Sideways
Moderator
Some of this stuff you'll totally have nailed, Lost. Yeah, cold climate labs shed a tonne of hair (who cares, am I right!?) and will prefer to lie around in the cool on hot days. There are some fantastic undercoat rakes on the market now though that can help with both these issues if you do a quick comb over the coat in the mornings.
Undercoat rakes vary a lot. Took me a few goes to find the right one for my dog's coat: But they're not very expensive, easy to use, and help a lot if you find this becoming a problem as puppy grows up.
Although a lab pup is going to explore a lot with its mouth, all pups do. You had Chopper as a pup I think? Pit bull breeds are strong chewers. It's a safe bet that anything he can't destroy? Will also be safe for a lab pup. There's always a risk with chewing, but the toys available are getting a lot better with their labelling for softies (like my fella) and strong chewers who risk swallowing any bits that fall off.
While we don't have American Pit Bulls here, we certainly have super similar breeds. They're a high energy dog that need a lot of exercise and a lot of socialising. So I reckon you'll be all over it with a lab. As far as fostering puppies go, we're certainly more confident handing over a lab pup than many other breeds to inexperienced foster carers, and you'd be considered an experienced carer given your history not just with Chopper but also working with rescue organisations. Yes, they're very different to pit bulls, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're harder than a pit bull pup - the issues are just different.
Super excited for you. There's nothing like having a puppy bouncing around the house to bring a smile to someone's face. I'd put my hand up for fostering guide dog puppies for sure (their state's head office is in my suburb - what are the odds!?) if my fella was even mildly more suitable as a littermate! The lady next door to us fosters black lab pups for the guide dogs, and yeah, they're a handful. But so worth it!
The climate here isn't all that different to Florida's and if you have a good A/C in the back and tinted windows (surprisingly cheap - looked into here anyways) your dog will be fine in the car with you. Personally I prefer cranking up the A/C for doggo rather than switching between his cooling vest and working jacket. He stays perfectly dry, cool, and it's much less hassle.
Undercoat rakes vary a lot. Took me a few goes to find the right one for my dog's coat: But they're not very expensive, easy to use, and help a lot if you find this becoming a problem as puppy grows up.
Although a lab pup is going to explore a lot with its mouth, all pups do. You had Chopper as a pup I think? Pit bull breeds are strong chewers. It's a safe bet that anything he can't destroy? Will also be safe for a lab pup. There's always a risk with chewing, but the toys available are getting a lot better with their labelling for softies (like my fella) and strong chewers who risk swallowing any bits that fall off.
While we don't have American Pit Bulls here, we certainly have super similar breeds. They're a high energy dog that need a lot of exercise and a lot of socialising. So I reckon you'll be all over it with a lab. As far as fostering puppies go, we're certainly more confident handing over a lab pup than many other breeds to inexperienced foster carers, and you'd be considered an experienced carer given your history not just with Chopper but also working with rescue organisations. Yes, they're very different to pit bulls, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're harder than a pit bull pup - the issues are just different.
Super excited for you. There's nothing like having a puppy bouncing around the house to bring a smile to someone's face. I'd put my hand up for fostering guide dog puppies for sure (their state's head office is in my suburb - what are the odds!?) if my fella was even mildly more suitable as a littermate! The lady next door to us fosters black lab pups for the guide dogs, and yeah, they're a handful. But so worth it!
The climate here isn't all that different to Florida's and if you have a good A/C in the back and tinted windows (surprisingly cheap - looked into here anyways) your dog will be fine in the car with you. Personally I prefer cranking up the A/C for doggo rather than switching between his cooling vest and working jacket. He stays perfectly dry, cool, and it's much less hassle.
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