The Incredible Appetite of the Labrador Retriever

One of the reasons that Labrador Retrievers are so highly trainable is that they will do just about anything for food. If we ever figure out how to plug up the hole in the ozone layer, it will be because a Labrador Retriever was offered a triple cheese pepperoni and sausage pizza if he could fix it. However, their appetites have many Labrador retrievers into trouble.

Christmas Dinner

Usually every year out of England just after Christmas, you read about a dog who ate the family's Christmas dinner, desserts, decorations and some of the gifts. Almost without fail, the dog winds up being a Labrador Retriever. Christmas dinner in England is given even more hoopla than Thanksgiving in America. Although some Labrador Retrievers can eat such a massive amount of food with just a few belches, most just vomit it all back up. How festive.

Gucci Watches

Some dogs have incredible taste. Lulu the Labrador Retriever didn't just eat anything in April of 2002 - she chose her owner's $1500 (US) Gucci watch. Worried for both watch and dog (and about the inevitable puns in the press), Lulu was taken immediately to the vet, who confirmed that the dog was ticking. A successful operation removed the watch but not Lulu's appetite. She has also eaten socks, dice and almost swallowed a diamond engagement ring before she was stopped.

Cat Poo

Most dogs are attracted to cat droppings, although some prefer to roll in them while others eat them. Almost all Labrador Retrievers will not pass up a chance at "kitty pate". This is because cats cannot digest all of their food, so their droppings still has meat in it. This can be dangerous to your Labrador if your cat is on medication, which can also turn up in the poop.

Poison

Labrador Retrievers are like babies in that they explore the world with their mouths. They also think many poisonous substances like slug bait and antifreeze taste good. You need to keep these out of reach or stop using them entirely. You also need child proof locks on your cupboards, because Labrador Retrievers can learn to open almost any kind of cabinet door.
Include your medications in on the list of poisons. Human medications are made to be taken by creatures that weigh a lot more than the average black Labrador Retriever. They will wind up getting a dose that may make them very sick. Call your vet immediately if you suspect your Lab has eaten human medication.

Patience

Labrador retriever training takes a great deal of patience to be effective and to be good for the dog. Professional trainers that do not exhibit patience when training the dog will not be an effective trainer for the animal and may be a danger to the dog if not watched carefully. Labrador retriever training has to be taken in measured steps and each step must be fully learned by the Labrador retriever before the next step in the sequence can be taught.

Labrador retriever training can be difficult and frustrating if the dog is taking longer to learn a certain task, but this frustration should never be taken out on the dog just like an elementary school teacher should never take out their frustration on the children in their class. Labrador retrievers must learn how to do the things that their owner wants them to do, but this will not occur overnight. With patience and positive reinforcement, Labrador retriever training can teach the pet to do almost anything