When you hear the word “hero” you often times don’t associate that word with a dog. Hero’s have super powers or can be the average Joe. A hero can be a police officer, fireman, or solider. Teachers and people in our community can be heroes. See how much we forget about what our canines can do for us? During the rescue effort following the terrorist attacks at the Pentagon and the World Trade Centers service dogs who could detect human remains, bombs, drugs, chemicals, and explosives were in high demand!

What is so special about service detection dogs, you ask? Well for one all dogs are born with the gift of smell. Their ability to smell things we cannot and the ability to trace some scents to their origins makes the dog a great tool in service detection and Search and Rescues(SAR). While all dogs may not be suited for this kind of labor(minis, toys, and small breeds would become overwhelmed and do not have the stamina), but dog breeds like Labrador Retrievers are excellent and thrive at being a service dog.

Labrador Retrieves by nature and instinct are great hunters and great at retrieving their prey. They are also physically adapted for the rigorous jobs that being a service detection dog or SAR dog entails. In the past, working breeds such as the Belgian Malinois and, more commonly, the German Shepherd, took over these types of roles. But today, the Labrador Retriever is gaining huge popularity as the breed of choice for these demanding and potentially dangerous situations.

What makes the Labrador Retriever so fit for this kind of work? Being a natural hunter, the Golden Retriever when his human hunter has fell some sort of fowl or animal, the Retriever’s job is to hunt for the scent that ultimatly leads him or her to the prey so they can return it to their hunting owners. This is why the Lab is such a great dog for service work. The Labrador Retriever is also unique in the sense that when it is on the trail of a certain scent it has the special ability to tune out or block other scents so it’s focus is just on the one scent. These dogs are highly intelligent, they train easy, and physically they have the body strength and stamina to withstand many rugged conditions. You may be interested in some really nice dog accessories. You can pick up some that are great such as cheap dog clothes and some nice dog crate cover so your dog can sleep well.

Because of many breeds of dogs are unique in their “nose” abilities the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Customs, and the Auburn University’s Canine Detection Training Center have all initiated detection-dog breeding programs that are 100% exclusive to the Labrador Retriever.

The Labrador is without a doubt a very beautiful creature that is also well built and sports a sturdy frame that is almost like that of an athletic animal. The breed comes in a number of skin colors including Black, Golden and Chocolate and in addition, the coat is generally thick and short and the hair is extremely straight. In fact, a Labrador Retriever has a double layered as well as dense coat. The Lab has a very intelligent bent of mind and at the same time he is docile with the elderly as well as with young children.

However, as with any other breed there are certain Labrador problems that every owner will have to look out for including those related to their health as well as their behavior. Nevertheless, the Labrador is generally a healthy animal though it can suffer from hip as well as elbow dysplasia and cataract as well as epilepsy. What’s more, if you fail to give proper Labrador training, or if you let your pet become bored, it could lead to some behavioral problems that can only be prevented by expending some extra effort, and providing better care and proper training.
There are certain Labradors that can prove to be a handful and these pets will not easily learn to behave properly unless sent to a behaviorist. This and other Labrador problems such as having a pet that always seems to be dreaming can be reason for you to become worried, though in reality these can be overcome through proper Labrador training. A typical Labrador problem that many pet owners will have to deal with has to do with a pet that chews up everything he can sink his teeth into. Such a problem can arise when the Labrador is too energetic and it also occurs when having someone or something invade his territory frustrates the Labrador.

To overcome these Labrador problems, it would pay to talk to a veterinary behaviorist or provide strict Labrador training and also ensuring that you spend a lot of time with your dog in helping him release his energy in a more productive manner.
Typical of Labrador problems is that of chasing cats and since this is more of an instinctive driven behavioral problem it can best be changed through giving your pet proper Labrador training which may require spending a lot of time and being patient so that he is taught how to stop this instinctive reaction on his part. Another common behavioral problem that your Labrador can show is that of becoming destructive and this in turn is generally due to his becoming anxious about something. Because dogs have advanced hearing capabilities, they can become aware of things even before humans get wind of these things and thus your Labrador may behave in a manner that is incomprehensible to human beings and so, this is another common Labrador problem that pet owners will have to contend with.

It is also always possible to condition your Labrador to not become skittish when he hears various kinds of sounds and a simple Labrador training step you can use is to play recordings of certain sounds at low volumes and then increasing the volume gradually to make your Labrador get accustomed to these sounds. In fact, this is an especially useful way to becalm your Labrador who could otherwise become so nervous that you may even be forced into giving him anti-anxiety medicines to overcome his fears.

Most Labradors are well behaved and enjoy good health, though if you notice Labrador problems in your pet such as chasing cats, daydreaming or chewing up things, you need to start Labrador training. To find information about expected Labrador problems, you can read dog training books that highlights a few common behavioral problems noticed in the Labrador retriever.

Labrador training starts early, at twelve weeks your dog should already be learning simple things like how to associate with people, other dogs and getting into a car. Labradors are loving dogs and don’t do well with harsh training. The best way to go about Labrador training is to use lots of praise and positive reinforcement. The earlier you start the easier your job will be.

The longer you leave training the longer you are allowing bad behavior to set in and remain a habit. One of the first things you can teach a puppy is how to answer to its name or to calls. This is a very basic command but it’s an important one. Without it you will have unruly dogs that will not obey you. Make training fun and keep it short but consistent. Repeat training every day and this is the best way to make progress.
Practice the same commands everyday with your dog and make sure to have plenty of rewards with you. As Labradors are very loving dogs it’s important to keep up the praise and constant patting every time something is done right. Teaching your dog to walk to heel is important, as Labrador training should work to break the bad habit of straining on the lead. Labradors are very enthusiastic and it can be tough to stop them straining ahead of you to check out everything.

Find a quiet place to start your walking at heel Labrador training. This minimizes distractions and will make training go a lot smoother. Put the lead on and keep it close to you, don’t let the lead out too much. You should make sure that you start walking ahead of your dog. Either pull the dog back when it goes past you or walk faster so it is harder to keep up. Repeat heel the whole time and walk in zigzags and figure of eights to make it interesting.
How do you feel about a full-grown Labrador sharing your bed? Remember that Labradors shed quite a bit. If this is not an inviting prospect then don’t let your puppy sleep with you. This will only encourage your dog to sleep on your bed and cause all sorts of problems once it’s too old to be doing that. Avoiding Labrador problem behaviors means anticipating what your dog will be like, as it grows older. Keep this in mind as you decide what your dog can and cannot do in your home.

If you would not be pleased with your dog breaking the rules then don’t break the rules yourself. Allowing one thing one day and then not allowing it another will confuse your dog. It will not know how to behave or what it should do. Dogs love routine and you can provide that by being consistent and doing the same things at the same time. Remember these basics when you start Labrador training.

Once you are clear and firm, Labrador training is easy. This article summarizes dog training books in an easy to read article.

There are few things cuter than a new Labrador retriever puppy, but that little dog quickly loses his cuteness factor when he is brought home with you and promptly makes a mess on your beautiful living room carpet. Unless you want to spend the rest of your dog’s life cleaning up these not so pleasant messes, you will want to get savvy to the finer points of Labrador potty training as quickly as possible. The good news is that there is some fairly simple techniques that will get you on the road to a housebroken dog that will leave your living room carpet for other things besides bathroom duty.

Labrador potty training will first consist of teaching your pup the appropriate place to potty. This might mean your backyard or a papered corner in the bathroom, depending on your needs and lifestyle. Once your dog has mastered where to go, he can begin to let you know that he needs to potty by barking at you, whining at the back door or simply heading to his appointed spot.
Many dog owners find the easiest way to Labrador potty training is through the use of a crate. This shelter becomes a safe haven for your dog when you are away or cannot give him the attention that he requires. Most dogs will not potty in their crates, which means that your pup will learn to hold it until you come get him to put him outside. This is a good first step in Labrador potty training.

Since puppies have small, untrained bladders, you won’t want to leave your dog in his crate for too long in the beginning stages of Labrador potty training. Take your puppy outside every couple of hours when he is very young, and place him immediately in the spot that you want him to potty in. When he goes to the bathroom, praise him and bring him inside for some playtime with you if possible. It is also good to take him out after naps and meals, when he will be most likely to potty.
If you catch your pup in the act of going potty on your carpet or in another inappropriate spot, simply give him a firm no, and immediately take him outside. If you find a spot on the carpet after the fact, clean it up quickly and thoroughly with an enzymatic carpet cleaner that will take the smell out completely. Don’t scold your pup at this point, because he will not remember where the mess came from, even if it is a mere five minutes after the fact! When your puppy potties in the right spot, reward him with plenty of praise, playtime or a biscuit.

With plenty of persistence and patience, your Labrador potty training will be successful. Don’t get frustrated or give up if the process takes longer than you think it should. While some Lab puppies will be completely housebroken in a matter of weeks, others may take months before the accidents are finished. Rest assured that your pup will eventually get the hang of potty training, and you will not have to deal with this issue forever.

Although Labrador training is not necessarily a complicated process, it is one that requires plenty of persistence and patience in order for it to be successful. Information is the key to successful Labrador training, and dog training books and articles like this one are the first step in becoming a savvy Labrador owner.

Various contentions have been put forward in the dog world by some, (eg those against mixed breeds), that ‘hybrid vigor’ is allegedly not possible (for example) when breeding labordoodles (ie mixed breeding of Labradors and Poodles) as it is alleged that hybrid vigor is only possible with mixed breeding of unrelated animals (eg horse and donkey). However, that it not correct.

For example, see http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/resources/publications/pdfs/ER-IS-03-01.pdf:

“What is a hybrid?

A hybrid is an organism resulting from a cross between genetically different parents. Hybrids can arise from crosses between closely related species (interspecific hybrids) or by crosses between different types (subspecies, varieties, cultivars) within a species (intraspecific hybrids).

Hybridisation occurs naturally, but it is also widely used in selective breeding programmes for both plants and animals. The mule is an interspecific hybrid between the horse and the donkey, bred to combine some of the favourable characteristics of each parent. Intraspecific hybrids often show ‘hybrid vigour’ (heterosis), growing more vigorously and yielding more than in-bredlines.”

Hence, labrodoodles are ‘intraspecific hybrids’ (ie are within species breeding) and do show hybrid vigor.

Also, see http://www.country-wide.co.nz/article/449.html:

Another important but often forgotten principle is what happens when you interbreed the first cross (F1) progeny. In essence if you breed (F1) sires and dams together, there will be less hybrid vigour in the progeny. Like wise hybrid vigour also drops if you breed back to either of the parent breeds.

Our Labrodoodle puppies are F1 generation (ie first cross between Labrador & Poodle), maximising hybrid vigor (or heterosis), and minimising inbreeding depression, etc. And have purebred parents with champion bloodlines/pedigrees.

The F1 (ie first generation) of Labradoodle puppies have more hybrid vigor than the second or so generation, are less likely to be more variable then some other generations, and also have the least inbreeding depression.

Another interesting scientific point to note about our F1 Labradoodles is that research has shown that these have increased longevity or rates of survival (eg research has shown up to 4 years longer), due to the absence of inbreeding (such as that occurring in purebred dogs). And the same research has shown that the higher the rate of inbreeding (eg in purebreds), the lower or shorter the longevity or survival rates. This relates to the term known as ‘inbreeding depression’, and which is
described in more detail at inbreeding depression and inbreeding depression.

And this may be due to the benefits from hybrid vigour, especially compared to the negative effects known as ‘inbreeding depression’ present in purebreds.

Unlike some breeders, we can guarantee the genetics of the puppies are solely Labrador/Poodle, as the parents of our Labradoodle puppies are purebred, and with pedigree papers. And this also ensures that they are definitely F1 puppies.

The term ‘hybrid vigor’ is used in various fields, such as breeding livestock, rabbits, aquaculture, plants, cats, dogs, etc.

And rather than just us giving you our opinion etc re hybrid vigor, we thought you may like to read information from other sources. So that you can make an informed choice or decision.

So, below are some relevant extracts re hybrid vigor, and links to their sources:

From MSN encarta online:

‘hy-brid vig-or

improved traits resulting from crossbreeding: the increased growth, disease resistance, or fertility seen in hybrid species.’

From Encylopedia Brittanica online:

‘Increase in such characteristics as size, growth rate, fertility, and yield of a hybrid organism over those of its parents.’

‘Plant and animal breeders exploit heterosis by mating two different purebred lines that have desirable traits. The first-generation offspring generally show, in greater measure, the desired characteristics of both parents. Since this vigour may decrease if the hybrids are actually mated together, the parental lines must be maintained and crossed for each new crop or group desired.’

From Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

‘heterosis

the marked vigor or capacity for growth often exhibited by crossbred animals or plants — called also hybrid vigor’

From report by CSIRO:

“The benefits of hybrid vigor only appear in crossbred animals that have parents of completely different breeds.”

From a transcript of the Senate:

“veterinarians recognize the concept of ‘hybrid vigor,’ especially in first generation hybrids”

From United States Department of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, and County Governments Cooperating:

“The highest level of hybrid vigor is obtained from F1’s, the first cross of unrelated populations.”

“Hybrid Vigor - An increase in the performance of crossbred animals over that of purebreds, also known as heterosis.”

So, there should be little (if any) doubt that the first generation (ie F1) Labradoodles have the maximum hybrid vigor and the least inbreeding depression compared to other generations etc.

P.S. For the house training dogs tips please watch this video.

If you are looking for the perfect pet for your family, a Labrador retriever just might fit the bill. There are many reasons why this breed has constantly topped lists of the most popular family dog, including their friendliness, playfulness and loyalty to their families. However, Labs that come home from the breeder as cute bundles of fur will quickly grow into dogs that can weigh more than sixty pounds.

If you don’t begin Labrador obedience training early on that big, boisterous pet may be running the show in your household before you know it! This is why it is so important to teach your Lab to respect you and the other members of your household from the first day that he sets his paw into your home. A dog that understands who is in charge will be much more likely to obey the rules of the house and follow your commands. There are a number of methods that you can use to begin Labrador obedience training from day one with your pet, and many will help to instill respect and a willingness to follow your lead.
One of the first steps in effective Labrador obedience training is consistency. Just like small children, a dog needs to know that the rules are the same all the time, and that if he doesn’t follow them, he will get a scolding from you. This means that if you want your Lab to stay off of your bed, you can’t allow him to jump up even once. Any exceptions to the rule will quickly be picked up on by this intelligent creature, and he will continue to push you to the point of exasperation if he thinks his efforts might be successful.

While you are busy enforcing those rules, keep in mind that positive Labrador obedience training that incorporates plenty of praise and rewards will generally be much more effective than sessions that utilize punishment as a form of motivation. Because these dogs are very eager to please their masters, praise will work very well to get these dogs to obey your commands.
Labrador obedience training with a very young dog should be limited to just a few minutes, and should include lots of praise and rewards. When your dog is first learning a command, keep distractions to an absolute minimum to ensure that you have your puppy’s full attention. As your dog begins to be comfortable with a particular instruction, include some distraction to the training session, like tossing treats around him or bouncing a ball as you give the command. This will help to ensure that your dog will obey you in any circumstance, no matter what distractions might be lurking about. Good beginning commands will include sit, fetch and stay, but lie and come should be close behind those. In the beginning Labrador obedience training sessions, make sure to reward your dog even if he sits for only a second or two. As you progress, you can require that he sits for longer periods or stays put even when you walk away or turn your back to him. These training sessions will pay off with a dog that is well behaved and a pleasant addition to your family.

Labrador training is not particularly difficult, but it does take plenty of time and effort on the part of the owner, beginning with learning the best techniques for training Labs. Fortunately for the new dog owner, there are many good Dog training books and articles like this available so you and your Labrador retriever can start off on the right foot.

The Labrador is a very well known and well-liked dog breed. This dog was first bred in Britain as a hunting dog, and as such still has the coat and webbed feet for getting back waterfowl. The Labrador is a people oriented dog; they want to be with their family at all times.

Training a Labrador puppy can take some time and effort, but having a well-behaved companion is fefinitely worth it.

Some Important Steps
When training a Labrador puppy, remember that this is still a baby. They will have accidents and they will chew things up. It is up to you as the owner to teach the Labrador puppy acceptable types of behavior.

Training a Labrador puppy must involve the process of housetraining the puppy. This step can involve training the puppy with a crate. As Labradors love to be with their family, they may become a little insecure when you’re not around. An insecure Labrador is just looking to chew things up to display its’ unhappiness. A crate not only confines the puppy, but gives them a sense of security. Think of a crate as your puppy’s a safe place.

When in the crate, the Labrador will be unlikely to have accidents. Dogs do not like to mess up the place where they sleep. By taking the Labrador outdoors immediately before and after they are in the crate, you will create a pattern the puppy will very quickly adjust too. When not in the crate, paying close attention to your Labrador puppy can assist in the house training process. If the puppy seems ready to go, take them outside right away. You should praise the puppy constantly for good potty behavior. Being consistent with potty training will be of great benefit when training a Labrador puppy.
For more advice on potty training your puppy check out these articles.
crate train dog
Puppy toilet training
house training puppies

Training a Labrador puppy fun when they are little, but no one wants a fully grown Labrador jumping on them. When the puppy jumps up on you, gently put them back down on the floor and say firmly, “No”. This process may have to be repeated many times, as a Labrador is full of energy and so pleased to see their family.

Ensure when training a Labrador puppy that they learn to socialize properly. Expose them to people, children and other dogs. A socialized, well-trained dog will be healthy and happy.

Training a Labrador puppy to be a well adjusted and nicely behaved dog will make both of your lives much more pleasant. The Labrador wants to please you, so ensure they understand what behaviors are acceptable and what aren’t.