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The Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue
members posed for this photo and encouraged folks to help whenever interested.
Source- Southern California Lab Retriever Rescue. They have a mailing address: SCLRR, PO Box 4859, Irvine, CA 92616-4859
1-888-554-ALAB WEB SITE: http://www.sclrr.org
The non-profit organization located in southern
California has been in operation since 1998. They offer a referral system for
Labrador Retriever adoption and placement. They operate a small kennel and work
with other agencies seeking to homes for great Lab pets. Part of their mission
is to place purebred Labrador Retrievers so they do not typically place mix
dogs, though they do offer resources for help in placement.
Labradors were originally bred to assist their owners with many tasks, such as
helping pull nets of fish in off the coast of Newfoundland, retrieving stray
fish escaping from the nets, and doing all this all day in ice cold water.
Later, they were used for water fowling because many of the same elements were
present: the ability to work all day in cold water, and the ability to find and
retrieve small animals.
What does this mean for you, the modern day owner, who is likely as not, neither
trying to pull in nets of cod through the winter nor duck hunting up in frozen
Montana' It means you have a dog that was bred to WORK. He was bred to be an
active, smart, intelligent companion. Most of these attributes are what makes a
Labrador a perfect family pet in this day and age...but the first one causes
much trouble at the same time.
Labs are meant to have a job. Because they are intelligent, they are easily
trained, but if they are NOT trained, they become bored. And when bored, that
same intelligence (and activity level, remember that activity level) conspires
to find other things to do...excavate your backyard, redo the carving on your
wooden moldings, reupholster your favorite sofa, move the living room carpet
into the den, tackle your underwear collection, and other similar projects.
To cope with this, you must give your dog the physical and mental challenge he
was bred for. No, you don't need to move to Newfoundland and buy a fishing boat.
But you do need to rearrange your daily schedule to spend time with him. He
needs daily exercise, and daily training. Why training' Because that exercises
his mind, which is nearly as good as exercising his body. You don't have to do
formal obedience or hunting work. Teach your dog tricks if you like. The mental
stimulation is similar (we concede there is nothing like the snap and sparkle in
a lab's eyes when he is faced with downed bird in the water to retrieve,
but...). Given daily exercise and training, your lab should become much more
tractable in other areas of your life.
Labradors are known for having a long and delayed puppy hood and adolescence
that completely disregards their physical maturity. A two year old Labrador is
still very much of a puppy, and attendant with that, has a puppy's exuberance
and energy. Labs don't start "settling" down until sometime between two and four
years of age. A few Labradors are quiet and sedate from early puppy hood onward,
and a few others are bouncing puppy maniacs until well into old age, but by and
large, you can expect to see mental maturation happening between two and four
years of age.
It is our experience that Labrador owners who understand this before they get a
Labrador do much better in the long run than owners who were completely
surprised by how much energy and work that cute little Labrador puppy was. So
think carefully before picking a Lab!
Source- Southern California Lab Retriever Rescue
They have a mailing address: SCLRR, PO Box 4859, Irvine, CA 92616-4859
1-888-554-ALAB WEB SITE: http://www.sclrr.org
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