Do you know how to get your dog certified as a therapy dog? Do you want to play Flyball? Have any doggie health questions. I have compiled a list (as complete as I could) of some great resources out there. I also have included links to the CERF and OFA sites.
Labradors on the Web - Links to everything you need to know about and for you dog
Kira and Scout will agree that any breed other than a Lab is just a dog. However, all dog owners should be able to agree that every dog has his or her own personality. For better or worse, Kira and Scout are my dogs (or am I their human?). Kira is a black lab and is almost four years old. Scout is thirteen months and a yellow lab. Kira can be bull-headed and is an alpha female. However, Scout is definately Mommy's boy. I did quite a bit of research on labs for about 4-5 months before choosing Scout. I will share some pointers about temperment testing and choosing a puppy later. Scout has been extremely easy to train (as most labs are) and had learned the voice command and hand signal for "sit" by 8 weeks old. Buddy is our new addition, who has made it to our home despite several obstacles in his short life.
Go to Scout's Page Scout after a long swim in the river- he hates having to leave, luckily we live right next to the Sacramento river
NEW!!! Scout turned one year old on December 27th! Go to his page and click on his birthday picture to see how he celebrated!
(Scout's motto to choosing toys is: "The noisier the toy, the better")
Why am I Lab so crazy?
Labs are extremely intelligent and loyal to the whole family
A very hard-working breed, labs can be trained to do just about anything (they will work past the point of exhaustion if you let them)
Labs are called "baby-sitter dogs" for a reason - they are great with children (but as with any dog, don't leave them alone with small children - dogs and children, both, tend not to know their own size or strength)
Labs never stop smiling! (and it's infectious - if you have extra hours in your week, get your dog TDI certified and volunteer at a hospital or retirement home)
Geez... what else could you want??? Labs are a gentle and friendly breed, most well-adjusted dogs (i.e. you socialized them well)don't have any bad personality traits and make great HOUSE dogs (they really need to be part of the family and not apart from the family to be happy)
If you are even remotely interested in getting a dog (not just labs) read this. I've included my guide on choosing the pick of the litter and points to consider when deciding between a mature dog and a puppy. There really is a science to choosing the right temperment puppy.
California Labrador Rescue Links
Know any other rescue organizations in California? E-mail me if you want a list from another state.
The Central California Lab Rescue page is a great site, and they are really nice. It's a good page just to browse.
Have a Lab you want to show? Want to go to field trials or hunt tests? I have put together a comprehensive list of Labrador clubs and related organizations. There are also good links to health pages (we can't all be vets after all).
Want to talk labs? Know more? Here dog stories? Tell dog stories? Critique? Add info? Need info? E-mail me, if I don't know the answer I can usually find out (I'm a research scientist so it comes naturally)
