The sporty not so little reason for my absence lately.....

TribalRats · 07-15-2006, 01:24 AM

We have been "interviewing" breeds for the past several weeks.
My husband and I decided to add a larger breed to the family as a pet only, not a showdog...we reserved that for the Rats as Rats are what we know best.
We met with a friend who has two bullies and spent some time with them a few days ago.....then we went and had a BBQ with some friends who own three labradors.....my father has an Aussie...and that covered the three breeds we were looking at.
We decided that while we liked the bullies my husband really would like to train a dog for search and rescue not to mention he has visions of us at the lake with a dog who actually goes swinmmg......most of our Rats think large bodies of water are poisonous.
My fathers Aussie we loved dearly (he passed) however, selfish as it is there is that hair issues. As in they have a TON of it.
The Labs however.......our 2 year old there the tennis ball for "Nala" continuously for about 2 hours. It actually tired him out, amazing. My husband was resting comfortably on "Simba" as "Rambo" the old man of the lab bunch lay on my feet.
It just seemed to fit seamlessly. They are however HUGE.

Especially when our biggest dog previously was our rescued mutt Charlie at 25lbs.
Any way we meet with three breeders ofver the past few days. All of which seemed fine however none of the pups were ...... the one. You know that feeling you get when THAT pup looks into your soul?
Well tonight we drove a couple of hours out into very rural central CA and meet a great hunting family who live on 18 acres.
The pups were some of the most well rounded beasts I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The parents were outstanding. My husband begged to take home the Sire however it seems he has quite a fan fare in his home with his family.
Regardless I know have sitting at my feet a beautiful little light yellow puppy who as of tonight has no name. Poor neglected guy.
He is the size of one of my full grown rats and he is just 8 weeks old.

We have thrown around a few names....Currently Haole (Hawley) Hawaiian meaning white man, is in the lead.
We will be taking him back out to his breeders for training. All of their dogs are cadaver dogs as well as excellent hunters. Don't have much use for the hunting....but the searching would be nice to have. Not to mention it would be a great bonding experience for both dog and master.
My toddler thinks he scares ghosts away......so I guess our home is now a ghost free zone thanks to our new furry ghost buster.
What WILL the rats say?

Edited to add:

and

briarlow · 07-15-2006, 02:14 AM

Ahhh he looks gorgeous. Some of my friends do SAR with their Spanish Water Dogs here in the UK and they love it, even though they are called out all hours of the day and night. I don't know how they do it as all three of them work full time and in responsible jobs. I wish that I could find the time to train my dogs for it.

WolfRyder · 07-15-2006, 05:39 AM

What a gorgous baby! We just got a lab-mix puppy and she's the sweetest thing and very smart!

It won't be long before you have him all trained

I was told by SAR people that labs make some of the best, easily trained SAR dogs and they love the work.

Novel · 07-15-2006, 05:43 AM

Beautiful dog tribal!! I look forward to hearing of his adventures!

***Swiftwind*** · 07-15-2006, 05:56 AM

Aww he looks gorgeous!

I can see why you picked him. It is weird, after having small breeds for such a long time, the larger breeds look like giants!

britishbandit · 07-15-2006, 06:49 AM

Wow, what a gorgeous little man you have there! And shocked...OMG, I had no idea you were even thinking about another dog, let alone a lab....LOL.
How are the Rats enjoying this new addition?? I wanna see a side by side of the Rats and the new puppy!!! HAHAHA.
This is awesome, I'm so happy for you!

poodlesmom · 07-15-2006, 07:07 AM

Congrats!

He is quite a handsome furguy! I'm sure your hubby will love the partnership they will create between them! I think it is wonderful that he wants to do SAR!

It is such an important job and while being heartbreaking it can also be very rewarding.

TribalRats · 07-15-2006, 07:36 AM

Thanks guys!
We had a great night last night...no accidents....WAHOO!!!
The Rat shave not had a chance to play with him much yet because we spent the entire day at his breeders house yesterday and much of the eveing...then witht he drive back it was after 10pm by the time we got home.
He is at 8 weeks the size of one of my 2 year old Ratties......what a change.
So far he is a pretty mellow easy going guy......only whined twice last night and at that only for about 30 seconds. Tonight might be different though since he will be not so off his game.
We are both really excited about SAR.
From what we have been told Labs are some of the best Cadaver dogs around. Might not be the most glorified job however it is a necessary one. We'll see where training takes us, he is a bit young still.

Regardless of anything else the training and bonding will be a great experience for all of us.
As for the breed change up it is just on a pet level. This guy will be neutered ASAP. That is why we got a male. We own no male Rats just females. So, we figured they might give him less of a hard time. We hope any way. Poor guy living with a bunch of women with nothing but a neutered old man (Charlie the wonder dog) for back up.

sammy · 07-15-2006, 11:22 AM

Congrats! He sure is a cutie.
I can't wait to see more pics and hear what the rats think about their new size large sibling! I met my first rat at a rally-o trial and she was a very cool dog, she had the spectators captivated as she went around the course

sidenote-- aussies actually shed far less than labs-- they do have lots of long, soft coat but hardly shed at all except for twice a year when they blow their coat. Even when my aussie blows her coat there is surprisingly little hair around. It seems lke less than what my border collie sheds year round. When I adopted my aussie she had tons of dried out, sunbleached ugly coat and I couldn't even force it out with a shedding rake other than a few hairs.
Labs on the other hand, shed year round quite a bit. The other nice thing about aussie hair (or golden hair or any other longish soft coated dog) is the hair doesn't stick to everything, it tends to ball up like tumble weeds and is easier to vacuum up. Nothing against labs here-- sounds like he is exactly what you were looking for and I'm sure he'll have a wonderful life as a companion and SAR dog. I'd be more than happy to own a lab- vacuuming is a small price to pay for such a great dog.

IceyBlueSibes · 07-15-2006, 11:28 AM

Oh, Trinity! He is SO cute! And definetly a change! What a sweetie!

How's his energy level? Most lab pups I have met have been extremely hyper...worse than my huskies! Not my style of dog! LOL But I'm sure it all comes from good breeding.

We cannot WAIT to see more pictures!!!

TribalRats · 07-15-2006, 11:34 AM

Sammy,
I think what it all boiled down to was how much fun we all had with the Labs we got to play with......
Good to know though that this cute little beast will keep me sweeping and vacuuming on a daily basis for the next 15 years (or more if we are lucky).
At first my vote was Aussie, then we met those darn Labs......I left the decision up to my hubby as he has lived with my decision on the rats all this time and really, there was no bad choice here.
I am much more excited then I thought I would be....I mean I thought I would be happy but.....I woke up every 2 hours last night to check on him, take him out and pet him. Like I am a first time Mom or something.
You know it actually feels like i have been waiting for this dog for a looooong time.

I appreciate the caution on the shedding.....

Icey you and I posted at the same time so I edited to add:
His energy level is grfeat. He plays for a bit then crashes hard. When he plays he really wants to interact with us and the play is totally non agressive.
While doing our research on the breed at hand we read that the English and American lines had different energy levels. The English is said to be easier going and the American more energetic.
Soooo we went on the hunt for an English bred pup. While he is not as blocky as some of the other English bred Labs (these guys come from a hunting line which usually uses the American lines) both of his parents were of superb temperaments. both met us int he drive way (they live on 18 acres in the middle of almost no where) both barking an alert and even knowing that Labs are not aggressive I was weary as they were so big and so not afraid of us. Mind you what I ended up with was a wet pant leg from the sires nose investigating the smells of my Rats.
We watched them play, we interacted with them (the parents) for hours.......learned all we could from the breeders )whom we will see regularly for scent training) and were so impressed with those two dogs it was shocking to me. it takes quite a bit to truly sell me on a breed other then my Ratties. That said I was sold.
I am so incredibly thrilled at the prospect of training a new breed, learning a new breed and adding this guy to the family. Every time I look at him i get butterflies. Crazy huh? who would have though it?
We will introduce the Rats slowly because I do not want him to stress, though I am not sure that is possible.....

sammy · 07-15-2006, 11:43 AM

Aaaaw too cute! That's great! He is a lucky pup to have you for his owner and the rats for his sibs.
Who wouldn't fall in love with a lab pup? They are a wonderful breed (and despiet their shedding , far easier to live with than many aussies)and yes we have to let our spouses make a few decisions about dogs from time to time

So how are those puupy pictures coming along? hint hint

I am anxious to see your new boy with the rats.

IceyBlueSibes · 07-15-2006, 11:49 AM

Well that's always good to have a pup with a great temp. I'm thankful that Kelso isn't one of those bouncing off the wall puppies! LOL Sounds like your boy isn't much of that either.

I hope the introduction to the Rat family goes well!

GoldenPup · 07-15-2006, 12:00 PM

He's so cute! What a suprise to hear too!

GoldenPup

Barrett · 07-15-2006, 12:33 PM

Oh GOSH he is so cute!!!!! Congratulations on your new bundle of energy!

07-15-2006, 01:24 AM	#1 (permalink)
TribalRats Take Responsibility Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Central Valley, CA Posts: 3,327 Rep Power: 143	The sporty not so little reason for my absence lately..... We have been "interviewing" breeds for the past several weeks. My husband and I decided to add a larger breed to the family as a pet only, not a showdog...we reserved that for the Rats as Rats are what we know best. We met with a friend who has two bullies and spent some time with them a few days ago.....then we went and had a BBQ with some friends who own three labradors.....my father has an Aussie...and that covered the three breeds we were looking at. We decided that while we liked the bullies my husband really would like to train a dog for search and rescue not to mention he has visions of us at the lake with a dog who actually goes swinmmg......most of our Rats think large bodies of water are poisonous. My fathers Aussie we loved dearly (he passed) however, selfish as it is there is that hair issues. As in they have a TON of it. The Labs however.......our 2 year old there the tennis ball for "Nala" continuously for about 2 hours. It actually tired him out, amazing. My husband was resting comfortably on "Simba" as "Rambo" the old man of the lab bunch lay on my feet. It just seemed to fit seamlessly. They are however HUGE. Especially when our biggest dog previously was our rescued mutt Charlie at 25lbs. Any way we meet with three breeders ofver the past few days. All of which seemed fine however none of the pups were ...... the one. You know that feeling you get when THAT pup looks into your soul? Well tonight we drove a couple of hours out into very rural central CA and meet a great hunting family who live on 18 acres. The pups were some of the most well rounded beasts I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The parents were outstanding. My husband begged to take home the Sire however it seems he has quite a fan fare in his home with his family. Regardless I know have sitting at my feet a beautiful little light yellow puppy who as of tonight has no name. Poor neglected guy. He is the size of one of my full grown rats and he is just 8 weeks old. We have thrown around a few names....Currently Haole (Hawley) Hawaiian meaning white man, is in the lead. We will be taking him back out to his breeders for training. All of their dogs are cadaver dogs as well as excellent hunters. Don't have much use for the hunting....but the searching would be nice to have. Not to mention it would be a great bonding experience for both dog and master. My toddler thinks he scares ghosts away......so I guess our home is now a ghost free zone thanks to our new furry ghost buster. What WILL the rats say? Edited to add: and
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

07-15-2006, 02:14 AM	#2 (permalink)
briarlow Join Date: May 2006 Location: Manchester, UK Posts: 521 Rep Power: 62	Ahhh he looks gorgeous. Some of my friends do SAR with their Spanish Water Dogs here in the UK and they love it, even though they are called out all hours of the day and night. I don't know how they do it as all three of them work full time and in responsible jobs. I wish that I could find the time to train my dogs for it.
	__________________ My dogs aren't my whole life but they make my life http://www.freewebs.com/briarlowsspanishwaterdogs

07-15-2006, 05:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
*Swiftwind* Super Moderator Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: NSW, Australia Posts: 5,484 Blog Entries: 2 Rep Power: 194	Aww he looks gorgeous! I can see why you picked him. It is weird, after having small breeds for such a long time, the larger breeds look like giants!
	__________________ As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner. Get more out of Global Paw: Art Classes / Blogs / Book Club / Photo Gallery / Woof Review

07-15-2006, 06:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
britishbandit Rottweiler Mum Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Windsor, ON Posts: 4,002 Rep Power: 169	Wow, what a gorgeous little man you have there! And shocked...OMG, I had no idea you were even thinking about another dog, let alone a lab....LOL. How are the Rats enjoying this new addition?? I wanna see a side by side of the Rats and the new puppy!!! HAHAHA. This is awesome, I'm so happy for you!
	__________________ "No matter how little money and how few possesions you own, having a dog makes you rich." - Louis Sabin

07-15-2006, 07:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
poodlesmom Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: upstate NY Posts: 1,389 Rep Power: 109	Congrats! He is quite a handsome furguy! I'm sure your hubby will love the partnership they will create between them! I think it is wonderful that he wants to do SAR! It is such an important job and while being heartbreaking it can also be very rewarding.
	__________________ Denise a/k/a Poodlesmom

07-15-2006, 05:39 AM	#3 (permalink)
WolfRyder Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Midwest Posts: 259 Rep Power: 57	What a gorgous baby! We just got a lab-mix puppy and she's the sweetest thing and very smart! It won't be long before you have him all trained I was told by SAR people that labs make some of the best, easily trained SAR dogs and they love the work.

07-15-2006, 05:43 AM	#4 (permalink)
Novel Boxer Mom Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 4,884 Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 216	Beautiful dog tribal!! I look forward to hearing of his adventures!

07-15-2006, 07:36 AM	#8 (permalink)
TribalRats Take Responsibility Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Central Valley, CA Posts: 3,327 Rep Power: 143	Thanks guys! We had a great night last night...no accidents....WAHOO!!! The Rat shave not had a chance to play with him much yet because we spent the entire day at his breeders house yesterday and much of the eveing...then witht he drive back it was after 10pm by the time we got home. He is at 8 weeks the size of one of my 2 year old Ratties......what a change. So far he is a pretty mellow easy going guy......only whined twice last night and at that only for about 30 seconds. Tonight might be different though since he will be not so off his game. We are both really excited about SAR. From what we have been told Labs are some of the best Cadaver dogs around. Might not be the most glorified job however it is a necessary one. We'll see where training takes us, he is a bit young still. Regardless of anything else the training and bonding will be a great experience for all of us. As for the breed change up it is just on a pet level. This guy will be neutered ASAP. That is why we got a male. We own no male Rats just females. So, we figured they might give him less of a hard time. We hope any way. Poor guy living with a bunch of women with nothing but a neutered old man (Charlie the wonder dog) for back up.
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner.

07-15-2006, 11:22 AM	#9 (permalink)
sammy herding dog lover Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: western canada Posts: 1,089 Rep Power: 111	Congrats! He sure is a cutie. I can't wait to see more pics and hear what the rats think about their new size large sibling! I met my first rat at a rally-o trial and she was a very cool dog, she had the spectators captivated as she went around the course sidenote-- aussies actually shed far less than labs-- they do have lots of long, soft coat but hardly shed at all except for twice a year when they blow their coat. Even when my aussie blows her coat there is surprisingly little hair around. It seems lke less than what my border collie sheds year round. When I adopted my aussie she had tons of dried out, sunbleached ugly coat and I couldn't even force it out with a shedding rake other than a few hairs. Labs on the other hand, shed year round quite a bit. The other nice thing about aussie hair (or golden hair or any other longish soft coated dog) is the hair doesn't stick to everything, it tends to ball up like tumble weeds and is easier to vacuum up. Nothing against labs here-- sounds like he is exactly what you were looking for and I'm sure he'll have a wonderful life as a companion and SAR dog. I'd be more than happy to own a lab- vacuuming is a small price to pay for such a great dog.

07-15-2006, 11:28 AM	#10 (permalink)
IceyBlueSibes Eyes = Mirror to the soul Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Jupiter, Fla. Posts: 7,685 Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 268	Oh, Trinity! He is SO cute! And definetly a change! What a sweetie! How's his energy level? Most lab pups I have met have been extremely hyper...worse than my huskies! Not my style of dog! LOL But I'm sure it all comes from good breeding. We cannot WAIT to see more pictures!!!
	__________________ Sheiba, Denali, Ike, Nitro (Siberian Husky), Kelso (GSD x), Lugar (Boxer/Pit x), Willah (Shepherd/Husky x), Tibby, Cheech, Chong (Chihuahua), and any foster we have in the house! 9 Kitty cats!

07-15-2006, 11:34 AM	#11 (permalink)
TribalRats Take Responsibility Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Central Valley, CA Posts: 3,327 Rep Power: 143	Sammy, I think what it all boiled down to was how much fun we all had with the Labs we got to play with...... Good to know though that this cute little beast will keep me sweeping and vacuuming on a daily basis for the next 15 years (or more if we are lucky). At first my vote was Aussie, then we met those darn Labs......I left the decision up to my hubby as he has lived with my decision on the rats all this time and really, there was no bad choice here. I am much more excited then I thought I would be....I mean I thought I would be happy but.....I woke up every 2 hours last night to check on him, take him out and pet him. Like I am a first time Mom or something. You know it actually feels like i have been waiting for this dog for a looooong time. I appreciate the caution on the shedding..... Icey you and I posted at the same time so I edited to add: His energy level is grfeat. He plays for a bit then crashes hard. When he plays he really wants to interact with us and the play is totally non agressive. While doing our research on the breed at hand we read that the English and American lines had different energy levels. The English is said to be easier going and the American more energetic. Soooo we went on the hunt for an English bred pup. While he is not as blocky as some of the other English bred Labs (these guys come from a hunting line which usually uses the American lines) both of his parents were of superb temperaments. both met us int he drive way (they live on 18 acres in the middle of almost no where) both barking an alert and even knowing that Labs are not aggressive I was weary as they were so big and so not afraid of us. Mind you what I ended up with was a wet pant leg from the sires nose investigating the smells of my Rats. We watched them play, we interacted with them (the parents) for hours.......learned all we could from the breeders )whom we will see regularly for scent training) and were so impressed with those two dogs it was shocking to me. it takes quite a bit to truly sell me on a breed other then my Ratties. That said I was sold. I am so incredibly thrilled at the prospect of training a new breed, learning a new breed and adding this guy to the family. Every time I look at him i get butterflies. Crazy huh? who would have though it? We will introduce the Rats slowly because I do not want him to stress, though I am not sure that is possible.....
	__________________ Get more out of Global Paw. Check out these great features. Global Paw Book Club -- Art Classes -- Woof Review As a member of Global paw staff my opinions are not necessarily those of the website or the owner. Last edited by TribalRats : 07-15-2006 at 11:43 AM.

07-15-2006, 11:43 AM	#12 (permalink)
sammy herding dog lover Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: western canada Posts: 1,089 Rep Power: 111	Aaaaw too cute! That's great! He is a lucky pup to have you for his owner and the rats for his sibs. Who wouldn't fall in love with a lab pup? They are a wonderful breed (and despiet their shedding , far easier to live with than many aussies)and yes we have to let our spouses make a few decisions about dogs from time to time So how are those puupy pictures coming along? hint hint I am anxious to see your new boy with the rats.

07-15-2006, 11:49 AM	#13 (permalink)
IceyBlueSibes Eyes = Mirror to the soul Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Jupiter, Fla. Posts: 7,685 Blog Entries: 1 Rep Power: 268	Well that's always good to have a pup with a great temp. I'm thankful that Kelso isn't one of those bouncing off the wall puppies! LOL Sounds like your boy isn't much of that either. I hope the introduction to the Rat family goes well!
	__________________ Sheiba, Denali, Ike, Nitro (Siberian Husky), Kelso (GSD x), Lugar (Boxer/Pit x), Willah (Shepherd/Husky x), Tibby, Cheech, Chong (Chihuahua), and any foster we have in the house! 9 Kitty cats!

07-15-2006, 12:00 PM	#14 (permalink)
GoldenPup Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 137 Rep Power: 54	He's so cute! What a suprise to hear too! GoldenPup
GoldenPup Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 137 Rep Power: 54

07-15-2006, 12:33 PM	#15 (permalink)
Barrett dachshund Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Washington Posts: 2,758 Rep Power: 154	Oh GOSH he is so cute!!!!! Congratulations on your new bundle of energy!