Hi Everyone! This hub will tell you how to groom a Labrador Retriever, how to feed a Labrador Retriever, Labrador Retriever temperament, the origins of the Labrador Retriever, and other things that you may not have known about the Labrador Retriever.

The Labrador Retriever Origin

Believe it, or not, Labradors were originally from Newfoundland where their main job was helping fishermen! Their job was to help the fishermen haul in the nets and actually capture any fish that may try to escape from the fisherman's line. Emerging from the St. John's Water dog, the breed was later mixed with spaniels, setters, and other retrievers to make it a true retriever of game. The hunting dog of today was refined in the Poole area of England in the late 1800's.

Their name Labrador comes from a geographical area in Newfoundland called "the Labrador". This are in Newfoundland was believed to have acquired its name from the Portuguese word "lavradores" which means small landholder.

Temperament

The Labradors are a mellow breed that make great family pets. They are a friendly and versatile breed that are, for the most part, well-balanced and adaptable to a wide range of functions such as ball chasing (which they love), chasing frisbees, and of course water fowl retrieval. The Labrador has a good reputation as being well behaved around children, making them a great choice as a family dog. Also they are pretty good at being well behaved around existing animals in the house. The females of this breed are a little more independent than the males. The Labrador matures at about three years of age and because of their fun loving attitude and their seeming lack of fear, they require training at an early age to prevent this from getting out of hand a being a problem dog. Also, you may wish to train them on a leash early, as their enthusiasm tend to make them leash pullers.

Because Labradors are trusting of strangers and the have an easygoing mannerism, they are not really suited to be guard dogs. Although they are usually not noisy dogs, they do bark at noises, even if they do not know where the noise originated from.

Grooming

Since the Labrador's double-coated fur sheds seasonally, he needs regular brushing to keep that fur water-proof. There is some difference in the way the black and yellow Labs shed. The Yellow labs shed all year round at somewhat of a slow rate, while the black labs tend to have heavy shedding days about twice a year, usually in spring and fall. Using a bristle brush once or twice a week is sufficient during non-shedding periods, while during shedding you should brush your Lab every day.

Bathe your Lab about once every two months, or when his coat starts to smell from play and work. Do not over bathe your Lab or you may be in danger of removing the protective oils on his coat and cause dry skin and dandruff problems along with other dry skin conditions.

Feeding

Feed your Lab pup 3/4 - 1 cup of food three times a day until he is about 16 weeks. Between 16-24 weeks, you will need to change this to twice a day. More than likely your puppy will let you know by just picking at one of the meals. When your Lab becomes an adult, they can eat 1-2 times a day. The adult female will usually consume 3-4 cups of food per day, while the male will eat typically 3 1/2 - 5 cups per day. Adjust food consumption to  your dogs metabolism. If he is an active, playful dog he may eat more, while if he is mostly a couch dog, or loves the porch, he may eat less.

Choosing A Labrador Puppy

What you will want to look for is a mellow yet playful disposition. When visiting a breeder, make sure you evaluate the litter as a whole. If the majority of the puppies of a litter are frightened looking and somewhat skittish, you may be well advised to stay away from this particular litter. The breeder may laugh it off and say that they are like that at first, but don't go for this line. You are investing good money and you want a companion that you can trust and will not grow to be an overly skittish dog that may bite when startled or frightened.

Think twice about choosing a puppy that chooses you. Sometimes these can be pushy, bully type pups that will grow to be hard to handle dogs. A well bred pup will be both curious and trusting and alert to noises, such as snapping and the jiggling of keys.

As for there being a difference in personality traits, or behavior of the different colors of Labs, I do not believe this is true. Some people swear that the black Lab is the best, but this may be because of the commonality of this breed color and not because of its genetic disposition. Let the puppies characteristics be more of a factor than its color.

Conclusion

Well, I hope this has helped some with information you may have been looking for for your Labrador Retriever. If you have any questions, or comments, do not hesitate to put them in the comment box below!