Labrador Retriever
Today, I am featuring the world’s most popular dog breed the Labrador Retriever. Here is everything you need to know about this amazing dog breed
Here are some breed statistics
Height Up to2 feet tall at the shoulder
Weight:55 to 80 pounds
Life Span:10 to 12 years
How Labrador Retrievers Can Help Us
Labradors were first bred as sporting dogs but since then they have been adapted to work as :
Search and Rescue Dogs
Guide Dogs and other Assistance Dogs
Companion Dogs
Therapy Dogs
Agility and Obedience Dogs
Tracker or Sniffer Dogs
Drug and Explosive Detection Dogs
Retrievers for Hunters and Gun Dogs
History
Labrador Retrievers were originally bred in Newfoundland off the northeastern Atlantic coast of Canada. They were known as the St.John’s dog after the capital city and were used to help out local fishermen.
What to Expect from a Labrador Retriever Puppy
Labs are known for their enormous appetites and owners must watch that the dog doesn’t become obese. Any potential owners should be committed to giving the Labrador up to an hour of exercise a day. They should also sign up for a comprehensive training programme, these are big strong dogs with boundless energy. A bored, understimulated Labrador Retriever can have tendencies towards chewing, digging and other destructive behaviors.
A Lab will enjoy carrying things in his mouth, buy strong durable toys for this purpose.
Labrador puppies grow considerably between four to seven months so it is important to provide high-quality puppy food specifically designed for large dogs, to prevent bone disorders.
This breed does shed so a good vacuum cleaner will be needed. They have double coats which are almost waterproof and have webbed toes.
The double coat is there to protect them against cold and icy water.
They are excellent swimmers.
They have ‘gentle mouths’ perfect for retrieving birds.
The Health Of Labrador Retrievers
Labrador Retrievers can suffer from allergies that lead to dermatitis.
Health Tips
1 Keep your dog’s weight under control with a well-balanced diet and lots of exercise.
2 Look after oral care, ideally, brush teeth daily and provide dental sticks to prevent a build-up of plaque.
3 Keep your dog’s brain active by teaching tricks or using interactive dog toys like this Bob a Lot Interactive Toy
4 Change the places that you walk your dog and take a ball so that he covers more distance.
5 Make time for your labrador, he loves being by your side.
The World’s oldest Labrador was 29 years old (and called Bella)
What do people say about the Labrador Retriever dog breed?
Labrador Retrievers are renowned for being excellent family dogs, especially with children.
Famous Labrador Retrievers
Ben of Hyde holds the record for being the first documented yellow Labrador Retriever. He was born in early 1899. Most lines of yellow labs currently can be traced back to the Ben of Hyde bloodline.
Marley – The movie Marley and Me features none other than the lab Marley. A variety of age range labs played Marley, representing different parts of her growth and experience. The movie is based on the true-life adventures of Marley and owner John Grogan.
Buddy and Seamus –Former United States President Bill Clinton had two famous labs as pets named Buddy and Seamus. It raised the Labrador Retrievers popularity to an all-time high.
Jake – Jake is a gorgeous black lab that made his search and rescue debut after the 911 attacks. He tirelessly worked to try and locate both survivors and victims. He also participated in search and rescue operations in both hurricane Rita and Katrina.
Guide Dogs For The Blind
Dogalogue is a fantastic UK charity which supports the Guide Dogs For The Blind. As we all know, Labrador Retrievers make wonderful Guide Dogs and by supporting Dogalogue you help to train a support dog.
They have a wonderful selection of dog-themed gifts at amazing prices.
You can read much more about how Dogalogue works here
Finally, what are Labrador Retrievers not good at?
Thank you for reading.
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