Calling all Lab owners
 

I can’t believe it is really going to happen. In just a little over 5 months, we will be moving to The Villages. “We” is my wonderful wife, Blondie (our 9+ year old lab) and me.
Blondie loves to lay out on the driveway, when it’s 20 degrees outside. It’s her winter coat. To you Lab owners, how did your Lab adjust to the Florida warmth. We will be year-long Villagers. I’m worried about her coat adjusting.
Thanks everyone, in advance, for your help.
From Minnesnowtans, Kevin and Teresa.

Too hot here for a lab
poor dog

Don't worry, there are lots of labs here. Her coat will thin out (keep that swiffer handy) and she will love it here. You will have to watch the hot pavement in the afternoons. Congratulations and best wishes for a great move.

Our Michigan golden has done fine (moved here in 2012). He's known as Driveway Dog in both the neighborhoods we've lived in. His coat adjusted. In the summer he gets up and moves with the shade, and when he decides he's too hot, he comes to the door and barks once to be let in. In the other three seasons he will be out there all day, greeting the neighbors and accepting treats between naps.

Put a pool in with a birdcage. Dog will never want to come inside.

We moved to The Villages from Indiana 6 years ago. Our 11 year old lab never like Indiana winters. Our driveway has shade in the afternoon and she will lay in the drive. As said before, if you take walks, do them in the mornings or late afternoons when the pavement has had a chance to cool. Don’t forget the dog parks. One thing we found is our lab does not care for St. Augustine grass.

We have Golden Retrievers who adjusted to their move from the north beautifully. Because they need to run, we go to Inverness every day where there is a leash free park with a safe (no alligators) man made pond and lots of trees so they swim and play for hours every day. I’m pretty sure it’s their humans who are having the tougher time adjusting to the heat.

do NOT walk your dog on the pavement during the summer months....way too hot and their pads will burn

How exciting! Not having been an owner of a long haired dog in Florida, not sure how Goldie will adjust. 5 months out will put us into May which should be 2 months shy of some of The Villages heat and swamp like (high humidity) conditions. Have faith that as God’s creature, she will adapt.

What part of MN will you be relocating from?

Safe travels, smooth move and happy 2021.

Craig

We moved from Northern Indiana to get out of the cold and snowy winters and our dogs (a Shepherd and a Golden) love it. Their coats adjusted but we vacuum almost every day because they both shed year round. They love being outside without concern for weather conditions and except for the heat of day in the summer, they are always ready to run. The dog parks are great for that and they find the cool shady spots first. There are thousands of happy retired dogs here in The Villages.

I have an older golden retriever. I clip her coat pretty short about once a month in the hot months, maybe not so often in the winter. I let her lie in the back yard, she can lie in the grass (sun) or on the porch (shade). Leaving a water bowl outside (in the shade) helps too I think.

Don't worry the dog will suffer till it's coat thins out
How cruel

Lab? Yesterday at a dog park I saw a big chow chow with hair that looked six inches thick! Just right for Florida! Somehow it survives the summer. Just get a house with a pool and leave your doors open all summer and the dog will keep the carpets nice and wet. (I’m glad my dogs don’t like the pool.)

We have a black lab and moved here full time from Michigan last February. He does just fine. He did a lot of shedding, but no different than normal in Michigan. In the hotter months. We walk him first thing in morning or when it cools down in the evening. We go to do park when it not hot. We have a fenced in back yard & he enjoys running around in it. We also bought him a kids plastic pool & fill that for him to play in when it’s hot, he loves that as well. He just turned 5 in November. When it’s it’s really hot he’s only let outside to go to bathroom. He loves to go for golf cart rides.
Your lab will be just fine. Just be mindful of the heat in the summer months.
What village are you moving to?
Oh and don’t listen to the cruel remarks on this thread. I see tons of large furry dogs here. Since you own one I’m sure yours will do fine, since you do have summer in Minnesota.
Some people feel they need to be negative on these threads and they are ridiculous.

We have 3 labs. Their coats adjusted. I do vacuum every day and brush them almost every day. They don’t spend as much time outside as they used to in the summer, it’s just too hot. But then again, neither do I. Anyway, welcome to the Villages!