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Taking your dog for the vaccination is very important and not something you want to forget and today you can learn when this should happen.

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The Labrador Retriever originated from the island of Newfoundland off Canada. They were originally called St. John’s dogs after the capital city of Newfoundland. The Labradors worked as companions and helpers to the local fishermen in the 1700s which involved retrieving fish from the waters that escaped hooks and towing in lines. The Labs were not only working dogs for these fishermen, but they were also their family pets and so would go home to their homes after each long working day. The heritage of the Lab is unknown, but it is thought that the St. John’s Dog was interbred with the Newfoundland dog and other local smaller water dogs. English sportsmen recognised the dog’s usefulness and athletic build and began using the breed as hunting companions. The breed was recognised by the Kennel Club in England in 1903. The Pit Bull descends from the Bull and Terrier breeds that were created in the early 19th century in England that were used in spectator sports of bull and bear baiting. When those sports became illegal in 1835, dog fighting took its place which is where the assumed violent trait of these misunderstood dogs comes from. The breed naturally had an unwillingness to bite humans and so the breed developed the reputation of being a very strong and protective dog, but also one of a gentle nature that could be a family-friendly pet. These bull dogs immigrated to America with their owners and were used as all-around farm dogs where they hunted wild game, guarded the properties and provided companionship. The Kennel Club in England named their equivalent to these dogs the American Pit Bull Terrier in 1898. They were recognised in America in the early 1930s.  The Labrador and Pit Bull differ in their physical appearance significantly regarding their coats. The Labrador coat is a silky and easy to look after coat of two layers: a short, thick and straight topcoat and a water-resistant undercoat which aids them in their love for swimming. The Pit Bull has a short coat also which is shiny and stiff to the touch which can come in all colours including red, blue, brown, grey, black and white, and brindle. They also require little grooming and have an easy to keep coat.  Pit Bull males stand at 18 to 19 inches at the shoulder and females are a height of 17 to 18 inches. The weight of Pit Bulls ranges between 30 and 85 pounds. Labrador males stand 22.5 to 24.5 inches weighing between 65 to 80 pounds whilst female labs stand 21.5 to 23.5 inches and weigh 55 to 70 pounds.  The Labrador is known for being a kind natured dog who is eager to please their owners. Their friendly and outgoing personalities make them perfect pups for families with children and other pets. Labradors need physical and mental activities to keep them happy and to prevent any destructive behaviours developing due to stored up energy or boredom. As with all dogs, temperament can vary greatly in a breed and the Lab is no different. One Labrador may have a higher required activity level in comparison to another Lab that is much more laid back, but they still all will most certainly thrive on activity. Temperament is largely influenced by lots of different factors and this is something you need to be aware of in preparation when looking into getting a puppy.  Pit Bulls absolutely love people and, even though they are pretty big dogs, this will not stop them from wanting to be as close to you as possible. They are commonly confident and very aware and perceptive of their environments – they are very good watchdogs in that they will alert you of a stranger, but they will be eager to greet this person as well. Their love for people means that they are not great guard dogs, but they have extreme courage and want to defend and protect their family. Pit Bulls need plenty of early socialisation in order to grow into a well-balanced and well-rounded adult dog. Pit Bulls are generally healthy but as with other breeds of dog they can be prone to particular health conditions. They can be prone to Hip Dysplasia, allergies, hypothyroidism and heart disease. The Labrador is a generally healthy breed, but as with the Pit Bull, they can be prone to serious health conditions. The Labrador can be prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, issues with cartilage growth, cataracts, epilepsy, heart problems, ear and eye problems and a few others. Your pup may not get these health conditions through their life or they may only get them occasionally or in old age, but it is important to be aware of the possibilities as you need to be financially able to care for your dog properly.  Labradors are in the top ten most intelligent canines in the world and this, along with their eagerness to please, makes them very easily trainable. Due to their large amount of energy and outgoing personality training is crucial with this pup in order for you to be seen as the calm and consistent canine leader in your home. Pit Bulls also need to be trained and socialised from puppyhood to overcome the breed tendencies toward being stubborn and sometimes being bossy – it’s much better to start early because as they grow older, they grow stronger and can be difficult to handle.  Both the Labrador Retriever and the Pit Bull are energetic and athletic dogs who are eager to please their owners. When looking into adding a pup into your life, it is highly recommended that you do a lot of research into the breed to make sure that they are going to be an appropriate and suitable match to you and your lifestyle.

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Whilst dogs have been bred away from being predators like their wolf ancestors, most of them still retain the instinctive ability and want to hunt – due to breeding, the prey drive manifests in many different ways in different dog breeds. Prey drive includes a few different behaviours including searching, stalking, chasing, biting to grab or biting to kill. Obviously not all dogs have such a strong prey drive, but it’s good to be aware of the specific behaviours as all dogs are individuals and temperaments can vary.  Labrador Retrievers do have a strong prey drive, but through careful, consistent and early training, this can be gently curbed through redirecting it in a positive way by playing fun and safe interactive games with them. When looking at the prey drive of a Labrador, it’s helpful to understand a few more of the breed’s drives rather than just the prey drive, including pack drive, food drive, retrieve drive, play drive, defence or territorial drive, and herding or hunting drive. Understanding a dog’s natural instincts helps you, as an owner, to be able to better understand your dogs’ behaviours and to find the best ways to train them. Labs are known for having a high pack drive and are very sociable dogs as a result of this making them a great family pet as they love to spend time with their owners. Being a people-orientated dog with a high pack drive means that they are easy to train due to them being very eager to please their owner and enjoy all the attention they get given during training. As always, you should be aware of the difference between a dog playing and a dog pushing the boundaries to see how far they can go.  Labradors have an extremely high food drive and even though they are regularly fed they instinctively feel they need to eat in order to “survive”. Using food as a reward system in training can come in very handy and make training your Lab even easier. This high food drive can become an issue though as the breed can easily put-on weight and this massively impacts their health and wellbeing. A Labradors’ retrieve drive is extremely high, as you would expect, which is why they are so highly used by hunters as gundogs in the field. In a home environment they love to play games where they retrieve different items for their owners. The retrieve drive may mean that if your dog spots or smells something in the distance then they may be so focused on finding it that they ignore your recalls – but with lots of consistent training this can be worked on. These impressive dogs need to be well stimulated both physically and mentally in order for them to be well-balanced dogs and to prevent them from developing destructive or unwanted behaviours. They are a high energy breed and boredom needs to be prevented – the more exercise your Lab is given, the more relaxed they will be in the home.  Their defence drive is not as high as other breeds, but a well socialised Lab will defend their territory and families if the time comes to do so – just not as much as say a Rottweiler would.  It is the Labradors high hunting drive which is deep in their instincts and their extremely impressive sense of smell enables them to track down anything at quite a large distance. Their desire to hunt can be redirected through interactive playtime where they have to find items like their favourite toys that have been hidden around the house or the garden. As I mentioned already, the Labrador is a very intelligent breed, and they must be socialised from a very young age with other dogs, people and situations.  It’s important to understand the difference between prey drive and aggression as they can very easily look like they are one in the same. A dog’s aggression is driven by very strong emotions like fear whereas their prey drive is instinctive. Aggressive dogs will want to increase the distance between themselves and the object of their aggression, but a dog’s prey drive will draw them closer to the target. So why does this really matter? Well – as a dog’s prey drive is not driven by emotions, it is most often easier to manage than emotion-based aggression.  An extremely strong prey drive can be particularly problematic if you dog wants to chase absolutely anything that it sees – going for walks could become a nightmare for you as an owner. So, they need to be properly trained and corrected in order to prevent your dog from ignoring your every call. Most of a dog’s prey drive behaviours are harmless, but can cause problems for you as an owner, being unable to go for a walk with your canine companion and to be constantly worrying that they are going to take off.  It’s super important to look into the specifics of a dog breed before bringing them into your home to make sure that you and your pup will be a good match. Plus, it’s good to be aware of the different behaviours that your breed of interest may show more than another breed would.

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Taking your Labrador to the vet is extremely important as you don't want to miss their vaccinations and make sure they are healthy.

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When buying a Labrador puppy you should think about more than just the initial cost. Owning a dog can be very expensive so you should always think about the ongoing costs. Today I break down the overall cost of a Labrador.

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There are many things to consider before bringing a puppy into your home, especially if this is your first ever experience of having your own dog.  Over many years and through careful, selective breeding, the Labrador have proven to be incredibly trustworthy and reliable dogs both out as working dogs and in a home environment which makes them an amazing breed for a first-time dog owner. They are well renowned for their sensitive nature as you may already be aware of after seeing lots of Labs used as service, assistance and therapy dogs. They are playful dogs that desire love and affection from their human companions. As I mentioned at the beginning of this video, the Labrador has a naturally devoted nature and is known to be loyal and caring towards their owner. Labradors are playful, but they are also easy-going dogs that display a wonderful temperament. They are known to be great dogs for the family, especially with children, due to their sensitive and affectionate nature alongside their dependable companionship. Their well-balanced temperament is inherent to them, but, as with all dog breeds, you are required to provide them with lots of socialisation from a young age with strangers and other animals for them to grow into a good-natured and well-rounded adult dog. Although they need quite a bit of care and attention, they are an incredibly good choice for a first-time dog owner that is after a dog that is loyal and affectionate.  The Labrador Retriever is a very intelligent dog which is proven with the amount of service Labs you can find these days. It is their kind and extremely willing nature that makes them relatively easy to train. Their love for their human companions makes them extremely eager to please you; they benefit greatly from knowing who their leader is and their ‘place’ in the ‘pack’. A Lab’s high intelligence means that they love to engage in different mental stimulating activities which, again, can make training this breed relatively easy. As with all breeds, you need to be willing to put in the time and effort to train your dog. Although the Lab is renowned for its loving and easy-going temperament, they can easily develop unwanted bad habits and destructive behaviours if they are not trained properly and consistently from puppyhood. They adore being praised and a high food drive so this rewarding can come in handy when training your pup.  Labrador Retrievers are well-built and strong dogs with a very athletic build which means that they need a large amount of exercise. Originally, the Labrador was bred to work alongside fishermen in Canada which meant a lot of hard work swimming and retrieving for long hours every day. They are commonly used as a working dog in a hunting environment, retrieving game for the hunters. Their double coat protects the dog from the cold and water which enabled them to be great hunting companions and definitely explains their love for swimming! Exercise for the Lab should be a combination of daily walks and off-lead runs with plenty of playtime and mental stimulation. Their large amount of energy needs to be released to prevent any bad habits and behaviours from developing. Also, Labs are commonly known to become easily obese if not exercised and fed properly, so they need appropriate levels to stay fit and healthy. Labs need a minimum of two hours a day of exercise They are a very loving dog and thrive off their humans’ attention and if they are left alone for too long, they can become very distressed and develop destructive behaviours. As a Retriever, it is in their blood to want to retrieve so teaching your dog to retrieve is a great way to exercise them as it uses physical and mental energy. Social interaction with other people and dogs is important for the Labrador due to its naturally social nature which also provides a lot of mental stimulation.  It’s super important to do lots of research before making your final decision when getting your puppy, so we highly recommend watching more videos and reading up about the breed. Overall, the Labrador Retriever is very well suited to first-time dog owners that are willing to give the dog the care that it requires. They are incredibly loving and have an impressive reputation as being highly trainable and intelligent. If you are looking for an active companion that also loves to just spend time with you whatever you are doing, then the Labrador may just be the best pup for you.