A Healthy And Happy Labrador

Labrador Retrievers can become lazy if they are not encouraged to exercise. Compound this problem with over-feeding, which is very common, and extra pounds are easily put on. Taking them off again is harder work, requiring a more appropriate diet and an effort to increase vigorous exercise time (gradually, of course, to prevent possible muscle injury or overexertion).
Swimming and retrieving games are natural outlets for Labrador Retrievers. These activities are ones that the breed excels at and enjoys, and they give a complete, full-muscle workout that tones the entire body. Having access to a swimming area may be a problem for most owners, but retrieving games can be played anywhere.
labradors have great stamina, but owners must use common sense. During the summer months, limit strenuous exercise during the hottest part of the day and provide an ample supply of fresh water. In the winter, a Labrador in good trim should be able to withstand the cold very effectively and should not be kept housebound. If the dog is out in the rain or snow for any length of time, he should be dried off when he returns to the heated indoors.

Training The Intelligent Labrador’s Retriever

Labrador retriever owners are blessed with a breed that loves to learn. All training must enforce the idea that learning not only is fun but it will bring positive responses from the owner. Learning is not a game, but it need not be unpleasant either.
Training your Labrador retriever to be a mannerly adult is begun at birth, by its mother. Once the puppy arrives at the new owner’s home, it has already been given some basic instructions on behavior - so don’t be fooled into thinking it is too young to behave. A puppy is, of course, too young to teach formal commands, but early lessons in manners and on who is in charge can begin at once.
The Labrador retriever is a highly intelligent animal and a capable learner. It embodies many natural instincts and abilities that make this breed distinct among others of similar heritage. But at the core, a Labrador retriever is a dog - originally a pack animal. From earliest times, pack animals have exhibited a pattern of behavior that affects the process of training:
A pack animal assumes it is the boss until proved otherwise (the leader-of-the-pack syndrome). At birth, the dam assumes the leadership position and keeps her young in line. As the puppies begin to assert their independence, she will remind them of their place through low growls, a swat of the paw, or an occasional shake of the neck. Little else is necessary. She admonishes her young swiftly, fairly, consistently, and unemotionally, and they respect her position as leader. The wise owner follows the dam’s example.
Consistency is vital. Should the dog misbehave, respond accordingly and appropriately. Do not let his “cute little antics” go uncorrected as this will undermine your leadership. Respond firmly but fairly, letting him know what is expected of him and what will not be tolerated. Brute force is not required and is counterproductive. When a dog is testing your authority, correct it in a manner a dog will understand - a firm vocal reprimand, a stem look, a shake of the neck. Little more should be necessary to make your displeasure clear if you are carrying out the corrections authoritatively. Be sure never to whine, nag, plead, or preach at the dog, as these are clearly not the actions of a leader and the dog will not feel compelled to obey.

Iams Home 4 the Holidays Pet Adoption Drive Kicks Off Its Eighth Annual Campaign 

The holiday season is a time to spend at home with your family. The Iams Home 4 the Holidays program is hoping more than 350,000 families welcome furry friends into their hearts during this year’s annual adoption drive. More…

Forget the usual campaign lawn signs, pasta fundraisers and phone banks. Candidate Beverly Bobroske is calling in the big dogs. More…

SUNBURY A 2-year-old chocolate Labrador named Cloud is the newest weapon in the Northumberland County Probation Department’s arsenal against drugs. More…

One of our Labrador retriever puppies is named Abby. Her registered name is Abby-normal, which comes from the movie Young Frankenstein, one of my all time favorites. More…

Labrador Retrievers Are Versatile Dogs

The Labrador Retriever is one of the most wonderful and amazing breeds ever developed. A Labrador puppy is a bouncy bundle of black, yellow or chocolate fun and games. A Labrador adult is one of many things. He is an excellent guide dog for those who are sightless or visually impaired: The Labrador Retriever is the breed used most often as guide dogs for the blind. Because they love to fetch for their masters, Labs are very popular as service dogs for those who are wheelchair bound.
If you work with detector dogs, the Labrador is probably your breed of choice because of his keen nose. He is one of the best breed for detecting drugs, explosives and arson. If hunting is your sport, you know that Labs are the most popular hunting companions of all the retrieving breeds. Eager-to-please, Labs also make great Therapy dogs, bringing joy to people confined to hospitals and nursing homes.
If you decide to become involved with showing for conformation or competing in obedience or field trials, once again, Labs are very popular for all three competitions. When it is time for your family to choose a pet, you probably cannot go wrong with a Labrador Retriever, especially if you are an active family on the go and want a dog who can keep up with your active lifestyle. Because of their happy-go-lucky attitude, Labs are great with children and adults. A Lab is never happier than when he is with his family. They are very funny characters who loves to entertain us endlessly.
What constitutes a “good” Labrador is outlined in the breed’s official American Kennel Club (AKC) standard. Every breed has a standard that is a comprehensive list of the specific characteristics that make one breed distinct from another. You can obtain a copy of any breed’s standard from the AKC. After reading a breed’s standard, you should be able to visualize a well-balanced specimen of that breed. A picture, along with the narrative of a dog considered to be a very good specimen, is usually included. There really is no perfect dog. Breeders are always striving to breed dogs that come as close to the standard as possible, but when you are dealing with living creatures, the variables are numerous.

Pet Overpopulation

AnimalConcerns.org - Ruff-Spots Animal Welfare Foundation, Inc. was founded in July 2003 to help animal shelters and rescue organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador spay and neuter adoptable Category: Organizations 18. Save A Gato San Juan , Puerto Rico This More

Daily Southtown - Trixie, a 4-year-old beagle, was edged out in the competition by Peyton, a yellow Labrador who took first-place honors among Sue Bartecki, a volunteer for Doberman Rescue Plus, said her organization regularly attends events such as pet parades to More

Gamespot News - Blue Rescue Team 2. Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training 3. Nintendogs Dachshund 4. New Super Mario Bros 5. Nintendogs Labrador 6. Big Brain Academy 7. Zoo Tycoon 8. Cars 9. Mario Kart 10. Nintendogs Chihuahua Top 10 PS2 Games (over AU$50) 1. FIFA 2007 2. AFL More

Learning from Seeing Eye pups 

CAROLYN VAN DEVELDE, a teacher at the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission facility for teen offenders in Farmingdale, said she was thrilled with the results of the first puppy raised by residents for The Seeing Eye in Morristown. “It was a great success.
Source: www.nj.com

The Labrador Retriever: An Early History

The exact beginnings of the Labrador retriever cannot be pinpointed. Stories of coarse, thickly coated, black water dogs trained to work with fishermen date back to the sixteenth century, cited by sailors from Devon, England, who routinely saw them when trading with the fishermen of Newfoundland (then a British colony). Through the centuries more refined specimens emerged. These water dogs were known as Newfoundlands or Labrador Newfoundlands - titles that applied to several breeds of dogs found there. The dogs ranged from a large, heavy-coated variety known as the Large Newfoundland (progenitor of today’s Newfoundland) to a smaller, rough-coated variety called the Lesser Newfoundland or St. John’s Dogs. It is theorized that the modern-day Labrador retriever descends from the St. John’s Dog, which was medium-sized, docile, easily managed, and possessed a very sensitive nose.
A number of breeds have been mentioned as early crosses that helped to set the type for the Labrador retriever. A likely pairing would be the St. John’s with local black retrieving setters (then called water dogges). The resulting dogs likely featured a heavy, wavy coat. To evolve the hard, short coat that repelled the icy waters, crossings with black pointers or flat-coated retrievers may have taken place.
The Labrador retriever may have called Newfoundland its homeland, but the breed was developed and refined in England. The name Labrador was finally settled on for the breed after its integration into the English sporting kennels in the 1800s. At this point basic breed structure and character were set and the breeding was kept pure. The continuous trade between England and Newfoundland meant an ample supply of labradors could be imported for the earliest fanciers, who quickly recognized these dogs’ superior talents for hunting and began breeding them in earnest for strictly private use. The breed was unknown as a companion dog for many generations, as labradors were bred exclusively for work.
The earliest known breeders of labradors were wealthy sportsmen who maintained large kennels of shooting dogs. The Fifth Duke of Buccleugh, the Tenth Earl of Home, and Lord John Scott were all very active in the 1840s. The most influential of the early breeders was the Third Earl of Malmesbury, who judiciously imported good specimens from the Newfoundland fishermen and are credited with having set the standard for quality Labrador retrievers. Many contemporary dogs can trace their pedigree to Malmesbury dogs, especially his renowned Tramp.
By the 1880s, word of this excellent worker had spread beyond the confines of the aristocracy’s private kennels to sportsmen throughout England. However, two setbacks occurred that threatened the breed’s survival. In England, the Quarantine Act initiated a six-month quarantine for all imported livestock. In Newfoundland, the Sheep Protection Act of 1885 gave districts the right to prohibit dogs and to charge hefty fees for dog licensing, which resulted in many owners destroying all but those dogs needed to carry out their livelihood. Both actions severely limited the flow of new Labrador retrievers to England. Breeders were forced to work with the available stock and perfect the breed through careful selection. The conscientious efforts of these early breeders turned a potentially disastrous situation into a strengthening of the overall quality of the average Labrador retriever.