Depending on the sex, labs can stand from 21.5 to 24.5 inches at the shoulder and weigh between 55 to 80 pounds.
The dense, hard coat comes in yellow, black and a luscious chocolate. The head is wide, the eyes glimmer with kindliness and the thick, tapering tail.
Labs are famously friendly. They are companionable housemates who bond with the whole family, and they socialise well with neighbour dogs and humans alike. It's important to not mistake their easy going personality for low energy. Labs are enthusiastic athletes that require a lot of exercise, like swimming and marathon games of fetch to keep them physically and mentally fit.
The Labrador Retriever should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with veterinarian's supervision and approval.
Any diet should be appropriate to the dog's age (puppy, adult or senior).
Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so keep track of your dog's calorie consumption and weight level.
Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity.
Be mindful on which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not.
Always check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog's weight or diet.
Clean, fresh water should always be available at all times.
Labrador Retrievers are exuberant, very energetic breed that need a lot of exercise every day. A lab who doesn't get enough exercise is likely to engage in hyperactivity and/or destructive behaviour to release pent-up energy.
The breed's favourite activities are retrieving and swimming. Labs also love to burn up energy on hunting trips or at field trials, as well as, participating in canine sports such as agility, obedience tracking, and sock diving.
Many labs work hard in important roles such as search-and-rescue, drug and bomb detection, as as service and assistance dogs.
With the lab's physical strength and high energy level, early socialisation and puppy training classes are vital. Gently exposing the puppy to a wide varier of people, places and situations between the ages of 8 weeks- 4 months, as well as, beginning obedience training early on will help them to develop into a well-adjusted, well-mannered adult.
Puppy training classes serve as part of the socialisation process that help the owner learn to recognise and correct any bad habits that might be developing.
Labs are devoted, intelligent and enthusiastic companions who need to be included in family activities.
Grooming your Labrador will ensure you are keeping your dog looking clean and fresh as well as discarding any loose hair. Labradors, on the whole, are a simple breed to groom at home. However, if you are wanting to give your dog some professional pampering, you should visit your local groomer for some well deserved TLC.
To make sure your dog's coat is at its best, you will need to groom and brush your Labrador at least once a week.
Although you may be tempted to trim your Labrador's hair when it gets dirty or the warmer months approach, it isn't something that is widely recommended int he world of grooming. Instead, taking the correct steps whilst grooming your dogs will keep your Labrador's coat in a naturally healthy condition. The issues with trimming and shaving their coat is that is can often damage the undercoat which can lead to lack of protection and disrupts their ability to self-cool during the summer months.