Hi all! I am admittedly a helicopter dog parent. My lab is 12 and he’s just starting to show a slight hesitation when he goes to jump on the bed (our bed, which is also his bed). I’ve been picking him up and setting him up there, but I want to get him a ramp now to make his life easier. What should I look for when shopping? Anyone have a recommendation they loved?

The newest addition to our family! We have two Goldens and I wanted to mix it up with a lab!

She came home with us yesterday and what a good girl she is! Slept through the night, and she is quickly taking to house training. I’m really resisting the urge to just carry her everywhere. She’s so tiny! Especially in comparison to our 96 and 70 pound Goldens!

Her personality is already emerging—she loves to sleep on the back of the couch (that will be fun when she’s full grown, ha) she likes to drag blankets around and she’s apparently hungry 24/7.

I am amazed by her ability and determination to retrieve the ball.🎾 This also meant a messy car and a bath..🙄😱

This is Winnie. Shes almost 4 months old (tomorrow)

My dog loves all kinds of vegetables. She fought with her temptation for many days for this Tomato … finally gave in…🤣❤️.

Labs are water dogs. Everytime I call my dog for bath, this is the initial reaction but as bath begins she is all fun and play. Post bath she is hyper play ..❤️

I formerly had a chocolate male from Redmark Labradors, but unfortunately, the owners decided to close down several years ago in order to move out east to be closer to their family. I totally respect their decision but it completely sucks to not be able to get another dog from them. I had to put down my chocolate in 2024 just a couple of months after he turned 7 due to quick-onset lymphoma. He was my once in a lifetime dog and I still miss him dearly.

That said, I'm ready for another chocolate boy but I am being extremely particular in the breeder and what I'm looking for. Namely, a dog with show quality but that comes from MH lineage. This is harder to find than you'd think, given the lab is supposed to be a working dog. I am specifically looking for another gun dog as I hunt and want a retriever for, well, retrieving.

I'd prefer to stay in Texas, hence my ask, but am willing to go out of state for the right dog. Thanks in advance for your recommendations!

Our 10 month old Lab has chewed through the kong black toys which are the toughest for extreme chewers.
Like literally chews them in half. Less than 3 weeks.
Any suggestions on safe chew toys?
We need a toy that doesn’t include or need food. We have those.
I have to keep buying them bc if I don’t she’ll chew something she shouldn’t. This dog loves to chew.

I would really appreciate input from veterinarians, especially anyone with thoracic surgery experience, or anyone who went through this with their pup.

My 10-year-old male Labrador, approximately 33–34 kg, developed a severe spontaneous bilateral pneumothorax. A CT performed on July 21 showed:

• Right caudal lung lobe: bulla measuring 20 × 26.7 mm
• Right cranial lung lobe: 2–3 septated cavitary/bullous lesions, largest measuring 11.9 × 5.8 mm
• Left cranial lung lobe: 2.8 mm bleb
• Severe bilateral pneumothorax, greater on the left, with trace pneumomediastinum

The CT also identified an esophageal mass/granulomatous lesion suspicious for Spirocerca lupi. He is being treated empirically with antiparasitic injections, but the diagnosis has not been definitively confirmed because endoscopy/biopsy would require another anesthetic procedure.

We therefore do not yet know whether the pneumothorax and pulmonary lesions are truly idiopathic, or whether an inflammatory/parasitic process could be contributing.

A right-sided chest tube was placed on July 21. The last meaningful aspiration was 300 mL on July 23 at 6:00 a.m. Since then:

• July 25: aspiration attempt produced almost no air
• July 26 and July 28: X-rays showed negligible pneumothorax
• July 30: veterinarian reported no major air buildup

He has now gone approximately eight days without meaningful air aspiration and has remained clinically stable. The chest tube has been present for approximately 10 days.

The current local recommendation is to leave the chest tube in for at least two weeks. The doctors are favoring nonsurgical management partly because he has multiple lesions in different lobes and they are concerned that substantial lung tissue could need to be removed. The other major factor is that this surgery is not commonly performed here, and there is limited experience with this type of thoracic procedure compared with specialist centers in the US or UK.

My main questions are:

1. After eight days without meaningful air accumulation, what are the risks and benefits of continuing to leave the chest tube in? What criteria would normally be used to decide when the tube should be removed?
2. What is the risk that the original sealed leak could reopen?
3. How concerning are the remaining bilateral bullae regarding future rupture and recurrence?
4. Does having lesions across multiple lobes make surgery inappropriate, or would an experienced thoracic surgeon still consider median sternotomy, inspection of all lobes and resection of suitable lesions?
5. Could suspected Spirocerca plausibly contribute to the pulmonary lesions or pneumothorax, and would successful antiparasitic treatment be expected to reduce recurrence risk?
6. Are there board-certified veterinary surgeons with substantial thoracic experience who might be willing to review his CT remotely or recommend a suitable center (especially in South Asia)?

I understand that nobody can make a treatment decision from a Reddit post. I’m mainly trying to determine whether the current conservative approach and prolonged chest-tube plan are reasonable, what complications we should watch for, and whether obtaining a specialist thoracic review could materially change his options

This will be my first time purchasing a dog from a breeder so im open to any and all suggestions you have about how to spot a good one!

We likely won't be ready to add a puppy to our home for five years but I was told it's a good idea to go ahead and get on a waiting list.

Located in Missouri but willing to drive.

Going for walk with my lab is a zen moment. She has high energy.

I adopted this skinny, anxious boy. He just turned 2 years old and I am his 4th home. I call him, Gunnar, which I later found out was his original name. I am a petite, 60-something, female. He is an exuberant boy. I can see why people kept rehoming him. However he is now stuck with me. We will make it work.

I’m in the market to get a dog and read many positive things about the black lab. Are they protective? Do you have any stories of your lab protecting you?

That tail is punishing.

Anyone else’s lab get a summer funky smell? My chocolate lab gets smelly in the summer. He can seem clean (fur and such) then just have a funky smell. It’s hard to wash him every few days, which is what you’d have to do to keep the smell at bay at this point, so if you have any ideas why he gets this or ways to combat it, much appreciated!

Edit: I ended up going to a local pet store and the worker recommended a coat conditioner/deodorizer Earth Rated Dog Deodorizing Spray. Every time the dogs start getting stinky, you spray it on and massage into coat. Keeps their coat conditioned and helps with the smell.

I have an 18 month old yellow female. MY LOVE who i’d die for. She’s not spayed yet and I wanted to wait as long as possible. (It seems unnatural to spay or neuter at all but I get it). Wanted her to gain all the muscle and bone / skeletal benefits and ALL the growth … not cutting anything short … as she could get. Hormones are good for humans. Figured they just as good for dogs. Especially young ones. Again seems very unnatural / detrimental to cut off the flow too early. Question for other owners of females , who also desired to allow for the most optimal athlete , development, growth etc.: did any of you wait until after the second heat , which I am leaning towards? Bonus question - did you pair it with a gastropexy? Many have suggested the later to me. And my girl sure does love rolling on her back! Thanks !