As an owner of a young energetic black lab I can attest to the fact that these make great family pets. They are very intelligent, seek approval from their owners, and have an even temperament. Our dog lets our son ride him around like a pony. Do not feel bad for him. He gets my son back. Every time my son wears feet pajamas he thinks its his duty to drag him around the house. As much as I love our new adopted addition to the family there are three things I did not know before we adopted him; acne, energy, and fur.
I never knew dogs could develop acne. One day I looked down at my young pup and his face was covered with what looked like blisters. Fearing the worse I immediately took him the to the vets. It turned out to be acne that had actually become infected. A round of antibiotics and he would be good to go. Some causes of acne in labs may be their plastic toys and dishes. Great, we just had gone to the pet store and had a small Birthday party for him; everything was plastic. Out went his new toys and out went his new doggie dishes. In came an old tennis ball and two of my old glass dishes out of the cabinet. For now they would have to suffice.
During the course of the next 10 days his acne cleared and eventually vanished. My handsome puppy was finally back. Not even two weeks after his acne cleared it once again returned. I took him back to the vets and stated, “Everything plastic is gone.” That’s when I was told some dogs, especially labs, are prone to acne. I took home my blistered little pup feeling defeated. He still has acne, but we can keep it under control with the constant washing of his dishes and with the treats we feed him. All natural dog bones seem to work best. We love him even if he looks like Frankenpup at times.
Wow, does this dog have energy. It is a constant challenge to keep him happy. We have a fenced in yard, but that is not enough for him. You need to constantly throw a ball or Frisbee for him to retrieve and let me tell you he always win. I give up first. This spring I am thinking about investing in one of those automatic ball launchers. He needs to go on a daily walks and I swear he somehow finds more energy on the way home. Having children I thought they would be all the exercise that he needed, but no he just runs circles around them. He even outplays them! I realized dogs needed a lot more than a roof over their head, but I would of never guessed a lab has so much energy. On the rare occasion that my husband can tire him out (I am talking about a combination of events; ball play, walk, swimming, and playing with a dog friend at the park) its a celebration for the whole family. This is actually when we take the opportunity to cut his nails when he is too tired to protest.
Alright I know every dog has fur (except those delightful little Chinese Crescent dogs) so shedding is expected. How can a lab with half inch long fur shed so much though? I come from a family that has had a lot of different dog breeds; Newfoundland, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernard, Beagle, Chihuahua, Pit Bull, and Irish Setter to name a few. However, none of them shedded as much as this dog does. I am amazed at the amount of fur I find on the couch, our clothes, rolling down the hall as if it were a tumble weed. Everyday I glare at him as I pick up enough fur to market slippers for our entire town. No, I realize it is not his fault and its amazing what couch covers can do for you. Although, it still blows my mind that a dog with such short hair can shed so much.
If I would of known these three things prior to adopting our little black lab friend would that of changed my mind? Not at all. Being a pet parent, or parent of any type, means taking the good with the bad. He is an amazing dog and brings a lot of happiness to our family. Just like my other children I have a responsibility with him. I love him, there are days I do get mad at him, and I plan on picking up after him for years to come. At least when he is not behaving he can go outside for a time out!
