Saturday, June 8, 2013

If Adopting Lab Puppies For Sale California Dog Owners Should Know More About These Dogs

By Lucille Lamb


Labrador Retrievers are famous for their pleasant temperament and high intelligence. These large majestic dogs are a popular choice as both a family pet and a service animal for police and search work, and guiding the blind. If considering adopting Lab puppies for sale California dog owners must first be aware of what this breed needs to be healthy and happy.

The first Labs were bred in Newfoundland, Canada in the 19th century. They were mostly used to help fishermen in various ways. As they were crossed with Setters, Spaniels, and other types of Retrievers they eventually developed into a hunting dog, and they are still used in this way for their superb retrieving skills.

There are two kinds of modern Labradors, American and English. They differ in their body shapes, with the English being stockier and shorter and the American being taller and slimmer. Their fur is short but dense and grows in a double-coated fashion, it can be black, chocolate, or yellow and less commonly silver. Most labs weigh 60-80 pounds and stand about 21-24 inches tall, with males being larger than females.

The Labrador loves being part of a family and having human attention lavished on it. They are lively playmates for kids and have no problems getting along with other pets. American Labs are somewhat more hyper than the more laid-back English Labs. In most ways, they are easily trained because of their intelligence but particular attention must be paid to getting them to heel when being walked or they will be hard to manage.

Labradors need a substantial amount of daily exercise or they will become bored and may get into mischief. Long, energetic walks are ideal, as long as the human leads instead of the dog. Dog owners who have a swimming pool may also let the dog join in and paddle around the water, as Labs are natural swimmers. Games which involve retrieving activities are another favorite of these playful dogs.

Labs need regular veterinary checkups as do all dogs and not overfeed as they can become obese easily which will subject them to various health risks. The most common disorders Labradors are prone to which should be screened for include gastric torsion, cataracts, hip and elbow dysplasia, and mast cell tumors. With proper care, they can live 10-12 years.

A Labrador Retriever has basic grooming needs, which consist of bathing as necessary and regular brushing. The double-layered coat has a coarse top layer and a soft layer underneath that should be brushed every day to eliminate loose hair from the dog's body, since Labs are fairly heavy shedders.

Normally six to eight puppies are born in a litter, which the breeder keeps with their mother until they are eight weeks of age or older. By this age the breeder usually has a good sense of each pup's personality which can help to match each dog with the most suitable owner. If looking to buy Lab puppies for sale California dog owners should first make sure the pups were raised in a clean and healthy environment and also confirm that the parents are not afflicted with any genetic health problems.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment