Most retrievers are renowned for being generally outgoing, happy, highly energetic, and eager to please. Labrador retrievers have long been the most popular breeds in America, loved for their exuberance and for being highly responsive to their owners. Would a Lab make an ideal pet for you? Quite possibly, if you happen to be the rugged outdoor type – and if you can tolerate a somewhat chaotic environment at home.
These dogs have energy and a strong will to match. Their powerful tails can scatter everything on your coffee table with ease. They can be single-minded at times; once they’re set on doing something, you might have a difficult time persuading them not to. The primary question to ask yourself before you bring a Lab into your home is this: can you provide it with a good outlet for all that energy and enthusiasm? If you’re accustomed to a lifestyle that involves a lot of T.V. or quiet reading, you might be better off with a Pug or other dog with similar sedentary tendencies.
If, on the other hand, you enjoy forays out into the woods, up and down mountain trails and into the water, then a Labrador retriever might be the perfect companion for you. Labs relish the outdoors; they love to run, fetch, and swim. Above all, they love to interact with their owners as much as possible. Tell your Lab to retrieve something for you, and then praise it for a job well done, and it’ll want to repeat this activity with you again and again. Gregarious perhaps to a fault, Labs can be content with nearly anything except being cooped up or left alone.
Labs make obedient and responsive pets if they’re trained early in life either by you (if you plan on adopting a puppy), or by a breeder (if you will be adopting a full-grown dog). Obedience training gives them a measure of self-discipline, which is essential lest these powerful dogs wreak havoc with your home life. Well-bred and trained Labs can follow simple orders and exhibit patience and restraint around children. Even so, they are prone to eat with abandon; so their diet (measured feeding as opposed to self-feeding) and level of exercise should be monitored throughout their lives.
Labs that have received adequate obedience training make ideal pets for owners with active lifestyles. Because they’re filled with a lot of passion and zest for life, they tend to remain enthusiastic and faithful companions so long as they’re provided with a steady outlet for their energies. If you enjoy jogging around the park, hiking the backcountry and/or going out to the lake for the afternoon, you’re likely to discover that a well-trained Lab is the ideal friend to take along with you.
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