If you have missed 'all' the posts on Margo then let me introduce him to you. He is a year and a month old Labrador Retriever "puppy". Well I still call him a puppy because he still behaves like one. It still feels like yesterday when we ran downstairs (since we live in a condo) every hour so that he could relieve himself. but that would not be it. He would want to then go out and play. And God forbid, he is spotted by a human looking at him lovingly. Margo would want to move in with him/her. Immediately! So basically we would go for about 11 to 12 rounds of walks during the day and after a while we decided to 'be strong' and remove the water bowl between 11pm & 6am. But thankfully we only had to do that for a week, because Margo had figured to relieve himself outside only! We also figured that he picked up some of the things we taught at just one go.
Thats how we got our first 2 lessons about Labs
1# They are extremely easy to train or rather very quick to become habitable in a human world. We are not excellent with training and thats a disclaimer, but all the little things that I have tried to teach Margo, he has learnt them in one go, just for a treat :)
2# They would eat to their heart's content, or let me say their heart is never content of eating. This makes them extremely trainable and you a cold-hearted person. Because when you have just taken out your box of brownies, your pup will give you the look that will be impossible to say no to. But then you can't as dogs can't eat chocolate. Also, because of obesity, Labs are prone to putting on weight, which in future can be dangerous for them.
They need a lot of exercise as they have extremely high energy. If you have an active lifestyle then they can be an excellent companion. In our case we were lazy, and Margo has made us active and we appreciate that. Its actually nice to get up and go for a walk at 7am! And we walk for about a couple of miles, every single day (no holidays here). Every morning at 6:30 am sharp he will com to the bed and lie in between or on the head, if we are unresponsive and lick us. So here comes the third learning,
3# Find the Lab a friend. You don't really need to do much here. Labs are over-friendly pups and they would find one themselves. All you have to do is to get along with the humans. The reason is, not everyday or everytime would you be able to do this. In fact the 2miles in the morning and the other miles during the day are not going to exhaust the lab. Not for the first couple of years at least. The human energy can't be compared to theirs. So finding a puppy friend is doing justice. The puppy can keep up and play and keep your dog engaged. The humans can always grab a drink or 2 while they do that. Also, do get them Neutered or Spayed as early as possible. Not only is that important for their health but also, you don't want your dog to be unhappy and frustrated.
Also, apart from this, I have found Margo to be much more sensitive and loving than any human being. He is extremely intelligent and feels most acutely. Decision to bring him home was the best ever. There were times and periods when we were both getting adjusted to each other, but I give Margo more credit than myself for having adopted the way he has.
