Labrador Retriever
From LoveToKnow Dogs
The faithful Labrador Retriever truly lives up to the moniker of Man's Best Friend. This sturdy breed was originally developed to retrieve water fowl, and aid in the hunt of upland game. The breed's name is a bit of a misnomer, having more likely originated from the Newfoundland breeds that later found their way to England and were cross bred with other retrievers of the time.
Labradors come in three recognized colors:
- Solid Black, with a small amount of white permissible on the chest.
- Yellow, perhaps the most popular color.
- Chocolate, a rich reddish brown.
The average Lab weighs in around seventy pounds, making them quite solid for a medium sized dog of twenty-three inches height on average. The breed's tail is also very recognizable, being "otter-like" in appearance.
Labrador Retriever Personality
The Labrador Retriever is highly valued for it's easy, outgoing nature. Stability is the hallmark of the Labrador personality, and these dogs make wonderful family pets, getting along well with most other dogs and creatures as well. Labradors love to please their owners, and require lots of affectionate attention, which they are only too willing to return in kind. But when it's time to go to work, a Labrador is all business.
Trainability
Labrador Retrievers are excellent candidates for all types of training, and only require consistency to bring out their best efforts. They have long been prized for their abilities in the field as game dogs, and also do extremely well in obedience and the sport of agility.
Their gentle intelligence also makes these dogs very good candidates for search and rescue work, as well as guide and therapy dogs.
Grooming Tips
Except for their heavy weight, Labradors have simple grooming needs. Their coat is short, so stays much cleaner than longer coated breeds. A monthly bath should suffice. Some shedding should be expected, but brushing with a bristle brush should pick a lot of the loose hair, and can be carried out whenever you want to spend some quiet bonding time with your canine companion.
Be sure to keep an eye on nail length and trim if necessary. Also, because the ear flaps hang downward, be sure to check the ears from time to time for dirt and possible signs of infection indicated by redness and a foul smell. You may choose to clean these yourself with a cotton swab or leave it to your veterinary professional.
Health Issues
A well bred Labrador Retriever has a life expectancy of ten to twelve years on average. Unfortunately, this breed like many others is prone to some hereditary diseases that can significantly lower the quality of your pet's life. Responsible breeders screen for the following diseases in order to try to eliminate them from their breeding stock.
- Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia
- Retinal Dysplasia
- Renal Dysplasia
- Gastric Torsion, aka Bloat
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Canine Cataracts
It follows that you should always ask for a written health guarantee on any pet you purchase.
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Comments
Hi Christine,
Four seizures in five months indicates a serious condition. I honestly believe it would be best to follow your vet's advice to bring the seizures under control quickly. Recurrent seizures can cause brain damage, so it would be better to begin treatment sooner rather than later.
Thanks for your question, and best wishes for your dog's health.
-- Contributed by: KellyI have a chocolate lab, almost 2. He has had 4 sezures in 5 months. The vet would like me to put him on medicine, could I try changing his diet and homeopathic treatment first or should I medicate him< Thanks, Chris
-- Contributed by: ChristineHi KK,
I actually used to be a Girl Scout leader for about 8 years.
As for your question, there is no single answer because there are so many variables involved. For example:
- How many times a year the female comes in heat: Some cycle twice a year, others once a year.
- How many years the dog lives.
So we could say that a dog that comes in heat twice a year and lives for seven years could theoretically produce 14 litters in her lifetime. However, this isn't a realistic estimate because it would involve the dog having a litter when she was only about six months old herself. It also doesn't take her overall health into account.
Now if you want to talk about what is a healthy breeding plan stretched over the dog's lifetime, I would say no more than three to five litters, spaced out once a year, beginning no earlier than when the female is 18 months old. I've never bred a female older than five years old, but it could be safe to extend breeding to age seven if the dog is still very healthy.
I hope this info helps you earn your badge. Thanks for your question.
-- Contributed by: KellyThis page has been accessed 6,527 times. This page was last modified 02:32, 27 March 2008.
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