Expect a lot of Labrador Retrievers to be up for adoption in about six months. Marley.

[Shardik]

I own a lab and have read the book Marley which is a warm and beautiful book that I highly recommend. 've seen the ads for the movie and intend to see it as the clips seemed to be straight out of the book.

However.

The book and movie are accurate. I still have holes in a wall and destroyed molding from my Sweet dog's puppy phase which can last a lot longer than most breed's puppy phase. My pet is a sweet, intelligent blessing just as Marley was in the book and cute as all "get-out." I'm really concerned that this movie will send all the kids and many adults to decide they want this amazing breed for themselves and as labs need a buddy who will play and exercise with them and have an intelligent curiosity, many will quickly decide that the dog was a mistake for them and put them up for adoption.

So, if you or someone you know decides to adopt a Lab after seeing the movie, read or tell them to read up on the care and maintenance on labs before the COMMITMENT is made.

Here's a good place to start.

[madeline_con]

1. Sweet! I'm checking the local shelter!

I'll have one. I'd have 5 dogs if it weren't for my fun crushing spouse! No, he really tries to sound reasonable, but a pack would keep each other entertained.

[MiniMe]

24. Check your local rescues too. Link to lab rescues by state

http://www.thelabradorclub.com/subpages/searchrescue.php

You can find a rescue that had been approved by the Labrador Retriever Club at the link.

[aquart]

2. Ah, yes. Last year's Christmas puppy syndrome.

Golden labs make good service dogs. Hopefully someone will get funding to retrain these valuable and good-natured dogs.

[KamaAina]

53. My ex-boss has a yellow Lab service dog

When Mom met him, she said, "People should hire more people who use service dogs, just for the dog." :-)

[nytemare]

3. Labs are a high-effort, high-reward dog.

Boundless energy, somewhat high maintenance, but very sweet and loving.

Good post.

[ProfessorGAC]

36. Good Description

I have a Lab as well, and your description of them is spot on! High effort, high reward, indeed.
GAC

[Muttocracy]

4. I wonder if the Lab rescue groups are out in force

I know some husky rescue people were out distributing literature when huskies were featured in a few movies.

There are always a lot of Labs, but you're right, in a few months, those "ready for Christmas!!!!" Lab puppies will have just turned into obnoxious large doggy teenagers.

[MiniMe]

27. The lab rescue I foster for adopted out 10 dogs today at an adoption event

All ages. The rescues aren't so happy about the possibility that lots of people will be getting labs, in fact we are hoping that they will see the movie and realize how much work labs are. But pups 6-9 months of age come into rescue every year from somebody who fell in love with that very cute and sweet 2 or 3 month old puppy, and don't realize that you have to work to make a lab a wonderful dog, especially in the early years. They especially don't realize how much exercise a lab needs. A walk with you, even a mile long walk, just doesn't cut it.

[Muttocracy]

49. it's all those pictures of sleeping puppies in commercials and the L.L. Bean catalogs... nt

[Muttocracy]

50. and by the way, awesome for you group to find all those homes! nt

[TomInTib]

5. John Grogan is a customer of ours.

We just had this conversation.

Labs need to be with the right people.

I hope this movie doesn't screw up Labs.

Marley was a rascal.

But my Golden, Seamus, was cooler.

Just sayin',

Tom

[Shardik]

7. My lab IS the reincarnation of Marley.

And every bit as sweet and fun as the original. :)

[TomInTib]

8. I knew a dog named Sailor

Belonged to a friend of mine


Oh, hell, it's late and I am out of long-term energy.

I wish I could type faster.

Merry Christmas

Tom

[Cleita]

6. Our beautiful and sweet Lab was nicknamed "Jaws" when she was a puppy.

It's best that any body who wants to adopt one reads up and how to get them through their puppy months. Real hands on training is needed and lot's of personal attention. She still needs a lot of attention, loving and something to chew on. Labs love to swim in water. Since we don't have any water features, artificial or natural, family assumes she doesn't miss what she doesn't know, but I think she has a genetic memory that is telling her that she wants to go swimming.

[NYC_SKP]

11. Lovely dogs and yes, early training is everything.

Never correct a puppy except in the middle of the unacceptable act. That's a widely missed rule.

[NYC_SKP]

9. My Black Lab, Bridget, was awesome (god rest her soul).

I picked her out among her litter mates. She was sitting and watching while the others were playing or sleeping--the smart one.

She soon learned to climb up and over a chain link fence.

I was on a roof one day and she followed me up an extension ladder with ease.

She would dive to the bottom of the deep end of swimming pools for rocks.

And she was just the loveliest thing ever.

She past at age 15 years. No pics on this computer but nothing but memories of love.

[dysfunctional press]

16. up an extension ladder? wow. our girl won't even go down the basement stairs.

and she doesn't like the car too much...but she does like to swim when she gets the chance.

[NYC_SKP]

18. Dogs have more trouble with going down than going up things, I've observed.

And the swimming thing, forget about it!

I hope you take her whenever you can, bring a frisbee, wear her out with it, she'll love you even more.

I miss her.....:cry:

[dysfunctional press]

19. fredda loves her frisbee(she just turned two last month)...

but she has just as much aversion to going up stairs as well. it took some doing, but we finally got her used to going up (& down) the 4 steps from the yard to our deck and back again.

but she loves leaping for the frisbee- it's actually a red rubber one made by the kong people- she hasn't been able to chew it to bits yet. her other favorite is her jolly ball- the kind they use for horses- i got it at the farm&fleet.


the one on the left is the dog-size...the one on the right is for horses. she has the one on the right.

[Lorien]

10. The title of the book was "Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst

Dog" that kind of said it all. I think that both the book and the film will serve more as a warning to potential Lab owners-unlike 101 Dalmatians, which spawned a huge uptick in Dalmatian ownership (and they are hardly a good choice for first time dog owners) which later lead to adoptions...or worse. Marley sounded a lot like my friend's yellow lab Bessie, though Bessie could have, for a long time, worn the title of "world's most evil, deranged and destructive dog". Thankfully she's old now and has lost a lot of her bite!

[Shardik]

29. You're completely right.

But I am afraid that the movie will do as all movies do with dogs in the title.

Play the beautiful and ignore the responsibilities.

:)

[BrklynLiberal]

12. They should put a WARNING at the beginning and end of the movie.

Pets are NOT disposable.
They are a lifetime commitment,
and if you are not ready for that kind of commitment,
do not get a pet!!!

[Lorien]

15. The book made dog ownership sound EXTREMELY challenging

so they probably won't need a warning if the movie is at all true to it, lol! Still, it wouldn't hurt to reinforce that idea.

[lukasahero]

35. The movie itself should serve as the warning...

I had a Marley look-a-like but I'm glad he didn't act like Marley. As wonderful as my Lab was, the book served to make me think twice about getting another one (they are not all like my St. Beau.)

I've been pondering the affect this movie will have on Labs - given that they are already the most popular dog in the country, it's hard to imagine this particular movie (and the "world's worst dog") will encourage people to go out and get one. Let's hope the movie does the book justice.

[kestrel91316]

13. Nope. Not this time. Labs are GREAT dogs. And as mutts, they

improve every breed they are crossed with.

No bias here........nope.......

[dysfunctional press]

14. ours is a black lab...it's 9 below, and she's crying to go out and play...

meet fredda katz.

[TahitiNut]

22. She's GORGEOUS! Play with her. Play with her!

:rofl:

What's a little cold when it's time to PLAY?

:rofl:

She looks a LOT like my (dear departed) Bo ... that intense, probing, "when are we gonna play" look. Always with the expectations. Always ready.

[dysfunctional press]

28. she got her play time- she always does...

but she didn't seem to mind coming in tonite, instead of the way that she usually puts up a fuss...then she spread out in front of what was left of the fire. i'll have to wake her up for bedtime.

bo sure looks like he was a handsome fella- he looks in the picture like he has the more traditional, squared-off kind of head- a lot of them seem to have pointier snouts, nowadays...fredda has the more traditional look as well.

it looks like bo had been in some water before the picture was taken?

[TahitiNut]

37. Yup. Bo was bred from field champions with English bloodlines.

He had the classic conformation, without what they called the "snipey" snout. He was an extraordinary guy. That photo was taken in the summer when he was a bit over 3 years old ... with the water hose and the frisbee. He loved playing in the water (he had a plastic wading pool, too) and chasing/catching the frisbee. In the photo, he's been told "Stay!" ... so he's watching attentively, whimpering just a little bit, and waiting to hear "Bo!" so he can run after the frisbee, (I spent a lot of time training him ... all with positive reinforcement. He was gooood.)

[SammyWinstonJack]

42. She is beautiful!

[Ayesha]

17. Mom to 7 dogs here

Our Chocolate Lab, Elphaba, is in a class of her own. She's loud, stubborn, and has a penchant for eating expensive electronics. She's also smart, funny, irrepressibly affectionate, and doesn't have a mean bone in her body. I think/hope that the Marley film will not result in many Lab adoptions by unprepared people. They certainly can't say they weren't warned about what life with a Lab can be like! Then again, I knew what lovable monsters labs can be, but I was suckered in by this face...

http://pics.livejournal.com/ayesha/pic/00025r8e

That's her "Why yes, I AM on crack!" expression, and yes, I fell for her, even though I knew better. She's 3 now and somewhat better behaved. She no longer tears the house apart, but she still loves to embarrass us by crotch-sniffing our guests, fetching inappropriate items from the bathroom trash, and barking non-stop when she wants something. She gives Marley a run for his money, that's for sure! We adore her. :)

[Shardik]

38. Great looking sweetheart!

I'm about to leave and pick up my new baby at a pound in a nearby town. He's just been neutered and will be moving to a new home with his new dad and a new older sister. I really hope all works out well.

[BrklynLiberal]

39. I can see why you could not resist her...

[TahitiNut]

20. My Black Lab (Bo) was a TOTAL commitment, particularly during his first years.

He could get into EVERYTHING. He chewed the window sills and book shelves and shoes ... because he was bored and enjoyed the 'novelty' of his jaws.

No question about it. A Labrador needs a family that's ready to give him plenty of companionship, play, exercise, and just plain hugs and love. Bo was the BEST dog that ever scared up a skunk and needed a tomato juice bath.

[EFerrari]

21. I can't think of a worse time to adopt a puppy than at Christmastime.

Yikes.

[Lorien]

32. Yet 40% of puppy SALES happen over the holidays

the Humane society is sponsoring a "adopt, don't shop" movement, but still, a puppy makes a bad gift. People should adopt their own pets when they're ready.

[MiniMe]

23. It happens every year, but this year will be worse

I foster for a lab rescue, every year around May or June, we start getting the 6-9 month olds into the rescue. The puppy that was so cute and sweet and adorable at 2 or 3 months grows and is getting big and has tons of energy, and has probably received close to no training. People think that dogs just train themselves. Unfortunately, labs don't mature until about 2 or 3, and they absolutely need training starting when they are a puppy.

The good news is that people are still adopting from rescues, we had an adoption day event today and adopted out 10 dogs, 2 of them were a pair that had to be adopted together. The rescue has adopted out over 600 labs this year.

I had a foster one time that could have been Marley. He was about 9 months old, and had received absolutely no training other than house training. He was a holy terror. He was definitely a dog that needed a job. He went to work for NIH and is now a bomb sniffing dog. That dog is now worth about $10,000 after the training he has had. I had another foster that went to work for ATF, I actually heard when he made his first bust. The police are starting to use labs a lot for that kind of work now, GSDs tend to make people nervous and the police don't know if they are nervous because of the shepard or because they have something to hide. The ones that go into law enforcement are the ones that are typically high energy and very driven, and usually make poor pets. We only adopt out dogs to law enforcement agencies if the dogs stay with their handlers 24/7.

[adigal]

43. I run a lab rescue, and would love to find out how to get in touch

with law enforcement people for some of the labs that come into my hands. They would make great working dogs! I have one in particular, he is a holy terror, but a doll, just needs a job.

[MiniMe]

51. PM sent

[yardwork]

25. I've known Labs that literally ate the dining room chairs and tables.

Another Lab would burrow a hole in the sofa if her family stayed out too late at night. A hole large enough for her to crawl into.

[Lorien]

33. That was my friend's lab Bessie

She'd chew the leg off a chair when you were sitting in it-and bite you if you tried to stop her. She'd crawl onto the dininng room table to get at mail, hats and gloves, books-whatever was there-to tear it apart. She'd bite at your feet and sleeves when you walked up and down stairs. Her owners don't have any clothing that doesn't have holes in it. She eats shoes, photo albums, the kid's toys, kitchen utensils, fireplace logs, area rugs, sofas...you name it! She tries to attack anyone who walks past their house...and nearly has on many occasions. She get's three long walks a day and plenty of frisbee time, treats, toys, but it's never enough. They tried putting her in the basement once as punishment-but she ate three of the basement stairs. She's been to obedience school-several of them-and the trainers told her owners that she was hopeless and that they should put her down. They didn't, and Bessie is now thankfully so old, deaf and blind that she at least can't try to attack random people anymore or see the stuff on top of the table to go after it, but man, she's cost them a bundle over the years!

Nope, dog ownership is a HUGE commitment. Thankfully there are few hellbeasts like Bessie out there, but it does take real time,love, energy and focus to properly raise a puppy.

[Blue_Tires]

26. they had the same glut of unwanted dogs after "101 Dalmations"

[Shardik]

30. And just called the local pound and adopted this 10 month old...

All my walls and framing haven't been destroyed yet. :)

[BrklynLiberal]

40. I am sure he looks much happier now. Pls post a smiling pic of him

now that he has found his forever home...

[adigal]

44. Bless you for adopting - i have 4 young females for adoption

right now, and it is SLOW!!

[Tracer]

31. I read the book too, and ...

... I was in tears at the end.

I hope that the movie doesn't dumb down a charming and lovely tale.

[Marrah_G]

34. My guy took in a golden that a friend couldn't handle and in the end

He had to give our sweet baby back to the breeder. Jessie chewed everything, including his tail, and the most scary thing was the cover for the pool. He got one of the ones that are so strong (and expensive)you can walk on it, just to keep the pup out of mischief. Jessie responded by chewing the seams. My guy responded with putting a fence around the pool. Puppy chewed through the fence.

Faced with the dog in danger of drowning and no more fund left to put a chainlink fence up around the pool, Jessie went back to the breeder with her assurance she could find a good home for him with lots of kids.

[adigal]

41. I run a lab rescue, and I was thinking this same thing

I am going to be even busier around April or May. :( People can be so ignorant.

[annabanana]

45. My dear labmix was a ca-RA-zy puppy.

He burrowed out of our fenced in back yard, gnawed on every stick of furniture and peed everywhere for what seemed forever. He was still pretty wild as a one year old...

He is advanced in years now. His hips hurt and it's harder for him to get up on the couch. But he is now and has always been the sweetest, best natured mush face in the world.

[leftchick]

46. my Lab is a rescue

her mother was a golden but you would never know it to see her. I totally agree, the first three years are especially intense. She has not chewed up anything I have not given her though. I highly recommend going the rescue vs breeder route.

[northernlights]

47. hopefully the economy will put the kibosh on buying puppies

People are being forced by finances to give up their critters to shelters, which are overflowing.

[Stinky The Clown]

48. Border collies are sort of in that same category .......

VERY smart dogs that MUST HAVE jobs or they can be the bane of your existence. If you don't give them a job, they'll make one up.

You may not like it.

And they see the kids some people think they're so marvelously keeping out of the street as just their charges. They are perfectly capable of escalating from yapping and pushing with their shoulder to biting the kids on their legs if the kids fail to obey the dog's escalating attempts to keep them where the dog thinks they need to be.

The problem you postulate about Labs has already happened with other breeds. BCs were one of them back when that movie (with Nick Nolte and Bette Midler????) that had a BC star was popular.

[Muttocracy]

52. and the Babe movies... and the Animal Planet frisbee dogs... sigh. nt

[babylonsister]

54. iirc, this also happened after '101 Dalmatians' was released. nt

[flvegan]

55. I was going to say that. That story/movie ruined the breed.

[JerseygirlCT]

56. LOL, labs always remind me a bit of those kid's toys - the little

sponges that start out tiny, and you just add water, and they blow up...

Feed those cute little puppies twice, and suddenly they're bigger than the 5 yo down the street!

I'm not a pet person at all, but my brothers have both had labs, and even I have to admit, they're darn cute little pups. And nice, if huge, grown dogs.