Decided Against Getting The Puppy...

I think you're making the right decision. Not all labs are hyper. My Finn is so good with children, he never puts a foot wrong when my five year old niece is around or when my best friend's two year old son is here. Yes, Finn is extremely hyper sometimes and I just let him run his laps for a couple minutes in the living room and he's fine. Just watch out for the tail. ;) With training, almost any dog can be a joy to have indoors and around children. You will just have to give this dog a shot, and, see what happens. Good luck! :)

Thanks everyone! :D :D

I'm gald that you had the opportunity to try out the puppy before making any commitments. That was awful nice of the owners.

An adult dog does sound like its the way to go.
Please consider all breeds though, I know you had a terrible experience with a rott, but if bred & raised properly they & pitts are AWESOME family dogs. Many good reputable trainers & vets will say that they may ever surpass the lab & golden as far as being a family dog if they are bred & raised properly. I'm not saying you have to or should get one but please don't over look them completely. But if you truly feel you are better off with another breed than by all means go for it.
I wish you the best of luck!

Thats great that you got a "trial run" with the puppy. And I definately agree that an adult dog is a great choice. J-Ball is so handsome (don't particularly care for the name :p )

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Originally Posted by lv4dogs

Please consider all breeds though, I know you had a terrible experience with a rott, but if bred & raised properly they & pitts are AWESOME family dogs.

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I agree. I have a Rott, Shadow and she is the best family dog. She was a pup when my mom did daycare and there were always tons of kids climbing and laying on her and she just adores kids now and is extremely gentle. My lab mix on the other hand has no respect for children and tramples them, not really on purpose but hes just a clumsy puppy.

Good luck finding a dog thats right for you and your family!!! :D

I think if you want something calmer and more well behavied, an older dog is definetly a better choice. I own a lab, and although she loves to run and play and gets excited, she is a very calm dog at home. She will lay down with me if I'm laying down or being lazy, or she will jump right up to go and play. Whatever I'm doing is what she is doing!

Goodluck finding the perfect dog! I'm glad to hear you didn't get the first thing you saw only ending up to regret it!

Glad you got to do a trial, if more people did that it would work out so much better, hope it works out good for you with that sweet girl in the picture :)

Thanks. I am awaiting an email from a lady who rescues dogs. She has a 5 year old Golden Lab male. Excellent with kids and other dogs, but she hasn't tested him with cats yet (Ihave 3). I will let you know when she emails me back. :)

I think you are making the best decision for you. I am so glad your neighbor allowed a trial run that is good!
yes, labs and Goldens can be hyper but so can any dog. With lots of love, attention and some structure, I am confident you will find the perfect dog for your family, regardless of breed.
My sister has a Springer / lab mix that is excellant with her boys. They can climb all over him and he just lays there. I have a 4 year old Golden that loves them also - I do watch her around them tho b/c they are very boisterous and kind of rough and she isn't used to that and and she has hip dysplasia so I have to watch that they stay away from her back end. I don't want her to defend herself. I usually tell them my bite is worse then her's! ;)

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Originally Posted by Vette

Labs are also hyper.

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but most dogs in the shelters and rescues are Lab mixes. You would have a harder time finding one that wasn't considered "lab"..

Good luck!

Lucky me, my first pup was a GR/Yellow Lab mix-the best of 2 wonderful breeds. I got him as a wee pup and it did take 5 years for him to settle, but we never ever had a problem with him. Just gave him lots of excercise and training. He was easy to train and as smart as a whip. He had his "moments" (loved trash cans, anything paper) but as long as he had 2 tennis balls in his mouth at all times, he was content. I had had no dog experience, so I didn't, unfortunately know to socialize him well, or know about "alpha", but that was totally my fault. I'm glad to hear you did some research and decided the best breed for you. All dogs are different. My friend's yellow lab was also docile and laid back. Cody's mom was the GR, and as calm as could be, so chances are, his dad was the active one. The dog you're chosing is totally gorgeous!