An All-Around Family Dog: Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever gives the Golden Retriever a run for its money as to which between the two is the most popular family dog in the world. The Labrador Retriever's friendliness, behavior with children, affectionate and kind disposition and faithfulness are qualities that set it above all other dogs in the world.

Labrador puppies are a picture perfect, live depiction of adorable and appealing dogs you will surely fall in love with at first sight. Getting one of these dogs for a family pet will certainly guarantee years of devoted companionship you and your family will always enjoy. The Lab's temperament and tolerant attitude towards children makes him put up happily with children's games and antics that he would gladly join in as well.

Labs have a history of assisting in waterfowl hunting and love water. A completely dependable dog, lab retrievers are being trained more and more for assisting blind and disabled people. They are regarded as specialist dogs by K9 units across the United States and in bomb squads or sniffer squadrons across the world. This doesn't mean that the retriever is a working dog only; he is "the" family dog too.

Compatibility and Usage: The breed is native to New Foundland, Canada and gained prominence as a fisherman's dog. Labrador Retrievers are originally known as St. John's dog and acknowledged having been developed from the Buccleuch Avon kennels in the 1880's.

Physical Appearance: The Labrador retriever is comes in three colors: jet black, chocolate and yellow. They are relatively large and the male labs can stand to a height of 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches (55.9 to 62 1/4cm) and weigh 65-80 lbs (30-36kg) while the female stands almost as tall as the male at 21 1/2 to 23 1/2 inches (54 1/2 to 60 cm) and weighs 55-70 lbs (25 to 32 kg).

Temperament: There are no ways about the temperament of Labrador retrievers. They are like the angels of all dogs. He is good tempered, caring and committed. Extremely possessive and protective about their owners, the Labrador retrievers are super intelligent and can adapt to any environment.

The aggressive quality of the breed is very easily controlled and they are a wonderful family because of their gentle attitude towards children.

Caring & Health: Life expectancy of the breed range from 12 to 13 years. One important aspect of a Lab's behavior that must be monitored is their penchant for eating all the time as this can lead to obesity.

They are also prone to knee problems, elbow and hip dysplasia and ear infection. The ear infection is much higher in labs as compared to other dogs because they have floppy ears, which can trap moist air and thus fungus and other microbial bacteria formation takes place. Ear cleaning on a regular basis is a must with lab retrievers.

You can never go wrong in choosing the Labrador retriever as your family dog, regardless if you live in the urban areas or in the countryside. They are forever loyal and dependable companions for you and your family!

By: Mike Mathews..

Author Info: Mike Mathews is a writer and editor of the popular Dog-Breed-Facts.com website. His new ebook titled "Choosing a Dog For Your Lifestyle" is a fantastic resource for the prospective dog owner.

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