Various Concerns you might have with your Labrador

Labradors are fantastic dogs and can make a wonderful addition to your family. However there are some particular Labrador concerns that can develop when it comes to getting your dog used to your household and helping it live peacefully with you, your family and any other pets you might have.

It's a good idea to keep an eye out for Labrador issues even though your pet might not actually develop the issues - it's helpful to know what they are and how they can be delt with if need be.

Aggression

Labradors are a type of gun dog. Because they were originally involved in hunting, a little aggression might still show its face, although Labs are really pretty great around children.

Labrador concerns with aggression are usually not too difficult to address if you are able to raise and train the dog from a young age. By training your dog properly, and socialising them they will understand their "rank" in the household, which will stop them trying to assert themselves aggressively.

Labradors love holding things in their mouth, which is a specific trait that you should be aware of. If you have cats or other small animals around, you should be able to get your Labrador to recognize that they are not prey as long as the dog is young enough when it is introduced to them. Labradors can be very soft when carrying with their mouth, it's all about having them realize what it is that they're dealing with.

Your Labradors high levels of Energy

Labradors are medium to large sized, athletic dogs that were bred for long stretches of activity at a time. Different dogs will obviously have different energy levels, but Labs are all about endurance and will need plenty of exercise to burn off their excess energy. If your dog's energy levels aren't kept at bay, you might encounter common Labrador issues like destructive behaviour, restlessness and barking.

The only option, and the best thing you can do anyway is to ensure your Labrador is socially prepared and that they get plenty of daily exercise. Unfortunately, even one long walk won't do the trick for a Labrador, they need at least two walks, and a lot of running and playing as well.

You will find that getting enough exercise will not only help your dog focus on the various behaviours that you expect of it, but that its instances of misbehavior will reduce as well.

It can be a lot of fun finding innovative and interesting ways to get your Labrador exercising, and you'll find that time spent together will greatly improve the connection you share.

Separation Anxiety

Another of the common Labrador issues has to do with their close connection to you and inability to deal with being separated from you. It does sound caring, but it can be a very genuineproblem which should be delt with promptly, as it only gets worse as time goes on.

Proper training and positive reinforcement are the two best ways to combat a Labrador's seperation anxiety. Harming themselves or even damaging your property are two problems associated with seperation anxiety.

They are also prone to excessive, panicky barking when left alone, which can become a significant point of contention between you and your neighbours.

Training and Consistency

Over-excitement, jumping, biting and seperation anxiety are common Labrador issues which can all be addressed by getting proper training early in your dog's development.

One important aspect of this is to be able to work with your dog consistently every day. This repetition is an extremely effective way of training, although it does mean you'll need flexibility in your timetable so you can do everything on a daily basis.