Things to know about Labrador Retriever puppies?
Question by <3: Things to know about Labrador Retriever puppies?
I’m thinking about getting a Lab puppy soon, but first I want to get a general idea of how they are as puppies. I’ve heard they’re very wild, any way to control this? How early should you start training them? When do they stop being crazy all the time and start to calm down? How clever are they? I just want a summary of what a Lab puppy is like. Thanks!
Best answer:
Answer by Courtney Ann
The first thing to remember when considering a Labrador puppy is that it is a pure bred dog, therefore it is incumbent on the potential owner to find a competent, responsible, and knowledgeable breeder. A good breeder of Labrador puppies will conduct health tests on the male and female adult Labradors before breeding. This will help ensure that your puppy is healthy and free of disease. Competent Labrador puppy breeders also consider genetics when breeding dogs, and they will only breed dogs that have excellent temperaments. Good breeding will help give you a Labrador puppy that possesses all the great traits that they are known for.
When it comes time to select a puppy from a litter, be careful and cautious in order to avoid the pitfalls that trap many Labrador puppy owners. It seems natural for someone to see the puppy that approaches them first, or the one that seems the most affectionate and friendly, to be the “pick of the litter.” However, this selection technique can often lead owners astray, and when they select a Labrador puppy with those traits they are often selecting the most forceful and domineering puppy in the litter. Remember that the calmer and gentler Labrador puppy that approaches you cautiously, or watches you from the background, is often the puppy that is most likely to be an obedient, enjoyable pet.
It is equally important to look for the Labrador puppy that seems very shy or even scared. While one should steer clear of the most outgoing and aggressive Labrador puppies, they should be equally concerned with Labrador puppies that are timid, nervous, or shy. The shy Labrador puppy often grows up to be a shy, scared dog that is quick to bark or snap at anything that scares it.
Once you have eliminated the most bold, and the most bashful, your best bet is to focus your attention on the Labrador puppy that possesses traits that are more “in the middle.” A well suited Labrador puppy should be curious, friendly, and cautiously interested in you and what you are doing. Move the puppy away from his littermates and see how he reacts to you. Once you find that puppy that acts well in a crowd, or alone, likes to wag his tail, and likes to be in your company, you may have found that special Labrador puppy that will become part of your family.
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Let me tell you about our 11 month old, Guinness Stout:
– when we selected him, he was the most confident pup in the litter and very active.
– He is very smart and only took about 4 solid weeks of potty training to stop having accidents in the house – even over night (althou he woke us up barking at 6am to go out)
– We started teaching him basic obedience commands at about 9 weeks – he was learning one new one every night and we only trained for about 10 min a night.
– We take him for 2 walks every day (started with small walks and gradually increased)
– We played outside with him every day for at least 30 min – fetch, chase, tug of war.
– He still is a bundle of energy after all of that.
– He loved to chew! Fortunately, we had toys for him to chew on and my furniture survived.
– He loves to counter surf! We’re still working on breaking that habit.
Lab puppies need a lot of exercise = both physically and mentally. It is very challenging and rewarding when you have a great dog. They are GREAT dogs if you take the time needed to train them.
Yes, they are kind of wild at first, it helps if the puppy is free to run, such as if he if let out ALL the time, they just bottle up their energy if they are caged up. Labs are VERY energetic, if you play and love them a lot they will calm down some, They always very eager to learn, my lab knows about 25 tricks and can learn one in about 5 min. They are very clever, they are one of the easist breeds to teach, females are even easier. Labs are great with children, other dogs and cats. The first year they will chew up EVERYTHING, garden hoses, electric cords, wood, shoes, car hoses, everything, this is an ineveitable part of almost any puppy.
I hope this helps you!
I have owned so so many different breeds and I now have Labs and will never be without one again. I will admit has puppies they are a handful, little balls of energy. However the more exercise they get the better they are. Swmming, walks play time all drain that energy making them and calmer dogs. Labs are one of the most loving and affectionate and intelligent breeds you will ever find. They are one of the top used breeds for service dogs and that is because of their intelligence and amazing ability to connect to humans. I will say if you are not patient and are not active then a Lab puppy maybe be a bad choice, however there are tons of Lab rescues that have young to adult dogs that are purebred up for adoption. Sometimes that is the better way to go.
They are incredibly smart. My Lab is 4 and he knows 6 hand signals, over 75 words/commands and he has started on spelling. Think of all the things service dogs and the trainabilty of Labs make them a top choice for that job.
They really grow up at around two and half. They tend to spend some time as a puppies but if given exercise and training it is not s problem. They do like to chew as puppies but by providing things to chew on that problem is also ealiy addressed.
I just love the breed for their incredible ability to connect with people, I love them because they are very versatile and extremely intelligent and one of the most affectionate and devoted breeds/