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Looking for a new dog for your family? Many dog owners would agree that the Labrador is the best family dog going. It is a very placid dog, so great with children. But it will also need lots of long walks, which makes it a great option for those of you looking for an excuse to get out of the house more often.

So, what else makes the Labrador the ultimate good boy? We’ve taken a look at this breed and found out everything that you need to know about owning this easy-going pooch!

Very Easy To Please

One thing is for certain – your new Labrador is certainly going to be very easy to please! They have a very happy go lucky attitude and have a very enthusiastic way of looking at the world. And that means that they are super playful. They will make great play pals for children and will always be up for making mischief with them. It’s important to bear in mind that all of this happiness can often bubble over into over excitement when the Lab is still a young puppy. But as long as you are thorough with their training, they shouldn’t be too poorly behaved when they get a bit too excited!

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Don’t Need Too Much Grooming

Don’t fancy taking your dog to the groomer’s every month? That’s fair enough – after all, it can cost a lot of money and will take up a fair bit of your time. Thankfully, Labradors don’t require much grooming at all. You just need to make sure that your dog gets a bath whenever they are dirty or smelly, and that’s it! They have very short fur, so won’t require frequent haircuts. Plus, their nails should get worn down with all their walking, so you won’t need to take them for their nails to get clipped quite as often either. However, these dogs do shed quite a bit, so you might have to get the vacuum cleaner out to hoover up all their shedded fur a couple of times a week.

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Few Inherited Diseases

As you will probably know by now, there are a few breeds that suffer from common inherited diseases and health conditions. This is often the case with breeds like French Bulldogs and Pugs that have been bred to encourage certain strong physical traits. These traits can actually end up harming the dog. For example, the Pug has been bred so that it now has an extremely flat face, which causes lots of breathing illnesses and problems. These kinds of breeds can, therefore, be very expensive to own as you may have to take them to the vet for emergency veterinary attention, checkups, and medications. However, this is very rarely the case when it comes to Labradors. The breed has few traits that cause it to develop any serious health conditions at a young age. However, that doesn’t make it completely immune to diseases and illnesses, and some Labradors will succumb to health conditions like cancer and heart problems as they reach old age.

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Good With Other Animals

Are you worried about another pet that you have in your home? Well, there is no reason to worry when you introduce a Labrador to them! Labradors are very peaceful and are good around other animals and pets, even cats! So you shouldn’t have too much trouble introducing your new Labrador to some other pets that already live in your home. If you are bringing home a puppy, though, remember that they tend to be a bit more excitable than adult dogs, so they might be a bit too enthusiastic when meeting any new pets! Remember to carefully watch each pet when you are introducing them to each other so that one doesn’t cause the other harm.

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Easy To Train

Don’t want to spend too much time trying to train your new pooch? Don’t worry; Labradors are extremely easy to train. They love to please their owner so will want to do everything they can to make you happy, even if that includes learning tricks such as to sit and wait! But, as with everything else, puppies will be quite hard to train because they have so much energy and will just want to bounce around all day! But, with a little perseverance and structure, you will find that they are quite susceptible to training. Forget about that old adage that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks – old Labradors are very clever and wise and will quickly pick up whatever it is that you are trying to teach.

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Needs Plenty Of Exercise

Have you got your walking legs on? You will certainly need them once you become a Labrador owner! These dogs require a lot of exercise – they won’t be able to cope with just two short walks each day. As well as letting them out a couple of times to go to the bathroom, they will need some long walks so that they can burn off all of their pent up energy. If they don’t get all the exercise that they need, they will end up very bored which might lead to behavioral problems and issues. As well as needing lots of exercise, these dogs require quite a bit of company and attention. They won’t be happy if you leave them at home alone all day while you are out at work. So, make sure that you only commit to owning a Labrador if you can help it exercise and can’t stay at home with it long enough.

Labradors are super fun dogs to own, and you will certainly love welcoming one into your home. And your new Labrador will definitely love becoming part of your family. Hopefully, all of the above tips will help you figure out whether or not this is the best breed of dog for you.

Think you’d like a Lab? Then why not contact your local breeder for more information today! Alternatively, contact your nearest dog rescue center to see about adopting one.