— Breed of the Month —

The Labrador

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Breed Traits and Characteristics

According to the American Kennel Club, here are some breed characteristic you can find in Labradors. 

 

  • Height

    22.5-24.5 inches (male), 21.5-23.5 inches (female)

  • Weight

    65-80 pounds (male), 55-70 pounds (female)

  • Life Expectancy

    11-13 years

  • Coat Type/Length

    Double/Short

  • 100 Affectionate with Family
  • 100 Good with Young Children
  • 100 Good with Other Dogs
  • 100 Trainability Level
  • 100 Energy Level
  • 60 Barking Level
  • 80 Shedding Level
  • 40 Drooling Level

The Labrador

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.

 

Labrador Breed Facts

Personality & Temperament

  • They have a big heart and a zest for life.
  • They are the great outdoors dog but can accept an ordered home life with the correct training.
  • The AKC describes the breed as “kind, pleasant, outgoing and of a tractable nature.” Bark Busters doesn’t disagree with them.

The breed has always been looked upon as the ideal family dog that possesses a stable temperament, loving nature and kid-friendly personality.

The outgoing, generally sociable Labrador ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to selecting the ideal family dog, but you need to do your homework and make sure you select the right personality and temperament to suit your lifestyle. Don’t select the over-exuberant puppy, if you love the 'great indoors.'

Labradors are a smart breed that are constantly training their owners. They can exhibit puppy behavior for a bit longer than other breeds (I have seen 3 year old Labrador puppies) they are smart and need to be busy.

Points of Interest

  • Coat repels water, they love the water
  • Webbed feet, ideal for swimming
  • An even, jolly temperament
  • Great family dog that ticks most of the boxes for all family members
  • Good reputation with children
  • Energetic and athletic-great companion for the fitness loving dog owner
  • Confident personalities, less prone to aggression
  • Great fun dog, up for any game
  • Love retrieving, often obsessively
  • Have soft mouths and can pick up items without biting down hard on them
  • Intelligent and easy to train with basic obedience and general commands

Unique Breed Traits

Labradors love retrieving. Be wary if this behavior becomes obsessive, so look for ways to enhance and harness this natural behavior.

Their coat repels water to help monitor body heat while in the water and they have webbed feet which are ideal for swimming, but harder to get that lather up when bathing.

The Labrador is a breed that is generally slow to mature and can be destructive for some time if not provided with sufficient entertainment or a worthwhile outlet for their intellect. So select a controlled, enriched environment for your dog that can reduce this need and make sure you provide all of your dog’s four basic needs.

The breed has a tendency to over eat and be over-weight, so monitoring and measuring good nutritious portions is important. Best not to lean towards allowing your dog to eat at will.

Selecting a Labrador Puppy

There has been an emergence over the last 20 years of two distinct types of Labradors, the Traditional Labrador; and a new style-Labrador of more recent years.

We have no facts other than our own research conducted across the 7 countries where we train, but we have definitely seen a change in the breed style in the last 20 years. We can only guess at why this has happened, but we feel that it came about when the Labrador became the go-to-breed for everything ‘detection’.

This type of work required a dog that was acceptable at airports and capable of working for long hours, a dog that was highly energetic and willing to work longer and harder, with great enthusiasm.

Although the traditional Labrador has these traits, they more than likely did not have the staying power required for this type of work. This is evident in war zones, where the heat in some cases would be unbearable and where a leaner dog would fare better.

We believe their breeding took a turn in the road to breeding a super-high energy dog that was leaner, less prone to obesity and a go-all-day type of dog when they became the most popular breed for this type of detection work. The indicator is evident in the fact that some of ‘the guide dogs for the blind’ associations are breeding their own Labradors now that are more in keeping with what we refer to as the ‘Traditional Labrador’.

The traditional Labrador has shorter legs than the new-style Labrador, more body fat and a squarer body and head, is less excitable and easier to train.

The new style Labrador has longer legs and leaner body, finer bones than the more traditional Labrador, elongated head and generally taller than the traditional Labrador, much more excitable and extremely high energy levels.

Match temperament of puppy to that of your children

If selecting a family dog, be sure to match the dog’s personality to that of your child. An over-exuberant puppy will frighten a timid or gentle-natured child, so give thought to the type of personality that will match that of your children or it can all end in tears.

New Style Labradors

are more lean and leggy, generally have finer bones and have a more elongated head, than the Traditional Labrador. If you compared the two styles, you would see that the new style is taller and longer in the body.

Adolescent Labradors

Just like any other breeds, an adolescent Labrador will test their owner, regardless of how well trained they are. It helps if you are aware of this fact and act accordingly. Its simple and easy to fix if you think leadership and balance that with affection and fair and just rules.

Training Your Labrador

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.

Labrador Common Behavioral Issues

Labradors do have their behavioral issues but obsessive barking is not common to the breed. If they do have barking issues, it’s usually related to excitement, not aggression. However, Bark Busters trainers are often called in to help pet parents stop the chewing, digging and over-exuberance characteristics of the Labradors.

Although very trainable, they do need training. They are known to be tolerant of other dogs and children, but all play between dogs and a child should always be closely monitored.

It is the Labrador’s inherited attributes and the public’s perception of the breed that has led them to be excellent candidates for assistance, seeing-eye dogs, therapy, support and scent detection.

Labradors love company and get overjoyed at seeing new faces. This gets them jumping for joy while their powerful tails create a path of destruction among your furniture and knick knacks! Their bouncy, full of energy personalities are sometimes a challenge for their pet parents, but generally they are easy to train and capable of being trained to remain calm.

Energy levels

Over-exuberance is common amongst the breed and this is the #1 issue we hear from many dog-parents. Know that this breed is generally easy to train to settle and become calm. With correct training geared towards ‘canine communication’, these dogs can be taught to be calm. Although rare, this over-excited behavior can manifest itself into aggression.

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Need help training your Labrador? Call 1-877-500-BARK (2275)or enter your zip code.

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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 Health

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.

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.

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Hear from Bark Busters Clients Who Have a Labrador

John helped us correct lifelong leash aggression from our Labrador and jumping when visitors come over in just a few hours! We can't believe there progress! We can now enjoy calm walks and order pizza without worry!
Thank you!!!
I'm amazed at the amount of progress that we made in just a single day with the guidance and direction of Ryanne. Our two Lab mix puppies, Bella and Siouxsie, (6-1/2 months) have never been more respectful, obedient, friendly, and calm. We look forward to many years of loving companionship.
We definitely recommend Bark Busters to anyone hoping to build a truly solid relationship with their dogs.

Thank you!
Scot is amazing! I can’t say enough about this whole experience and would recommend Scot and Bark Busters to anyone who is having any issues with their dog. I adopted a black lab mix named Violet almost 4 years ago. She was definitely making all of the decisions in our home, which as you can imagine is not a good idea! After a very disturbing experience with my niece’s dog I reached out for help. After 3 1/2 hours with Scot I began to “see the light”. It’s been 3 days and Violet is a changed dog. I can see her look to me for cues, she acknowledges that I am now making the decisions and our lives have improved 100%. I can’t wait to see what the future holds! It is a commitment, but one worth making!! The techniques make sense to both Violet and myself! I know that we will continue to see growth over time. I also feel confident that Scot will be there for us whenever we need him.
Bill is Amazing! After the first session I saw improvement in my dog! He is firm and patient with me and explains the methodology of Bark Busters in a way that makes complete sense! I was at my wits end, not knowing what to do to help my dog. Bill immediately saw the problems I was having with 14 month old Miya, my chocolate Lab, and continues to address them with each visit! I only wish that I would have contacted him sooner!
I have been a client of Sharon's at Bark Busters for a couple years. She is worth every penny! My dog Lacey had severe separation anxiety, fear based aggression, as well as other issues. There is not a single thing that Sharon has taught me to do that has not worked when I practice and do it correctly. She is always available for questions and free follow up training.
Orlando helped me stop Louie from barking at animals on tv. Rushing the door and barking and jumping on guest when they came over. Also helped me with Louie staying next to me on walks instead of pulling ahead of me.
She is very well prepared and professional. She gives great lessons. My dog was already taking to the lesson before she was done with it. Would definitely recommend.
Theresa was very helpful and informative and is a great trainer
Theresa Nichols, with Bark Busters, is an amazing trainer! She has worked with both of our dogs and we saw immediate results. She really understands dogs!
We are so glad they sent Theresa to our house. She is very informative and Bark Buster Is lucky to have her she has redeemed our faith in the company because of a previous trainer. We really wanted to refund, but she has showed us that she can help us get control of Our Golden Doodle thanks so so much.
Theresa is wonderful! She is kind and patient and wonderful at instructing both pup and client. She is helping to make a hugely positive behavioral impact with my energetic labradoodle. Highly recommend!
Theresa was very helpful for us and responds super quickly to any of our questions.
Had a great time today with Theresa learning about the steps I need to implement in order to resolve my dog’s anxiety problems. I learned so much today about being the leader that my dog need.
Theresa was timely and spent a long time with me - first explaining why my dog exhibited her behaviors and then how we can go about correcting them. She was friendly and knowledgeable and walked through all the steps necessary (along with the practice that is up to us) to ensure our success. If you’re having an issue with your dog, don’t hesitate to call her.
Our Bark Buster trainer Theresa, was very organized and knowledgeable! It’s clear she is dedicated to the process and we know she will be there along our journey.
Theresa has been incredible with our anxious, smart, hyper-attentive puppy! We finally have some control over him, and he seems much more calm in general. She sat down and educated our whole family about how dogs think, how to read their body language, and how to redirect them. Our previous methods only worked at certain times and in certain ways. This is working all of the time! We sought out distractions and worked on how to stay focused. She follows up, she wants our success, and she is patient and understanding. I’m really grateful we have her as an asset in Tallahassee!
We have been working with Theresa and Bark Buster‘s for the past six months and Justin responds very well to this form of training. The harness she has provided makes walking him a pleasure now. I highly recommend Bark Buster‘s
I highly recommend Bark Busters! After our first session with Theresa, I felt like we really got our money’s worth. She explained dog behavior in a way that made so much sense and walked us through exercises that were perfect for Theo, our Australian Shepherd. I’m excited for our follow-up to show her how much Theo has improved!
Theresa is one impressive trainer. Having had pups for over thirty five years, I was pleasantly surprised to have learned stuff about training our hyperactive Goldendoodle , Daniel, that I was not aware of before. He still has a ways to go, but I can’t believe how much hear improved just after one session. Thank you, Theresa. We’re very grateful for your help.
Gusty is terrific. She came in and assessed our needs quickly and jumped right in with skills and exercises to practice. I saw improvement in my chiweenie right away. Highly recommend Gusty to anyone needing dog training!
Gusty has completely transformed both my life and my dog Benny's--after just two sessions.

Benny is a one-year-old mixed-breed rescue who had experienced significant trauma before I adopted him. When we started working with Gusty, we were dealing with several behavioral challenges: barking and biting, leash reactivity, and difficulty adjusting to my two resident cats--whom Benny felt the need to "protect" me from. He was also very territorial on walks, often lunging and snapping at anyone with an unusual appearance--people in big jackets, those with a unique gait, or wearing medical masks. He even reacted to other dogs wearing sweaters. On top of that, he had a habit of scavenging and displayed food aggression.

Gusty not only helped me see that Benny is an incredibly intelligent dog, but also gave me the tools and structure to bring out the best in him. With just a few consistent rules, Benny has blossomed into a calm, focused, and eager-to-learn companion. Thanks to Gusty's guidance:
- Benny no longer barks at people passing our apartment.
- He's calm and responsive on leash--no more lunging.
- He sits at crosswalks, comes when called, and no longer demands attention by barking.
- I no longer need to rely on endless chew toys or treats to keep him occupied.
- He drops trash when asked and responds beautifully to direction.
- Most importantly, our bond has grown stronger than ever.

While he still occasionally reacts to the cats' presence, he is MUCH calmer, only barks and them once or twice and then immediately goes to lay down after I tell him to. The fact that he can disengage from something that once distracted him so totally that I was concerned about his safety and the cats is actually incredible.

With Gusty's encouragement, I'm now excited to take things further--we're starting agility training, and I'm working on getting Benny comfortable in busier environments with the goal of certifying him as an emotional support animal so he can eventually travel with me.

Thank you, Gusty and the Bark Busters team! Your dedication to educating dog owners is inspiring, and the results speak for themselves. This has been one of the best investments I've ever made.
We are blown away by how effective Orlando's techniques were. He explained things in a clear way, and completely changed the way we saw our role in our dog's life. We are very pleased with the results.
Deb is incredibly helpful as a dog trainer and uses a system that really works! My husband and I are already pretty well versed in dogs, but something about the dynamic of the two we have now--barking at the door and windows, jumping on guests, even to the point of fighting with each other--we couldn't get a handle on. Deb came in and brought an expert outside perspective to our situation that has completely changed the stressful dynamic of the house. We've so appreciated the resources offered, the follow up texts, and the simple way to track what we should practice. By applying these trainings, already after just two sessions, our dogs are so much calmer and more obedient and we've taken back control of the house. I would 100% recommend Deb to anyone who has a difficult dog/s. If you listen to her and do the practice, you will absolutely see results.
I have a min pin who barked all the time at anything. I knew that Kate saw herself as the alpha of the pack and nothing I did was successful. I decided to give Bark Busters a try. Deb helped me understand how to speak dog and exactly what I needed! After the first session the barking was very much under control and Kate knew I was the leader and not her! After our second lesson I can now take Kate for walk and I am the leader instead of Kate dragging me down the street at her pace. Barking at others or dogs on our walks has also subsided. Deb is amazing and I can't say enough good things about her knowledge of dogs. My house is more peaceful and I believe Kate is happy that I have stepped into the alpha role and me too! Deb also provided training tools and a special harness for Kate that helped assure immediate success with barking!!!! This program is worth every penny I paid!
It was great meeting with Deb. She was so informative about how train our puppy. We have raised several dogs from puppies, but Deb put everything into perspective. All of the information that she shared with us made so much sense. Our puppy is a Shiba Inu with lots of energy, an attitude, and a huge personality. Deb was able to get our pup to respond to her immediately with some of the training techniques.
We looked at several training options. After meeting with Deb, we are 100% sure that we made the best choice possible. We are looking forward to working with her.
We are well pleased with Orlando and his training. Ori is responding very well. Thank you.
I am thrilled with Bark Busters and with my trainer, Kevin. Although I've had dogs my whole life, I never trained a dog, and I was a little afraid of doing it. I lost my 15-year-old Cocker Spaniel a year ago and got a puppy quickly. Joey is a pure-bred Cocker Spaniel--he is emotional, gorgeous, and loving, but he is a handful!

Kevin has provided me with a ton of innovative information, approaches, and tasks to train Joey, and they are working!

My family and I see the improvement! The methods work by using sounds that a dog naturally responds to.

There are many trainers in Los Angeles, so the information alone is insufficient. I am an intuitive person, and Kevin is kind and understands human and dog nature!

I feel comfortable sharing what is hard for me with Joey. He responds quickly with new ideas, humor, and patience. I consider him a friend of my family.

Joey and I are in great hands, as problems come up, and as Joey grows.

I'm grateful and relieved that I found the right company and person for me and Joey.

If you need dog training, make sure to call Bark Busters of Greater Los Angeles!
Deb is wonderful to work with and she sure knows her job. After working with her the first training session we were rewarded with a whole new dog. We now know how to communicate with our dog so he understands what we are asking of him I would recommend bark busters to anyone who is looking for some training for their precious four-legged animal.

Need Dog Training Assistance with Your Labrador? Find Your Local Trainer Now!

CALL TODAY 1-877-500-BARK (2275)

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