When you decide to add a Labrador retriever to the family, it is important that the dog receives training as soon as possible so that they can become a valued member of the family and will not damage the owner's home. Because Labrador retrievers grow to be so large, many people choose to obtain professional Labrador retriever training for their dogs because the trainers are professionals and know how to handle the dog effectively. There are big differences between training an adult dog and Labrador puppy training, so it may be best to have a professional that knows how to handle animals training the Labrador.
Experience
Experience is very important when it comes to Labrador retriever training because an experienced trainer will not have to spend a lot of time attempting techniques that may or may not work. This is very important if you are paying the trainer by the hour because every minute of time they waste attempting ineffective techniques is another minute that you are paying for with no results. You will want to choose a trainer that knows what they are doing and can accomplish the Labrador retriever training quickly.
The trainer having the right amount of experience will also ensure that the Labrador retriever training will not harm the pet. Some trainers that do not have a lot of experience with training Labradors will become overzealous with their training and harm the dog through their ignorance and failure to recognize when they are pushing the dog too hard. Safety should be a primary concern when conducting Labrador retriever training and one of the best ways to ensure the safety of the dog is choosing a trainer that is experienced.
Patience
Labrador retriever training takes a great deal of patience to be effective and to be good for the dog. Professional trainers that do not exhibit patience when training the dog will not be an effective trainer for the animal and may be a danger to the dog if not watched carefully. Labrador retriever training has to be taken in measured steps and each step must be fully learned by the Labrador retriever before the next step in the sequence can be taught.
Labrador retriever training can be difficult and frustrating if the dog is taking longer to learn a certain task, but this frustration should never be taken out on the dog just like an elementary school teacher should never take out their frustration on the children in their class. Labrador retrievers must learn how to do the things that their owner wants them to do, but this will not occur overnight. With patience and positive reinforcement, Labrador retriever training can teach the pet to do almost anything.
You may also find other pet information on our other blogYour New Pets
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Since they are such demand, a chocolate Lab puppy is worth his bodyweight in cash. Unlike a black or yellow Lab puppy, a chocolate is the rarer color and now the most fashionable color of Labradors to have. Some Labrador breeders claim that there will be more chocolate Labs than yellow Labs born and registered by 2018. But for now, the demand for an adorable and loving chocolate Lab puppy has been a goldmine for cyber criminals.
Pay Ahead Scams
Most internet scams involving purebred puppies like Yorkshire Terriers, English Bulldogs and chocolate Lab puppies are variations of what's called the "pay ahead scam". This is where you read an add or see a notice in the classifieds or on an online bulletin board that you can get a FREE purebred chocolate Lab puppy because of a very heartbreaking circumstance. All you have to do is send money for the puppy's transportation to you.
Free is free. Free should never mean "wire $150 to this address at an overseas bank". Hopefully, you can see how this scam works before I explain it. There aren't any Yorkshire Terriers, English Bulldogs or a chocolate Lab puppy to be given away. You pay your money and then never hear anything again. It is next to impossible to trace the source of an overseas bank address. NEVER pay money for a puppy you have not held first.
Charity Scams
Another scam happens more in the wake of natural disasters and can be aimed to helping humans as well as pets like a poor, suffering chocolate Lab puppy. Sadly, these scams exploded with Hurricane Katrina, where cyber criminals pretended to be legitimate charities hitting concerned cyber citizens up for money. However, the money went right in their pockets and not one cent went to help anybody or their poor, suffering chocolate Lab puppy.
The safest way for you to give money to any kind of charity is to first give through the mail with old-fashioned check or money order. Don’t send cash because it will usually be stolen before it gets to the charity. The charity should NEVER contact you by email unless you have asked for them to do so.
If you think you have been the victim of an internet scam, don’t be afraid to admit it. If you tell your story to the Federal Trade Commission to help them prosecute the criminals. At least, no chocolate Lab puppy has been hurt. It may be a small consolation, but it does help to know.
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One of the reasons that Labrador Retrievers are so highly trainable is that they will do just about anything for food. If we ever figure out how to plug up the hole in the ozone layer, it will be because a Labrador Retriever was offered a triple cheese pepperoni and sausage pizza if he could fix it. However, their appetites have many Labrador retrievers into trouble.
Christmas Dinner
Usually every year out of England just after Christmas, you read about a dog who ate the family's Christmas dinner, desserts, decorations and some of the gifts. Almost without fail, the dog winds up being a Labrador Retriever. Christmas dinner in England is given even more hoopla than Thanksgiving in America. Although some Labrador Retrievers can eat such a massive amount of food with just a few belches, most just vomit it all back up. How festive.
Gucci Watches
Some dogs have incredible taste. Lulu the Labrador Retriever didn’t just eat anything in April of 2002 – she chose her owner's $1500 (US) Gucci watch. Worried for both watch and dog (and about the inevitable puns in the press), Lulu was taken immediately to the vet, who confirmed that the dog was ticking. A successful operation removed the watch but not Lulu's appetite. She has also eaten socks, dice and almost swallowed a diamond engagement ring before she was stopped.
Cat Poo
Most dogs are attracted to cat droppings, although some prefer to roll in them while others eat them. Almost all Labrador Retrievers will not pass up a chance at "kitty pate". This is because cats cannot digest all of their food, so their droppings still has meat in it. This can be dangerous to your Labrador if your cat is on medication, which can also turn up in the poop.
Poison
Labrador Retrievers are like babies in that they explore the world with their mouths. They also think many poisonous substances like slug bait and antifreeze taste good. You need to keep these out of reach or stop using them entirely. You also need child proof locks on your cupboards, because Labrador Retrievers can learn to open almost any kind of cabinet door.
Include your medications in on the list of poisons. Human medications are made to be taken by creatures that weigh a lot more than the average black Labrador Retriever. They will wind up getting a dose that may make them very sick. Call your vet immediately if you suspect your Lab has eaten human medication.
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Black dog syndrome is used by people who work or volunteer in animal shelters. For some reason, all black dogs, even purebred black Labrador Retrievers are almost always passed over in favor of other colored dogs. Any other color dog does better – even if they are the same breed. This also happens to black Labrador Retrievers, especially in shelters. A golden, yellow, white or chocolate Labrador Retriever will almost always be picked over black Labrador Retrievers.
Superstition
Although we claim to not believe in superstitions, our subconscious proves we do. Quite often, we pass over anything black because of the negative bias towards the color black. The only things that seem to escape this bias are diamonds and horses. However, there are a lot of myths, legends and stories about black dogs being somehow bad. One of these is that vampires can change into black wolves – or black dogs (even black Labrador Retrievers).
Probably the most famous bad black dog was the Hound of the Baskervilles, which went after the legendary Sherlock Holmes. Many scholars and psychologists think the reason why the Hound of the Baskervilles is so famous is because a large black dog fits our subconscious idea of what an evil creature looks like, even a dog with floppy ears like a black Labrador Retriever.
Hecate And Paganism
In some pre-Christian pagan religions, black dogs were seen as sacred. One of the most powerful and respected Goddesses (still worshipped by modern day Pagans) is Hecate (or Hekate), known as the Goddess of Witches. One of her symbols was the black dog. It was said that She could appear to people in the form of either a black snake, a black mare or a black dog.
Whenever Christianity overtook paganism, anything associated with the old Deities was immediately demonized. This is probably what happened to all black dogs, even in this modern day and age, causing the black dog syndrome seen today in pet rescues and animal shelters.
A Good Dog Is Never A Bad Color
If you are considering adopting a dog (and good for you), then please be sure to take a second look at all of the black dogs in the shelter. Perhaps they will look ordinary, but that's only on the outside. If you specifically want to adopt a Labrador Retriever, be sure to tell the breed rescue or animal shelter that you would accept a black Labrador Retriever. You will certainly gain not only the shelter worker's respect, but the friend of a lifetime.
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It is quite common to come across a Labrador rescue dog and this is good news because it means that fewer Labradors will be left uncared for, but it is also bad news because it shows that many more Labrador owners are abandoning their pets. However, there are many Labrador rescue services that are addressing the problem of caring for uncared for and abandoned Labradors, and in cities such as Denver, hundreds of homes are taking in Labrador rescue dogs.
Taken To Shelters
There are several different ways in which Labradors are rescued including taking them to shelters, and one of the more common reasons why a Labrador needs to be rescued is because his owner(s) have died and he has been left to fend for him. Many Labrador rescue dog are actually those Labradors that had been sent to a shelter by families that had decided that they no longer wished to keep their Labrador at home and will have donated their pet to a shelter.
If a Labrador that has been abandoned is left to fend for him, he may well end up living life on the streets, and perhaps will only have a crate to call his home. Rescuing such animals is a humane act and people that are willing to take a Labrador rescue dog are doing a very good deed. Seeing the joy on the face of a Labrador rescue dog that has been given to a new owner is one of the best things that can happen to the pet as well as to his new owner.
However, as the new owner of a Labrador rescue dog, you must be prepared to face problems with your new pet since he may, at first, not feel comfortable in his new home and surroundings. Most Labrador rescue dogs will still be living in the past and it will take time for them to readjust to their new environment. They may start to hide behind your furniture or hide them in closets. However, the Labrador is an adaptable creature and pretty soon he will readjust and if you are able to provide him with love, care and are patient; things will soon work out very well for everyone concerned.
Another aspect to Labrador that may not concern pet owners directly is breeding them and in this regard it is necessary to find a suitable Labrador stud dog to mate with your bitch.
In case you are interested in taking in a Labrador rescue dog, you should search for a good Labrador rescue group by going online and trying out search engines such as Google and Yahoo!. You can also try contacting a rescue that is located close to where you live and ask them to find a Labrador rescue dog for you.
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