[nagdu] Why a Lab / Why not a Golden

[Mardi Hadfield]

Mardi from Arizona here, and I have had lots of Labs growing up.All of them
were black.I think labs are great dogs.I have never had a yellow lab so I
can not say for sure if they are different.I have known only 3 yellow labs
and quite a few goldens and most of the goldens I have known have been more
calm and laid back than the labs.Unfortunately a lot of goldens now carry a
gene that predisposes them to cancer. This is the main reason that I don't
want a golden. I really like them but it would be devastating to fall in
love with the dog and then loose it to cancer as I know from experience. I
lost the best guide I ever had to cancer.Nala was not a golden but a
siberian husky. Huskies do not carry the gene
that
predisposes them to cancer but any dog can occasionally get cancer. Raven,
I think you are right about the kennel environment being part of the
problem with house manners.I have chosen Huskies as my guide dog of choice
and have been very happy with them,however I know a husky is not for every
one.A husky could never survive in a kennel environment for very long. They
want to be with their people and object to being separated from them.I once
went to a convention and listened to the story of the husky that the Seeing
Eye had attempted to train.Apparently it escaped it's kennel,ran around and
stole food and toys out of other dogs kennels and had the whole kennel in
turmoil.I was told that is why the Seeing Eye does not train huskies. I can
see their point.  I on the other hand have no trouble training them as they
live in my house with me.They are never left in a kennel. I do crate them
for short periods when I leave the house.If I am gone for more than 2 or 3
hours, I have some one come in and let them out and make sure they still
have water. Huskies need a lot of exercise.I have a very large fenced in
yard for them to run and play in.Huskies are happiest when they have a job
to do and they are very smart. That is why they have worked out well as
guide dogs for me. I am working my third husky guide. I have had pet German
Shepherds but not had one as a guide. I do however have a Belgian Shepherd
guide and he is also a good guide for me.He is very different than my
huskies and also different from my previous pet shepherds.Shaman is
extremely friendly  to the point of being almost too friendly.He gets
distracted by people petting him and I have to give him a verbal
correction.If I tell him "leave it"  he usually gets back on track . I
rarely have to use a leash correction on him now but in his younger days I
seemed to be leash correcting him constantly and he seemed to just accept
it  and get back to work. He was not overly sensitive to corrections at
all.He never barks in harness but will occasionally whine. When he is not
in harness he is a  nutty dog. He barks at every thing,jumps around and
loves every one.Put the harness on and he becomes a different dog.He is an
excellent guide and seems to have ESP when it comes to traffic.This is the
only Belgian I have known so I don't know if they are all like this but I
wouldn't change him.I can put up with his nutty behavior because he is a
great guide.Neechee, my current husky guide is very calm and laid back when
in harness. If I have to correct her which is rarely,a voice correction is
all that is needed.Take her harness off and she becomes just like any other
pet husky. If I call her and she doesn't come. I just show her the harness
and she comes running to me.Both of my guides love their work.Some day I
will probably not be able to train my own guides any more so I will have to
get a school dog.I know that I won't be getting a husky but would be happy
with a black lab or a german shepherd.  Have a great day, Mardi and Shaman
and Neechee.
-- 
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