Legendary Labradors

Legendary Labradors

• Labradors have webbed toes and are therefore great swimmers. This webbing can also effectively act as a snowshoe in colder climates, as it keeps snow from collecting between their toes.
• Their coat has two layers: a short, thick topcoat and a relatively water-resistant undercoat. This two-layer coat protects them from cold and wet weather.
• They are the most commonly used breed for guide dogs because they are intelligent, easy to train, eager to please and have a gentle temperament.
• The PDSA Gold Medal (an animal bravery award) was awarded to a Labrador named Endal in 2002. Endal’s disabled owner fell unconscious, so he pulled him into the recovery position, covered him with a blanket, retrieved his mobile phone and went to get help once his owner had regained consciousness.
• You can potentially get puppies of all colours (black, yellow and chocolate) in the same litter.
• The average life span for a Labrador is 10 – 12 years.

Here are some stories from some of our lovely labs that have attended our puppy classes or good manners classes over the last couple of months!

MY NAME IS REX.
I’m a Labrador x and I’m 2 years old. I’ve been a much-loved member of my family since I was a puppy. My humans have given me a wonderful start in life, taking me first to puppy school and then to a good manners class. What my humans didn’t count on was that I was not going to cope when a baby came along. Some would call it “sibling rivalry” Its in my nature. I’ve become anxious and needy and my humans needed to learn how to bring the balance back into all our lives. We’re looking at some calming and structured activities to help me feel more secure and included. We might even visit a special vet who can interpret my stress levels. Sometimes humans like to pursue a “multi-disciplinary” approach, whatever that means!

MY NAME IS BARNEY.

I’m a Labrador and I’m ten months old. This is me posing for a photo at the end of my lesson this week. My humans have come home with a whole lot of strategies to help me learn more about settling myself instead of barking for attention, keeping my my mouth and teeth to myself instead of mouthing and sitting instead of jumping. As you can see, there’s plenty of room for improvement but I promise you I demonstrated my true potential during the lesson, before this photo shoot! Check out the video on our facebook page here

MY NAME IS TUCKER.
I’m a VERY enthusiastic 10 month old Labrador. My humans are seeking guidance to help with my mouthing, jumping, pulling on the lead and teaching me to chill when they need me to. This is even more necessary now that there is a baby in the house. My humans now have a plan to follow the same set of rules. They now understand that having rules for us four-legged family members doesn’t break our spirit or diminish our personality! It helps us become a safe, well-integrated and much-loved member of the family!

MY NAME IS HARVEY.
I’m a Labrador and I’m 4 years old. I want to tell you my story. When I was a puppy I went to Barkers in Balance puppy school and did very well. When I started to grow up I went to the Good Manners course and I did very well. My life was chugging along and things were great. I was a happy dog when out and about on the lead. Sadly, when I was two years old I was attacked and seriously injured by another dog. Since then I’ve been anxious and reactive in the lead around other dogs. Today was the my third lesson in a series of three that has been working on changing my emotional response when on the lead around other dogs. I worked with a spunky gal called Lakota and practised staying calm even as I got quite close to her. Later I practised staying calm and focused while I watched a class of Good Manners students. I think I made everyone very, very proud. Feeling a bit proud of myself, actually! PS Make sure you read the comments on our photos too!