Labrador Retriever

Description:
The Labrador retriever is a very active and substantial dog. This dog has a strong and compact body build. It has a wide and long chest. This dog's coat, tail and feet have given this dog advantages that allow it to work in the water. Its coat is closed and thick while at the same time being impermeable, it should not have any fringes of hair sticking out. Its tail looks like that of a nutria, which is notably round in aspect and covered in thick dense hair, and narrows at the tip. Its feet are compact, round and its paws are well arched. The skull of the Labrador retriever should look wide with a slight stop, the head has a clean look, its cheeks should not look full, and its nose should be wide. The eyes should be medium sized and should go according to the color of the dog's coat. The coat can either be straight black, yellow, reddish, crème, brown, or light brown; it might also have white spots on its chest. Male Labrador retrievers are usually around fifty-seven to sixty two centimeters in height and the females around two and a half centimeters under that. The average weight for a male Labrador is around thirty to thirty-seven kilograms and the females weighs around two and a half kilograms less. The hind legs of this dog should look straight and firm, and the hocks should not stick out or inwards, it legs should allow it free easy movement. Just as with any work dog, it is important to avoid getting one that has open hocks.

Ideal owner:
A dog that abounds in energy is pleasing, affectionate and caring with its owners, the Labrador retriever is the perfect choice when it comes to picking out a family dog. One thing that stands out in this dog's behavior is the way it adapts and the way it socializes, by nature this dog is very sociable. Due to this dog's tremendous popularity, it is extremely important to pick one that has been well bred. As a versatile work dog in work competitions, hunting and obedience, this dog has no match. This dog needs and requires a great amount of exercise and training. These dogs are known to become very attached to children and can become inseparable, share beds, breakfast, play time and everything else. An adult Labrador retriever is a good option for people that are looking into adopting a dog.

Growth:
At around seven or eight weeks of age this dog should weigh around four and a half to six kilograms. The future owner should be well familiarized with the standard of this breed to know how to pick out the appropriate puppy. When picking one make sure it is well balanced, has a strong build, has good bone structure and a wide head. It is said that a puppy Labrador should look like an adult one but in miniature. Avoid getting one that looks too thin, has long legs, or a pointy head, as well as those that are too large in size. A fifty-kilogram Labrador is not a typical thing in this breed for example. Make sure to also observe the dog's character and avoid getting one that is shy or aggressive. Unfortunately due to this dog's popularity, a lot of irresponsible dog breeders have bred them, which is why it is recommended the future owner be very careful when picking one out. During adolescence this dog becomes very active and needs to be socialized and obedience trained. A Labrador does not change much once it becomes an adult and it grows little by little until it reaches full maturity, which is around the age of two to two and a half. The soft puppy coat it has changes into an impermeable double coat once it becomes an adult too. It tends to become more relaxed as an adult as well.

General health:
The Labrador retriever is a very popular dog, not only does it have natural vitality, but it also has a very charming temperament. The concern with this breed though is that since it is so popular it does suffer some health problems due to bad breeding from inexperienced people. The biggest health concern in this breed is hip and elbow dysphasia, progressive retina atrophy and epilepsy. Cataracts and loosening of the retina are other ocular problems that have been seen in this breed as well as hemophilia B, osteo dystrophy, hypoglycemia, dwarfism, metabolic hepatic defect, osteo sarcoma, and diabetes. A healthy Labrador is easy to take care of though and this is why it is so important to pick out the right one. The care its coat requires is minimal, but it is necessary to brush its coat once a day to prevent knots and skin irritations. A well-bred and healthy Labrador has a life span of around eleven to fifteen years.