labrador?

I have a Labrador.  He's just over 4 months now, but he is a super intelligent, super sweet dog.  He has loads of energy but if I get him properly tired out he is happy to curl up and watch TV as well.  He's a challenge, but smart enough that teaching him the things NOT to do is not difficult.  
 
Kate

Hello,
I'm new here and am "catching up" on posts. I have two labs. Hope is my 9 year old black and Bodie is my 9 month old yellow. For what it's worth, in my opinion, yes, they are extremely intelligent and easy to train. They make wonderful family dogs. I can't imagine living without a Lab.
 

I've never owned a lab, but I've groomed plenty of them!  They are a great breed (if well bred, unfortunately their popularity has lead to a lot of poor breeding).  I've also known many who own them.  Great dogs, smart but many are quite stubborn when they want to be!  Good family dog as well.  

I grew up with Labs, so when it came time for me to choose my first dog as an adult, a Lab was the natural choice. I have not been disappointed.

Labs are super friendly, enthusiastic, willing to please, smart dogs. My Spike is just a dream (of course we puppy tested him to get the personality we wanted). He knows so many commands and words, I swear he speaks English. He loves to play and needs lots of exercise--these were bred as working/hunting dogs after all. But when he crashes, he crashes hard too.

There are lots of reasons why Labs are such popular pets in our country. They are great companions. Take them swimming, take them to the park, take them to meet other dogs--they love it all.

However, saying all of that, Labs aren't for everyone. My sister prefers small dogs that need less exercise and can't drag her down the street. Everyone should research their breed before they buy. Even a mix could have attributes of the constituent breeds that you can look for. Don't ever buy a 'cute' puppy without knowing that it's really the breed, and individual dog, for you. I believe in puppy testing for personality.

Check out the tons of online resources about dog breeds to learn more about Labs.

(Pictures are Spike at 7 weeks the day he came home with us, and full grown. Spike is an American Lab, most often mistaken for Great Dane!)

Hi Whitewidow,   I have a 3 yr old Lab who is so smart I swear he knows English.  I have had dogs my whole life and it seems after a few years they stop learning or have learned all they want, but thats not so with a Lab.  My Parker is still learning new things everyday. This is the first Lab I have ever owned and I'm hooked on them. I hope you research the breed you want to get before you get one and good luck...

I'll go ahead and appologize now but I'm about to do some serious bragging about my lab.  I never knew how intelligent a dog could be until I got my lab.  She is now 7 years old and is still learning new tricks.  An ex-boyfriend of mine got her when she was about 4 weeks old from the local animal shelter.  She immediatly learned to sit.   She was also super easy to housebreak.  Unfortuately she was badly abused and once I realized it, I got her her out of the situation and fast.  She does all sorts of tricks.   She can sit, lay down, beg, stand up (on her back legs only), dance in circles, turn around, shake hands, high fives,etc. etc. etc.   When I know she wants a treat I'll say "Tell me" and she'll start barking. I can tell her to whisper and she will softly growl. I have also taught her commands in Spanish and German.  German usually means she's been caught doing something wrong and that she should stop immediately.  Spanish is reserved for when we have guests and I want to give her a command without seeming like I'm getting onto her a lot. She's usually so good that we don't have to use either though.  She's super protective of me and will stand across me on the bed when she hears a noise.  She knows when you upset and will come put her head in your lap.  When she's been rolling around in the backyard and is covered in grass, we will tell her to shake and she will shake off before coming back into the house.  She also has the ability to sucker my mother out of treats all day long.[]  To say that Labs are intelligent is an understatement.  She also loves car rides and long trips. Everyday is an adventure for her.
 
While they are smart they are great pets as well.  The only complaint I have is that she gets way too excited on our walks.  I love her enthusiasm, but I worry that she will strangle herself in her collar as she pulls really hard.  We usually play frisbee and fetch in the backyard for exercise instead.
 
 I've had to be away from my lab for a little while now.  I can't put into words how much I miss her and how hard it is to sleep at night without her at my feet keeping me safe.  She is the best friend I could ever have, and I look forward to seeing her again in a week.  To say she is spoiled is an understatment.  I have sent treats, food, toys, and chews home to her several times since I've been gone.  Don't feel bad for her though.  She's living it up at my parents house.  I'm sure she will have gained a couple of pounds from all the treats my mom will have fed her!
 

We have a 3 month old chocolate puppy, Mocha Bean- I do agree with the comments in the other posts. Very smart breed.  She was house trained in about 4-5 days. Most Labs are "food whores" as our good friend and former lab parent says which made our pup easy to train with treats- she learned "sit" in a about an hour and "down" the following day-"stay" is a different learning curve!. I also agree that they can be stubborn and will test the limits, but once you assert yourself as a calm and confident leader- they pick up on that fast. Our Mocha already gives us that " I know I'm not supposed to do this, but I'm gonna try it anyway look" So, at least she KNOWS she's being naughty, so the reprimand is no surprise. They do have a lot of energy, but we're really active and I swear the walks and dog park  trips are as much fun for us they are for her. We just have to get her to sleep 1 and half more hours in the morning!  Definitely give Labs a good look.

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My dog, Shadow, is a mix of Siberian Husky and Lab. He tracks like a Lab. I've seen track scent on concrete in the rain. And he will prey point, too. He's mostly Husky in temperment and metabolism and structure but he does have some lab features. Here's a labby look from him with a cheapie digital. And another where you can see different features of both breeds.
 

ORIGINAL: wildboar

The only complaint I have is that she gets way too excited on our walks.  I love her enthusiasm, but I worry that she will strangle herself in her collar as she pulls really hard.  We usually play frisbee and fetch in the backyard for exercise instead.

Have you tried a gentle leader or a harness? That works with Spike. He has learned to heel nicely (when asked, of course, he doesn't volunteer) without all the choking. It certainly makes our walks a lot more pleasant.

We have a lab... only one piece of advice. If you choose to get one, Please, PLEASE research and find a descent, reputable breeder. We rescued/adopted our guy about three and a half years ago. At just over a year of age he was barely able to walk due to the severity of his hip dysplasia. Now, at five, he is on two medications daily for his hips/arthritis, he has cataracts in both eyes, is on a strict diest due to his digestive problems and is generally in the condition of a dog three times his age. The vet blames it all on the irresponsible breeder from which he came.
He is a great dog though. VERY intelligent, VERY loyal and willing to please... and is just like one of the family.
Sadly, I don't know how much  longer he will be with us. We just try to keep him happy and comfortable, as best we can. He's such a great dog, he's been so good to us and such a wonderful companion for us. Should anything happen to Dusty, I'm sure another lab will attempt to fill his shoes. It's a breed that once you've had the pleasure of owning, you just simply can't do without.
Each one is different in it's own way. Dusty is one of many we've had through the years. Our first was a yellow boy, named Sam. He was such a perfect farm dog. Loved us as much as we loved him. Never strayed from the barn, played with horses as if he were one, followed loyally on trails and kept strangers at bay. Our next was a black boy. He was a great family dog, although he was wary of strangers and made a better guard dog than farm dog. He was timid of the horses, but never backed down from protecting us. He once scared off three teen boys who were trying to break into our house, while my husband was out of town. It was terrifying, but Bodi kept himself between me and them and acted like the meanest, most aggessive guard dog you've ever seen until they left, then he took his place of honor next to me until my husband came home. His job that night was to protect me until the man of the house returned, and thankfully that's what he did.   Then we had, Buster, a chocolate lab. He was just a big ball of goofiness. He kept us laughing all the time. He was NOT a guard dog or a farm dog and thought EVERYONE was his friend. And then along came Dusty. A young dog who just needed a chance. He's been a great dog. Kind of a combination of all the rest, although he's not really got an aggressive or protecting instinct. Which is fine. That quality isn't needed in him. Our GSD has that job. Dusty's job is just to be a loyal, family memeber. He's the one who will do whatever command you ask, treat or not. He's good for our daughter, too. She's just in love with her. He's her dog. The way it should be.