Truths about Labrador Retrievers. Review on Having Pets at Home

They can be a pain sometimes. They may not listen to you always. They do misbehave at times. But they are adorable! No I am not talking about men or boyfriends. I am talking about dogs, Labradors in particular. As the owner of a 3-year-old male Labrador I have learnt some hard truths which I am now going to share. So if you are planning to buy a cute little Lab puppy read on. And if you are planning to surprise your friend by gifting a puppy, change your mind.(Unless you offer to feed him everyday, take him for his walks, bathe him, take him to the vet and potty train him)

Please note

Not everything may apply to all Labradors.

I have used HE/HIM in reference to dogs only coz my dog is a HE.

For the sake of privacy(My Dog’s) I shall refer to my dog as “My Dog”

Truths about Labradors.

1) Labrador Retrievers don’t necessarily retrieve.

Yeah my dog has its own version of  Fetch*.  His version involves grabbing whatever is in our hands and us running after him trying to fetch it from him.  I don’t blame him. Just coz his ancestors retrieved things, he doesn’t have to. I would love it if he could just bring in the newspaper once in a while instead of eating it.

Fetch traditionally involves your dog fetching a ball thrown by you for him to fetch. Its more fun than it sounds.

2) Labradors are not guard dogs.

He does bark all right. And he is so big that he does scare people. But all a thief has to do to break in our house is smooth talk with him. Yeah my dog falls for flattery! Ok I am exaggerating, my dogs not smart enough to understand what you are saying, but it’s the tone that matters. Tell him anything but tell him as you were praising him he’ll wag his tail and let you in.(My watchman won’t, so don’t get any ideas!)

3) They shed like hell.

If you have allergies, better to stay away from them.

4) If you have a complex about your looks, Labs are not the right pets for you.

He’s so handsome he always gets a second look. At one time my dog had a better social life than I had. He had a girlfriend. A female Lab a year older than him. It had to end coz they moved away. I am not saying I am happy they moved.

5) They may look big, but they are babies(puppies I mean) really!

Our maidservant once fell sick coz he jumped on her. Don’t know whether that was an excuse but it was believable. They often take four years to mature mentally. They(males especially) are very mischievous. They chew on everything.

Finally I have to mention that they are the bestest dogs in the whole world. I cant imagine life without him. Any dog will bring joy into your life. So if you are not picky about the breed I suggest adopt a street dog. But if you are and if you are thinking of labradors, you now know five truths about them.