The Labrador Retreiver: Superdog And Devil Dog

by Gert Strand AB

One of the best selling books of 2005 was “Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog”, a true story written by John Grogan. The movie version is slated to be released in the fall of 2008. Although the late-lamented Marley has made Grogan’s fortune, he was a total terror to live with, despite the fact that he was a labrador retriever.

This is typical of the relationship between people and labradors. People expect them to be mind readers or a furry person and they are neither. If the owners don’t commit to interacting with their dogs a lot, then even the best bred labradors will turn into Devil Dogs (and not the nice kind with the creamy filling, either).

Labradors Need To Be Busy

Labradors have been bred to work all day and use up a lot of energy into making independent decisions. They are one of the most intelligent breeds of dog in the world and almost certainly smarter that 99.9% of human beings. If you don’t give labrador retrievers something to do, they will find a job to do – no matter if you like this new profession or not.

It is crucial to know what you are getting into before you bring home a labrador – whether a puppy or adult. labrador retrievers are animals that are a bit like small horses in that they need daily exercise, preferably at least two brisk walks of twenty minutes each twice a day. Some get by on one long walk, but also get to play fetch or go fishing with their owners. If they don’t get this exercise, they feel their oats and burst with energy. This tends to lead to mischief and destruction.

What Labrador Retrievers Are Capable Of

In the aftermath of September 11, most of the nations rescue dog squads were deployed to either New York or Washington, DC. The three breeds of dogs seen over and over again were Border Collies, German Shepherds and, most of all labradors of all sizes and colors. They were not only able to traverse dangerous territory to do their jobs, but they were also able to turn their energy off to comfort the grieving.

Labradors will stare at you when they are not thinking of play or food. Even the maverick Marley became the perfect therapist at the times his family needed comfort most. labradors adore humans, for some unknown reason. It has been suggested that the souls of humanity rest in the bodies of dogs. labrador retrievers make a good case for this theory.

One of the most popular dog breeds for pet owners is the labrador. The reason for this is because labs are loyal, intelligent, and very friendly. They make outstanding companions and are the choice for pet owners around the world. Because of this it makes labrador mix dogs almost as popular. labrador mixes like their full bred counterparts are extremely popular. Generally speaking a labrador mix will keep the qualities of the labrador breed and balance those qualities against the qualities of the mixed breed.

Examples Of Labrador Mix Breeds That Are Popular

One of the most popular labrador mix breeds is a lab and golden retriever mix. Both of these breeds’ possess similar qualities, are similar in size, and make outstanding companions. Goldens are among the smartest of all dog breeds and are frequently used as seeing eye dogs because they are so easily trained. A golden and labrador mix will not have as much hair as a pure bred golden and therefore will be easier to care for and maintain. This makes them very popular and there is a lot of ways to not only find information about but find places to get this mix.

Lab Mix Information

The next lab mix information to look at is the Chow and labrador mix. The Chow is a very popular breed of dog, but most people do not know there can have a bit of a mean personality. They make good guard dogs, but can be dangerous to have as a family pet. By mixing them with a lab you can temper this and have a pet that is not only great around people but is a good guard dog as well.

My personal favorite, although I might be a bit biased because I have one at home, is the Rottweiler and labrador mix. Rots are generally views as mean guard dogs but nothing could be farther from the truth. One of the problems with the full bred Rottweilers is that they have a short life expectancy do to problems with their hops and other physical issues. In addition they tend to not be warm and cuddly dogs. Again both of these characteristics can be improved on by mixing with a labrador. My lab rot mix is extremely friendly to people she knows. Kind to my son, great around the neighborhood kids she will defend the home against strangers with full force, so while not for everyone she is wonderful in my home.

There you have three examples of some popular and effective labrador mix breeds. If you have any questions on how to get specific mixes, contact your local PCA and I am sure they will be more than willing to help you.