The Labrador: The UK's most sought-after Dog Breed
Source: Wikimedia
Look into a Labrador puppy's eyes and it's not difficult to see why these are one of the most sought-after breeds of dogs in the UK. They are extremely loveable, loyal and good with children, which makes a Labrador the ideal family pet. But those cute little puppies are sure to grow into a huge, energetic adult that will need a lot of exercise. Because of their size, it is essential that Labradors have a lot of room at home to run around in.
An adult Labrador will usually grow to around 60 pounds, so you won't easily be able to pick him up, as you did when he was a puppy. Although Labradors generally love children, their sheer force of energy and enthusiasm can quite easily accidentally knock over small children. They don't mean any harm, of course, but beware when your Labrador is running around when there are toddlers nearby. They are not as territorial as other breeds, so are not by nature aggressive towards other dogs, or jealous of children.
Your Labrador will probably exercise itself a lot by being constantly on the move around the house and garden, but he will still need to be taken out for at least half an hour, twice a day. Being intelligent dogs, Labradors will enjoy games in the park, such as fetching a stick, rather than just running around aimlessly, as some smaller dogs are happy to do.
Labradors' great intelligence means that they are easy to train, compared with many other breeds. This is why they are the dog of choice to assist the blind, partially sighted or disabled. They are also used by the police force and military units as sniffer dogs and for many other uses. Being natural retrievers, Labradors were originally bred as water dogs and working dogs for fishermen. They were native to Newfoundland, in Canada, where their short, waterproof coats were ideally suited to the conditions, but became more popular in the UK after being bred in this country from the 1880s onwards. Thanks to their waterproof coats and webbed feet, the breed are excellent swimmers, and are still used to pull boats across the water.
Any family pet should be included as part of the family, but Labradors are especially suited to fitting in with their humans; once they understand who is 'top dog' in the family, they will be more than happy to fit in as one of the children. It will come as no surprise that they are the world's most popular dogs. Because of their patience, understanding and willingness to please, it is easy to train your Labrador to do tricks, as long as he is rewarded for doing so. If you give your Labrador enough love, you will be repaid ten-fold.
Labradors are also extremely popular in pet therapy programmes. The elderly, especially, welcome the visit of docile, loving dogs. It has been shown that stroking a dog can help to lower the heart rate. There are a number of charities in the UK that regularly pay visits with dogs to homes for the elderly and sick children, who find a range of benefits by providing interaction between patients, the housebound and animals. The effects are overwhelming, and the Labrador is the perfect breed for this kind of work, as well as being the ideal family dog.
Read more about Labradors is our breed section.
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