Labrador: Training Insights & Behavior Traits

The Labrador continues to rank as a very popular breed, despite the emerging popularity of many other breeds such as designer breeds and toy-breeds for those now living in the inner city.

The Labrador still ranks as the country’s most popular dog breed in the USA and United Kingdom. Why? Because they are big and sweet and in most cases, a great family pet. However, they are also the “top dog” when it comes to needing dog training.

Bark Busters has trained more Labradors in the U.S. and Canada than any other breed but mixed breeds. Close at its heels is the Staffordshire Terrier in the United Kingdom and other countries.

Although very trainable, they do need expert training and Bark Busters has a successful track record for training Labradors of all ages and for a list of behavioral traits. Bark Busters training is the type of training that won’t suppress their gregarious personality or spoil their fun loving nature.

Dog owners nowadays understand the importance of locating kind and humane training for their pets, training that is dog friendly and fits into their time scale and training needs. Bark Busters has the Labrador ranked as #1 most trained dog in countries such as the USA, United Kingdom and Canada and still popular in Australia, New Zealand and Spain.

Controlled Environment

To reduce the damage that a young Labrador can do to your precious things, you might want to create a safe, controlled environment. This place should be void of all your precious items and should be the place where you provide entertainment for your dog.

Child’s Play

Because the Labrador is a popular family dog, any play between a dog and children must be monitored and controlled. Children have a way of getting dogs excited and this can lead to the dog inadvertently hurting the child through their natural excitable behavior.

Make sure that you teach the children to play sensibly and instruct them to play games that are less likely to lead to over-exuberance, such as hide and seek games or fetch games, versus the rough and tumble type of games.

Rough housing will only encourage your dog to become over-excited every time it sees the children and this can cause your children to try to avoid the dog because they fear getting hurt.

Adult Play

Any form of play, ‘fetch the ball’ and especially tug-of-war games, must end with you taking control of the item. Once the game is over, take the item out of play, with a ‘Finish’ command and lots of praise.

This technique is designed to show the dog in a subtle way, that you are the decision maker and that you control the game. In other words, you are the leader of the pack.

Don’t play rough and tumble or hand games -- these only teach dogs to bite when they play and to play rough.

Encourage your Labrador to use its brain by hiding items that he can find or playing a controlled game of fetch, where you teach him to wait until he is told to go get the thrown ball.

Common Illnesses and Injuries

Your Labrador Retriever’s health concerns will change over the course of their life. A puppy might be more prone to ear infections as their immune system develops, an active 2-year-old Lab may be more likely to tear a knee ligament, and a senior Labrador is far more likely to develop arthritis or cancer as they age. Labs also have personality and physical traits that may make them more prone to certain conditions—a Labrador Retriever who loves to swim may develop an ear infection more often than a breed with a pricked ear.

At any stage of life, there are some of the most common injuries and illnesses you should be aware of when bringing home a Labrador Retriever:

• Allergies
• Vomiting and Diarrhea
• Diabetes
• Cruciate Ruptures
• Ear Infections.
• Masses
• Arthritis
• Ingestion of foreign material

If you are ever concerned about your dog’s health, your local veterinarian is a great resource—no matter how small the question.

Genetic Health Concerns

Like many popular breeds, the Lab has its fair share of hereditary based issues, like hip dysplasia and elbow dysplasia. Most reputable breeders now have their breeding stock checked and scored for these hereditary ailments by a vet. You can request proof that the puppy you are purchasing comes from parents that have been checked for these issues.

Because many other health issues are also hereditary, you should do some research on the ancestry of your puppy and any health issues of that particular breed.

Many rescue organizations also check for common-ailments before making them available for adoption.

Other Labrador Retriever health issues to watch out for:

• Allergies to things like food, grasses and pollens
• Bone and joint problems
• Cancer
• Bleeding disorders
• Diabetes
• Epilepsy
• Ear problems
• Heart disease
• Liver problems
• Thyroid disease

Some of these ailments may not be hereditary but could stem from environmental or dietary issues. Be sure that your dog is fed on a healthy diet and receives regular vet checks to ensure it always stays healthy.

Labradors Have a Love of Food

The Labrador Retrievers and the Golden Retrievers are loving, compassionate, and highly motivated dogs. Labs and goldens share many common traits, one that is important is the love of food. These dogs are highly food motivated, which means that they will do anything for that food reward. It is important that we not over feed these dogs as it can result in lameness of joints and diabetes; which are all in conjunction with obesity and over feeding.

Owners of labs and retrievers also need to know that the age at which they are spayed and neutered is important, if the pet reaches sexual maturity before being fixed this will help later in life with obesity or weight gain. Females should ideally go through one to two heat cycles before being fixed, and males should be at least one year of age or older. It is important to also monitor how much food is being fed at a feeding, this over eating/feeding can be contributed to owners not measuring out how much food is being given at one time.

Most owners buy treats from the store, but beware that these treats contain high amounts of sugar, fat, and calories. There are many other treat options rather than the store bought ones. A few items that you might have in your refrigerator that you can give your pet are: carrots, green beans, apples, and watermelon. If a lab or retriever is part of a larger household or with children, it is important to explain that the pet doesn’t need treats from everyone. Instead give the pet love and affection, which we all know labs and retrievers love, this will cut down on the amount of treats. Attached below is a quick, easy, and healthy dog treat you can make right at home.

Peanut butter & pumpkin treats:

• 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tbs. peanut butter
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, whisk all the ingredients together, add water if needed to make dough workable, roll into ½ inch thick, cut with cookie cutter designs, bake on baking sheet for 40 minutes.

Many thanks to Dr. David Randall for his Tip of the Month. David is from: Big Cypress Animal Clinic 11363 Tamiami Trail East Naples, Florida 34113 Phone: 239-774-2233 Fax: 239-774-952

Labrador Grooming

The Labrador’s short coat is easy to care for and always looks good. As a water retrieving dog, the Labrador’s coat is designed to repel water and to keep the dog warm while swimming. Think of it as a ‘wash and wear’ type coat.

Regular brushing is required and we recommend that you only bath your Labrador when absolutely necessary as their coat will naturally repel dirt and grime. Too much bathing of any dog strips the natural oils and can create that doggy smell.