Hi
Just a question, I posted one on labradors further down the page but I was just wondering.... I am seriously considering giving a home to a rescued labrador from a rescue centre and wonder whether anybody else has done this before and if things turned out ok. It is just that I am concerned because surely when you adopt a dog from a rescue you can't always know its background and I wonder whether it is possible for a lab that you adopt to turn agressive or anything like that. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Van

Welcome - it all depends on the particular dog. Some rescue dogs are there for very genuine reasons, their owner may have died, marriage break up and their history is known. Many, and probably the majority, do come with unknown backgrounds. Often rescue workers can get an idea of what makes the dog tick, they will try exposing them to different but more common elements, other dogs, cats, children, traffic etc to get an idea of any fears the dogs may have.

Any dog can turn aggressive if it gets the right, or wrong, stimulus. This is rare though. If you have a relaxed comfortable dog it is very unlikely to turn aggressive.

If you are interested in resuing a lab, then you will find many to choose from. Sadly there are lots in rescue and our own Mattie runs the Northwest Lab rescue. She would e a really helpful resource for you if you do want to go down this road. I'm sure she'll be along soon to help:D

hth

Pam n the boys

Dear Pam n the boys
Why is it that there are so many labradors in rescue centres? this is so very sad. I would like very much to be in touch with Mattie for her advice and help and you never know she may know of the perfect labrador for us, how do I go about contacting her?
With very best wishes
Van

Labradors like many other dogs are seen as cute and cuddly puppies with a big aaw factor - then they grow up, need lots of attention and with many produced by farmers who don't breed for temperament, some have health problems etc etc etc. Consequence, lots end up in rescue. People get them thinking they come ready trained and think it's OK to get an active dog like a lab and then leave them alone all day. Lab's will be destructive if they don't get the care and attention they crave - they are wonderful dogs but are hard work too.

Have a look at the link given on your other thread - here You can contact Mattie (Glenys Fryer)there. I notice they don;t have any for rehoming at present which is great - but there will be ore and soon.

Pam n the boys

One very good reason Van is that there are something over 33000 Labradors registered every year. Some people see them as a money making venture and breed with no idea of the welfare of the breed. People see the Andrex adverts and think they are getting a little fluffy puppy. A few months later it is a a big dog and has become a hooligan and they are dumping it! That hooligan, with a little time spent on it can be a wonderful addition to any family but to the owner it is just in the way!

Regards, John

Hi Van

It all depends on the dog and why it is being rehomed. If it is purely for personal reasons of the owners then apart from the settling in period for the dog of being moved to a new home it normally works out OK. However if the dog is being rehomed for behavioural reasons then it all depends on what and how severe and how experienced the new owner is ! All dogs are different !

There are lots of people who have successfully rehomed and have happy healthy dogs !!

Lucy

I agree with John. Too many people seem to think that dogs just train themselves and then when they won't behave well (as they haven't been told how to in the first place) then they are labelled a bad dog and given up on. Young labradors are very bouncy and can act like hooligans but its not the end of the world and is very easily dealt with.

When you get one its worth going to a group training class when you get one or 1-2-1 if you can afford it (helps speed up the process).

There are many successful rescue dog stories out there. Don't be put off. Some dogs just end up in rescues because they were the wrong sort of dog for that owner or the owners were not meant to be dog owners in the first place (and probably should have got a stuffed toy instead).

Hi Van,we have just rescued our second dog ,our first Chloe was pts not long ago ,within a few weeks we had found Lola,i have always taken great care when adopting a rescue dog because you dont always know their history and you have to allow for possible problems and have lots of time& patience ,and above all love ,we were told that Chloe was no good with children .!!!!!!!.she was like a maiden aunt with them and all the children we had in our home ,we lost her at almost 15 years !the same was said of Lola ,i know its early days yet (we have only had her for about a month she is seven months old now) and she loves everyone !!be prepared to help them to trust humans again ,and as with any dog or puppy its hard going ,but its worth it ,Lola has gone from being a very wary& slightly snappy pup to an absolute treasure,apart from some toilet training hiccups! she has learned already that no one here is going to hurt or yell at her ,i hope you decide to rescue as there are so many dogs needing homes, we decided to rescue and donate the extra money to a charity ,there are many beautiful Pedigree dogs to choose from and i have had them too ,but your rescue dog will be unique ,one of a kind !good luck !hope to see you back in the future for advice with your chosen dog Regards Sue T.

hi van
i'd say go for it and rescue a lab.we got milo just over a year ago as his owners were splitting up.He has settled in very well now that he knows he isnt ever gonna be top dog, and he loves our other 3 labs who're all bitches.He was a handful at the start but we have put a lot of time in with him and he is now a real softie.
unfortunately nothing can persuade him to behave at the vets, and he is a bit silly when he sees another male dog, but apart from that he's brill.we wouldn't swap him for the world.we've just got a choc lab puppy and he absolutely adores her, she sits inbetween his legs, and he's so protective of her.anyway i could go on forever about my choccy beast... but do go for it they're so worth it:)

Hi Van, I have 2 chocolate labradors, one I have had since he was 8 weeks old the other I got from mattie( Glenys). We have had cass for 3 months and I have never regretted a moment of it. She is 16 months old now and the most loving dog, she loves our company and just loves her cuddles. I am not going to tell you it is easy, because these dogs do need time to settle in, but once they do you will never remember a time without them. In most circumstances the rescue team will have history on the dog, so try to match them up with the right person, but some do come as strays so no history is known. As in the case of glenys she spends a lot of time with the dogs so she can assess them. Take a look on her site or maybe give her a call for some advice. www.helpalabrador.co.uk
carol

Hi to you all
Wow I am overwhelmed at the amount of responses on this topic and really enjoyed reading them all they have all been so informative. Just today I faxed our details to the helpalabrador area coordinator and am keeping my fingers crossed that we will hear from them soon. My husband and I are prepared to put in a lot of hard work with a rescue dog and give it lots of time and love, we would also like to take it to training classes. I was wondering who mattie (glenys) is because I don't think I have been in contact with her but left a message for somebody else. Would she be the person to speak to???
Sue, Carole and Miloos your labs sound absolutely terrific, it really does go to show that adopting from a rescue can truly work and I would love to hear more about them all. I love hearing lab stories.
John you know you are so right about all the breeders out there, it really is a minefield, there are lab adverts in local papers and all over the place and I wonder as to how they are reared and bred. Although saying that I have a list of over 54 breeders from the KC all with puppies listed and seriously do not know where to start. I mainly ask whether the parents are hip scored and eye tested, whether they have good temperaments and whether they are reared in a home environment. In any case we are now waiting to hear from the Lab Rescue but if nothing comes up we will contact a breeder. We would like to get a puppy/dog before the end of the Summer whilst the weather is still nice for toilet training etc.
Van