Understanding Labrador Retrievers - Why a Lab May Not Be the Right Dog For You

By nature Labrador retrievers are highlyThis Is Also The Reason Why Many Labs Do Not Do
people-centric. Hence it is necessary that they are atWell With Some Families
the same frequency as their owners to follow theirFrom the above you must have realized that the
instructions. In order to understand this aspect ofLabrador retriever is to be totally connected with its
their behavior you must go deep into the purpose ofowner since it is highly dependent on him. Since it
breeding Labs i.e. for hunting and retrieving.depends on human interaction and direction, it always
In order to obey the specific instructions given bylooks to people for leadership.
the hunter/ owner of the Lab retriever for trackingAll breeds of dogs are sociable but with varying
and finding the fallen birds when they are out ofdegrees of sociability; however Labs require a lot
sight, the relationship and understanding between themore attention than the other breeds of dogs. They
dog and its master must be harmonious. Suchdo not like to be left alone either at home or
hand-held directions from the owner to the dog areoutdoors for a very long period of time. Many
necessary in all aspects of the dog's life including thatfamilies get perplexed when they return home after
at home.staying out for the whole day because they find that
This is ideal for people who love the companionshiptheir Lab has damaged the side door or tried to
of the dog all the time and also enjoy it. If the dogescape through the window and they are unable to
owner is having a Labrador retriever as a pet andfigure out the reason for such type of behavior from
wants his pet to entertain itself without interactingtheir dog.
with the owner it is bad for him and the dog.It is quite natural for the dog owner to get upset by
All dogs meant for hunting purposes do not requirethis sort of behavior and he punishes the Lab for
human instructions as well as interaction similar tosuch a bad behavior. If the owner of the Labrador
that of Labradors. Examples of such dogs areretriever is educated about the correct way of
Terriers and Hounds who are bred to huntbreeding his dog he will not react in this way since he
independently; these dogs use their senses - sightknows the truth. The reason for the dog trying to
and smell to lead the way and the human hunterescape from home is mainly to find out the
follows them.whereabouts of its owner. He finds that his "pack" is
The Lab is not built for this purpose. The mainmissing at home and hence tries to find them outside
purpose for which you can use a Labrador is tohome.
retrieve and this can only be done if there is aWhile buying a dog for your home it is necessary
connection between the hunter and the animal. If thethat you understand the time required by the dog
Lab does not care for the instructions of its master itfrom you daily; it is all the more important if you
might swim past the hunter's prey and it might bedecide to purchase a Labrador retriever as your pet
possible that he continues swimming and go away.because Labs require a lot of playtime both in the
If the Lab is well trained it will not make suchday and night from their masters to be effective. If
mistakes because of its ability to understand theyou cannot spare this type of time for your dog it is
commands given by its master and follow it to theadvisable to go in for a breed that is very
letter. The Lab should possess this skill for becomingindependent. If you buy a Lab and are not in a
a trustworthy retriever and such a quality makesposition to spend enough time with it will start
these dogs very good service animals and alsobecoming unhappy which makes it destructive or it
obedience trainers.runs away from your home.