Breed help

My advice would be to attend a large multi breed dog show like a championship one. There you will see many breeds and be able to talk to their owners. Most people are only to happy to talk about their dogs.

 

I have a soft coated wheaten terrier and he doesn't moult. He does need regular visits to the groomers for a cut (works out about £30 every 6-8 weeks) but he sheds no hair so this is a huge advantage. He does need brushing quite a bit to make sure his coat is not getting tangled. That's the only down side. His temprement is fantastic, with other dogs, kids and everyone. He is slightly smaller than a lab but very gentle natured and a fun personality. Very user friendly to take places as he is cute so everyone likes him.

If you want to see some pics he is on www.mypawson.com a website for dogs. Look under Pawsonalities he is on page 9

 

With daily brushing the casting could be cut down considerably. Another option might be a labx of some sort. Other than that Weimerimers have a similar build and can be wonderful dogs but need quite a lot of excerise. Dobermans get a bad rap but with a decent owner they are very sweet dogs with very little shedding. But to be honest I am getting bthe nimpression thatbyoub really bare a Labrador fan. Perhaps you could repost with a title asking for lab owners so they can give you some first hand knowledge of how bad the moulting will get. My mother had a black lab cross and it really wasn't bad if he was brushed regularly. A good pet store can help you find brushes to remove loose hair and undercoat.

A Labrador rescue group could give informed reliable advice and I have found rescues are usually quite honest as they don't want to sell you on an unsuitable dog and get it back again.