Labrador dogs for people

Max B (age 4)

People who have once owned Labradors tend to be spoiled for any other type of dog. Most breeds have their devoted followers but few have such a large and enthusiastic fan club as Labradors, the most numerous breed in much of the Western world.

When you think of the appealing things about dogs, you will find that all of them are present to an extraordinary degree in the Labrador breed. They are loving, loyal companions. They are friendly and good with children. They are intelligent, good-natured guide dogs for the blind. They have undying optimism and unquenchable love for the human race. They will fetch balls and sticks with undimmed enthusiasm until they drop dead with exhaustion if that is what you require of them.

In other words, they are archetypal dogs, and that applies to their appearance as well as their nature. In fact, it seems that when a cartoonist sketches a picture of a dog, he will more often than not find that his sketch resembles a Labrador. Think about one of James Thurber’s floppy, seal-like creations or of Brian the talking dog in Family Guy. They are both clearly Labradors, although Brian’s sarcastic spirit is definitely not typical of the breed. If Labradors could talk they would most certainly not be issuing wise-cracks or put-downs. 

In addition to their sublime dogginess, Labradors have some unusual features associated with their history as working dogs. They derive from a species of water dog, the St John’s Water Dog, first bred in Newfoundland to help with fowling and fishing. Because of this heritage, Labradors are excellent and enthusiastic swimmers, and they even have webbed toes to help. In the early days of the breed, there is a record of a dog observed paddling its paw in the water, in order to attract fish. Webbed toes also help Labradors in snowy weather, when they prevent the discomfort caused to some breeds when snow balls up between their toes. A further helpful feature for the wet is their unusual short, thick coat, which repels water.

While a Labrador is to many people the perfect dog, there are a couple of things (but only a couple) to be aware of when choosing one as a pet.

They were bred as working dogs, as retrievers for hunting and fishing. To remain fit, therefore, they need plenty of exercise: two half hour walks per day is the very minimum. They tend to shed hair, and in a temperate climate they can do this almost constantly. They will over-eat if given the chance, so follow any product guidelines on feeding your Labrador; otherwise the dog may become fat, with a negative impact on its health and well-being. Apart from that, the breed has few of the health problems which can plague pure-bred dogs.

All in all, it is really quite hard to think of much wrong with them. The happy love affair between Labradors and the human race is all set to continue.

For more details on dogs/Labradors care click here! It's a great site to learn all about them and more.

By Carol B 28th Jan 2014