Did you know one of my very first designs in The Magic Zoo was a Black Lab? My daughter-in-law back in the late 1980s had a pair of black lab puppies that were completely out of control. I thought it was just the breed, but now I know that those poor pups just needed a little training in doggie manners to be happier and easier to live with.
Black Lab beginnings
The black Lab has has been around a while. They were originally from Newfoundland, where they were prized as excellant working dogs. Back then they worked alongside the fishermen of the area, helping to haul in nets and rounding up escaping fishes. Once they were bred with setters, spaniels and other retrievers, they really came into their own.
The main work of these guys and gals was retrieving game. And of course the original lab may have been black, but yellow labs and chocolate labs made an appearance as well.
Two of my best customers are blind, and both of them have black labs. Julie lives in the northeast, and calls me occasionally to tell me about her dog. I think she owns every piece of black lab and regular lab jewerly that I make! I like thinking of her independentally going about her day with her lab jewelry and her faithful labrador retriever at her side.
Since labs are supposed to have even temperaments, I realize the problem with those pups was just lack of training. And of course, like all dogs, that training has to begin when they are still puppies.
Here are a few important things I discovered regarding socializing your pup. These will go a long way toward helping him to adjust to his environment at an early age.
* Make sure they get out and about, meeting new people and animals
* Set up “play dates” Have both people and animals to your home to play with your black lab (short periods of time then increasing the time)
* Make sure your Black Lab gets to go on short car rides
* Take your lab to the pet-friendly pet store and the park
Dogs can be upset by certain objects, so familiarize him with these things when he’s still young. Even vacuum cleaners and strollers can be a problem for a dog! So let him investigate these objects a little bit at a time.
Some dogs (maybe all dogs) are upset by loud noises. You can get him used to them by creating the same noise at a low volume then gradually increase the volume. I wonder if you could take a recording of thunder and get him accustomed to it in that way?
Labrador Retriever Obedience Training:
Those Black Lab puppies I knew back in the 1980s could have been helped a lot by teaching them to sit, lie down or stand. Since Labs may need a little extra TLC, don’t demand too much too fast.
Since I am an artist not a dog trainer, I know just a few facts about this sort of thing. But it seems like doing a few basic training commands and simple socializing of your pup would go a long way towards creating a happy and well adjusted dog. Teach your boy or girl to grow up to be a doggie lady or gentleman!
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