Labrador Retrievers are extraordinarily animals. In other words, they have to be in tune with their owners in order to follow specific guidelines. The way to understanding this is to delve deeper at what Labs were bred to do, and that is to hunt and retrieve.

Think of it this way, these dogs must be in good harmony with their hunter/owner in order to follow precise guidance to track and fine birds that have fallen to the ground and out of sight. This need for a dog to have direction carries over to all aspects of a Labrador's life – even at home.

This breed is perfect for people who enjoy and need constant canine companionship. On the other, it is bad for dog owners who have a Labrador Retriever but expect the animal to entertain itself with very little interaction from the owner.

There are hunting dogs that were actually bred to be independent hunters with hardly any interaction and guidance from people. Good examples of these types of dogs are Terriers and Hounds, which lead the way by use of their senses (by smell and sight) with the hunter determined to keep up with the dog's pace.

Labs are created to retrieve, and in doing so they must have a connected attention link directly to the hunter. If a retriever does not adhere to the hunter's commands then they may hit the water and swim far past where a squirrel has fallen, and possibly keep swimming out and away.

Well trained Labs do not make mistakes like this because they have the innate ability to attend to and follow specific directions from the hunter. This skill is absolutely crucial to being a dependable retriever and is one of the reasons that these dogs make great service animals and obedience trainees.

Why Many Labs Do Not Work Well With Some Families

I’m sure that you probably understand by now just how connected and dependent a Labrador Retriever becomes to its owners. It is always looking to people for leadership and must have interaction with people.

Every dog breed is companionable to some extent, some more than others, but Labs need a lot more attention than most dogs. They do not survive very well when left alone for long periods of time, whether within the home our outside. Many families who are away for long periods of time and come home and discovers that their Lab has ram shackled a side door or window trying to escape does not understand why how this could be happening.

These owners are understandably frustrated and then yell at their Labs. A well educated Lab owner will never react in this way because they know the reason why. The reason is that what causes a Lab to try to escape like this is because they want to search out and find its owners. They are under the impression that their “pack” missing and make an attempt to find them on the outside.

One lesson to take away from this information, especially if you have not yet decided on what type of dog to own and are considering a Labrador Retriever, is understand that you have to devote your Lab, regularly. If you neglect spending time with your dog, you should consider getting a more independent dog breed. Or else, your Lab may soon become extremely unhappy and will end up a very violent house pet, or even a runaway.

Article by Kelly Marshall from Oh My Dog Supplies - to find ceramic dog bowls to match any decor, go to http://www.ohmydogsupplies.com/dog-supplies/dog-bowls/