[Apollopuppy]

What got you interested in labs?

For me, the rescue dog I adopted just happened to be a lab. But what sold me on Apollo was that they said that he was great with kids and small animals (i have a BIG "family" of ferrets and 3 cats) so having a dog that would not tear my animals to shreds was important to me. What about you guys??

 

[Chester B. Dickens]

My best friend as a kid had one. I vowed to get one ever since. Greatest dogs ever.

 

[Labs4life]

I went hunting in college with a room mate who had labs. Their intensity while hunting and their playfulness when they weren't "working", blew me away. I've been hooked ever since.

ETA: My second introduction was the two labs that lived in house behind where I worked in the summer (college). They would come running to us with balls to throw. Labs are always game for some fun.

 

[imported_bacatherine]

I've always loved big dogs. Graduation day from college my bf at the time was on his way to the ceremony and almost ran over this little brown dog He stopped and picked it up because he knew it would get hit and could not bare seeing it on the side of the road on the way home. He stopped at numerous houses to see if anyone knew where he came from no one did and it was a rural area so he brought him with him. He stayed in the car during the ceremony and he kept him. (he left his number with the neighbors incase anyone knew who it belonged to) Poor thing had over 50 ticks on him and covered in fleas and had worms. He had him vetted and the vet thought he was 5 1/2 or 6 weeks old we named him Hershey. He was most likley full lab (BYB) but he may have been mixed but I loved him so much. When we split (the bf and I) he had the house and more stable schedule so Hershey stayed with him. It broke my heart but it totaly made me want another lab. So when I was ready I knew I would have another then came Mocha.

 

[Dani]

I really admired them from afar for the longest time...then got sucked in by a cute puppy.

 

[Canyon Labradors]

We wanted a fun, trainable, family dog that didn't have a high prey-drive. We initially wanted a weimeraner, but heard that they could easily chase and kill a cat, and we had one at the time....I didn't want a puppy wreaking havoc. We are so pleased with labs, that we have 3 now, got into showing and plan on breeding.

 

[labby]

I read a book called "The Dog in my Life" by Kurt Unkelbach. It was the story about his daughter Cary and her dog Ch. Thumper of Walden. I was hooked on Labs and wanted one (I was like 9 at the time). I told my mom then I would have a Lab.

Funny, I recently touched base with Cary and told her how her father's book got me started with Labs. She was thrilled since both her parents are gone. Nice lady.

 

[cinderbay]

That is a loaded question for me LOL

I grew up with working dogs. By that I mean farm dogs, farm collies, hounds of all sorts and gun dogs of all sorts. These were always working dogs. Not pets by any means. When I was 8 or 9 we had two Beagles and a Lab mix. I spent almost all my time with these dogs. They were outside dogs and so that was where I was. Even if it meant playing in the kennel and laying in the straw with them.
It was my passion these dogs. I love to teach them tricks and set up obstacles they had to maneuver and jump (this was most likely pre-agility days and I was out of touch with the dog world anyway - I had no idea there were conformation shows for dogs).
At 16 my gift was a Rottweiler. She was my first ever obedience dog. I was getting hooked.
Then I had 3 Dobermans. After a terrible incident with aggression I needed a change. Where aggression was not going to be an issue.
I decided to let the criteria and research pick my breed. Lifestyle changed, my desires for a particular type of dog changed.
I kept coming up Labs and Goldens. To be honest I fought it. I thought Labs were just too typical.
Labs just won out because I was drawn to a black dog and I did not want GR hair everywhere. I will never regret it. The best breed ever!!

 

[Kinderwood]

When we decided we were ready for a dog, the DH wanted a "hunting dog". So, he said it had to be a retriever, either a Golden or a Lab since that is what he had when he was growing up. Well, since we didn't know any better and were just looking for a family pet, we searched my work classifieds which just happened to be loittered with home-seeking Labs. I gave one person a call, and I'm glad I did as that particular pup was most likely on his way to the shelter because they were in desperate need to get him out of their twinhome. So, we drove a round trip of about 100 miles and picked up Shadow (then called Tank- which really didn't "fit" him). I never thought I would love a "big" dog (I always wanted a Pembroake Welsh Corgi, lol!), but I really fell hard-core for Shadow. He won me over and I haven't looked back since. Today, you couldn't bribe me to buy a "small" dog!

 

[LabraDork]

For me it was the rescue thing too for all three. Rylee was my first and she is part retriever of some kind, and then Owen came into the clinic as a stray and I just fell in love with him! Plus we live on the water and you've got to have a water dog of some sort to enjoy it. Then came Hazel--she came into the clinic as a stray fully pregnant about to burst. So I took her and her 9 pups home to foster and I just couldn't part with Hazel. She's such an awesome dog. So I guess Labs have just stolen my heart! But I will always rescue and never buy. There's WAY too many homeless labs out there that need great homes.

 

[regarese]

We wanted a good sized dog-but not HUGE-with a great temperment that would be excellent with children.

 

[Apollopuppy]

bumping....wanna hear other's responses ;D

 

[lilydarling]

When I was growing up, we had a collie (Lady), and when Lady passed over the rainbow bridge, we got Patty, a beagle/terrior mix. It wasn't until I was married and out of the house that my parents got Leah, a beautiful black lab. She was the most GORGEOUS dog ever, and she was so loving and playful and sweet. I knew right then, if I ever got a dog, it would HAVE to be a black lab.

Fast forward 19 years. Almost 3 months ago, we finally brought home a dog.. a 7 month old black lab. Petey is everything I want in a dog! He's got the most wonderful personality! He's such a huge part of our family already.. I can't imagine having any other dog THAN a lab!

 

[Brigettas Mom]

When I was a little girl we had a yellow lab, Sandy. She was everything to me, she would follow me everywhere, swim in the lake and run through the woods with me, then let me put makeup on her at night and sleep at the foot of my bed. I love labs!

 

[Apollopuppy]

awww! Thanks everyone for sharing!

 

[Labmom2Sun]

Growing up, my brother and I "found" a stray chocolate mix who was probably dumped in our neighborhood. My mom did everything to find his owners, with no luck. We of course kept him, and for the next 14 years he was ours.

Woody was a FANTASTIC dog. Literally the perfect family pet. He romped on the beach with us kids, visited friends with us after school, went on weekend excursions with the family, wrestled with my dad, and was a wonderful companion. Woody didn't have an aggressive bone in his body, and was so smart and easygoing. I don't remember anyone in my family ever obedience training him, but he knew a lot of commands. My dad joked that he was better behaved than his kids.

People I grew up with still talk about what a sweetheart Woody was. I'm so glad SU got to meet Woody in his golden years. SU still gets misty-eyed when he remembers the phone call from my mom (when I was 22) about having to put old Woody down. My parents never did get another dog. They're afraid no one will be as good as Woody.

SU and I have always wanted a dog of our own. There was never any doubt that he or she would have to be a Lab or Lab mix.

 

[goodguy]

Is there another breed of dog?  For me the answer is no! 
My parents bought a puppy from a back yard breeder here in Orange County (Garden Grove) when I was about 9 (21 years ago) and from that day forward no other dog could top a lab.  She wasn't the prettiest lab ever... She had some aggression issues.  The breeder let my mom have her a few weeks to early, I think that had allot to do with it.  But we stuck with her, training and learning and higher trainer after trainer... One "specialist" even told my mom that we had no choice but to put her down.  We weren't satisfied with that answer.  Long story short it worked out... Was she the best dog ever?  No, but we loved her.  She eventually died to young (9 years) of cancer.  We hadn't had a dog for a couple of year and my parents did their research and we got Chloe( I was about 20)... The complete opposite of Mindy (our first)...  She was a beautifull little girl from a great breeder and the sweetest dog I had ever met at that time..  She is now 8 and thriving.  I have since married and made our daughter.  We bought a big enough house a year and a half ago to have a dog.  So we bought sami almost exactlly a year ago from the same breeder Chloe came from (cherry oaks labradors). Chloe is actually Sami's great aunt (Chloe's dad was Sami's great grandpa)  And Sami is the best and sweetest dog ever! 

Don't get me wrong though.. I love ALL dogs... But nothing will ever beat a lab in my book!

 

[maggiesmomm]

We had just lost a ESS to Springer Rage. My daughter was in a soccer league and a family showed up with a lab on a leash to every practice and game. A day didn't go by when someone didn't come up to them and comment "I used to have a lab - best dog I ever owned". I figured that was as good of advertising as you could get.

 

[Snowflake]

When I was a teenager we had a lab/german shepherd mix, though she looked and acted much more like a lab than a GS. She was the world's perfect dog. Not one minute of any kind of training, but trained herself to our every word and movement. Absolutely wonderful dog. I've always remembered that dog and wanted one like her.

Then there was college, a 23-year-long failed marriage and a remarriage. A few years ago, we bought a pontoon boat because we are both avid boaters and water people. AFter going out time and time again and seeing people with dogs on their boats, we wanted our own boat dog. We had (and still do have) Basset Hounds, but believe me, they are not boat dog material. If one of them were to jump in the water, they would probably sink like a rock.

So we thought about it and decided on a lab. A lab fit our needs and criteria: would be like my teen years dog, loves water, friendly, smart, trainable. Who could ask for more? So we got Annie and she was like a dream come true for us. Then when we lost her, I stayed in bed all that day and night crying. When I got up the next morning, my husband was sitting in the studio. He turned to me and we both said exactly together, "We're getting another lab." It was kind of eerie.

And in less than a month after Annie crossed the bridge, we put down a deposit on Sally. And that's how our sweet Sally got here! ;D Since we got a lab mainly for our boat and at the lake, I don't think I could have gone out on the boat and enjoyed myself without a dog. Sally has been a godsend for us. :angel:

 

[goodguy]

We had just lost a ESS to Springer Rage. My daughter was in a soccer league and a family showed up with a lab on a leash to every practice and game. A day didn't go by when someone didn't come up to them and comment "I used to have a lab - best dog I ever owned". I figured that was as good of advertising as you could get.

My first dog "Pal" was a Springer and was put to sleep when I was 5 because he grabbed ahold of my little arm and shook and wouldn't let go... That springer rage is a toughy!