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: 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 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: 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 aggressive quality of the breed is very easily controlled and they are a wonderful family because of their gentle attitude towards children.
Caring & Health: Regardless of color, all Labrador Retrievers turn white around the muzzle area as they get older. They have a life expectancy of 12 to 13 years and have an unbelievable appetite. Their number one problem is 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 publisher of the popular
Dog-Breed-Facts.com website. His new ebook titled "
Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle" is a great resource for the prospective dog owner.