Oh my gosh, could they BE any cuter?!??!

How about Isaiah? Not sure I've spelled it correctly, maybe Isiah? Isabelle and Isiah sounds adorable to me! Might be confusing to the dogs though, hmmmm...

okay, here are a few more floating through my head:

Rufus
Harry
Scotty
Jeremiah
Major
Orion
Moose
Caden
Breaker
Scotty

Oh they are just adorable. Do you call Isabelle by that name or do you shorten it? For some reason Percival popped into my head - Percy for short. Or Tristan.

Since he's a chocolate lab you could call him Hersey, or Mars, Mousse, Rolo, Snickers, Toffee....

Now you know you have to post more photos when you bring Sir Galahad home.

Oh please will someone stop me from these Arthurian names!

"Izzy" & "Ozzy"....

YES I do mean Mr. Crazytrain!
Long ago, we had a black Lab I named "Ace", after KISS's Ace Frehley LOL!

DAMN cute little pups there!

Faron

The picture is two weeks old so I anticipate the litter is going to look a little more defined as Labs tomorrow. They are AKC Labs (yawn). They have had their dew claws removed, first shots and dewormed. Here is a few names we're thinking of. Simple names, really, so keep the names coming! (I think we got used to the name Dubs.)

Jack
Gus
Joe-Henry (like it's one word)

DH likes Jack best as he thinks Isabelle will learn it faster. LOL!

Maire, mostly we call Isabelle by her whole name. Sometimes we do call her 'Belle', or 'Ittabelle'. Nothing else. Dubs was Dubs unless he was 'Dubbers'. Need name suggestions!

Beautiful pups!

Adorable, but I am definitely biased as I've always had labs;). Names are really hard. My Lowell started out as a George until I heard people calling his Georgie. Didn't like that. You will definitely get a feel for the personality in the first few days. That may help you make a choice. We have used books of baby names, etc. We like actual "people" names. Love "Jack". One syllable is good too, especially for training the labrador.

Best wishes! Can't wait to see more pics!

I have one of those...they're absolutely adorable as puppies and grow into great dogs. Mine is Spencer...and it fits him perfectly. Goes well with Isabelle too. Our other dog (not a labbie) is Kate.

Clear the counters and tabletops, though. Even if they don't scavenge, they knock everything off with their tails.

Helene

Had to open this post again just to see your adorable babies!

Here are a few more:

Trooper
Theo
Cooper
Ernie (think that would hilarious, not sure why)
Beau
Willy
Clifford

So so adorable. Congrats on your new family member, Labs are such wonderful dogs!

Here are some more names to add to the list:

Bailey
Wiley
Quincy
Radar
Boone
Porter

I like Henry with Isabel because they're both kind of fancy.

But I also like Jack, and Jake is a good name.

Golddust, I am so excited for you! They are beautiful. Can't wait to see more pics.

Thanks everyone! We feel like we're bringing a newborn baby home. Talking baby gates, crates and toys. LOL! Having a pup around will be so much fun. Of course, it will be exasperating at times...

My grand dog is named Jake (yellow Lab). Our last bulldog was named Ernie and it fit him to exact standards. You couldn't even spell it around him as the 'E' letters gave it away. (He would run and hide when it was time to wash his face.)

I like Henry because it's kind of formal. DH still likes Jack. We'll see after we meet him. We like people names for dogs too.

Since your pup has an AKC pedigree, perhaps there is a name on either side that may appeal to you. Our dogs names all begin with the kennel name for registration purposes. Their paper names are very different from their IRL spoken names. lol However, these pedigrees can be a hoot to read!

Can't wait to hear which one you choose (or better put, which one chooses you :)) and why, golddust!

(I hate to be pedantic, but the pair is Tristan and Isolde, not Tristan and Isabelle...wouldn't want to make that mistake because people would always be saying "isn't it Isolde?" which would bug you endlessly)

I like both your and your husband's possible names as possibilities...maybe name him both and then decide which one is the 'call' name, as it were? You could name him "John Henry", the mythical strong man who beat the steam-powered hammer -- and show your solidarity with the working class...? :)

Ah--here's another compromise: Hank! A nickname of Henry that sounds like Jack!

Hank and Isabelle would have a certain 'lady and the tramp' vibe, which is always adorable : )

No suggestions here . . . just lots of well wishes for you all. Puppies are so sweet and this new little guy is very blessed to have you for his family, whatever you end up naming him.
Don't forget to post some pics of him once he gets home.
Lynn

Awww, so precious.

What cute pups.

How about Charlie or Chaz? As in Charlie and the CHOCOLATE Factory?

For an I name, perhaps Isaac or Ivan (and hope that he isn't terrible, LOL)

I also like Harley.

Loving Hank. I am putting that on my list of future names. Just checked in to see if there were any updates or pics!

Sooo cute.

We are about to put a deposit on a puppy being born at the end of July. We have a preference for a male, so I'm paying close attention to these name lists!

Some names that have been discussed here:
Henry
Louie
Billy
Eddie
Jake
Max
Kermit

Congrats, Golddust! What a handsome litter. Lucky dog! Hey...Isabelle and Lucky!

Or, Isabelle and Izzie. Isabelle and Ferdinand. Isabelle and Ignatius. LOL! There are some great names to choose from all over these posts. Good luck choosing!

Congrats! Beautiful puppies. I, like others, am waiting, watiting, waiting for a picture.
Dee

What a sweety!
I like Jack as a name too although I'm surprised no one mentioned Edward as a possible name.
That makes me juvenile and not scholarly, I suppose!

Bumble, we had a dog named Ed in the 70s! Poor Max. His middle name is my favorite Uncle's first name, which would have been another great dog name. 'Cleatis'.

Luckily, Max loves his name. (He named 'Ernie') I loved the man enough to name my son after him. That says everything about the man, huh?

Right now, Jack is sleeping in the cradle of DH's arms - on the sofa!! Isabelle on one side and Jack on the other.

Isabelle is having issues. She takes every toy away from Jack. We're giving her lots of attention... I think she'd rather he go back where he came from tonight. I'm glad we got him on a three day weekend where there are two of us to deal with the new family member. (Jack is so sweet! So far, no pee pee in house. Thanks to my good timing.)

We bought him a small swimming pool at Babies R Us. It's hanging in the garage, waiting for a sunny day.

He is the sweetest thing. I love his big paw(s)! Is Isabelle a lab too? Sounds like she's acting just like a big sister with a new baby in the house. Hope to see more pics!

Priceless. You can tell who's buddy he's going to be! LOL Love the name, welcome home Jack!

Welcome home Jack! Those are some big paws!!! Here's to many wonderful times with Jack....

What a sweetie-pie lovely face!!! :)

Big welcome cuddles to Jack! :)

((yep -- those are BIG paws! LOL!!))

Adorable. Welcome Jack!

Awww, I love labs. He is so terrifically cute and Jack is perfect! My favorite name for a male lab is Jumpin' Jack Splash which was the name of one of my labs' sires. We named his son Chincoteague Blue Splash because my DH at the time had always wanted a dog named Blue-which was what we called our yellow lab. Still love that.

I will be looking forward to the growing-up pics to come. Labs are the best and Jack will be no exception! Makes me want another.

Love the picture! I can't tell who is in love more - DH or Jack! If you've never trained to "go potty" with a bell, try it. It makes potty-training go much faster, at least it always has for us.
Dee

Looks like Jack is having no trouble transitioning to his new alpha : ) Hope Isabelle has discovered her latent maternal instincts and is easing up on the poor 'little' guy.

Just as an aside, you mentioned you were on your way into Petsmart. Our breeder does a whole big thing when people come on pickup day about the pup's feet not touching the floor in a pet store or any other place where other dogs may have done their business. She recommends this until pup's completed all of the shots (including rabies, which I believe in our State is at 4 mos?) post pick up. I know that Jack's had his dewclaws done and received all of his necessary initial shots. Apparently, if a sick dog does its business in the store and your pup inadvertently steps in something that hasn't been sanitized, and comes in contact with certain bacteria, he may become sick. I think another concern of hers is the pet stores here do adoptions and while they do their best, they do at times get dogs sick with parvo.

Our breeder is certainly quirky and possessive about her pups. I felt like, well I am paying you for the dog, it is my dog to do with what I wish. Wrong answer if I want a dog from her. She checks the vehicles on pick up day to be sure that you have brought what she's told you in writing to bring to transport your pup. No sitting on your lap. She's a maniac about her pups and anyone she approves for a pup has to sit thru a mandatory tutorial-type thing on pick up day. I've now done this 3 times. She doesn't care if you've done it before, she says, "ya know, you forget things, I want to be sure the puppies are cared for properly when they leave me". Okay, I can't argue with erring on the side of caution on her part.

Some may consider her a control freak, (which she is), but I would much rather secure a pup from someone who isn't just selling puppies to make money without doing the homework and hard work that good breeding requires. Definitely more so with the retrievers as there as been so much bad breeding due to their popularity. Yes, I know she makes money, but breeding labradors is her passion and she is very well respected in the labrador breeding community. She shows all over the Country and is very involved in giving back. Every litter that has at least 3 pups, one goes to be a guide (on her dime).

My youngest boy was going to be her 2nd sire, but she had a black boy born 1 week after my guy. For breeding DNA purposes, she wanted the black over the yellow. I don't know the science, but she only breeds yellow and black. She's well known in our area for her dogs' quality. I have no idea how the dna thing works, but she does, and it shows.

Can't wait to see more pics. How did the first night go, did you get any sleep? No accidents in the house, that's amazing. You are going to be great with a lab, and the lab will be great for you and your family!

Can you tell I am passionate about labradors? So happy you chose a labbie.

work in progress - I wish I could find your breeder or one like her here. We would have gotten another lab by now but our old reliable breeder stopped breeding labs last year. She did contact us about possibly having one more litter but has apparently decided against it.

You are so right about the bad breeding of labs due to their popularity. We've hesitated to get another one until we can find a truly reputable breeder. Even our vet has cautioned us because he sees so many with major health issues. We didn't take ours to stores or parks until they had completed all their shots - we just couldn't be sure if other owners had given their pets the proper inoculations.

One local breeder promised she'd have a pup for us in her most recent litter but apparently the people just ahead of us on the 'wish list' bought the last two. So we're back to square one.

OK - don't forget to post more photos soon. I'll have to get my lab fix that way for the time being.

I know, Work. We didn't put him down in Petsmart. The last three breeders we bought from were just like your breeder (and so was our vet). Ideas are changing though. Even my vet has changed his opinion.

I have decided to socialize *this* pup before the window of socialization closes, around four months. Dubs was the best dog ever but he was a stay at home dog who hated leaving his property - even for a hike. Isabelle doesn't like going either but we have been forcing her lately. Prior to the last three dogs, I took them out when they were very young and there is a difference between my prior, well socialized dogs and dogs kept home until they completed ALL shots. (Even the book I just purchased on pups talks about the controversy of keep them home verses taking them out. It advocates taking them out early.)

I don't plan to take him to dog parks but I fully intend to take him out and about with me. Shelters are filled with dogs who haven't been fully socialized. The new thinking is that pups should be socialized and the risk is worth it - as long as they have had their shots started and they get them on time. I spoke to the shelter people about this and they said their biggest problem is unsocialized dogs.

I was honest with the breeder about my intentions before I even looked at the litter. I can't say that she was thrilled but I explained that we are empty nesters... Having portable dogs who are balanced and well behaved in public situations is important to us. Therapy dogs are out and about as young pups.

As far as breeders go, it is very difficult to determine if a breeder has the best practices but it is super easy to tell a bad breeder most times. Isabelle was bred by a vet (with a great reputation) whose wife shows her dogs. Isabelle has had eye issues her entire life so it's hard to tell.

If I could have found a Lab mix pup raised in a good environment, I would have gone for it. I called about one litter whose so-called breeder had to "pull them out from under her trailer, where all her dogs live."

Muts are generally healthier than any purebred. Robert wanted a brown Lab. I wanted one at 8 weeks, early enough in the summer to have it well potty trained/socialized while it's warm outside.

Time will tell with Jack. This isn't the first pup I've socialize early but the last three I listened to my breeder and vet and kept them home. I certainly hope this decision doesn't bite us in the butt. We know the risks. It is scary but we have decided to take the risk. We want to travel a bit with our dogs without them being big pains.

Gold, sorry, I didn't mean that I keep them at home. My guys were socialized with family and friends' dogs who were safe as far as parvo goes. I think the socialization thing is super important, but have to admit that whether or not my boys were taken out, we always had plenty of dog friends who visit. Despite socializing my guys, only one is a good car dog, the other lays on the back seat, with his head down like there is a sniper in the front seat. Have to admit he is quite a pill.

Anymore pics?

maire-cate - where are you located? Our breeder is on East Coast - MD.

Work - we live in NJ just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia and MD is nearly next door. This is the first time in 30 years that we haven't had a dog or two. Our last one died last year and the house just seems so empty. That's interesting that your breeder only breeds black and yellow - we've had black labs but for some reason I find myself looking at the yellow ones more.

As for socialization I remember reading here from a member who is a vet that the socialization period is fairly short. Things have changed since we had our last puppies 12 years ago and it is so important use that time wisely.

We got Isabelle when she was 12 weeks as her breeder kept them that long "to ensure they were healthy." Some dog experts suggest socialization window closed as early as 12 weeks!

Isabelle is wonderful at listening, receiving pets from kids and strangers (even though she will give them her butt at times) but she dislikes the car and will never, ever take a treat from anyone other her people that she knows and trusts. If an area of a store looks like it could be the vet, she will do her donkey act, splaying her feet in front of her while hugging the floor with her belly. The only way to move her forward then is to carry her and Bulldogs are not easy to carry!

Yesterday, we took Isabelle and Jack to a small lake for a joint walk - trying to get Jack used to a collar and leash and to bring them together as a pack. Jack did very well except for the ride to the lake when he cried bloody murder inside his crate. Thankfully tired, he slept on the way home. Today we intend to take them for a stroll downtown. Tomorrow he's going to the vet.

Jack hates his crate and the baby gate! He cries off and on all night (loudly). He is a typical pup who wants to be with us. When I can't watch him, I put him in our laundry room next to the kitchen behind a baby gate, where he cries continuos.

It's been so long since I've have a pup! Yikes!! :+) Any parenting suggestions appreciated! I know there has been a few new pups in this neighborhood the past year!

Hate to admit this, but my now oldest boy has slept on our bed from his first night home. I know, not for everyone, and totally AGAINST the crate training rules. He always woke DH or I when he had to go. Never ever had an accident on the bed. This is the only pup I've ever done this with, never before and never after.

My boy handled being in his crate during the day like a champ. No wimpering, nada. Just the night thing.

We always set up 2 crates when we train. One by our bed and one in the foyer. My boy wasn't liking being in the crate during the night despite its placement right next to our bed. Also, we definitely needed our sleep to function in our respective jobs at that time.

All of the other guys have slept in their crates by our bed each and every night until they were fully housetrained.

I think it depends. Every pup is different, and we humans are different depending on what is going on in our lives at the time we bring a new pup into the family.