Labrador Retriever | Dogs 101
[Music] I became a veterinarian because I was so in love with my dog when I was a kid I fell for that dog like a ton of bricks it’s hard not to love the lab big friendly full of life they’re called the Labrador but actually they come from Newfoundland yeah Newfoundland what we know as the lab today originated in the early 1800s when fishermen bred a smaller version of Newfie to retrieve fish nets and sometimes the fish that fell off hooks they created a dog who loved to swim had great stamina and had strong haunches to leap dramatically into the water the record is 27 feet the breeders couldn’t name the new dog Newfoundland that name was taken so the dog was named for the sea they worked in Labrador from there they were brought to England and the breed as we know it today was developed leading off the list like all retrievers the lab has webbed paws these natural flippers make him one of the strongest canine swimmers around the second trait is an otter like tail thick at the base and strong it acts like a rudder in the water number three is a layered slightly oily coat that keeps them warm helps them float and is also drip dry Labs come in three bold colors black is the most common and the most successful in competitions yellow is next and it’s the most popular for labs working as police dogs chocolate is the rarest there’s the misconception that people think of black labs come from black labs and chocolates just come from chocolates but you can have all three colors in a letter the fourth trait bred in two labs is what dog experts call a soft mouth a well-trained lab can carry an egg in its mouth without cracking the shell and then there’s that fifth special trait their unique ability to learn you don’t have to be the best trainer in the world you just need to be making an effort and the dog will meet you halfway and try to do the rest if you’re thinking of raising a lab there are considerations I think people would be surprised that Labradors while they can be wonderful adult companions as puppies oftentimes are the mouthiest dogs so you have to be prepared if you’re raising a labrador puppy to teach them from a very very young age to have what trainers call bite inhibition that is to be really careful with their little razor-sharp teeth there are some people who are not necessarily the best people for a Labrador the dogs tend to have a high activity level this is a dog that needs room to run he’s a sprinter able to hit speeds of 12 miles an hour in the 3 seconds but labs aren’t quite SuperDogs while robust the lab is prone to several ailments one of the best-known is a problem of the hip called dysplasia it’s caused by an abnormal formation in the hip it leads to a loss of cartilage and pain labs are also susceptible to a genetic eye defect called retinal dysplasia which causes blind spots and like most athletes labs have problems with knees and elbows the Labrador Retriever could be the most versatile breed of dog in the world life expectancy is 12 to 13 years labs as a breed tend to be pretty healthy dogs but there are some issues that they’re prone to on a genetic basis grooming is minimal but they shed moderately in the spring and fall they are athlete to adapt well to cold environments the lab is a very secure comfortable adaptable dog labs adapt well to families and pose a low risk for fights it loves to participate in family activities it’s hard to imagine a better dog than a Labrador labs are easy to train and eager to please as with any dog even though Labradors are wonderful companions it’s important to start training them when they’re very very young so in general labs love the cold but thrive in most environments though labs get high marks for health they’re prone to hip elbow and joint problems labs are very easy to groom they’re easy to train these loyal dogs make wonderful pets [Music]
