maplelakeduckslayer wrote:My last black lab was great at all of that, maybe he spoiled me or I did a good job at training, but he never left the yard, never barked, hunted, and he'd let any little kid do anything to him without a reaction...Was mellow not super hyper. I really don't want a dog that is constantly running through the house tearing shit apart waiting for the split second you crack the door to bolt out and tear through the neighborhood. Nothing more annoying to me.
So if I just go on CL and get an "AKC" registered black lab puppy do I have equal chances as going anywhere else?
Your 2nd dog will never be like you 1st dog, so lower your expectations and you'll be happier. (kind of like the very 1st kiss vs the 1st kiss from the 2nd gal in your life - very good but not quite the thrill like the very 1st
).
What it sounds like is that what you need is a Beta temperament dog if going for a mellow dog. [Vs Alpha (I'm the boss) or an Omega temperament (in the middle)]. With a very strong Alpha being a 10, a 5-6 being an Omega and a very meek Beta a 1, it sounds like a 3 to 4 on that scale is what would suit you well. And this has a lot to do with the pecking order within the pups hierarchy. IMHO based on what I've experienced and read and listening to others: at 7 weeks is the best time to separate the pups. At 6 weeks the Beta's can be a bit anxious, and at 8 weeks the pecking order can be too well defined.
I suggest reading up on some buying a dog, like the squirm test. Basically you hold the 6 week old puppy with you hands cradling it's mid section lifting it off the floor a few inches with you standing above it. The quicker they squirm, the more dominant they are. That's an old stand by test from at least 50 years ago as the guy taught me that had learned it many years prior from another. I am sure some experts can tell you how many seconds until it squirms what temperament it'll be. But if you have say 6 pups, I'd being leery of the 2 fastest to squirm. And one that is a runt and picked by the other pups on I'd pass on as perhaps too Beta. Also ask the breeder, so which ones were the 1st to climb the stairs/steps? or break out of an enclosed area? (these are Alphas). Questions like that can be useful in determining their temperament.
A rescue dog may be in order IF you can find out what is all going on with it. My 2nd dog was a rescue, he came out of a divorce situation and was 3 YO and had premier (Frisbee) blood lines, He was an $800 pup, 35 years ago. He was a great mannered dog and I got him for free because they checked on me and they knew I'd treat him right and give him a good home (which is what they were after).
But as mentioned - if it was not at all trained, neglected, or worse (abused), you can have your hands full. Not saying they are not a good dog, but rather they will need extra time to undo bad behaviors, etc. Yes you CAN teach an old dog a new trick, it just takes longer.
For example - when my sister had a pup at 3-4 months, there was a burglary. What we gathered is it was struck by a man when it was in it's box. It trusted only 3 men after that. Of which I was 1, my Dad the other and a family friend the 3rd. It'd growl and/or skitter away from any other male humans -- and it did not do that prior to the burglary. It never overcame that fear of men. Thus why if a dog comes out of an abusive situation, its resulting behavior can last forever.
As for local shelters, don't tell them you are a hunter. I am serious, as I have seen people post that they were rejected because they hunted. (all was going great until until it was mentioned they can't wait to see what he can do to retrieve a bird. - it went south very quickly
)
Another source is the local Vets, as every so often they know of dogs that are available too, be it pups or a re homing situation (that is how I got my 2nd dog).
Another option is that a person seeing that you are looking may contact you. That is what happened 11 years ago, I wrote about loosing my dog to Lyme's disease. A few days later I was contacted by a member of the hunting site I was a member of too. So you never know how it may all come about.
The best method may indeed be through a referral.
I sincerely wish you all the best on your search.
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God, help me be the man that my dog thinks that I am.