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.

Full Grown Black Lab

It isn’t something you see everyday, a dog that nearly dwarfs his dog trainer, but that is what happens when you look at Giant George. The Great Dane is so big that recently, the Guinness Book of World Records awarded him the title of Worlds biggest dog. His dog trainer, George Nassar is ecstatic.

Big George has been submitted to the competition before, always losing out to Titan, another large dog pup that seemed to be nearly ¾ of an inch taller than Giant George. After some wrangling, Guinness officials sent officials out to meet with Giant George and owner George. After the official measurement, Giant George was proclaimed the winner.

So just how big is Giant George? From paw to shoulder, he measures in at a whopping 3 foot seven inches! When you add in his weight – a stunning 250 pounds, what you end up with is one big dog.  So big he dwarfs not only his competition, but also practically his owner.

According to research, Giant George is simply head and shoulders taller than typical members of his breed. Average Great Dane males typically measure between 30 and 34 inches and weigh between 120 and 200 pounds. These measurements are slightly less for females who typically grow to an average height of 30 inches and a weight of 115 pounds.

Labradors can get quite large

So how tall does a Labrador retriever get? Usually, Labradors grow to be about 55-60 cm, or as much as 25″ tall. This makes them quite a bit smaller than Giant George, but they can still be pretty big dogs. They usually weigh in at anywhere from 55-75 lbs!

Dog owners typically consider the size a dog will achieve at full height before settling on a breed of their own. If you are considering adopting a dog, be sure to consider not only the animal’s growth potential but also your ability to care for an adopted dog. If you live in a small house or apartment or don’t have access to an exercise area, you may want to consider sticking with a smaller breed.

The question becomes, just how big is your dog? From miniature poodles to great Great Danes, dog owners have a preferred size. So? Can you hold FiFi in your hand or does your puppy need a bed of his own? Tell us how big your Labrador is. Give us your Lab puppy stories, and tell us how big Labs get.

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Ear infections are easy to detect. It is a good idea to visit your vet the first time you suspect a problem. Your dog may continually attempt to scratch their ear, or shake their heads violently in an attempt to ease the discomfort an infection can cause. There may be a foul odor, wax build up or a brown or yellowish discharge coming from the ear. The normal pink coloration of the ear may look red and irritated. Any of these signs are good indications of infection, and if left untreated, an ear infection can cause serious damage.

Yeast infections, mites, allergies, excess moisture and foreign substances can all contribute to infections. Labs also love water, and when water seeps into their ears, it causes a breeding ground for germs. You should routinely check and clean your labs ears. Your vet can demonstrate the proper way to clean and maintain healthy ears, and suggest a good cleanser that is safe for your lab.

Although you can purchase medication from your vet or pet store, you can also make your own cleanser using a few common ingredients. This formula is from “Woodhaven Labs”, and the “We Love our Labs” website.

Purple Power Ear Solution

16 oz. bottle of Isopropyl alcohol

4 tablespoons Boric Acid Powder

16 drops Gentian Violet Solution

Just combine all ingredients in the alcohol bottle and shake well.

At the first sign of an infection:

Treat 2X daily for the first 2 weeks, then treat 1X daily for the next 1-2 weeks, and as a preventative use once a month. Just fill your dog’s ear with the solution and gently massage the medicine in the ear. Use cotton balls to clean out any dirt, or discharge from the inner ear. Make sure that the cotton ball doesn’t go any further than the part of the ear canal that you can see. Fill ear with this solution a second time without massaging it in. This solution will stain your carpet, so make sure to use it in a tiled bathroom or outside to minimize any damage. You may also need a helping hand with this task. This is probably not going to be very comfortable for your pet who may already have some pain and discomfort due to the infection.

Remember if you have any questions, or your lab does not seem to be improving, call you veterinarian. The health and well-being of your dog may depend on it.

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There are three requirements set by the GDA (Guide Dogs of America) that are essential for a dog to qualify: willingness, health, and temperament. There are three breeds that meet these standards – the Golden Retriever, the German Shepherd, and the Labrador Retriever. However, the GDA uses more than 70% Labrador Retrievers for their programs. This is because Labradors show the most proficiency in learning the complicated commands of being a guide dog. Also, because of their loyal and obedient nature, they are the best dogs to keep their blind owners from harm.

Carting

Using Labradors in the sport “Carting” has been growing in popularity, because of their ability to obey and remember commands simultaneously. Carting, also known as “dry mushing”, is a recreational sport in which a dog pulls a cart filled with weight, firewood, passengers, or farming supplies. This sport is sometimes used for fun, or to keep working dogs in optimal condition for other services. It is frequently used for practical application as well, such as transporting farm goods, medicine, or other supplies from places inaccessible by other vehicles. A properly trained Carting Labrador Retriever can haul up to three times its weight in cargo.

Therapy Work

Labrador Retrievers have a wonderful temperament for working with medical patients in positive therapy. A friendly, patient temperament is the primary requirement for a dog to be considered for a therapy dog. Therapy dogs provide affection and comfort for the elderly, trauma victims, and many other medical patients. Since Labradors have a gentle, loving nature towards people, they provide the ideal standards to be a therapy dog. Studies have shown that patients involved with therapy dogs experience reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and raised spirits. Though there is no scientific data to support it, many hospital attendees will attest to the positive effects of having a loving dog, such as a Labrador, in a hospital environment.

Hunting

The Labrador Retriever, as its name suggests, is an excellent hunting dog because of its ability to find and retrieve fallen or injured game. In colonial times, hunters often pursued their game in heavily wooded or marshy areas. Having a reliable retriever dogs was essential, since the dog could easily find and bring the fallen game back to the hunter. With the Labrador Retriever having a water-resistant, ice-resistant coat, as well as an unparalleled sense of smell, these dogs became reliable companions for colonial hunters. Even in the present day, they are a very popular breed for both recreational and professional hunting.

Detection

Detection dogs are used primarily by law enforcement to detect substances such as explosives, human scent, illegal drugs, or other scents indiscernible to human senses. Because of the Labrador Retriever’s excellent sense of smell, they make very reliable detection dogs. After the collapse of the Twin Towers in New York City on 9/11/08, many Labrador Retriever Rescue Dogs assisted in seeking out people trapped under the debris. Without a Detection dog’s keen sense of smell, rescue workers would have a lot more difficulty locating people who were trapped or unconscious.

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