Labradors love to please their owners

Your Labrador retriever is smart and wants to learn tricks, if for no other reason than to please you. Happy, well-adjusted dogs are the ones who are allowed playtime, romping, running, games and learning to keep their minds and bodies agile. A bored dog will exhibit signs by digging, chewing, wandering off or barking incessantly. It will help everyone in your family, especially your Lab, if you take the time to train them, discipline them and love them in equal measures.

You can start this process with a good standard obedience course, both on-leash and –off. Labrador retrievers are strong dogs when adult-sized, so it would behoove you to teach him manners before he gets big enough to push you around. Once your puppy is trained, maintaining the training into adulthood should become routine. No one wants a dog jumping up on strangers, nosing where they shouldn’t be nosing, digging up a garden, chewing on the baseboards or barking like a maniac at the slightest provocation. Training early on will establish with your dog who is the master in the home and out, and will help the dog be more secure, knowing there is a strong hand taking care of the big decisions and safety of the family.

Training a puppy to do tricks can be learned by reading books, from the Internet, or in a class specifically designed to help you. Labs can generally learn to sit, play fetch, shake “hands” and roll over with a minimum of effort, because they are smart and willing to learn and please. Retrievers have excellent noses and can be trained to find lost items; and retrieve them (hence the name). You can learn to train the dog tricks either with food rewards or affection rewards, both bringing the results you desire within a relatively short period of time. The affection/praise system of training might be desirable in Labrador retrievers simply because of their propensity for becoming overweight. Labs tend to load the pounds on if their diets are not strictly maintained, so food rewards should be closely monitored.

Labradors are smart and learn new tricks quickly

Consistency is a big part of teaching a dog tricks. Firm, patient instructions and discipline given without a raised voice is an important tool. Frightening your dog will certainly not make them learn any faster; it will simply confuse them and make them insecure. You want the dog to respect you and bond with you and your family, so patience and consistency is key among all family members. If you are not at home, you want the comfort of knowing that the dog will respect everyone in the home, so it is important to let every family member be a part of teaching the dog. Familiarity and respect will come to your dog with even exposure to everyone in the house, so go on family walks and play in the park. Teaching your dog to fetch a tennis ball is great exercise for him, and a valuable opportunity for him to bond with you and the whole family.

Adorable yellow lab puppies

So you want an adorable, cuddly, bouncy, drooling Labrador puppy. Are you sure it has the right temperament for you and your family, and do you know how to tell one delightful little puppy’s personality from another? As a rule, Labradors are less whiney and insecure than other breeds, and not prone to territoriality or possessiveness. They do grow to be quite large however, and will chew (on just about anything) as puppies. They are evenly tempered and great with kids, and will run like crazy when you give them room. If you need a slobbery tennis ball retrieved, this is the breed for you.

That said, puppies, like people, are all different and their personalities should be gauged before you bring him or her into your home. Here are a few helpful tests and trials that you can perform to determine what kind of puppy you’re looking at.

Hopefully, you’re buying or adopting a dog from a place that will let you spend a little time with one or several candidates. You need hands-on checking of certain things. For instance, sit still and see which puppy comes to you. Is the dog timidly approaching, or confidently walking or running up with his head and tails and ears up? This can be an indicator of the puppy’s comfort level around people. Ask the owner or breeder’s permission before administering the next tests…

Play with the puppy for a little while. Offer a toy and see how aggressively he grabs it. Is he willing to hand it back over or is he hanging on to it for dear life when you try to take it back? It’s not “normal” for a Labrador to not give back a toy; hanging on can indicate an aggressiveness that you may not want. Offer a little treat. Does the puppy want to take it from you? Eagerness to take it from your hand indicates the ability to train him. Once the puppy is a little more comfortable with you, rub his belly and see how comfortable he is with that. Does he flinch when handled? Pick up his feet and rub his ears, run your hands all over his body. Does he has a negative reaction to your attentions?

Roll the puppy onto his back. Does he wet himself nervously, or struggle and bite? You do not want a dog that is too submissive, or too aggressive. A well adjusted puppy should struggle and kick for a few seconds before settling down into submission under your hand. Remember, be gentle! You don’t have a force a puppy to submit, they will do it on their own, simply because you are bigger.

How can you resist this adorable face

Pick the puppy up and walk away from his littermates. Does he get overly anxious and whiny, or squirm vigorously to get back to the pack? This may indicate that he’s not ready to leave his canine family, or simply that he’s going to be a little more insecure than his brothers and sisters.

Labs are very loving towards other dogs and people

Overall, how comfortable are the two of you together? Do you seem to “click” and have a rapport together; are you getting solid vibes from this little bundle of drool? It’s partly common sense and partly intuition that will tell you which puppy will be the best fit for you and your family. Do some reading online or at the library, and get advice from folks who already own Labradors, and good luck on your choice.

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Yellow, Chocolate and Black Labs

Within the USA, there are a lot of breeders of Labradors, but when it comes to answering the question ‘who are the top Labrador breeders in the USA?’ there are differences of opinion. That’s to be expected, because a lot of people like the specific breeder that they have or they only use a breeder that’s near them. They might not realize that there is a better breeder, because that person is clear across the country from them. It’s difficult to travel that far for a puppy, and most people won’t do that. They’ll simply look for the best breeder near them, and that’s who they’ll purchase from. For example, Chambray Labradors claims to be the best breeder in Florida when it comes to champions. There is also a company called Premium Breeders that you can visit online so you can find the best breeders in your area.

How to Pick the Best Breeder

When it comes to determining who the top Labrador breeders in the USA are, there are questions you’ll want to ask. The best way to know what to ask is to research Labradors and research the breeders that you’re considering. Breeding Labradors isn’t something that just anyone can do in his backyard – not if he wants to have champion dogs. The conditions should be very clean, the dogs should be well-cared-for, and their shots should be up-to-date. The papers should be in order if you’re looking for a dog registered with the AKC or another dog-registering body. If you haven’t done your research, you might end up with a Labrador that isn’t capable of showing well. That’s fine if you just want a family pet, but it’s not good if you’re looking for a champion dog that you can take to shows.

Knowing Who to Trust for Your Labrador Puppy

Any breeder that you consider may or may not be the best, because that’s a matter of opinion. The Internet is full of companies and individuals claiming to be the best breeder. The truth is that there are thousands of people and companies out there that breed Labradors and other types of puppies. To pick the right breeder you need to make sure that you do your research, ask the right questions, and travel out of your local area if you need to. Picking a top breeder in the USA isn’t the same thing as picking the best (and possibly only) breeder in your area. If you choose a breeder simply because of location you may end up with a puppy that has problems, isn’t in good health, or struggles with behavioral issues.

Labrador puppies are hard to resist

For people who show Labradors, getting a puppy from one of the top Labrador breeders in the USA is very important. It helps to assure them that the dog will be healthy and will have a good temperament, which gives it a better chance of becoming a good show dog that can win prizes and make its owners very proud.

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• How to determine the personality of a Labrador puppy
• How To Groom A Labrador Retriever
• Why a Labrador Retriever is better than Teenage Boys