[HairOfTheDog]

Not sure where you are in Texas, but I would look at your local Labrador Rescue before I went to the pound. A lot of "Labs" at the pound are mixes, and you don't know with what. The Rescue dogs are vetted and fostered with families, so at least you know what you're getting. They also are treated if they have heartworm, etc.

In defense of the pound dog: yes, many are mixes, but many of those mixes are very kind, trainable, and lead longer lives than our purebred dogs.

If you have your heart set on a particular look, then breed rescue is the way to go. But the mutts at the pound face death if people don't save them, and there are many hearts there worthy of a good home. It may be the size and shape you are looking for, or you could find yourself looking into the eyes of a shaggy dog you never would have predicted you'd fall in love with. I love a big dog, but one of my rescued mutts, Zulu, a cocker mix, was my soul-mate and a dog in a class by herself. Good dogs have many shapes, and are good despite their less-than-accredited breeding.

I am a fan of the purebred dog, don't get me wrong. I used to compete and hunt with a purebred lab. But most people aren't interested in competing or hunting or promoting the improvement of the labrador breed, they just want a pet. Mutts make great pets.

Two mutts and a pedigree:

[AnAmericanMother]

My hat's off to you for adopting from the pound.

As a novice dog owner, I went with the sure thing. Now that I have a little more confidence, I think I could handle a pound "Lab mix", even if he or she had some quirks. But I am really holding out for another dog from the same or similar breeding as Shelley - a little quick Lab.

The thing that struck me about the Texas rescue sites is that they were doing the hip dysplasia surgery on quite a number of the Labs. Last time I checked, that was $3,000 per hip (and it's probably more now). I guess they have vets who donate their services, because a couple of those could break a small rescue organization . . .