Everything You Need to Know About a Labrador Retriever

By Richard Alen
As you probably know a great choice for a gun dog is a Labrador retriever especially if you want a good all rounder for shooting and hunting. I find these are probably the easiest to train especially for a beginner.

Like all breeds of gun dogs Lab's have good and bad points, Here are some of the Pro's and Con's of training and owning a Labrador Retriever.

The Pro's

Of all the hunting dog breeds the Labrador is the strongest swimmer, which makes him excellent at duck hunting. The breed was originally bred and trained to jump off fishing boats to bring the fishing nets to shore. Most Labs have webbed feet that aid in swimming

They are affectionate and patient dogs. They are known for being good natured, loyal, intelligent, and friendly. They are also great as a family pet as they are great with children.

Talents include tracking, retrieving, hunting, police work, They also do excellent work as guide dogs for the blind and the disabled. Other activities they are used for are sledding, competitive obedience, and search and rescue.

The Con's

There is not much not to love about Labradors, maybe the only problem is their love of food. You need to moderate food intake, Labs are big eaters, and may Quickly Become Overweight if given the wrong diet.

Another problem is they need regular exercise. They love long walks and also like to swim whatever the weather, so if you have a lake in your local park it will love a swim a few times a week. Plus plenty of exercise.

The Labrador Retriever may become nervous and destructive if their human owner does not act as "pack leader" or if they do not receive enough exercise, it is best if you at least have a large yard to own one of these great hunting dogs.

There may seem a lot to worry about here but most Lab's turn into wonderful gundogs and/or family pets. More things you may want to know about the Labrador are below:

Height and Weight

Adult males are usually between 22-24 inches tall and weigh around 60-75 pounds.

Adult females are usually between 21-23 inches tall and weigh around 55-70 pounds.

Life Expectancy

The average life of a Labrador retriever is about 12 years.

Grooming

Their smooth double coat is easy to groom with a brush with firm bristles. Pay attention to the undercoat, and bathe only when necessary. Even when they swim their skin stays dry due to the undercoat. They are also moderate shredders of hair.

History

As I mentioned earlier the Labrador Retriever was breed by fishermen in the 1700's, originally from Newfoundland and known as St. John's Dogs, They are now one of the most popular breeds in the U.S. and throughout the world.

Grouping

Gun Dog, AKC Sporting

Recognition

CKC, AKC, KCGB, ANKC, NZKC, CCR, ACR, UKC, CKC, NKC, APRI, FCI

Training:

The great thing about a Labrador Retriever is the ease with how you can train him as a gun dog. We find the best way to train is to train your Labrador is by doing it in short bursts maybe only 10 minutes twice a day. The only thing to beer in mind is not to many treats if you use treat training as your dog may put on to much weight.

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