Alternative to insurance – put the premium income into a seperate bank account. It will hopefully build up as you don’t need it rather than disappearing every year. Plus funny how so many vet fees seem to be just under the standard excess!!

Definitely breed-specific rescue centres an lab ones are v good IME.

Hard question to ask on here as there are so many answers! (As you’ve probably gathered).

people claiming to be looking for a good home for their 6 month, 1 year old etc puppy as their circumstances have changed, yet still asking hundreds of pounds for it.
Pedigree dogs are expensive. Simple as that.

Yes I was thinking more field lab from a working background
We got our pointer from a farm through an online selling site (dogsandpuppies maybe, can’t remember) – you just have to go see the dog in it’s home environment. I guess we were lucky as she’d been around kids (farm was also a creche) and other dogs (owner had 4 others).

Keep trawling the web until you see what suits you and don’t rush into it.

ps. our pointer still cost £600 iirc.

Alternative to insurance – put the premium income into a seperate bank account. It will hopefully build up as you don’t need it rather than disappearing every year. Plus funny how so many vet fees seem to be just under the standard excess!!

Depends on the dog, mine have cost more than the insurance cost every year for the past 4 years; so I would be out of pocket. Over the dogs entire life you might be better off as they can calm down between 7 and 10 before getting expensive again; but that does rely on you having a couple of thousand available just incase they do something really stupid or damage their tail or get a stomach infection.

If you get an *active* one, I would get insurance as they tend to do themselves in at a fairly regular basis especially if you walk them in woods a lot, and I wouldn’t want to chose between a bank loan or getting them destroyed.

Pics of the Chesapeake/Spinone please. Chesapeake is on my ‘Wanted’ list.

If you want a working breed dog, I’d recommend just getting one from a farm rather than a breeder.

Cheaper and likely to be of better stock.

Case in point, Border Collie £170 🙂

Old picture from when he was 3.

Have you actually seen a Chesapeake bay or spoken to an owner of one? As they aren’t easy dogs to live with to say the least; easy to train though, as if you show them twice they have got it.

I’ve chatted to a few owners of true working ones (gamekeepers) and they all comment on how they are amazing dogs if you can keep them focused, but you will never get them more than 90% trained (so you need a *spare* if working with them) as 10% of the time they will do what they want as they get bored and take the beating when they get back. They were interested in mine in case the Spinone cross had reduced the stubborn streak (it hasn’t) whilst keeping the other traits (double coat, stamina, temperament).

Downsides (with mine and others I’ve met) are:

obsessed with water
very stubborn, if they don’t want to do it, it ain’t going to happen.
very protective, to the point if they think someone or something is wrong they move towards it.
very bright, so easily bored and more than capable of working out cupboards/doors
greedy.
tend to be obsessive about things
very hard work, as if they don’t see the point in something they won’t do it so it can feel like a battle of will’s at times.

Upsides are:
loyal
bright
good guard dog
brilliant temperament, once person/thing has been accepted (my other dog can take chews out of his mouth without a growl)
very entertaining
slightly mental
legendary bad dog stories.

Great dogs and when he goes will get another, as I now live in a big house with ponds backing onto hundreds of acres of woods so have the space for them.

Have you seen this video of one in Scotland, just so you get an idea of the type of dog you are looking at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJwWWU-wegA

Mine has been known to swim that far to have a look at birds……. ignoring the **** whistle until he’s had a good look. They are easy dogs to spot from a mile off as they walk/move in a very particular rolling/thudding way

richc – thank you for posting that pic and he looks quite a character! Yes, I’ve seen them in the flesh and spoken to an owner but must confess that my ‘Wanted’ list is very much a dream. Can’t commit to a dog at the moment, boo.

Yes, understand about their characteristics but just have a soft spot for gundogs. My golden retriever was very strong-willed, a sniff of water and she was gone. Would even break the ice too. 😯

You’re lucky to have access to all that land but, ponds?? Clean water or not?? Will check out that vid.

Thanks again for your post, most enlightening. 8)

cbmotorsport – George is the definition of a terrier for me, if I could find one like him I’d be well chuffed, how old is he?

Reality is we’ve got a working lab (which the girlfriend/farm pays for as she had him before we moved in together), and will probably end up with another next year in lieu of a stud fee………..

I had a different approach. Decided what dog we wanted and then stopped people who we saw walking them for recommendations….In the end got this young lady from a farmer….Great dog for kids and just a lot of fun!

040 by nbathurst, on Flickr

Rescue

the breeding of pet dogs is out of control considering how many are abandoned each year.

Yes, understand about their characteristics but just have a soft spot for gundogs. My golden retriever was very strong-willed, a sniff of water and she was gone. Would even break the ice too.

You’re lucky to have access to all that land but, ponds?? Clean water or not?? Will check out that vid.

Have to stop mine digging on ice to get to the water …….. Apparently they were bred with strong chests to aid with breaking the ice to get to a retrieve……. stupid strong swimmer which causes some worries at times.

Ponds are mostly filled with clean water, as he empties them on a regular basis, and I get rid of any weed. They are full of newts so water is pretty good, plus he has exclusive access bar a few wild ducks.

My boy (Springer) came from a man in Derbyshire I sort of knew. He’d had a litter and the last one had to go. No one wanted a dog, so I got him for 150 quid. He’s awesome and that’s a bargain for a KC registered pedigree gundog.

That said, my wife’s Cocker came from a similar route (farmer/shooter with a litter) and he’s a cracking little fellow too. Probably better with kids to be honest than my dog. All mine wants to do is play fetch, chew bones and hunt, the Cocker just wants to be cuddled.

Where you at btw / how far will you travel to collect for a recommendation?

We went cross breed with Roger (now 14 months). Cost us £350, and so far, about £600 in the first year on vet bills/jabs etc. Plus £20 pm insurance. Plus about £30 pm in food. Add another £20pm on lost tennis balls, treats etc, he’s not a cheap toy. But he IS ace and I wouldn’t change him for the world.

one thing pet insurance doesn’t prepare you for is the £90 excess on vet bills. nearly every visit to the vet has been circa £100, i.e. not worth claiming. BUT if he needs a £3k operation, we’ll be glad we got it.

Anyway, I wouldn’t worry about getting bent over by the breeder. That’ll be only once. getting bent over by the vet however, can be a monthly occurance!

Try http://www.pets4homes.com. We have 2 dogs. One Staff that we got as a puppy, and one American Bull that we got as a rescue.

The American Bull is the most docile dog i’ve met, soft as muck. The only issues we have (which we’ve nearly defeated) is that she lived in a box room for 90% of her life before us so struggles with not eating her pap after she’s dropped it. We guess that she either had to eat it to hide it from her previous owner or ate it because she was starving. It used to be every day, but she only does it once a week or so now.

The Staff was a puppy we got at 8 weeks. He’s a spoilt, needy git and seems to think he’s a lap dog. No real issues though, both can be left alone, both are great with kids (but i wouldn’t leave any dog alone with a child).

In conclusion – I’ve had both a puppy and a rescue, and would get both again. You’re welcome.

(I’ve posted these before, and one of the female members went off on one telling me how dangerous these breeds are – she must have just put down the daily broadsheet)

My two penn’orth and apologies if I’ve missed anything in the thread

Firstly, how much experience do you have of owning dogs, specifically dealing with puppies and even more so dealing with lab puppies?

I ask this because if you don’t have a huge amount then you may well find that having a puppy and two very small kids will probably be a nightmare and a lab puppy more so as they are big, boisterous (not aggressive but try explaining that to a 4 year old who’s just been knocked down for the third time). If your dog and puppy experience isn’t all that then I would suggest going for a rescue dog from a good rescue centre (one that vets you, your house etc before letting you have a dog). The good ones will often know the background of the dog and its suitability for families with young children.

My perspective on this is that I recently (5 weeks ago) got a new 12 month lab/collie cross from a dog’s home (pics to follow 🙂 ). I grew up with dogs as a child and as an adult have had three dogs for most of the last 20 years. I’ve always trained my dogs to a reasonable standard, following tried and tested regimes. However the last three dogs I have had were all adults (3 years +) from rescue centres. I’ve been surprised by how much harder it is dealing with a big puppy (though we are getting there) and my partner Rebecca (who has never had a dog before) has had a real wake up call. It’s hard work with a puppy and there is no way that your kids are old enough to learn from it at this stage (my kids – who live with my ex – are 6 and 7 years old and the 7 year old is just starting to understand what a dog means/how they work etc).

I would say get a well researched adult rescue at this stage and save the puppy until the kids are maybe 8 or 9 years old. They’ll be much better equipped to get involved in training, walking, playing etc and will learn bucket loads.

Good luck by the way, dogs are grrrrrreat!!!

Look for a breed specific rescue.

They will know everything about the breed and be more interested in making sure you are right for the dog and the dog is right for you than a generic all breeds rescue that just needs to get rid of dogs.

You will probably have to go on a waiting list but it will be worth it and you won’t be talked into taking a dog that does not fit your requirements. And often if there is a dog with medical problems that can be managed then they may cover the cost of the medication for life. That is what the donation goes towards as well as all the other running costs of the charity and why the often £200 donations are so important.

I vote rescue. Dogs are vetted, so are you, they’ll try and find a nice dog (of whatever breed) to match your life.

Having said that we bought a mongrel (lab/staffie) from a local paper ad, who “needed a good home” and he cost £50 and he’s brilliant, and a complete goon. Came with a couple of problems, but we got him over them. I’m really not so sure I’d have done the same now we have our boy – it was a bit of a punt on the dogs character (he seemed friendly when we saw him before buying, which was true, he was, but untrained in so many ways) and that kind of punt could have come off badly with our boy around, but I’d have no qualms about a rescue dog.

Obligatory furry photo

cbmotorsport – George is the definition of a terrier for me, if I could find one like him I’d be well chuffed, how old is he?

He’s 1 Core. And yes, he is very much the definition of a JRT, in looks and outlook, although he’s also obedient and anxious to please. Many JRT’s aren’t! We’re very lucky.

This place has a lot of nice dogs, incase you are near: http://www.allsortsdogrescue.org.uk/availabledogs.aspx

Mostly from Irish pounds as they destroy them after 24 hours if dropped off, or 5 days if *found*

Get a lurcher pup, no need to worry about it being an inbred basket case full of health problems and you would struggle to spend more than £200.

Thanks for all the replies so far folks, very helpful. To try to answer a few…

– I’ve no intention of getting anything from a puppy farm, which is partly why I started the thread.
– I grew up with dogs, mainly German Shepherds, so have a good understanding of what they involve, including how to train them.
– I haven’t owned a dog for 20 years because I’ve always been working abroad/around the country or living in unsuitable accommodation. We just bought a new house which is IMO good for dogs so it’s a good time to get one.
– We’ve started watching t’internet and will be going to look at a couple of litters this weekend (both crosses) but won’t rush into anything.
– richc, he’s a lovely looking dog (as are all the others of course!)
– wysiwyg, we’re in Berkshire near Swinley Forest. I’d probably travel 100 miles on a recommendation, maybe more, depends I guess as I’d like to take the wife and kids to see them first.

I called into a rescue centre near me earlier today and had a good talk with one of the staff. He said they don’t home any dog with a family with kids under 5 as they generally don’t know the background and even if they did it would be rare they’d consider that.

These guys are local to you

http://www.labrador-rescue.org.uk/dogs.html

I-Ls got there latest dog from them. Very thorough.

We’ve two dogs.

The eldest is a Working Cocker who’s 7 now, we got him as a puppy from a local Breeder (met Mum and picked him out of the litter, other friends got two of the others).

The younger one is a Working Spinger and was from a local rescue centre, who also breeds. He’d been sold as a puppy and then came back when his owner lost his outside estate job and moved inside.

Puppy was £450 and Rescue was £35. Neither have cost us anything really at the Vets, and we don’t pay insurance.

For what you are looking for, I’d go for a small/medium mongrel – we had one when the kids were little.

Our border / Russell cross , we got from Pets 4 Homes. She was from a litter of 3. Her mum escaped the garden and met the jack 4 doors down. We asked about if either were working dogs etc as we wanted a home dog. We met the mother and the dad was known by the owners. We considered and looked at rescue dog, but we had cats and getting a puppy, meant she would be brought up easier than a dog of unknown history. She is great and I can say you must get insurance. At 10 weeks she broke her front elbow and the vet bill was £2.5k. That’s 10 years of payback before they get evens on it. Perfect first dog for us. She is so patient with kiddies, cats and visitors. We paid £250 for her, with he first jabs and worming done. Wouldn’t be without her now.

Just sent you email Tony

Im too far to be of any use I’m afraid.

@tonyd – we got our show stock lab from a breeder in Aylesbury I recall, I’ll try and find out where.

Those eyes are just melting my heart!

Even our rescue dog cost us over $600 with adoption fees, vets bils etc. Not always the cheapest option but oh god how much we love her. I get hugs and licks the moment I walk in the door. (From the dog).

Rescue dog with children!faces will be lost for sure. Just look at the vicious mauling my rescue hound is dishing out to my children

As has been said above, at least while you are looking, call a few rescue homes and tell them what your situation is. They are motivated by finding long term homes and stand to gain nothing from giving you an unsuitable dog. You Dont have to take a dog if it doesn’t seem right and any sign of problems when you get home you can return it. Nothing to lose from calling a few.

He’s right, resuce centre talked me out of taking a particular breed due to possible issues with existing pet.

Sounds like you know more what you’re doing OP, all I’ll add is that my wife got a bit caught up in gettng the best possible score for our dog and I was not impressed with some of the breeders who were very reputable on paper. Bit up themselves and seem to care more about the rosettes than the animals.

Next dog will be a one-year-old mongrel from a rescue centre I reckon, though partly ‘cos our puppy has been such a **** handful.

Any excuse……sorry OP

I’d just add that I drove all the way from Surrey to Gloucestershire (twice) to check out and then buy my working English springer/golden lab cross.

He’s black and looks mostly lab, but the sweetest temperament, beautifully behaved but fun to walk as he’s always charging around looking for squirrels etc. He cost me £250 but wouldn’t swop him for anything.

People say, they’d love a dog but only if he’s like Barney!

Golden Labrador!!! No no no. </pedant>

Very cute photos folks, keep them coming.

Progress update for those that are interested, rescue is out – I called another couple today and they were both quite wary of homing anything with young kids. Patterdale terriers were on the list briefly (nice one Tony), but the wife has decided she likes the sound of a Cocker/Springer cross (Sprocker or Cockspring?) after wysiwyg’s suggestion and I have to agree they seem to fit the bill quite well:

– Good temperament
– Bit smaller than a lab
– Lively!
– Less likely to kill the neighbours cats 🙂 (although it still might)

No doubt we’ll waver and reconsider as we keep looking, but for the moment that is where we’re heading. Just need to find a litter now…

I’ll ask around. When I’m out on sat with those in the know..

Cool thanks. Where are you out of interest? You said you’re too far to be able to help, Highlands? 🙂

Notts. I’ve put some FB feelers out. There a great sprocker on our shoot. He’s like Droopy. If ever a dog could be a laid back stoner it’s this one.

Our local rescue centre just outside of Nottingham had six of these little lab x springer puppies given to them at New Year, at just 6 weeks old as the person who decided to breed them couldn’t find homes for them 🙄

As of a couple of days ago, there was one little boy left without a home.

I wouldn’t totally discount the rescue option – some are more flexible than others!