Have you ever come across a household where, if you are welcome, the Labrador treats you otherwise? Of course not! Labs or Labrador Retrievers are one of the friendliest dogs you can pet. Adorable, friendly and outgoing, they light up the house with their unparalleled love and affection.
They are also extremely loyal and if trained, can protect the house against intruders. To cap it up, they are the epitome of what you may call ‘happy pets’ and you can never be sad if you have one of these in your family.
Labradors, just like all other pets, need to be taken care of. They have huge appetites. Do not be surprised if you find your pet always hungry. However, do be careful not to feed your dog more than twice a day. If you are treating your dog with a special snack, do remember to cut back on the second meal so that he or she does not run the risk of being obese, for Labradors are usually prone to obesity that might lead to sundry other health issues that you might want to avoid. To evade this, walk him or her everyday at least for half an hour, or if possible, more.
As said earlier, Labradors are extremely affectionate. They dote on you, and do not be offended when more often than not you get up in the morning being slobbered in the face! They are also amazing with children. However, it is definitely better to keep an eye on their relationship especially if your little one is a toddler since they usually try to grab and mouth everything they lay their hands on, and your canine toddler would of course have a knack for chewing everything around him.
Playtime is nonpareil. The second best thing in our canine pal’s list after food is of course playtime. If you find him gloomy, quiet or lazy, pet him more than often, play with him more and take him for a walk. They adore change, and a walk in an unfamiliar street will do the trick. Labradors are curious dogs after all. However, do remember that they are also territorial, so it is quite natural for them to bark at anything new on the street or the sidewalk. Make sure you take your dog out on a regular basis and make him come across unacquainted things so that he can learn to adjust with new surroundings.
Labradors are suckers for attention. And guess what, they love to cuddle! They were raised in packs in the litter so this is almost ingrained in their memory, and if you can let him or her cuddle up with you on the bed or the sofa, they will adulate you even more.
Treat your puppy just as you would treat a toddler. I mean to say that you need to provide him with plenty of toys, their favourite being a tennis ball. Even when nothing is at hand, they take immense pleasure in chasing birds, monkeys or cats but with the genial intention of playing with them. Remember Labradors exceptionally loving animals.
Another thing to keep in mind would be to keep the door of your toilet closed at all times. Dogs have a strange habit of lapping water from the commode. In order to avoid that, always provide your pet with a copious supply of clean and fresh drinking water since they get thirsty very quickly.
In spite of your doing all you can for your pet, you will have to face certain health issues as your Labrador ages, the most common of them being hip dysplasia, epilepsy or seizures. They can also experience problems with their vision. If you find any of these happening to your Lab, I would advise you to contact your vet immediately. As your dog grows old, it is advisable to take him or her to the vet once or twice every month although your pal looks seemingly fit.
So far, we have been talking about Labradors as the idyllic pets, but now I think it is about time we turn the cards. Labs maybe the perfect canine pal you can have, but are you the ideal human for your dog? If you are either inactive, spend less time at home, or are not much for walking or exercise, then I would advise you not to adopt a Labrador Retriever as pet. Remember that Labradors are not small dogs and unlike Chihuahuas, can surely not get sufficient activity running around the room. They will tend to get obese and fall prey to a plethora of health issues.
Also, it would be advisable not to bring home a Labrador if you do not have that kind of space in your house. Remember that they are hyperactive dogs and require sufficient amount of time and space. A house with a small garden is always better than an apartment with no yard. Another thing to keep in mind would be the fact that Labradors are more prone to breaking your chinaware stuff than any other dog is. As mentioned earlier, they are very curious dogs and their abject curiosity can kill your glass figurines, if not a cat!
However, if you are willing to forgo your fancy embellishing and ready to walk your dog and give him your time and attention, I don’t see a reason why you can’t have once of these happy dogs as your pet.