Labrador Retriever is a cheerful, intelligent and sociable dog, always willing to play with children and other pets. Although the price of Labrador Retriever puppies is not the lowest, it is currently one of the most popular dog breeds among Poles. How to care for a Labrador Retriever? What is the nutritional requirement it has? What diseases threaten him?

Labrador retriever , like few dogs, he comes to life calmly - he is not afraid of the bangs of firecrackers or strangers entering the house. Probably because this trait is written in his genes - this breed was bred for hunting, specifically - retrieving shot small game and birds (the English word "retrieve" means "retrieve" or "search"), so dogs had to have a hardy psyche.

The ancestors of this breed are descended from dogs living in Newfoundland called St. John's, which were used to catch fish escaping from fishing nets.

At the beginning of the 19th century, British sailors brought a few such dogs to Great Britain, where they began to be bred on a larger scale. Labrador retrievers were recognized as an independent breed only at the beginning of the 20th century.

Labrador retriever - appearance

Labrador is well built and quite massive. It has a wide chest, strongly muscled limbs, a thick tail and a fairly wide head. The Labrador's coat is short, dense and hard - it adheres well to the body and protects the dog perfectly against moisture and cold.

Characteristically, Labrador's skin produces much more sebum than the skin of other breeds of dogs, which is why Labrador's hair is waterproof - water runs off it like on duck feathers.

At the beginning, only black Labrador Retrievers, biscuit and chocolate puppies were treated as a mistake of nature. With time, however, also these two colors of the Labrador Retriever got recognition. Currently, the biscuit Labrador Retriever is the most popular.

Labrador can distinguish as many as 500,000 smells (a human being only less than four thousand), making it irreplaceable during various search actions, e.g. in the mountains. A dog is twice as fast as a human. In 30 min. will search the area that 20 people would check 4 hours. He can find a covered man, even 6 meters longa layer of snow. No wonder that 90% of GOPR shares in which dogs take part are successful.

Labrador retriever - nutrition

Labrador Retriever dogs are extremely voracious - their appetite for wolves is extremely prone to overweight. For years, it was thought that they had inherited their enormous appetite from their ancestors, who - living in cool Newfoundland - needed a lot of calories to survive in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Recent studies have shown, however, that Labradors have the highest obesity rate in dogs because of a mutation in the gene that controls the feeling of hunger. To avoid becoming overweight, Labradors should eat a well-balanced, high-quality ready-made food intended for large breeds, and the amount of food given to their dog should be closely monitored.

The daily amount should be divided into two meals. The Labrador should also not be given treats between meals (except for rewards for achievements during training). In consultation with the veterinarian, the dog should also be given vitamin and mineral preparations that protect the joints.

According to an expertdr inż. Jacek Wilczak, nutrition expert in the Noteć Valley, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences

Among the owners of such cute dogs as Labradors, there may be those who use snacks as a form of establishing a positive relationship with their dog. In situations such as training or a walk, they are a very convenient method of building positive behaviors.

Unfortunately, their use in excess may cause overweight and obesity, as they are products with a high fat and carbohydrate content, which are the ingredients responsible for the high taste appeal of snacks.

An educated owner, aware of the dangers of overweight and obesity, should treat snacks as an additional source of energy and take into account their calorific value in balancing the daily energy needs of their dog.

Commercially produced dog snacks contain mainly two ingredients that make them high-energy products. These are carbohydrates (mainly used as raw materials to shape the snack into the desired shape) and fats, the task of which is to improve the palatability of such food. Serving snacks must therefore be included in the energy balance of the dog's daily needs.

It must be remembered, however, that unlike complete dog food, snacks are not a complete product.

Due to the high content of fat and carbohydrates, they are a good carrierenergy, but do not contain all other nutrients in sufficient proportions. Hence, there is a legitimate concern that an excess of snacks may lead to overweight and obesity with the emerging symptoms of deficiencies of certain nutrients.

From the point of view of a dietitian, such a situation will be difficult to diagnose only on the basis of an assessment of the body shape of a dog that apparently eats too much but lacks some important nutrients.

Since Labradors are predisposed to becoming overweight and obese, each owner must strictly adhere to dietary recommendations and introduce a sufficiently large portion of daily physical activity.

Labrador retrierver - reproductive cycle

Like most bitches of other breeds, a Labrador's first heat takes place between 6 and 12 months of age and lasts approximately 21 days. Theoretically, at this time, the female dog can get pregnant.

In the case of Labradors, however, it is not recommended - despite her sexual maturity, she is not yet prepared for pregnancy, both mentally and physically - it carries the risk of complications during childbirth and rejection of the offspring.

Labrador female dogs are usually like this when they are about two years old. In one litter, a female usually has between 3 and 8 puppies. Male Labradors are ready for mating by the time they are 12 months old.

Labrador retrierver - care

Labrador's coat is hard and short, therefore it does not require special care. It's a good idea to brush your dog once in a while by removing any dead hair - this can be done with a rubber scraper or a rubber glove.

Dogs staying in heated rooms constantly shed small amounts of hair - this is completely normal and does not require the intervention of a veterinarian. The Labrador moults twice a year, and during this period it should be combed two or three times a week. In order for the hair to look he althy after combing, it is worth wiping it with a cotton towel.

A Labrador should be bathed as needed - if it is clean, it is enough to use a shampoo for short-haired dogs (preferably for a specific color of coat). After rinsing, wipe it thoroughly with a towel. If it is warm, it can dry on its own, if it is cool - the hair must be dried with a hair dryer set to a medium temperature.

The ears and eyes also require systematic cleaning (just wipe them with a damp cotton pad every few days). Labradors should also regularly shorten claws that are too long, remove tartar, and clean the anal glands.

Worth knowing

Labrador retriever is a "dog for everything" - suitable for both work and play. He is a great guide for the blind, an excellent therapist working with autistic children, he also works well in difficult conditions, e.g. when looking for people trapped under the rubble. In the company of children, he transforms into a dog prone to mischief and antics, thirsty for caresses.

These versatile abilities result, among other things, from the nature of a Labrador and his predispositions. The Labrador Retriever is hardy, has very well-developed eyesight and memory abilities. At the same time, he is very attached to the owner and his family.

The inborn serenity and gentleness make it a great companion for children ( although up to a certain point these dogs are very lively, so they can accidentally hurt the child). This feature can also be burdensome: the Labrador Retriever treats strangers in the same gentle way as the household members, which makes it a poor watchman.

According to an expertEwa Korycka-Grzegorczyk, a veterinarian

Labradors, despite a number of advantages as a breed, are unfortunately frequent patients of veterinary clinics.

  • Due to the fact that they belong to dogs that are large once and grow quickly, they may developdysplasia of the hip joints, less often of the elbows . In the case ofhip joints , dysplasia is an inaccurate fit of the femoral head to the acetabulum, which weakens the joint stabilization mechanism. This leads to subluxations and inflammations, and later to the development of degenerative changes. During the period of growth, the first symptoms are reluctance to move, the so-called "Rabbit jumps" when moving faster and lying down on a walk. Later on, there is lameness of the pelvic limbs, frequent and careful squatting and "rocking" of the croup while walking. The first symptoms may appear in dogs 6-12 months old.
  • Symptomselbow dysplasiamanifest at a similar age and manifest as reluctance to straighten and bend the elbows, soreness in the elbow, lameness and stiffness in one or both pectoral legs. Another musculoskeletal disease related to the rapid growth of a dog isshoulder osteochondrosis . It occurs more often in males than in females, it manifests itself in the period of 4-14 months of life with lameness of the front limbs, reluctance to move, stiff gait, sometimes muscle atrophy. It often affects both forelegs.
  • A disease also related to the locomotor system but involving the muscles isLabrador Myopathy . It is a genetically determined disease, it affects black and yellow Labradors. Symptoms appearat the age of 6 weeks to 7 months and these are: shortening of the stride, extension of the wrist joints, weakening of some neurological reflexes, head twist and spine curvature may appear.
  • Labradors suffer fromfood and environmental allergies , which are most often manifested by dermatological symptoms. The most common dermatological symptoms are itching, reddening of the skin, and licking the interdigital spaces. In many cases, the only symptom of allergy may be recurrent erythematosus-wax otitis.
  • In addition to skin lesions of the allergic background, we quite often see Labradors with localpyoderma, the so-called "Hot-spot" . They are usually circular, delimited skin lesions covered with pus or exudate, and felt by the animal with itching and soreness. They usually appear in spring and autumn.
  • The problems with the eyesight includeentropium . It is the curl of the eyelid edge towards the eyeball. The hairs growing on the edge of the eyelid irritate the delicate surface of the cornea, leading to its damage, as well as to conjunctivitis, squinting, tearing and bacterial complications. Treatment is based on the surgical correction of the eyelids.
  • Of the hormonal disorders, Labradors are often diagnosed withhypothyroidism . It manifests itself in the dog's sadness, lowered temperament, tendency to gain weight, deterioration of the coat (dull hair, excessively falling out). The condition is diagnosed by measuring the level of hormones in the blood and is treated by supplementing the thyroid hormones.

Other predilections are: juvenile inflammation of the subcutaneous tissue, intestinal bacterial overgrowth, vitamin absorption disorders. B12, dysplasia of the atrioventricular valves, primary hyperparathyroidism, epilepsy, diabetes, glomerulonephritis.

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