The rescue and its foster homes can guide you to pick the right match. When the puppy isn't teething on your possessions, he will be teething on your children and yourself. Our rescue routinely gets called from panicked parents who are sure their lab is biting the children. Since biting implies hostile intent and would be a consideration whether we accept their give-up, we ask questions and usually find out the dog is being nippy. Matchmaker Make Me a Match.
Puppy love is often no more than an attachment to a look or a color.
Good rescues do extensive evaluating of both their labbies and their applicants to be sure that both labby and family will be happy with each other until death due them part. Labbies who have been uprooted from their happy homes or have not had the best start in life are more likely to bond very completely and deeply with their new people. Those who have lost their families through death, divorce or lifestyle change go through a terrible mourning process. But, once attached to a new loving family, they seem to want to please as much as possible to make sure they are never homeless again. Those labbies that are just learning about the good life and good people seem to bond even deeper.