A Dog is a Man's Best Friend

If you are considering bringing home a Labrador Retriever for your home, you have to realize first and foremost that this is one of the most people-oriented breeds of canine out there. They have to have attention and they have to be in tune with their masters and their families. They depend on the guidelines that their masters set up during training and then for the rest of their lives. However, having a Lab as a pet is not the best option for every household. In order to determine if they are the best pet for you, understanding the breed is critical.

The relationship that is established between the Lab and its owner must be harmonious, especially if the dog is going to hunt as well as be a household pet. There is a need for the animal to have directional links to all aspects of your home, and this can only be established by virtue of proper training. Furthermore, if the need to have constant canine companionship is one of your priorities, then Labradors are the best choice. This is not a dog that does well at trying to entertain itself.

There are a variety of hunting dogs in the canine world that have been bred to act independently of their masters such as hounds and terriers. With these breeds, little or no contact and instruction from their masters is required. However, this is not the case with Labrador Retrievers. With hounds and terriers, they usually lead their masters by tracking with sight and smell. Labs, on the other hand tend to "accompany" their masters and respond to commands and instructions.

Responding to a connected attention or instruction link between dog and master is how Labs were bred to behave. Failure to respond means that the dog could dive into the water, swim beyond the fallen bird, and just keep going without accomplishing its goal. The Lab that has been properly trained will not make these kinds of mistakes based on their inherent ability to attend to their masters and follow directions to the letter.

So now that we have covered the factors that determine why a Labrador is an excellent choice for the home, you need to be aware of the reasons why they wouldn't be suited for your home and family. First and foremost, this breed needs to be connected to its owners and is therefore a very dependent breed of canine. In addition to being one of the more sociable breeds, Labs demand a lot of attention.

They do not do well if they are left by themselves for lengthy periods of time. When the Lab is left alone too long, it feels detached from its family and feels that they have gotten lost to an extent. So based on their nature, they must escape their surroundings in order to find their family and be back with them - " or "retrieve" them to the family's residence so to speak. However, the bottom line is that if you do not have the time to devote to this canine breed, bringing one home could be an unwise decision.

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Written by Jeff Nenadic from My-DogShop.com - where you can find designer dog bowls to match any decor