Need help choosing a dog breed

[pens fan]

True, salmon poisoning cost my neighbor over $1000. But, people always find money after the fact. Problem is, a $300 lab may end up with issues that will cost well over the initial sticker shock. My one neighbor killed his lab from hypothermia because of show dog breeding, had an insufficient undercoat. Died in 40 degree weather.

[Happy Gilmore]

True, salmon poisoning cost my neighbor over $1000. But, people always find money after the fact. Problem is, a $300 lab may end up with issues that will cost well over the initial sticker shock. My one neighbor killed his lab from hypothermia because of show dog breeding, had an insufficient undercoat. Died in 40 degree weather.

Show dog breedings(If you call it a "show" dog it must do some winning in the show ring) typically are over-coated. Meaning that they have way to much coat. If any dog dies from hypothermia the owner is at fault. Crummy owner would blame the dog breeder for his own stupidity.

[RifleRidge]

We love our lab...

[Stilly bay]

When he was eighteen months old I took him duck hunting on a spring creek.  When we got to the creek it was -15 and the high that day was 2 degrees.  We stayed sunup to sundown and he made a dozen or more retrieves in and out of the water that kept icing over, without a vest (I know, I was stupid).  He never whined once and we started calling him plum nuts after that

anyone dumb enough to take young dog out in NEGATIVE 15 degree weather without a vest probably doesn't have enough sense to identify K-9 hypothermia. just because your dog survived isn't a ringing endorsement to the breed, it just means your damn lucky that dog didn't die.

[. My one neighbor killed his lab from hypothermia because of show dog breeding, had an insufficient undercoat. Died in 40 degree weather.

 If any dog dies from hypothermia the owner is at fault. Crummy owner would blame the dog breeder for his own stupidity.
[/quote]
 
believe it or not duck hunters, there some days where you should just leave the dog at home and risk your own life instead.
and if its cold enough a dog vest just does not cut it. dogs are tough animals but they aren't immortal and can die from simple mistakes.

I hate to say it, but if $600-$1000 is your price range, you might want to reconsider.  Buying the dog is by far the cheapest part of owning a dog.  Hopefully you have considered that.

pet insurance is becoming less of a novelty these days and more of damn good idea. I have used "trupanion" and they are awesome. definitely changed the way I used to look at pet insurance.

[Kola16]

Coming back to this after a week of hunting. Where is the pic of the new lab pup 

A lab is what you need. This proves it  http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,108106.msg1412541/topicseen.html#new

[Curly]

Maybe a youtube video will help convince the wife to get a lab.

Smart labrador


Or some Boykins:

10 week old Boykin Spaniel pup training - part 2

Boykin Duck Hunt

[upwind]

I have a springer  he sheds just as bad as any lab and he gets cold duck hunting even with a vest . I love to hunt with him just have to be carefull .

[Stilly bay]

Do most Boykins swim that slow? he would get swept a hundred yards down stream over where I hunt. My labs swim so fast they plane.

[Atroxus]

I am still leaning towards a lab or boykin, but that is not written in stone by any means. I have some time to decide still. I need to save up the money first. Also my wife is a school teacher so I am going to try to time the purchase to take advantage of school break over the summer. Until then I am going to keep researching, and try to get as much first hand experience as I can hunting with people who have the  breeds I am considering. After hunting with Stilly I concluded that research will only get my so far. Field time with experienced Hunters/trainers seems like it is going to be far more valuable for me to make the best choice. I learned a lot from my outing with Stilly and his dogs, and feel pretty safe saying I have still just barely scratched the surface.

Several people here have offered or agreed to take me hunting with dogs so far. Now I am planning to spend the rest of this year getting as much field time with as many different hunters and dog breeds as I can so I can best decide what breed would be ideal for me and my family.


Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2

[lokidog]

Golden retrievers are pretty awesome too.     Unfortunately, up there on the price unless yyou watch carefully.

[Kola16]

How can you say no to a golden or a lab. Especially a golden like loki's  Cute little puppy.

[wraithen]

You guys have convinced me that i need a chessie lol. the sticker shock only lasts so long on a pup. My current lap dog is expensive for everything except food. She only eats 4 cups a day so thats not bad. ever priced out anesthesia for a spay/gastropexie on a 155 lb mastiff?  lol

[Curly]

Do most Boykins swim that slow? he would get swept a hundred yards down stream over where I hunt. My labs swim so fast they plane.

I wondered the same thing.   My lab (at least in his younger days) would be really high in the water and making quite the wake because he was going so fast.  Maybe it is an old Boykin.  I know that when my lab was over 11 yrs old, he started slowing down on his swimming......

[Atroxus]

So my wife is still digging in her heels about getting a Lab, so despite much trying it looks like they are off the table

Boykin is now the front-runner.

[Goldeneye]

So my wife is still digging in her heels about getting a Lab, so despite much trying it looks like they are off the table

Boykin is now the front-runner.

I'm curious.  What does she have against labs?  They are so versatile in the field and great family dogs.