How to Select a Labrador Retriever
Decide if your personality and lifestyle will be a good fit for a Lab., Decide if you have the time and energy for a Lab puppy., Think about adopting an adult Lab., Decide whether to get a male or female Lab., Identify what the dog’s role will be...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if your personality and lifestyle will be a good fit for a Lab.
Labs crave company and stimulation, so it is important for you to spend lots of time with your Lab and to invest time and energy in training your Lab.
Be honest with yourself about how much time and energy you will be able to invest in your dog.
Think about your how much time you spend away from home.
If you are often not home due to work or other lifestyle factors, then a Lab may not be the ideal pet for you.Determine whether you are willing and able to train a dog.
Labs are easy to train and they enjoy the stimulation.
Before you decide to get a dog, think realistically about how much time you will be able to devote to training your Lab.
If you do not plan to train your dog due to time or energy constraints, then a dog may not be the best choice.Consider other lifestyle factors.
Labs are great with kids and other pets as well, so a Lab may be a good fit if you have kids and/or other pets. -
Step 2: Decide if you have the time and energy for a Lab puppy.
Puppies are hard to train and they require lots of time as well.
Before you decide to get a puppy, think about your lifestyle and the amount of time that you can devote to raising a puppy.
For example, will you be willing to get woken up every couple of hours in the middle of the night if your puppy is crying? Will you be able to manage if your puppy chews up one of your favorite pairs of shoes? Are you willing to clean up urine and feces accidents during the housetraining process? If not, then consider adopting an adult dog.On the other hand, there are some positives to getting a puppy.
Training your Labrador from a young age creates a fantastic bond between the two of you and you will get to enjoy watching your pet grow and mature. , Some of the positives of taking on an adult dog is that they are often already house broken and may even know some basic commands, such as sit and stay.
Therefore, if you don't have the time or desire to housetrain a dog, then adopting an adult could be the best option for you.One potential downside of an adult dog is he may not be trained, and adult dogs may be harder to train.
Also, some dogs may not have been well-socialized and may get spooked by certain things such as other dogs, strangers, etc.
Consider whether you have the necessary training skills to correct these problems should you encounter them., Gender is not a big deal unless you already have a dog.
If you own a dog already, then getting a dog of the opposite gender will provide the best chance of harmony between your pets.Male dogs tend to be a bit more aggressive, but these behaviors can be controlled with training.
Female dogs often more easygoing, but Labs are such a relaxed breed that this doesn't really matter too much.
Regardless of the gender of your dog, make sure that you spay or neuter the dog unless you intend to breed it. , The Labrador’s willingness to please makes them easy to train and they make great working dogs.
They have many roles in society, ranging from their origins as gun dogs retrieving game, to assistance dogs for the visually impaired.
If you are looking for certain characteristics in a dog for working purposes, then be sure to source a purebred dog from a breeder who raises dogs with the characteristics you require., The most common Lab colors are black, yellow, and chocolate.
All colors of Labradors are easy to train, but chocolate Labradors do have a reputation for being more disobedient than their yellow or black cousins.
However, there is much debate among breeders and Lab owners about this reputation.Keep in mind that all dogs have different personalities and abilities regardless of color, so color choice is more about your personal preference than anything else. -
Step 3: Think about adopting an adult Lab.
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Step 4: Decide whether to get a male or female Lab.
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Step 5: Identify what the dog’s role will be.
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Step 6: Select a color.
Detailed Guide
Labs crave company and stimulation, so it is important for you to spend lots of time with your Lab and to invest time and energy in training your Lab.
Be honest with yourself about how much time and energy you will be able to invest in your dog.
Think about your how much time you spend away from home.
If you are often not home due to work or other lifestyle factors, then a Lab may not be the ideal pet for you.Determine whether you are willing and able to train a dog.
Labs are easy to train and they enjoy the stimulation.
Before you decide to get a dog, think realistically about how much time you will be able to devote to training your Lab.
If you do not plan to train your dog due to time or energy constraints, then a dog may not be the best choice.Consider other lifestyle factors.
Labs are great with kids and other pets as well, so a Lab may be a good fit if you have kids and/or other pets.
Puppies are hard to train and they require lots of time as well.
Before you decide to get a puppy, think about your lifestyle and the amount of time that you can devote to raising a puppy.
For example, will you be willing to get woken up every couple of hours in the middle of the night if your puppy is crying? Will you be able to manage if your puppy chews up one of your favorite pairs of shoes? Are you willing to clean up urine and feces accidents during the housetraining process? If not, then consider adopting an adult dog.On the other hand, there are some positives to getting a puppy.
Training your Labrador from a young age creates a fantastic bond between the two of you and you will get to enjoy watching your pet grow and mature. , Some of the positives of taking on an adult dog is that they are often already house broken and may even know some basic commands, such as sit and stay.
Therefore, if you don't have the time or desire to housetrain a dog, then adopting an adult could be the best option for you.One potential downside of an adult dog is he may not be trained, and adult dogs may be harder to train.
Also, some dogs may not have been well-socialized and may get spooked by certain things such as other dogs, strangers, etc.
Consider whether you have the necessary training skills to correct these problems should you encounter them., Gender is not a big deal unless you already have a dog.
If you own a dog already, then getting a dog of the opposite gender will provide the best chance of harmony between your pets.Male dogs tend to be a bit more aggressive, but these behaviors can be controlled with training.
Female dogs often more easygoing, but Labs are such a relaxed breed that this doesn't really matter too much.
Regardless of the gender of your dog, make sure that you spay or neuter the dog unless you intend to breed it. , The Labrador’s willingness to please makes them easy to train and they make great working dogs.
They have many roles in society, ranging from their origins as gun dogs retrieving game, to assistance dogs for the visually impaired.
If you are looking for certain characteristics in a dog for working purposes, then be sure to source a purebred dog from a breeder who raises dogs with the characteristics you require., The most common Lab colors are black, yellow, and chocolate.
All colors of Labradors are easy to train, but chocolate Labradors do have a reputation for being more disobedient than their yellow or black cousins.
However, there is much debate among breeders and Lab owners about this reputation.Keep in mind that all dogs have different personalities and abilities regardless of color, so color choice is more about your personal preference than anything else.
About the Author
Melissa Gonzalez
Specializes in breaking down complex pet care topics into simple steps.
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