Adopt a Labrador Retriever Into Your Family

Planning to get a new dog and you are not sure what type to look for? You may want to look into bringing home a Lab. This particular breed of dog is one of the most popular in the U.S. and U.K. and has been for about 10 years or more.

If you are looking for a dog to keep in your backyard, play and go on walks with, this is NOT the dog you should choose. Even though the weights of these dogs can range from 55 - 120 lbs. they are house dogs. Denying them personal human contact for any length of time is torture for a Lab. This may seem odd for some people that think; dog's were made to entertain us, good for children to grow up with, or should only work for their keep.

Labrador Retrievers thrive on human contact, if you are thinking of adding one to your family you need to make the commitment to spend many hours a day with it. If you make this commitment, you will never regret it.

This is a wonderful breed, you will be adding not only a pet to your life but also a friend that you may never have realized was missing in your life, until this one came along.

Now, I say that you need to spend hours a day with Labs, but don't misunderstand. The dog just needs to be with you or around you most of the time. They become an important part of your family unit. This may be one of the very reasons they are often chosen and trained to help disabled people. They become attuned to your needs, moods, health, routines, and personality quickly.

This breed also is easy to care for when it comes to grooming. They are very much like a Golden Retriever, but with much less need for upkeep because they have short hair that doesn't need constant combing or brushing. Their coat also repels water, so you don't want to bathe them too often, if you do they can develop dry skin problems.
Labrador's are easy to train too, another reason why they are used as guide dogs and such. Remember though, not all the labs that are trained to work in this field make it, just most of them.

Just as people have different personalities, so do dogs. But, their basic nature as a whole breed tends to be; loyal, smart, affectionate, playful, gentle, protective, adaptable,devoted, and loving.
I have owned a couple of lab mixes and a Lab purebred, they were all great dogs, so if you don't want to spend a lot of money for a purebred, don't hesitate in adopting a mixed breed. As long as it is mixed with another breed that tends to be good natured also.

These are wonderful family dogs!  http://www.squidoo.com/labradorretrievers/