the stock, and they're more effective than a bull fighter (rodeo clown, for you rodeo novices) at distracting a bull from its intended purpose of stomping the watermelon out of whatever it just shook off its back. If I get this pic posting thing down I have some cool pictures of Heelers in action at a rodeo.

My Esa (named after the highest mountain in Australia, but the Mountain is actually called Isa) has always been pampered and the only time she's ever slept outside is when we go camping... and then she sleeps in our tent.

She sleeps next to the bed and growls at any unusual noise or in response to the neighgbor's outside dogs when they bark, so her main job is as a sentury so I can get a good night's sleep. (BTW- praise your dog when they bark at a strange sound rather than tell them to be quiet. Don't supress this territoial instinct!)

I have had three great dogs in my lifetime, which is more than I can say about two of the three wives I've had in my lifetime, but anyway my Heeler ranks right up there in affection with my present wife, although my Heeler is probably more loyal and has never hidden a Macy's bill from me the way my present wife has.

And MT, you're right, Bradley is too insecure to turn his back on you yet to retrieve anything, but don't worry. Labs love to please their human pets. and in no time at all you guys will be best buds.

[Vector]

Originally posted by Toad
Vector,

Oct's pup is a Chocolate Lab. Chocolate is a "double recessive". There was a time not so awfully long ago that Chocolate pups were routinely destroyed as defectives. IIRC, they were also banned from Show Competition, but that has changed.

They have no black pigment at all. The noses and eyelids are that "liver" color.

Chocolates have "caught on" in the States and are becoming popular. Prices are going up on them. They are still pretty rare in Europe however and breeders still seem to think of them in a negative way.

We just had a litter of 6 blacks and 2 chocolates. We could have sold 50 chocolates; everyone that called seemed to want one. The two we had sold first.

Even my Vet partner used to say "every Chocolate is crazy." Now, though, Charlie has changed his mind. There are real good Chocolates out there and many of them.

Thanks for the info Toad. I've never heard (or saw) this kind of dog before. Sure is pretty, no wonder it's wanted
Btw in Finland tail cuttings were banned by the law (which is good), what is the case in other countries?

[myelo]

Originally posted by Vector
Btw in Finland tail cuttings were banned by the law (which is good), what is the case in other countries?

In the US and Canada, cosmetic tail amputation is legal. Cosmetic ear cropping is prohibited in a few American states and Canadian provinces.

In the UK and Australia ear cropping is banned; tail docking is legal but considered unethical by the Veterinary Associations. I’m not sure about other countries, although I know many European countries also ban these procedures.

If we’re going to start a debate on this, it might be best to start a new thread so we don’t ruin this one with all the cute dog pictures.

[Zaphod]

Hey everyone,

He ain't a lab but I couldnt resist......since all good dog handlers NEVER miss an oppurtunity to show off their dogs

These are pics I took on one of his rare trips to the house (we have to kennel our dogs, which bites but I'm not the Mayor).

[Zaphod]

Vicious ain't he? lol  My wife was afraid of em when I first got him.  She has since got used to him (obviously).

[Hobodog]

Fixed they are the friendliest animals around not and they arestill the best dogs. Also labs tend to love humans and take you as their parent and in a way think they are human and dont associate with other dogs bellybutton well. But this isnt always the case. They are always great petsand usually get along well with other dogs.