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Labrador bitch or dog?


tom_0787
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I am looking to gat a chocolate labrador and was about to put a deposit down on a young pup only to find someone had beaten me to him! That got me thinking as to why i want a dog as apposed to a bitch? To me the only real reson (as a first time owner) is that bitches have seasons and special care has to be taken around other dogs at this time but this could be resolved by having her spayed.

 

Im now leaning towards getting a bitch as i really fancy a pup from this litter as both sire and dam have a fantastic ft and working history which is just what im after.

 

Any advice from the more experienced dog owners out there?

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I am looking to gat a chocolate labrador and was about to put a deposit down on a young pup only to find someone had beaten me to him! That got me thinking as to why i want a dog as apposed to a bitch? To me the only real reson (as a first time owner) is that bitches have seasons and special care has to be taken around other dogs at this time but this could be resolved by having her spayed.

 

Im now leaning towards getting a bitch as i really fancy a pup from this litter as both sire and dam have a fantastic ft and working history which is just what im after.

 

Any advice from the more experienced dog owners out there?

 

My advice is that if its your first attempt at gundog training get a bitch and one with as good a working line that you can afford, most are more biddable than dogs, AND dont buy a chocolate they are stupid, thick and to my knowledge have never yet won a field trial.... you have been warned :oops:

 

Very best of luck whichever way you decide.

 

:good: D2D

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Just got me self a new puppy, had HER 3 weeks now and SHE will be my 3rd bitch, where as my currnent working dog is a 9 year old lab DOG, and I personaly wouldn't have another DOG but would only have bitches as I think they have a better temperment and "slightly" easier to train.

 

As I do mainly rough and pigeon shooting along with wildfowling there is little interaction with other dogs, so seasons arent too much of an issue to me.

 

Just my personal opinion

 

Trev

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I have got a labrador dog for my first gundog, I find no problem other than he wants to play with other dogs although he has calmed down alot within the last month. They just need more time than bitches, and you dont need to keep the dog at home for a couple of weeks during the beating season.

 

Chocolates are not dumb just play up a bit. I like to have a dog instead of a bitch because when you want to breed you dont have to worry about vets and that you just need to get your dog to do his business to his bitch :good:

 

Im giving my dog till he is 2 then I will get my decision.

 

You could always get the dogs balls removed.

 

Df

Edited by dustyfox
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A chocolate lab with a ft history??? What's that then? About as useful as a chocolate tea pot! :oops:

 

Most 'experienced' gun dog handlers will tell you that a bitch is more biddable and therefore easier to train. Personally I like big powerful labs so it's dogs for me. As for training...well they do as well as most :good:

 

Ask LB about Ben, a ******* good dog...literally :good:

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Bitches are in season 6 weeks a year, dogs 52. Having said that, with commitment and hard work, dogs can make great workers, (yellows or blacks, that is)

Andy

 

But when a bitch is in season you cant teach them anything, they are like scatter brains.

 

 

My dog although his dad was a chocolate labrador he's good both son and dad. I have seen his dad work in the field and he was excellent, thats why I got the puppy from him.

 

You cant judge a book by its cover.

 

Im with highlander I like a big powerful chunky labs that can push itself throw cover and pick up large game.

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as a first training attempt get a bitch, they're born half trained and far more bidable and less head strong. My brother made the mistake of getting a dog first and had a nightmare at 3 he's now pretty good but not as good as the bitch he got 18 months later who is pretty much spot on already with half the work. Test

Edited by al4x
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THanks for all the info, it seems that the jury is decided on a bitch. As far as chocolates being hard to train i have always understood it that its just the colour of their coat. Hence you can get a litter of black, yellow and chocs. I have been told that it was this stigma that chocs are mental that stopped them from being fashionable in the shooting scene. Surly a bitch from proven working is the way to go. The dogs i am looking at are form three vallys gundogs. just need to decide what to do so i can out a deposit down.

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Dam: KATIE - FFOSHELIG BROWN EYED GIRL OF RASHEEKA (HIPS 6/3 ELBOWS 0/0 EYES CLEAR)

 

Sire: THE ONE AND ONLY AT POOLHALL (HIPS 5/4 EYES CLEAR) by FTAW MANYMILLS MARS (HIPS 6/6 ELBOWS 0/0 EYES CLEAR) out of MEADOWHILL SARAH BROWN (HIPS 3 /4 EYES CLEAR)

 

Dam: MANYMILLS MADDIE (HIPS 6/5 EYES CLEAR) by GAINSMILL WINTER WARMER AT POOLHALL (HIPS 3/3 EYES CLEAR) out of POOLHALL DELIGHT BY FTAW MANYMILLS MARS (HIPS 6/6 ELBOWS 0/0 EYES CLEAR).

 

 

 

Sire: TWIG – HEATH BRIAR BANKS OF THREEVALLEYS ( HIPS5/5 ELBOWS 0/0 EYES CLEAR OPTIGEN CLEAR)

 

Sire: FTAW MANYMILLS MARS (HIPS 6/6 ELBOWS 0/0 EYES CLEAR) by FTW & SH CH MANYMILLS HERON (HIPS 5/4 EYES CLEAR) out of ROCK ROSE

 

Dam: MAGICAL MISS MILLIE (HIPS 5/6 EYES CLEAR) by DANCING JESTER OUT OF GINGIES TRUFFLE

 

 

 

Thats the dam and sire's parents. Ive got the sires 5 generation pedigree somewhere and its got a few FTW's in it

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A chocolate lab with a ft history??? What's that then? About as useful as a chocolate tea pot! :yes:

 

Most 'experienced' gun dog handlers will tell you that a bitch is more biddable and therefore easier to train. Personally I like big powerful labs so it's dogs for me. As for training...well they do as well as most <_<

 

Ask LB about Ben, a ******* good dog...literally :lol:

 

He has a healthy, normal, appetite Highlander for a Labrador, enough said :lol:

 

A dog every time as it will work harder, go farther, work 365 days a year and ask for more :good:

 

 

 

 

LB

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Im with highlander I like a big powerful chunky labs that can push itself throw cover and pick up large game.

 

I don`t agree with your theory there, a lab is not a dog for cover, thats a spaniels territory and my small springer who is little bigger than a cocker can and has retrieved goose and hare with regularity and my old girl has retrieved fox from cover that I couldn`t get in.

 

Anyway back on track, I have one elderly spayed bitch and a whole bitch. The old spayed bitch was easily trained and as she`s spayed has had continence problems which has been helped with drugs(propalin) so I would think before spaying.

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Thanks for that henry i didnt realise that incontinence was a possible issue with spaying. I wouldnt consider spaying until after her first season anyway. I think the fact that both parent of this litter are proven working dogs is whats really attracting me to them so as long as everything is in order i think i will go ahead.

 

Thanks for your help guys

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Im with highlander I like a big powerful chunky labs that can push itself throw cover and pick up large game.

 

I don`t agree with your theory there, a lab is not a dog for cover, thats a spaniels territory and my small springer who is little bigger than a cocker can and has retrieved goose and hare with regularity and my old girl has retrieved fox from cover that I couldn`t get in.

 

 

I know I have been told by a friend that some labs just dont go in cover, but mine doesnt seem bothered about it although sometimes he watches everystep he takes and moves his head out of the way from bramble he carries on.

 

Df

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I have always had bitches and never regretted it. They will work until they drop all day 365 days a year. Well that might be a bit of an exeration , but last year my old golden retriever bitch had 60 days wildfowling , 9 days game shooting and about 50 days pigeon shooting and still went wild when the gun came out of the cabinet.

 

Some of my friends have had dogs and very good some of them are too , but they always seem hard work to train compared to my bitches. I am looking for my next dog at the moment and looking down the adverts for 6 month to 2 year old Labradors and retrievers dogs out number bitches by 3 to 1. So it seems people are more likely to get rid of dogs than bitches. That tells you something about their nature.

 

Having said that both sexes can make fine gundogs and its not impossible that my next dog could be a male.

 

As for working in cover , 3 of my 4 bitches have worked well in cover , while one hated it and would only enter a bramble patch if it knew there was something in there.

Edited by anser2
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I only wish he was steady enough :blink: The tankards & rose bowl were at Scone scurry, one 2nd with me, 1st lady handler with her indoors, 1st on sunday & fastest over the 3 days with me = £200 in vouchers for Runarkorp :lol: He's not too bad in the field but gets realy hyped up at scurrys :/ He has never lost a runner yet :lol:

Edited by Tam
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