Labrador Retrievers are sociable sporting dogs initially bred to retrieve birds, now serving various roles including assistance and search dogs. They require a significant commitment in time, space, and finances for training, exercise, and healthcare, and potential owners should assess their lifestyle and environment before adoption. Responsible breeding is essential for ensuring healthy temperament and avoiding hereditary issues, making careful selection of the puppy and breeder crucial.

2. INTRODUCTION
Labrador Retrievers are sporting dogs.
They were originally bred to retrieve birds, like
pheasants.
With Labs helping them, people long ago could
find food to eat.
These days Labs can work as assistance dogs for
people
with disabilities, as search and rescue dogs,
as drug detection dogs with the police, and
more.
They are good companions and sensitive therapy
dogs.
They enjoy fun activities like flyball and agility.

3. MORE ABOUT LABRADOR
Labrador Retrievers can grow up to 24 inches tall and weigh between
55-80 pounds. Males are bigger than females.
A Labrador Retriever's tail looks very similar to the tail of an
otter! Labrador's hair is short, he will shed. Brushing him once a
week willhelp keep the hair in the brush and not on the floor.
Brushing also feels good to your dog and helps keep his skin
healthy.
Bathing your Labrador will help keep him clean and smelling good.
Labradors are easy to train and they are very social. That means
they like people and other animals. Labs are happy to hang out
with you and do whatever you are doing. They love to play!
Spending as much time as you can with your Labrador will make
him the happiest dog on earth. A Lab can truly be your best friend.
Labs are not shy or nervous dogs, which means they are usually not
afraid of things. They are usually very good watchdogs and will
bark when they hear or see something unusual. When they are
not being a watchdog, Labs are friendly, reliable, and trustworthy.

4. CHARACTERISTICS OF LABRADOR
The most distinguishing characteristics of the
Labrador Retriever are its short, dense,
weather resistant coat; an "otter" tail; a clean-
cut head with broad back skull and moderate
stop; powerful jaws; and its "kind," friendly
eyes, expressing character, intelligence and
good temperament .

5. GUIDE TO BUYING A LABRADOR
Before you decide, ask yourself some questions. Can you resist buying the first cute puppy
you see, on impulse? Are you prepared to make a commitment to a dog for the next 10 -
15 years, even if you have life changes such as moving, new babies, or kids going off to
college? Full responsibility for a dog is not a job for children; it requires a responsible
adult, at least supervising, and should be carefully considered. The commitment is not a
small one; training a Labrador to be a pleasant companion requires considerable time and
patience. Labs don't become well-behaved all by themselves! They require substantial
attention and exercise throughout their lives; they are active and social animals and don't
do well when stuck in the backyard and forgotten.
Labrador puppy chewing and digging can be destructive. Do you have an appropriate
environment for a puppy and are you willing to live with puppy mistakes? Remember that
Labradors are not fully mature until around three years of age so that's a long puppy-
hood. Are you willing to spend the money it takes to provide appropriate care, including
quality food and supplies, annual vaccines, heartworm testing and preventative, and
spaying or neutering? Are you willing to wait for the right puppy from the responsible
breeder of your choice? Remember, finding the best puppy for you is well worth the wait.
Buy a well-bred dog from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders take care to produce
healthy, typical Labradors with good temperaments. Don't bargain-hunt and don't buy
a puppy from a pet store; often those puppies come from poor breeding, may have been
kept in poor conditions with inadequate socialization, and are sometimes more expensive
than puppies purchased from an ethical, responsible breeder. Responsible breeders do all
they can to avoid producing serious problems, including aggressive or shy temperaments,
hereditary health defects such as hip or elbow dysplasia, or early blindness from
hereditary eye diseases. Remember that "AKC papers" are not an indication of quality in
the dog. They only mean that the dog's parents were AKC registered.

6. THE MAIN POINTS YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER BEFORE
MAKING THAT FINAL DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO BRING
A LABRADOR INTO YOUR LIFE
 Do you have the right space for a large
dog?
 Do you have time for a dog?
 Can you afford a dog?
 What about your lifestyle?
 Will a dog fit in with your family?
 Is a Labrador the right dog for you?

7. DO YOU HAVE THE RIGHT SPACE?
Dogs, even small dogs, need space, indoors and
out. Labradors need quite a lot of space.
They also need to go outside regularly for ‘bathroom
breaks’.
With small puppies this will be very often indeed.
If you live in a flat, or do not have a garden, this will be
difficult for you. You’ll need to set up a system where the
puppy can toilet indoors, using puppy pads or newspaper,
then retrain him to go outdoors when he is older
Ideally you a garden, and a part of the garden which your
dog can use as a bathroom and you will need some kind
of system for clearing up after him hygienically. Puppies
should not be allowed to ‘toilet’ where children play, as
their faeces can pass on some horrible parasites.

8. DO YOU HAVE TIME FOR A DOG?
It is always sad to hear from new puppy owners that are struggling to juggle the needs of a puppy with their
need to work.
It may seem obvious to many of you, but a lot of people don’t realise that you cannot bring a small puppy
into your life and leave it alone in the house all day. Even with a visit at lunch time.
An older dog may cope with being left for four hours in row on a regular basis, but puppies need more
attention than this.
The truth is, you can’t leave a young dog alone for hours on end and expect him to remain quiet and well
behaved. Lonely dogs bark and wreck things.
If you work all day, can you afford to pay someone to come in and let him out to stretch his legs and empty
himself? Or do you have a relative or friend that would be prepared to do this on a regular basis. Bear
in mind that this is quite a lot to ask of anyone in the long term
The biggest long term time commitment in owning a dog is in the form of training and exercise.
All dogs need training in order that they can rub along in human society without being a complete
nuisance. This means a regular daily commitment of ten to twenty minutes from you, in addition to
your regular interaction with the dog.
Training cannot be saved up for the weekend, your dog will have forgotten most of what he learnt the
weekend before, and he does not have the attention span to concentrate on you for an hour and a half.
Exercise is required on a regular basis, for some breeds of dog this means at least an hour a day of walking
or jogging to keep your dog fit and healthy.
Whilst your dog will not come to any harm if you miss a day occasionally, a daily routine is often the best
way to ensure that you build this important habit.

9. CAN YOU AFFORD A DOG?
Dogs can be quite expensive to run. You need to consider not only how much a labrador will cost you to buy, but also
how much it will cost you to keep.
How much do Labradors cost to buy?
The price of a Labrador puppy will vary from breeder to breeder, and from place to place. At the moment (in 2015) in the
UK you can pay anything from £650 to £850 for a well bred, health tested Labrador. In the USA as a rough guide,
you are looking at $800 to $1200.
Perhaps you know a friend that has a litter of puppies and they are going to let you have one for free. However, the
purchase price of a dog is almost irrelevant. It is such a small part of the final cost.
The cost of keeping a Labrador
The reality is, you are also going to need to fork out a chunk of your wages each week on keeping your pooch happy
and healthy.
Obviously you will have taken the cost of food into consideration, but it is a good idea to budget for insurance
too. Modern veterinary treatment has simply gone ‘off the radar’. Not because it is unreasonably priced, but
simply because it is now so advanced.
You can fix a lot of problems these days. No longer is ‘put to sleep’ the option of choice for most serious ailments. We
can do open heart surgery, mend complex fractures, treat cancer with radiotherapy or chemotherapy.
Pretty much anything you can treat in a human, you can now treat in a dog. And the catch?
It costs.
If you don’t have access to substantial savings, one way to avoid the burden of huge vet fees is to make sure your dog is
insured. Veterinary insurance will most likely set you back a week’s wages or so, each year.
You will also need to vaccinate your dog against common canine nasties and this will probably need to be done each
year too.
There will be a few other one-off costs such as a puppy crate for your home for when your dog is young, another for
your car if you have one, bowls, bedding, collar, leash etc. But you may be able to borrow a crate or get one
second hand.
If you like to holiday abroad or anywhere that the dog can’t come, unless you have helpful relatives, you will also need

10. WHAT ABOUT YOUR LIFESTYLE?
Buying a Labrador will change your life quite drastically. In
fact, bringing any dog into your life will be a dramatic
change.
If you work away a lot, unless you can take your dog with
you, a dog is probably not a good idea for you right
now. Likewise if you If you travel a lot, a dog may cause
problems for you. If you spend two months each year
exploring the Amazon jungle, a dog is almost certainly not
for you.
What are you like at early mornings? And at getting up in the
night?
Long lazy Sunday lie-ins will be a thing of the past once you
have a dog. In addition, for the first few weeks when
puppies are small, they may need to be taken out side to
toilet during the night.
Maybe more than once. You need to be comfortable coping
with that.

11. WILL A DOG FIT IN WITH YOUR FAMILY
If you have three children under five and your wife is expecting twins, you
probably don’t need me to tell you that you don’t need a dog right
now. But it is surprising just how many people do take on a puppy
when their kids are tiny and then struggle to cope.
Having a puppy is a bit like having a toddler, and whilst some dogs and
kids do rub along very nicely together, it can be very tough in the early
years.
Pushing a buggy whilst trying to lead train a large or even a medium sized
dog is no joke. And tiny puppies are easily broken by small children as
they step on them, climb on them, and trip over them.
A toddler, expensive veterinary treatment, and a puppy with its leg in
plaster is not a great combination.
However, if your kids are all over five, able to walk for an hour or so without
needing to be carried, and to understand what a dog’s basic needs
are, the chances are you will all enjoy and benefit from your new
companion.

12. IS A LABRADOR THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOU?
If you are certain that the time is right for you to
bring a dog into your family, it is also worth
considering whether a Labrador is really the
right breed of dog for you and your
family. Check out this article.
You can also find lots more information through
this link Getting a Labrador