Labras are full of life and are always ready for both work and entertainment. These are sprinter dogs. On land, they move at a speed of 20 km per hour. They swim twice as fast as ducks, developing speeds of up to 5 km per hour in the water. The Labrador’s record jump is more than 8 meters.
Advantages of the breed
- The breed was bred for work and still has good physical shape.
- This is a strong and hardy dog with good health. She is not afraid of cold, icy water, snow and blizzards.
- Labradors love the cold, but they live in any climate.
- Require minimal maintenance, easily adapt to various conditions of detention.
- Easily trained, quickly learn to execute commands, show good results in agility.
- Has exceptional memory. His ancestors remembered the place of the fall of game on the hunt, this ability was passed on to descendants.
- They are the best at aporting items. This is an innate skill of the labras.
- Pets are devoted to their family, do not try to dominate it.
- They adapt well to the rhythm of family life.
Disadvantages
- The Labrador is friendly with everyone, including outsiders. It is almost impossible to teach him aggression. There are no watchdog qualities. Labra won’t make a guard.
- They need constant activity and significant physical exertion.
- A bored dog can cause significant damage to property.
- Some individuals show hyperactivity. As a rule, it can be corrected by proper upbringing.
- The breed is characterized by slow maturation. Up to three years old, the lab behaves like a puppy.
- Prolonged childhood hinders obedience.
- It is difficult for a pet to refrain from swimming if the water is dirty, but in front of him. A water lover considers any puddle or ditch to be a reservoir.
- He does not know the measures in food. He is not averse to eating everything he finds on the street, likes to dig in landfills.
Likes to play with all relatives. He starts games with stray dogs and animals of all sizes.
A dog can become unmanageable if not engaged with him. This is especially evident during walks, when the animal pulls the owner. From the outside, it is not entirely clear who is walking whom.
You can get rid of these bad habits if you consistently and competently conduct educational classes with your pet. Then the negative sides of the breed will not appear at all.
How often to walk? How long do you need to walk?
Retrievers were bred as hunting dogs capable of following a person on a hunt for a long time. Run after the shot game for a long distance, overcoming any obstacles in its path. These large dogs are distinguished by endurance.
Therefore, it is advisable to walk the dog two or three times a day.
In the morning, it can be a jog with a pet or an active game that will give an energetic discharge to the animal.
Duration is not less than half an hour. Better – more. A tired dog will not smoke while the owner is not at home.
Evening exercise should be a combined load. The dog needs to be given commands on a walk. Endurance classes. Running for a bike or exercising on sports equipment (agility, frisbee), make the walk exciting.
Labradors love to swim. Swimming does not exert a strong load on the joints, while it is an active physical work for the dog.
This is the smartest and kindest creature, able to charge everyone around with its energy. Labras subtly sense the mood of the owner. They won’t bother him if he’s in a bad mood or he just wants to be quiet. However, a violent temperament should be directed in the right direction, while avoiding unnecessary punishments.
Experts of the breed note that there are such features in the character of the pet:
- good-natured and optimistic;
- reliability and loyalty;
- high activity;
- innate intellectual abilities;
- great ability to work.
Behavior in the house
The best companion is a Labrador. The description of the breed, the nature of his behavior, suggests that his canine happiness lies not in the protection and protection of his family, but in the ability to accompany a person at any time of the day or night. He will share all the joys and troubles and cheer up by wagging his tail. Such a manifestation of joy can lead to chaos in the apartment. With his tail, the dog sweeps away all objects around. As a rule, three-year-old dogs become more sedate.
Behavior on the street
Pets love to swim, run and just walk with the owner everywhere. They need constant attention. As a rule, they do not have jealousy and aggressiveness. They are always open to communication. They do not attack outsiders, except for the purpose of playing. They like to learn and master new teams. This is one of the few breeds that can be trained at home.
Attitude to strangers, protection of the owner and home
His loud barking will be heard quite often. But this does not mean that the dog is guarding the house. This is how he expresses his joy. The pet is glad to everyone who looks into the house or meets on the street. He is ready to be friends with everyone: children, dogs, cats. The exception is birds. The breed was bred for hunting birds. Sometimes the instinct of the earner wakes up in domestic sissies.
What you need to make your pet comfortable
Dog breeders recommend buying both a dwelling and an aviary for a Labrador if he lives on the street.
Aviary
The classic aviary is a wooden or metal structure resembling a fence. It usually has 4 walls, one of which can be opened. If necessary, a floor is made in the aviary. Bowls with food and water must be placed inside.
Booth
A booth is a rectangular enclosed space with walls, floor, roof and entrance. It is built to fit the size of a particular animal, and unlike an aviary, it has a small area. Eco–friendly materials such as wood (analogous to plywood) are used for its manufacture.
Labrador care: fur, eyes, ears
The breed is distinguished by cleanliness. Dogs take care of their own fur. The owner only needs to clean it with a special brush or with a glove. During molting, the fallen hairs are conveniently cleaned with a damp towel.
A smooth-haired Labrador does not need frequent washing. He needs simple care and maintenance. A Labrador may well live his whole life without a bath at all. But if the dog is lying in the mud, or he smells bad, he is washed with a special shampoo.
Dogs with light hair can be cleaned with talcum powder. It absorbs dirt well, and the coat looks shiny and well-groomed after such procedures. Talcum cleaning is carried out only on the street. It requires caution. You need to make sure that the dog does not inhale the substance.
The eyes are wiped daily with a cotton swab. If there is a discharge, you should immediately consult a doctor. The ears are cleaned carefully with a moistened cotton swab. Do not try to get to the depths that are not visible.
The claws are cut off as needed with special wire cutters. The cut should be made below the living part of the claw. It is clearly visible on the light claws. It is difficult to notice it on dark ones.
Dangerous insects
After each walk, it is necessary to inspect the pet’s fur for the presence of ticks. Combing the dog, you will remove not only the fallen hair, but also some of the stuck insects. The ticks that have already been pumped will fall off by themselves. And those that hold fast, you need to carefully remove.
Lubricate the tick with vegetable oil to restrict its air access. After 15-20 minutes, it should fall off by itself. If this does not happen, then use tweezers or thread to pry the tick and start twisting. Carefully make sure that the insect’s head does not remain in the skin. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to consult a doctor.
The presence of fleas in an animal is very easy to determine. Black crumbs (products of their vital activity) appear in the wool. And on the stomach, in the armpits or on the inside of the hind legs, you can find bite marks in the form of red spots, special sprays, powders, drops that can be found at the pharmacy will help to get rid of fleas. From domestic it can be “Bars” or “Blokhnet”, among imported and more expensive – “Frontline” or Hartz. It is necessary to treat not only the dog’s coat, but also the room where it lives, especially the booth and the rug.
Walking and physical activity
The need for movement in the Labrador is in the blood. He was bred for hunting. Moreover, he does not work like a husky – at a distance from the hunter, but very close to a person. Contact with the owner is important for the breed. Active walks provide the pet with such closeness.
It is not enough for Labr to walk sedately through the park on a leash. Outdoor games are what the Labrador retriever needs to maintain health. The breed description contains this information. If there is no suitable company for your pet in the district, the owner should take over the function of a play partner.
Loads need to be dosed. It is not necessary to exhaust a small puppy during walks so that he falls dead as soon as he crosses the threshold of the apartment. A growing pet cannot move as actively as an adult dog. Gradually, the load is increased.
The ideal type of exercise for a puppy is swimming. All muscle groups work, while the load on weak joints is not significant. It is useful for dogs to move in shallow water. In winter, reservoirs will replace snowdrifts. Driving through deep snow is a good alternative to swimming.
Is it suitable for keeping in an apartment?
Active dogs, which include a Labrador, need a full physical activity. First of all, the state of health, both psychological and physical, depends on it.
At home, you can keep any breed of dog, if it is given due attention. Frequent long walks, active outdoor games and training.
If the Labrador is not loaded, then in the first years of his life he will dump excess energy on the pogrom of the dwelling. And how else, if he is locked in four walls?
Over time, the dog imitates the lifestyle of the owners. Lazy people are not recommended to have Labradors. Without activity, dogs quickly gain weight due to metabolic disorders.
They become as sluggish as the owners, which contradicts the nature of this breed.