Page 45 - The Labrador Retriever
P. 45
“BASIC OBEDIENCE TRAINING IS AN
ESSENTIAL PART OF RESPONSIBLE
DOG OWNERSHIP.
It helps to establish a bond between you and your Labrador and makes him/her a welcome part of the family and in the neighborhood.”
TEMPERAMENT
Ideal Labrador temperament can be described as friendly and outgoing, indul- gent with its peers, strongly human-orient- ed and tractable.
YOUNG DOG NEEDS
If you plan on adding a Labrador Retriever puppy to your household, it is important to consider the needs of a young dog and to plan a program to address those requirements. Here is a list for review:
1. Proper diet at regular intervals.
2. Regular checkups and inoculations. 3. Clean, roomy housing.
4. Daily exercise—this is an active breed. 5. Regular grooming.
6. Companionship and love.
7. Early training to become a canine
good citizen:
CRATE TRAINING
Crate training can be a significant milestone in a puppy’s early regimen. Your puppy can learn to accept a crate happily and the crate will become a mobile “home” so there will never be a problem about where to keep your dog when you travel. Finally, should your puppy require time at the veterinarian’s office because of an illness, it will not be
stressed if it is placed in a crate during a hospital visit. In addition, the puppy will be much easier to house train if you con- fine it to a crate when you cannot observe it. Puppies do not want to soil their bed so the puppy will wait to relieve itself until you take it outside. There are many types of dog crates. They can be made of plastic, wood or wire. A collapsible wire version is often the crate of choice if it is to be used within the house or when traveling by car. The puppy cannot chew it, ventilation is good, and it allows viewing from all sides. You can partially cover a wire crate with a blanket if you want to provide your puppy with a “den-like” environment. Airlines may require a closed (plastic) crate if you ship your dog by air. Do not allow the crate to become a substitute for valuable time spent in play and socializing.
RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP
A key part of your responsibility as the owner of a Labrador Retriever is to make sure that your Labrador is not only trained, but also supervised. If left outside, your dog should be in a fenced yard or kennel run, not roaming the neighborhood. Loose dogs run the risk of being hit by a vehicle, causing an accident, annoying the neigh- bors or even being stolen.
Your dog should always be on lead when walking with you unless you are hunting or training. In urban and suburban areas,
