Essential Labrador Retriever Buyer Information

Buying a Labrador puppy is not as easy as it might seem. Labradors can either be found in pet stores or from breeders. Pet stores usually get their dogs from corrupt puppy mills where the dogs are neglected. Never purchase a puppy because you feel sorry for them or because they are adorable, if you do not follow these rules, you will regret it later. You need to use intelligence when you are buying a Lab for both your sake and the sake of your Lab. If you purchase a Labrador puppy from a pet store just because they are cute, then you are helping the puppy mills that often abuse these Labradors.

A good Labrador puppy breeder is someone who wants the best for the dog. A first-rate quality breeder will not just vend their puppies to anyone but they will want to know whether you will be able to look after them. It is a good idea if you can find out what motivated the breeder to breed in the first place. It is also important to see that the breeder has active and cheerful dogs and sanitary facilities.

Buy your dog from a responsible Labrador puppy breeder and you will never go wrong. Purchase the animal from a reputable breeder that is known by your national organization. A reputable breeder will provide health records for the pup. He should hold pups and will have socialized the dogs so that they are not anxious around people.

Look over the whole litter when you are choosing a Labrador puppy. Beware of one that is shy or overly reserved. Aggressive Labrador puppies may not be the best choice of pet either. The best choice would be to look for pups that are sociable and innocent. Take a closer look at the Labrador puppies. A model pet may be a lab pup that does not claw or bite, but can still intermingle with his siblings.

It is also very important that you see at least one of the pups' parents. By seeing where the dogs have been bred, getting a look at the litter and seeing at least one of the parents, ensures that your choice will be a Labrador puppy which has been well bred and will likely be an ideal companion for you and your family.

It is important that the sire and dam of the litter are at least two years old and have been tested for genetic health before the breeding. Try to find a breeder that doesn't deal in too many different breeds and make sure that he is a member of a breeding club. He should also be happy to take some time and answer all of your questions.

The Labradors adopted from Rescue are normally spayed/neutered, current on vaccines, heartworm checked, and temperament checked. These dogs primarily range from 8 months to 6 years of age. One other way to find great breeders is to investigate them on your own. Ask people who have pets and figure out which would be best for you. Talk to people who are concerned with animal cruelty and see what they think of any breeder you may choose.

Tim Williams is a Labrador retriever enthusiast. He owns and maintains Labrador Retriever Answers, a resource for all Labrador retriever lovers and where you can find more labrador retriever information and other great lab advice

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Critical Health & Care Information About the Labrador Retriever

Care for Your Labrador Retriever - Feeding, Grooming, Exercise and Potential Health Issues

Also called Labrador or Lab for short, a Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed in the United States, United Kingdom and also Australia. They are the most popular as family pets, as assistance dogs and as detectives to assist policemen. Their almost insightful intelligence, sociability, keen sense of smell and trainability makes them the best candidate for drug and arms detection at airports and high security areas. The patience that this breed shows also makes them extremely good working dogs with people on wheel chairs or for pet therapy. A trained Labrador is one of the most dependable animals that there can be. They do not have any of the negative traits that some of the other breeds manifest and are free from territorial aggression, destructive nature, insecurity or pampered behavior.

Feeding and Grooming

The Labrador breed is the 'foodie' among dog breeds and they enjoy their food to the fullest. They eat almost anything that is placed before them - ice creams, biscuits, meat, cereal, dog treats and even scraps from the table. This tends to make them extremely susceptible to obesity and therefore a regulated diet is what you should limit the intake to. An overweight Labrador can become extremely lazy and slow. To regulate the quantity of food offered to your Labrador, it is important to note that a 60 pound Labrador requires about four and a half cups of food. The meal should have adequate levels of calcium, especially in the growing phase. This is important due to the heavy bone structure of this breed.

With average levels of shedding on normal days that gets heavier twice a year during the season, Labradors are easy to maintain. Brushing twice a week is required and you might need to use a soft bristle brush. This also activates the skin glands allowing for protective secretions. A bath is required only once a fortnight.

Exercise

Since the Labrador is a heavy eater, adequate exercise is a must for this breed. Swimming and retrieving are a Labradors favorite activities and playing fetch in a large park or the yard are good additional ways to exercise your Lab other than walks. This breed also enjoys the training process and therefore training should be base don rewarding more than punishment. It is important to understand that higher levels of exercise are required only once the dog is six months and older. Excessive exercising for young Lab pups can damage their bones.

Special care and health concerns

The life expectancy of a Lab is between 12 to 13 years.

- Hip or elbow dysplasia - Since the Labrador is a large breed, it is prone to hip or elbow joint dislocation and loosening. In this condition the dog feels uncomfortable while moving and can also experience pain and swelling. The severity of the pain depends on the level of movement, weight of the dog and extent of dislocation. Dysplasia can be treated with prescribed medicine and only in serious cases surgery is prescribed. Some Labradors can also suffer from luxating patella.

- Ear infections - All breeds that have floppy ears that are not cropped, ear infections can eb a major cause of trouble. This is because moist air gets trapped in the outer ear causing mites, fungus or bacterial infections. Prevention is better than cure and such instances can be avoided by cleaning the ear regularly with a cotton swab.

- Obesity - Since Labs are prone to overeating, they tend to gain excessive weight if the intake is not regulated. Obesity can increase the chances of dysplasia and also cause diabetes.

- Gastric troubles - Labradors are extremely prone to fall prey to upset stomachs, vomiting and loose stools from time to time. To maintain good gastric health, it is essential that only high quality commercial brands or home food be given to your pet.

- Swim tail - This is an extremely unique condition that Labradors may face, especially if your dog likes water. The tail basically becomes sore due to overuse and swells up and is akin to a 'tennis elbow'. The tail develops a slight crimp but adequate rest can solve this issue relatively easily.

- Eye conditions - Older Labradors can develop retinal atrophy, cataract, corneal dystrophy and retinal dysplasia.

For more information about Labs including Labrador puppies for sale from reputable breeders please visit Pets4You

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