The Labrador Retriever gives the Golden Retriever a run for its money as to which between the two is the most popular family dog in the world. The Labrador Retriever’s friendliness, behavior with children, affectionate and kind disposition and faithfulness are qualities that set it above all other dogs in the world.
The Labrador retriever pups are so cute that you might have a crush the instant you see him. If you bring home a Labrador retriever then you will be assured of constant companionship. He is no ordinary dog; he is a gentle and understanding dog with loads of patience especially towards children. Since 1991, the lab retriever has been the most popular dog based on registrations in the United States.
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: A native of Newfoundland, Canada the Labrador Retriever was used to swim the cold waters to haul fisherman’s nets to shore. Their retrieving instincts are well honed and developed that they perform extremely well in drug and bomb detection. They are also used as a guide dog for the blind and elderly, rescue dogs aside from being an outstanding family dog.
Physical Appearance: The Labrador retriever is comes in three colors: jet black, chocolate and yellow. They are relatively large and the male labs can stand to a height of 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches (55.9 to 62 1/4cm) and weigh 65-80 lbs (30-36kg) while the female stands almost as tall as the male at 21 1/2 to 23 1/2 inches (54 1/2 to 60 cm) and weighs 55-70 lbs (25 to 32 kg).
Temperament: There are no ways about the temperament of Labrador retrievers. They are like the angels of all dogs. He is good tempered, caring and committed. Extremely possessive and protective about their owners, the Labrador retrievers are super intelligent and can adapt to any environment.
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: As they grow older, the coat of lab retrievers will become whiter mostly around the area near the muzzle. The life expectancy varies from 12-13 years and faces some major health problems. Labs have a great appetite and can eat all the time. This needs to be watched as it can cause obesity.
Labs are susceptible to problems of the knee, elbow and hip dysplasia; they are also prone to ear infections because of their droopy ears that can trap moist air. This is easily prevented with regular cleaning on a weekly basis.
If a lovable and energetic family dog is what you want, you can never go wring choosing the Labrador Retriever!
