Labrador Retrievers, the fun loving happy go lucky breed. They are super cute and will bring endless joy to you and your family. There are tons of information about them online but today I will give my own uncensored pros and cons on having them based on my personal experience, and hopefully it will give you a good idea on how is it like raising them.
Pros on having Labradors in your house
Firstly, there will never be a lack of laughter due to their goofy antics. They are extremely cute and adorable, and can be really sweet most of the time.
Secondly, well bred Labradors have this sweet and friendly disposition. You probably won't need to worry about them being aggressive if your Labrador comes from a well bred source and has undergone proper socialisation during its puppy and adolescent stages.
Thirdly, they are really smart and learn really fast. They adapt very well and are very tolerant of handler and/or training mistakes. Training can be really fun as it goes both ways; them understanding what we expect of them, and we learning how to get them to understand what we want.
I am cute and I know it
However, having Labradors, or dogs for that matter, it's not all fun and games. A lot of hard work, patience, and sense of humor is needed.
Cons of having Labradors
I feel that it is my duty to give you the uncensored version of what it is like having Labradors as a family member. I will break this part into Adolescent period and a general overview.
Adolescent Period
This meme pretty much sums up the adolescent period of Labradors, and most other breeds as well.
Taken from here.
At 5 months old, your Labrador will start to discover themselves and what they are capable of. At this stage, they are not quite a teenager, but they are not a baby either.
I'll quote a passage from the book Your Labrador Retriever Puppy by Terry Albert, Deb Eldredge and Don and Barb Ironside,
"His behavior is rapidly changing as he grows and gains confidence. You'll see him exert his independence, and he'll test your limits to see what the rules are and what he can get away with. You have a good foundation in place to guide you both through this headstrong month, and your consistent training and guidance will prevent behavioral problems before they become entrenched habits. Your priorities right now are exercise, teaching and plenty of chew toys".
Wake up dad, its already 6.45am!
Just like a human pre-teen, you'll need lots of patience and help from the Gods to get you through this stage which will seem to be never ending.
The Rebel on crack
Your Labrador's behaviour will start to change and it will seem like they have an endless amount of energy. All that self control from puppy stages will start to fade away as they begin to become more assertive and easily distracted. The doggo will start to ignore you as they explore their surroundings on their own. But don't give in, training has to intensify at this point but keep it short and fun, and a sense of humor will help you get through it.
At this point they begin to chew heavily and will destroy anything whenever you're not keeping an eye on them. I've talked about their chewing here but if you think puppy chewing is bad, you should brace yourself for what is about to come.
They will also begin to pull you on walks, wanting to smell every single tree, branch, bush and posts. They will also start to get really excited when meeting other dogs and will pull till they get choked by their leash. You'll start to doubt your own fitness as such a little dog is able to pull you with superdoggo strength. Labradors grow huge in a really short period but their brains are still maturing. If you're raising a boy, you'll notice that he will start to mark everywhere as he discovers himself. If you're raising a girl, you'll face the challenge of them changing in their behaviours during their heat, and also the need to fend off male dogs that are attracted by their scent. They start to be really stubborn and difficult to handle and I find myself questioning why did I get myself into this shit all the time.
No dad I'm not getting up. Have fun trying to pull me up while everyone laughs at you.
The parkour enthusiast
Labradors are known to mentally mature at a slower pace. While other breeds may start to show mental maturity by 1.5 years old, Labradors can remain playful and puppy like well into 2 - 3 years of age. They sometimes forget that they are big, and continues to run and jump around like a puppy. This is where I would like to bring your attention to an issue that many Labradors, especially poorly bred ones are predisposed to; hips and elbows dysplasia.
Even though responsible breeders take every precaution to produce dogs with sound hips and elbows, there are many factors that can potentially contribute to this problem such as environment and diet. Labradors are pretty heavy in body weight and a slippery ground surface at home is not exactly helpful to them, especially when they love to run and jump every so often. Dogs fed with a diet that is nutritionally lacking will also develop problems with their growth and development and so it is imperative that we feed them a nutritionally balanced diet. Read here to find out what food do we feed our dogs!
Growing into an adult
But carry on with the training! The light at the end of the tunnel will start to get brighter at around 1 year old, when you'll start to notice them getting calmer. At this point you can start to loosen up a bit, constant supervision is no longer required as they become more independent. If you have been diligent in the training, you'll find that everything starts to slowly pay off at this stage. Of course there will still be mischievous times and trouble but the frequency becomes lesser from this point. At between 2 - 3 years old, they start to really mature and are no longer easily distracted by external triggers. They grow into the beautiful and sweet dogs they were always meant to be.
Some other challenges
Shedding
I need to talk about their shedding. Labradors shed twice a year; from January to June, and from July to December. In between these periods, there will be some months where heavy shedding is to be expected. These periods coincides with the changing of seasons, where they shed fur in preparation for winter, and shedding away that winter coat. Even though we do not have seasons in Singapore, I find that their shedding coincides with these periods as well.
I can probably make a new dog out of their fur. Mind you we vacuum or sweep the floor at least twice a day.
Food
They are really greedy and they eat A LOT. I underestimated how much they can really eat and I've become significantly poorer just from feeding them. They have a very good nose and tend to pick up discarded food on the floor when we go for our walks. We got to be really vigilant and look 10 steps ahead of them to see if there are any food people may have discarded (damn those a$$holes who throw food outside).
Friendly and fearless temperament Even though this is one of their positive traits, it can also be quite difficult to handle, especially in Singapore where a good percentage of our population has negative impression on big dogs. Labradors tend to approach anyone, especially during their younger years but they tend to scare people away due to their size. I find myself focusing a lot on training them to ignore people.
Conclusion
Labrador Retrievers can be really great companions if you are diligent enough to keep with their constant training. Their sweet and friendly disposition can bring a smile to you every time you look at them. You'll also need lots of patience, sense of humor, and help from the Gods to get you through especially during their adolescent stages.
If you think you are ready for a dog in your life, but an adolescent dog might be too much to handle right now, why not consider adopting a senior dog from one of our Animal Welfare Groups? Check out the Blog and Resources page to look at some of the AWGs in Singapore!
Commentaires