The Labrador or Lab dog is a famous retriever dog with a friendly, hardworking, gentle, and friendly human.
In addition, with good sniffing characteristics, intelligent faces, and easy to teach, Labrador Retrievers are also raised for search and rescue and security purposes.
Join DailyPets.net to learn about the origin, characteristics, and care of the Labrador Retriever breed through this article.
Origin of Labrador dog
The Labrador Retriever is ancestral to the Greater Newfoundland, which originated in Canada. They were originally used for sniffing and hunting prey.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Lab dogs were very popular with sailors on fishing boats; they could help pull nets on boats, even jumping into cold seawater to lure fish into and remove nets. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Lab dog quickly became popular in the United States and is now the most popular dog breed in American homes.
Characteristics of the Labrador dog
Labrador dog has 2 breeds, American Labrador and English Labrador. The American Labrador is popular and has a larger number. However, both breeds have the following common characteristics:
Appearance characteristics
With a medium-sized, well-proportioned body, the Lab dog moves flexibly like a hunting dog. Labrador dogs stand out for their short, thick, straight coats that have a waterproof effect that helps them work better in the water.
They also have a soft, thick inner coat to keep the body warm and prevent insects. There are 3 popular eyebrows: black, yellow, or chocolate color. Lab dogs’ eyes are brown or light brown with a black border. The front leg is straight; the back leg is slightly bent at the knee with muscular thighs. The tail is elongated to form a straight line with the body from head to tail.
Labrador dogs are medium-sized dogs that, when grown up, will have a height ranging from 52-60cm and weight from 25-32kg. Specifically:
- Males: Height from 55-60cm, 27-32kg.
- Females: Height from 52-58cm, 25-30kg.
Personality traits
Labrador dog breed is famous for its sweet personality and friendly with people and other animals, so it will be very suitable as a house pet. As sports dogs, Lab dogs love running, jumping, or exercising, especially because they like water and swimming, so you can train them to work.
Interestingly, Lab dogs love to eat; they are so hungry that they eat human food. If not controlled, eating can lead to obesity.
Labrador Retrievers are popular because they are as loyal as Akita dogs, intelligent as Corgi dogs, and as strong as Doberman dogs.
How to care for and train Labrador dogs
Labrador dog food
Although Labrador dogs are quite easy to eat, you should ensure that the dog food has enough protein, fat, protein, calcium, vitamins, and special minerals for them to develop comprehensively in both health and physique.
Remember to feed your dog at the prescribed time and clean utensils. Always keep water available for the dog and change the water 3 times a day. Absolutely do not let them eat rancid food; eat a lot of rice, fatty meat, starch, and fat to avoid digestive disorders.
Note when your dog is more than 6 months old or older, the diet needs to increase and add a variety of foods such as Meat, eggs, vegetables, bones, etc. For dogs in the adult stage. You can gnaw on tube bones and eat whole meat to make your teeth stronger.
Labrador dog care
Regularly let Labrador exercise, go for a walk, and participate in many fun activities such as Swimming, running after cars, catching flying saucers, catching balls …. for physical training.
You should also bring them to dry in the sun in the morning and evening. Do not bathe Labrador much; it is best to shower only once a week and use specialized shower gels to reduce hair loss, keep the coat color beautiful, and remember to brush once a week.
Labrador dog health problems
Elbow dysplasia
Common in large Labrador dogs, due to the different growth rates of the 3 bones that make up the elbow, the joints become loose and cause pain or even lameness.
Hip dysplasia
This is an inherited disease in which the femur does not fit properly with the hip joint, causing pain and a limp in one or both hind legs.
Cataract
Like in humans, this disease appears as cloudy spots in the lens of the eye, which gradually grow and, in some cases, can cause vision loss.
Osteochondrosis Dissecans (OCD)
This disease is related to joint cartilage growth, usually found in the elbows and shoulders. The disease causes stiffness in the joints, making dogs painful when moving.
Epilepsy
Seizures will cause mild or severe convulsions, causing your dog to run frantically, stagger, or hide in fear.
Ear infections
Labrador dogs have large ears, so if not taken care of, they are prone to infections, so you need to check and clean them regularly!
How to train Labrador dogs
Labrador dogs have a gentle and obedient nature, but you still need to have a way to train them from a young age and have obedience lessons.
Besides, you have to make sure that they are friendly and sociable, especially with children, as well as obeying basic requirements.
Labrador dogs are very intelligent, so they can learn many skills from basic to advanced, such as Greeting, shaking hands, standing, lying down, crawling, sitting, doing math, overcoming obstacles, playing dead, keeping house, sniffing, finding objects, doing math, opening doors, taking care of children, walking disabled people… During training, Labrador dog trainers need to pay attention to the following things:
- Do not force Labrador or engage in violent behavior.
- Build a menu that is suitable for their condition.
- Letting Labradors exercise freely helps prevent them from being stressed.
Difference between Labrador Retriever and Golden Retriever
There is much confusion between these two retriever breeds. However, to distinguish Golden and Labrador dogs can be based on the following characteristics:
– Golden Retriever is about 2-3cm taller (adult Golden Retriever is approximately 56-61cm tall) and weighs 3-4kg more than a Labrador dog. In addition, the Golden Retriever dog’s skull is larger with a long, thick coat, so the Golden Retriever’s head looks bigger than the Labrador dog.
– Coat: The Golden Retriever has a long, wavy coat, while the Lab dog has a short, straight coat. The coat color of the Golden Retriever ranges from light to dark yellow, while the most common coat color of the Labrador is black and Chocolate.
Labrador dog price
The price of a Labrador Retriever dog can vary widely depending on various factors, including location, breeder reputation, pedigree, coat color, and more. On average, you might expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for a Labrador Retriever puppy.
Labrador puppies with standard pedigree and over 95% purebred range in price from $1,000 to $2,000. They are mainly kept as family pets.
In particular, purebred Labrador puppies from reputable breeders cost much more, around $ 3,000 to $ 5,000.
Common questions about Labrador retrievers
What is the Labrador dog’s personality like?
Labrador dogs are gentle, sweet, and very intelligent, so they can do professional work and help people. The dog’s character is loyal and obedient, so it suits families with children or other animals.
Do Labrador Dogs look after the house?
Labrador dogs know how to watch the house but only stop at the warning level when a strange smell is approaching; because of their playful personality, it is easy to be lured by strangers with a few tips.
