For Love of The Lab

I got a note from a friend yesterday and he said that he and his fiancee were considering getting a dog. They wanted to know what I thought about Labrador Retrievers. Did I think they were a good pet? Would I recommend them? What were their good and bad qualities? Little did the poor guy know that he had asked the “magic question” and given a Lab Lover a reason to rave about their breed. Some of the stuff I wrote might be interesting to others, so I repeat it here for your entertainment and education.

I can’t recommend Labrador Retrievers enough. As far as I am concerned they are the perfect dog. I prefer females to males as they are easier to train, but that’s a personal preference. Either sex is wonderful, the boys are just a bit more hard headed in the training department, so say the experts. Boys of any breed are also known for “marking” their territory and I’ve never wanted to deal with that. I’m sure a male could be trained not to mark, by why fight that fight? Therefore, I have girls. If you choose a male, I recommend you have him neutered. He will be a much, much better pet if you have that done, and the only reason not to is if you are planning to become a breeder. Get your girl fixed as well for then they will not have “female problems” or be prone to uterine or ovarian cancer. If they don’t have the equipment, they can’t get sick with those kinds of problems. Always be pro-active with their health.

Labs are smart, sweet, loving, gentle and are wonderful with kids no matter what their sex. The boys are physically bigger although, I have some very big girls. A lot of their adult size just depends on the pup you choose. Want a big dog? Go for the big footed, big boned pup and vice versa. Also take a look at the parents. This will tell you a lot about your future adult dog.

They are great protectors and will lay down their lives for their family. The people at my front door are duly impressed by the large, loud watch dogs and their ferocious growl is very impressive. Only I know that they would much rather kiss and hug and play than fight. Gentleness is built into their nature. The love and devotion you get from a Lab is an experience that everyone should have at least once in their life. Labs are the most popular dog in America for a reason. Over the years, I’ve owned numerous breeds, but once deciding upon a Lab, I’ll never look back. They come in three colors, yellow/white, chocolate brown or black. I love the chocolates, but again, that’s a personal preference. These beautiful dogs are the only breed I expect to own for the rest of my life. (the only possible exception to that statement is that I may one day choose to have a small lap dog to go along with all my beautiful Labs. Since Labs get along with everybody, I’m sure they would love their new junior sized playmate.)

They have many breed characteristics that you should be aware of and be prepared for. First, the puppies stay “puppies” emotionally for a long time and they don’t grow up fast. You will have a large, lumbering “horse” around the house who still thinks they are a tiny pup until they are between 2 and 3 years old. S/he will be obnoxious, overly playful, overbearing, demanding and needy. S/he’ll also be sweet, loving, full of kisses and hugs and will adore you. S/he will jump on your friends, put muddy paws on your clean outfit, chew up your favorite shoes, slop water all over the kitchen floor, try to climb into your lap for a snuggle even though she weighs 75-100 pounds, get hair in your bed and on your clothes, and s/he will have absolutely no idea why you are angry. S/he just wants a hug and a kiss. Think of a demanding two year old human toddler and you begin to get the picture. However, I can assure you that the love and joy you will experience from owning this animal will make it all worthwhile. That is, of course, assuming you are a “dog person”. Not just a dog owner, but a true dog person.

Second, almost without exception, Labs love water. I can’t keep my girls out of the pool. That means your new baby may play in the water dish, join you in the shower, hop in the tub with you, sleep in a mud puddle, play in the sprinklers, climb into the washtub where you are soaking something, walk into the fountain you are passing, dive into the lake, or jump into the pond, etc. etc. etc. They are water dogs to the bone.

Next, these guys are working dogs. They are the number one choice for seeing eye dogs and handicapped assistance dogs. This means, of course, that they are exceptionally smart and can be trained to do just about anything. They are almost scary smart sometimes as they will have you figured out long before you have them figured out. They are easily trained, obviously, and will excel at obedience training. And you MUST take them to obedience training and you must train them well. Because they are so smart, they know exactly how much they can get away with, and because they are so sweet and so cute, it’s tempting to let them get away with a great deal. However, you must be a firm “dog parent” or you’ll be sorry. They have a great sense of humor and they will have a good laugh at your frustration over their behavior. A well trained Lab is a joy, an untrained Lab is a pain in the ass. I have two half-trained girls, one a 4 year old and one a young pup of 8 months. The 4 year old was never perfectly trained and now, with the influence of the pup, she has reverted to her puppyhood and I have two wild hounds on my hands. They are truly full of it. (Bess was the perfectly trained oldest dog. She was barely 6 when she died.) I must now turn my attention to Lucy and get her properly trained and then next will come Meggie. They MUST be trained. Start your first obedience class when s/he’s 6 months old and just keep working on it. They will absorb as much as you want to teach. They are so smart. It’s easy to be lax and easygoing about the training as I have done with the younger two, but I am paying for it. As sweet and wonderful as they, they are obnoxious as well and it’s my fault.

Labs are high energy and need lots of play, regular walks or some form of regular exercise. Ideally they need a yard and a place to run and play. Fetch is a favorite game for all Labs since they are, after all, hunting dogs who live to retrieve. My girls get their exercise with regular swimming as I’m not great at long distance walking. I throw their retrieval logs into the pool and they retrieve them over and over and over and over. My arm will get tired long before the dog does. You must work out all that energy somehow or they will turn that energy into destructive habits. All puppies chew, but Labs really LOVE to have something in their mouth. You must be patient and just keep putting THEIR toys and bones and chewy sticks into their mouth as you carefully extract your slippers, socks, underwear, shoes, kitchen towels, water bottle, etc. etc. etc. Anything that fits in their mouth is fair game as Labs are very “mouthy”. EVERYTHING goes into their mouths. It is the nature of the breed. If they can’t retrieve that bird you’ve shot down, they’ll retrieve something else. They can be trained quite easily to only put their belongings into their mouths, you just have to be consistent and clear. Mine are very good about that. My girls have a toy box, literally, full of toys and both of them always have something in their mouths, particularly when they get excited. Retrieving is what they do, it’s who they are.

Don’t be deluded into thinking that because they are short haired, they won’t shed. They shed and plenty of it, however, long haired dogs are much, much worse. I’ve had both kinds and I know. However, the bright note on the shedding is that if your dog swims a lot, there’s much less shedding in the house as the hair ends up in the pool filter.

Not much else I can think of to tell you about this wonderful breed. If you are still interested, check out my breeders website (http://aaalabs.com/). I can highly recommend them. They are in Ontario, California.