Are Labrador Retrievers The Right Dog For Your Family?

The Labrador Retriever, affectionately known as a Lab, or a Labby by their owners, was originally bred as a hunting or gun dog but are now considered by many to be the perfect family pet. Lovable and excitable by nature the Lab is highly dependable, extremely obedient and of course gifted with a multitude of 'doggy' talents.

It is little wonder that Labs are statistically one of the most popular dog breeds with a huge proportion of North American and European dog lovers being lab owners as well. Its friendly, placid, bright, and bouncy good nature makes it a wonderfully delightful companion as well as being perfectly suited for other tasks outside the home such as police work. Labs are also extensively used as assistance dogs for the blind and also the physically handicapped. They also excel in therapy work.

Labs are tremendous swimmers and fittingly have an otter-like tail. Their coat is grown in an interweave pattern, making them ideally suited to spending time in the water.

And, as their name suggests, Labradors are excellent retrievers and one of their surprisingly pleasant attributes is the fact that they have extremely 'soft mouths.' Apparently, a Lab is able to carry an egg in its mouth without breaking it though I have to say if my Labs got an egg in their mouth they would simply eat it. They have capricious appetites!

In general Labs are not markedly prone to having some of the negative traits found in some breeds. These include but are not limited to being hypersensitive, aggressive, insecure, pining nor territorial.

Labrador retrievers are especially wonderful with children because the Lab has an intense desire to not only please, but its desire to play is almost equal with its desire to eat!

Children can spend hours playing catch with a ball, or a Frisbee, and the dog will appear to be tireless. As far as a Lab is concerned 'more is best' and they never get bored of playing or being with their human masters.

Labrador retrievers really enjoy being with children and make great child minders! Kids will never be bored if there is a Labrador in the house - and vice versa.

Labs, as a breed, are exceedingly intelligent making them highly trainable though it is certainly true that they have great independence and can be quite stubborn in their behaviour.

Labrador retrievers are also immensely inquisitive, investigative and dearly love company, and they will follow both people and interesting scents for attention, food, and sometimes just because they want to!

Because of these attributes, they sometimes can be easily go missing or be lured away from their owner. Because of their trusting nature and urge to explore, Lab owners should ensure that their contact information is recorded on the dogs disc and, if possible, consider micro chipping the dog as an extra safeguard.

Labs are basically a healthy breed, though they are highly prone to becoming overweight as they have a tremendous talent for begging or finding food. But, like all dog breeds, Labs are susceptible to certain conditions and they can be prone to hip dysplasia, osteoarthritis and other joint problems as well as suffering from diabetes.

But, those minor health concerns aside, it has to be said that, for many of us, Labrador retrievers are as close as you can come to having the perfect family pet!