Labrador Retriever
Labrador Retriever
When it comes time to choose a new family pet, one that gets along well with children and other animals, you cannot beat the Labrador Retriever. Although the Labrador is an excellent hunting dog, on land and in the water, it is not related to the “Labrador” from Newfoundland. However, Earl of Malmesbury was intrigued by the Newfoundland Labrador and in the early part of the 19th century, imported one. Although the original Labrador faded out, some were interbred with other retrievers, which was the development of the Labrador Retriever we know today.
Temperament
When puppies, the Labrador Retriever may show some signs of digging and/or chewing but with proper training, this can be corrected. The Labrador has good energy without being hyperactive. Additionally, if you want a pet to play with and train, the Labrador naturally has an ability to fetch, often chasing objects into the water. The nice thing about this particular breed is that while it is mellow, if a stranger were to approach, the Lab becomes protective.
Again, training a Labrador is fun because of its ability to learn so quickly. However, with a fun-loving nature, you may need to be firm but do not be too harsh, as this breed can get its feelings hurt. Instead, praise and a small treat for providing positive reinforcement, coupled with a firm voice is all you need. The Labrador has one goal in mind – to please its owner, loving attention and fun.
Size and Color
The Labs head is strong and well developed, the eyes are friendly, with a look of intelligence and alertness, and the ears should hang closely to the head. The eye color of the Labrador Retriever ranges from brown in the yellow and black variety while you see brown or hazel-colored eyes in the chocolate variety. For show and/or breeding purposes, the Labrador should not have yellow or black eyes. In addition, a Lab without pigmentation around the rims would also be disqualified.
Yellow – Yellow coloring can range from a fox red to a light cream, as well as various shading seen on the ears, under parts, and/or back
Chocolate – Shades of brown also vary from light to dark – Chocolate coats with tan or brindle markings would be disqualified
Feeding and Grooming Requirements
In addition, the Labrador sometimes has a sensitive stomach, meaning poor quality dog food or people food can cause upset stomachs, gas, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. Therefore, we recommend you choose only high quality food, providing your pet with approximately four and one-half cups for a 60-pound weight, adjusting accordingly. The best method is to feed half of the food in the morning, and the other half in the evening. Some people choose to feed this breed homemade food, which if prepared properly is an option. We also suggest you determine the brand of food fed by the breeder and then continuing this when you bring your new puppy home.
The most important thing when it comes to feeding this breed is to provide adequate levels of calcium, at least while in the growing phase. As stated, some people choose to make food, which is fine. However, if you go this route, make sure you feed your pet 30% lean meat to 70% cereals that would include a good mix of minerals and vitamins. Additionally, the food should contain 2% of calcium, an important ingredient due to the dog’s large bone structure.
As far as grooming, a black Lab generally sheds much less than a yellow Lab. Regardless of color, expect to have shedding, especially in the spring and fall when the undercoat sheds heavily. To reduce the amount of shedding, you want to brush your Labrador daily, using a soft-bristle, slicker, or mitten type brush. In addition, two baths a month will help to some degree.
While it might be tempting to shave your Lab, we strongly discourage this since the hair helps keep the dog warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The goal with this breed is to remove the dead coat, which then allows the new, less shedding coat to come in. For some people, the shedding of a Labrador is a problem but you need to understand this is simply a part of the breed so expect some grooming on a daily basis.
Exercise Needs
