Labrador – the best dog for first time owners
No list of best dogs for first time owners would be complete without the kind-hearted Lab.
The Labrador Retriever was the hunting dog of choice of the English aristocracy in the early 1900s.
Bred to be intelligent, neither aggressive nor shy and robust enough to handle tough conditions, the Lab made the perfect hunting dog.
Labs were bred to form close and enduring relationships with their owner, and that trait remains one of their strongest characteristics to this day.
The Ultimate Family Dog
The Labrador Retriever is especially suited to active families seeking a medium- to large-sized dog.
The Lab possesses several great traits that make her an excellent choice for first time owners.
Firstly, Labrador Retrievers are prodigiously smart.
In fact they’re ranked as the seventh most intelligent dog breed.
Coupled with their natural “team-player” demeanor, Labs are typically very easy to train.
They’re also great with kids, and owners are unlikely to have much trouble socializing them to get on well with other pets.
They’re particularly good at forming friendships with cats, showing a healthy respect for their sharp-clawed and cantankerous cousins.
Labradors can be excitable, especially as puppies.
While they will require a solid level of exercise to keep them happy, they’re generally thought of as being energetic dogs, but not overwhelmingly so.
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