What makes the labrador retriever such a great family dog

What is it about the Labrador retriever that makes it such a wonderful dog? People love this animal, and they want it in their home. Is it because this dog makes them feel safe and protected? Is it because it&rsquo-s so good with kids? Is it because it&rsquo-s such a pretty dog with a beautiful coat? The truth is all of the above and a lot we haven&rsquo-t even discussed. The Labrador retriever has long since been one of the most popular breeds in the world, as well as one of the leading &lsquo-family&rsquo- dogs in the world. There are many reasons. Some are listed here and some are not. No matter who you ask, they are going to have their own opinion about this breed and what makes it such a wonderful and popular breed. You might agree with some and disagree with others. You might dislike this dog and have no idea what other people see in the breed- but that doesn&rsquo-t matter. This is a popular breed, which means more people than not enjoy it and all it has to offer. If you&rsquo-re not sure what makes this such a great family breed, we have some of the most popular reasons to consider choosing the Labrador retriever to bring into your family.

They&rsquo-re Playful

The Labrador retriever is a very playful dog that loves to play fetch and pick things up to bring to you. This means that you will get to spend a great deal of time interacting with this breed and getting some good exercise into your own daily schedule. Since this large breed likes its exercise and enjoys spending time with its family, you will all benefit from its playfulness and its desire to want to play fetch, to throw the ball around the yard and to take walks and run around. It&rsquo-s a great dog for good health- and a lot of love.

They&rsquo-re Patient

There are few things as important with kids as patience. This goes for adults, other kids and dogs. The reason the Labrador retriever is such a popular dog is the fact that it does have a lot of patience. This is a dog that will not lose its temper or walk away from overly excited children, loud places or the playful antics of kids. It has patience. It understands kids are loud and sometimes too rough. It understands that kids are kids and it is unlikely that this dog will cause you any worry around the kids (disclaimer: the AKC recommends you never leave any dog unattended with children no matter its age, size, breed or temperament).

They&rsquo-re Animal Friendly

How many households in the world have more than one animal? Plenty of them, which is why the lab is a good dog for those families. You can bring a lab into a home with a cat or other dog around the house and really have no issue with the transition. Of course, that doesn&rsquo-t mean the animal you already have is going to love the new addition to your family, but your dog is not going to have a problem with this kind of transition. It&rsquo-s a breed that is very friendly with other cats and dogs, and you won&rsquo-t feel the need to worry that your dog is going to attack your cat. Your cat, on the other hand, might not be so quick to love the dog, but usually this is something that will work itself out over time.

They Love Water

It&rsquo-s good news for owners who have a pool or live on the water. This is a breed that loves to get wet, so he&rsquo-s going to enjoy time spent with you on the boat, in the pool or on vacation. If you have a boat, a pool or a house on the water, you will find that your lab spends the vast majority of his time in the water. The good news is that his top coat is water repellant so you won&rsquo-t find any worry there. What you will love is the added feeling of safety you have when you are swimming with your dog and your kids, as these dogs are great swimmers and very quick to rescue anyone who is having a difficult time swimming.

They&rsquo-re Protective

A lab is not an attack dog. It is not an aggressive dog, but it is a protective dog. Some lab owners state that their dogs bark when there are strangers present and others don&rsquo-t. Yours might not bark excessively when someone drives up, but it might. However, what you never have to worry about is your safety. This is a dog that has an instinctive protective nature, and he is going to ensure that your kids, you and your home are protected.

The only thing you have to worry about here is having fenced in yard. This is a dog that is very protective of his home and family, but he&rsquo-s also a dog. This is a breed that is very playful and loves to chase, so if you have an open yard, you might lose the dog to a squirrel or a bird that goes through the yard. This is a dog that wants to retrieve this and bring it back to you, so you might face a few neighborhood chases if your yard is not fenced.

They&rsquo-re Pleasing Dogs

They do need proper training and obedience, but this is an intelligent breed that recognizes instinctively what makes his owners happy and what doesn&rsquo-t. This breed of dog is going to learn what makes you happy and do that because he wants you to be happy. However, he still needs training. Just because he is a pleasing dog does not make him a perfect dog and your guidance is needed to ensure that this breed is well-behaved and on top of its &lsquo-A&rsquo- game. You will love having one in your family, but you do have to be present and active in discipline.