Labrador Retriever The Most Popular Family Dog Worldwide
Friendliness, gentle behavior towards children, loyalty, patience are some of the Labrador Retriever’s qualities that make them the world’s most sought after family dog aside from their caring nature and playfulness.
One look at a Labrador Retriever puppy and your heart will melt as it looks at you with its alert eyes. Next to the Golden Retriever, they are most sought after as companion dogs for children and the elderly. They are highly dependable and loyal and very protective of their masters as well.
Labs have a history of assisting in waterfowl hunting and love water. A completely dependable dog, lab retrievers are being trained more and more for assisting blind and disabled people. They are regarded as specialist dogs by K9 units across the United States and in bomb squads or sniffer squadrons across the world. This doesn’t mean that the retriever is a working dog only; he is “the” family dog too.
Compatibility and Usage: The breed is native to New Foundland, Canada and gained prominence as a fisherman’s dog. Labrador Retrievers are originally known as St. John’s dog and acknowledged having been developed from the Buccleuch Avon kennels in the 1880’s.
Physical Appearance: The Labrador Retriever is muscular, slightly longer than tall and sports a water-resistant coat in solid black, yellow, or chocolate. Male Labradors stand between 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches tall and weigh between 65 to 80 pounds while the female Labs stand almost as tall as the male at 21 1/2 to 23 1/2 inches and weighs slightly less at 55 to 70 pounds.
Temperament: In this category, the Labrador Retriever is hands down considered as the most behaved of all dogs that their benign temper has become the trademark of the breed. They are generally kind and possess an outgoing and obedient nature; they are always eager to please and are not hostile towards man or other animals. Labs are very adaptable to any environment, highly intelligent and are very loyal and overprotective of their owners.
The popularity of Labrador retrievers is more because of him having become a great family dog and because labs are very gentle with children. A Lab retriever unlike other big dogs is not territorial by nature and aggression is controlled and hence it can mix around with other dogs easily.
Caring & Health: Life expectancy of the breed range from 12 to 13 years. One important aspect of a Lab’s behavior that must be monitored is their penchant for eating all the time as this can lead to obesity.
They are also prone to knee problems, elbow and hip dysplasia and ear infection. The ear infection is much higher in labs as compared to other dogs because they have floppy ears, which can trap moist air and thus fungus and other microbial bacteria formation takes place. Ear cleaning on a regular basis is a must with lab retrievers.
Choosing a great family dog has become easier thanks to the Labrador retriever, which is probably the most lovable companion you can ever have!
About the Author
Author Info: Mike Mathews is a writer and editor of the popular Dog Breed Facts website. His new ebook titled “Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle” is a fantastic resource for the prospective dog owner.
