Description

Labrador Retrievers - also referred to as Labradors or Labs, are friendly, playful, and athletic dogs. Labradors are also known for their gentle nature and are the perfect playmates for young children. This breed of dogs is available in colors of black, yellow, and chocolate. Labs are strong and love to play games. A Labrador has a wide nose while its ears are positioned at the back of the skull. Its length can go up to two feet and the weight may vary between 25 and 36 kilograms. However, it is generally observed that male Labs are bigger than the female ones. Labradors have strong back and well-muscled forequarters. Labrador’s tail tapers at its end. Its tail matches in some aspects with the tail of an otter and that is why it is also called the “otter’s tail”. However, English Labradors are believed to be better as family dogs whereas American Labradors are preferred for hunting. Labradors are also used for assisting old people as well as police dogs.

Coat

Labrador is a double coated dog. It has an outer coat that is hard and waterproof whereas its undercoat is softer. The coat color of a Labrador can be anything from black to brown or from light cream to what is called “fox-red”. The coat hairs are short, straight, and dense. It sheds its coat at least twice every year. However, this depends on the climate. It is seen that Labs that are found in temperate climates shed their coats all round the year.

History

As the name itself suggests, Labrador Retrievers are used to bring back or retrieve games like birds or hares that are shot by the hunter. The ancestry of the present day Labrador goes back to the St John’s Water Dog and later to the Newfoundland Dog. The Newfoundland Dogs came into existence by breeding St John’s Water Dogs with Mastiffs. It was the Portuguese fishermen who brought the Mastiffs during their fishing expeditions. The name Labrador comes from the island of Labrador in Canada.

It was Lord George William Montagu Douglas Scott and the 5th and 6th Dukes of Buccleuch who played a major role in developing and popularizing the modern Labrador breed.

Temperament

Labradors have excellent temperament and they are not aggressive by nature. In fact, they have a gentle and friendly character. That is why they are ideal for your little child and can turn out to be a good companion for your kid. Apart from children, Labs are also good for families. Thanks to its sober nature, this dog is also used to guide aged people. In case you have other smaller dogs at home, Labrador can easily adjust to them well.

Due to its intelligent nature, you will find that even the police force uses this dog. Patience is another of its great characteristics.

Labs are social dogs and love to be around people. Once you have accustomed it with the house rules, you can rest assured that it will behave just like another member of your family inside your house. In fact, it is believed that the companionship of a Labrador works as a therapy, because it uplifts one’s mood and temperament. In addition to all these factors, Labradors are also very good watch dogs.

Health

Though stout and athletic, Labs have some health issues. Labradors are generally prone to elbow dysplasia and hip dysplasia. However, it is a disease that plagues many other dogs, especially the large ones. They are also vulnerable to eye diseases including Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) being the most severe one of the lot. In the case of this disease, your dog’s retina will get infected, and may sometimes even result in blindness. It is somewhat genetic in nature. You can consult a veterinary for more suggestions.

These dogs live up to the age of 10 to 12 years. As they have a great appetite, they also have a tendency to become obese. So, you need to be careful about their diet and also take them for regular exercise sessions like walking, running, and swimming.

Grooming

As Labrador has a coat with short hair, brushing the under coat and the outer coat once a week is sufficient for keeping healthy and glowing. Moreover, this way, you will be able to escape the extra burden of cleaning the floor that’s full of dog hair.

You should bathe the Lab occasionally. If you have a pool outside, you can take the dog for a dip and it will suffice. In case you are planning to shampoo it, make it as light as possible. Too much of shampoo may damage the waterproof quality of the coat.

Keep a close eye on its ears as they often tend to have fungal or parasitic infections. Since a Labrador has drooping ears, it makes the dog more vulnerable to such infections.

Exercise

Exercise is a must for Labradors. In fact, it is advised that you keep a regular exercise routine for your Lab for the first three years of its life. They can get obese quite easily. Regular exercise will keep them healthy and slim. Moreover, since they were originally used to retrieve games, they love to run and play a lot. You should take your pet for a walk at least twice a day. They can tug at the leash quite forcefully. So, make sure that the leash is strong.

You can also take the Labrador to the nearby ground where it can run. It is also a great idea if you can plan some open space around your house. This dog is a very active one and will like to do a lot of activities. It also loves to chase other animals. Keep a watch on it and arrange some fences around your backyard, if possible. Labradors love to jump too. So, make sure that the fences are no less than four feet high. You may even increase them up to six feet to be certain.

Swimming is another activity that Labradors enjoy. You can create a pool for this purpose. In the absence of a pool, the nearby pond will also do. You may also use the game of “go fetch” with your pet to give it some precious exercise. Physically, a Lab matures quite quickly. However, it takes much time for a Labrador to mature mentally. Once it gets mature mentally, it will also become calmer.

Training

Labrador is a large dog. So, it needs careful handling. As these dogs are easily excited and love to show off their affection by jumping on the loved ones, it is a must that they should get started with the behavioral training as soon as possible. An untrained 60 pound dog jumping on a person or a kid can result into a painful experience. It is better if you can start the training before your dog is six months old. Labradors have a faster physical growth and the older they are, the more difficult it will be to train them. However, you also have to remember that they will mature much later mentally, and this stage will not come usually until they are three years of age. So, you will have to be patient while training them.

Start with the basic orders like “sit down” and others. This will help you to keep your dog’s exuberant behavior under check to some extent. It is better to imply one set of rule so that the Lab does not get any mixed commands. Let other family members know what rules are to be followed. Once the dog is accustomed with the rules, it will obey them. Labradors are intelligent and quick learners. However, any inconsistency in the imposing of the rules will make it disregard the rule, because Labs are also quite independent by nature.

You can train these dogs to swim. Young Labradors may need some time to get accustomed with water. It is better to avoid deeper waters and use shallow water instead for such training. Let it get accustomed to well marked exits that will help the dog to learn how to get out of the water.

You will also have to be careful while appreciating good behavior of your pet. It is always better to encourage the good deed by simple caressing or patting rather than by feeding. Since Labradors can get overweight quite easily, they should have a controlled diet and you should discourage giving them something or the other to eat every time they obey you. You should give your dog regular meals but avoid snacks. In case you give it snacks sometimes, you will need to adjust the diet accordingly.
Taking your pet to various places will also help it to socialize more easily. It is a lively dog and will need company. You can also make it used to your touch by handling it as often as you can.

A Labrador’s companionship can make your life happier and free of tension. So, go ahead and bring a Labrador today while keeping the above suggestions in mind.