http://www.yourdog.co.uk 47We asked our social media
fans to tell us about their
fabulous Labradors.LABS RULE!
LABRADOR&
Q AsOWNER: ANGELA PHILLIPS,
MILTON KEYNES, BEDFORDSHIRE.
Tell us about your dog.
“Amber is a yellow Labrador (small working
type), who is roughly nine years old. She is
a sweet-natured girl, who is happy to walk
to the woods, then chills out and sleeps
next to me on the sofa after lunch. She
absolutely loves playing with a tennis ball
and carries it around on her walks.”Why did you pick this breed?
“I grew up in a farming/gamekeeping
environment; we always had working
Labradors and Jack Russells.”Where did your dog come from?
“After letting another Lab go, we felt
lost without a dog; there was a massive
emptiness in our lives. We still walked up to
the local woods every day, which is where
we met our friend (who fosters dogs),
walking Amber. We fell in love with her,
and, after home checks, we adopted her.”What have been your biggest challenges
with Amber?
“As she had only been with the fosterer for
a couple of weeks, not a lot was known
other than she’d had pups. She was
extremely clingy with me, and seemed to
be timid with men in particular, but with
patience and understanding, she became
coni dent with people. Unfortunately,
she was bitten and chased a few times
by other dogs, but, again, with patience,
perseverance, and walking with a group
of friendly dogs, she has grown coni dent
once more. She is afraid of i reworks but
I have noticed with each year her stress
levels decrease.”What have been your happiest
times together?
“Too many to mention... I remember the
i rst time I kissed/cuddled her and she
didn’t l inch or look away; now she actively
seeks attention. There are times I catch her
looking at me with those beautiful brown
eyes, I know she loves me as much as I love
her. She absolutely loves my grandsons,
and sits watching them play Lego for ages
or curls up next to them on the sofa.”Has she turned out to be what
you expected?
“Yes, more than I expected. She has gone
from a timid, underweight dog to a happy,
coni dent, and extremely loving dog.”Any ongoing issues?
“Fireworks, and she loves to roll in fox poo.”Any advice to other potential owners
of this breed?
“Ideally, make sure you buy from
a reputable breeder; see one or both
parents with the pups. If you want
a Labrador as a family pet, check if Mum
and pups are being kept in the home
and socialised from day one; don’t go
to a working dog breeder who keeps
them outdoors, away from a normal
family environment.”Sum up your dog in one sentence.
“She is everything I want and more; loving,
gentle, kind, fun to play ball with, obedient,
and very good/tolerant with children and
other dogs.”*How easy is she to care for?
“She’s easy, but she is a Lab when it comes
to food, so we make sure she doesn’t get
overfed. We give her supplements for her
joints, and carrots as treats, although
I will admit she has the occasional cut
up sausage from the cafe after our
morning walk.”*Would you have another dog of
this breed?
“Yes! However, we are an older couple, so
providing we are i t enough to exercise and
look after one properly, we would be happy
to consider taking on an adult dog.”*How have you found training your dog?
“Very easy, especially if you use her dry
food as a reward. I deduct it from her meal.”*What activities do you and your dog
love to share?
“We love our walks, playing ball and
cuddling up on the sofa together.”Angela and Amber
out on a walk.Image: Claire Twigg.Images: Claire Twigg.Image: Emsee Photography.Katie Burns, Macclesi eld, Cheshire.
“The best thing about Labradors for
me is their working and training ethic.
They love to work, and please, and
are really biddable dogs. The most
challenging thing is probably their
greediness. I caught Ben trying to
smuggle a 4kg bag of dried sausages
into his bed.
“At Halloween we
were out walking in
the dark. Up pops
Ben with a pumpkin
in his mouth! Not
sure where he found
it, and didn’t have the
guts to go looking
and admit that my
Labrador stole their
pumpkin!”Claire Twigg, Leighton Buzzard,
Bedfordshire.
“We were looking after my friend’s
retired police dog; he was a large
German Shepherd. His place of choice
to sleep was at the bottom of the
stairs, right under the last step. Every
morning Maple would run down for
breakfast, then screech to a halt as he
was lying there. She’d sit about two
steps from him and not pass until he
got up. Then she’d come down. She
loved him and would share toys and
her bed with him, but if he was lying
in his spot, she wouldn’t pass. Total
respect for the law!”Image: Emsee Photography.Katie loves her dog
Ben’s willingness to
work and please.Cold or wet
weather does not
put a Labrador like
Maple of going for
a walk.A wet Labrador is
a happy Labrador.46-49 YD Breeds Labs Mar20 CS NF(SW)ok.indd 47 23/01/2020 14:57