Labradors are great dogs but there are certain things that you will want to be aware of before deciding on this breed. Behavior problems in particular can be difficult to deal with and you will want to know what to expect before choosing this breed so that you can decide whether you will be able to handle this or not.
For one, Labradors can be very demanding, and like to have a lot of attention put on them. If you are a busy professional or otherwise are often out of the home, then there most likely will be a problem. Labradors often take out their frustrations of being alone by lashing out or barking incessantly. Also known as separation anxiety, this is a common problem with dogs, and should be dealt with immediately. Of course the best way would be to try and stay home as often as you can but this is not always possible and so there should be other things that you can do.
Obviously by staying home as often as you can you will help the problem but you will still need to deal with it because your dog simply cannot be acting out like this every time you have to go out.
You may also want to try softening your departures and returns. You do this by making less of a deal when you are leaving and coming home. Instead of making a big deal over the fact that you are leaving and giving your dog extra attention, you should try to slip out without them noticing.
You may feel bad the first couple of times but this will help because your dog may not even notice that you are gone at all, and even when they do, when they realize that they are not getting extra attention beforehand they will stop caring so much and not making a fuss when you do leave.
Other than these methods there are also things that you can do to help Labradors overcome separation anxiety problems. One idea is to use anti-anxiety medications to calm your dog, but these medications should only be used in the most serious cases and will need to be prescribed by the veterinarian.
The problem with these drugs is that, just as they would in humans, they can cause a dependency in dogs and so you need to be very careful when administering medication to your dog.
Drugs are also never considered as being a long-term solution and so you will need to work with your veterinarian in order to come up with a lifelong plan for the dog. You will need to create an effective and productive treatment program for your dog, one that they will be able to follow for the rest of their life and keep from getting the separation anxiety back.
For one, Labradors can be very demanding, and like to have a lot of attention put on them. If you are a busy professional or otherwise are often out of the home, then there most likely will be a problem. Labradors often take out their frustrations of being alone by lashing out or barking incessantly. Also known as separation anxiety, this is a common problem with dogs, and should be dealt with immediately. Of course the best way would be to try and stay home as often as you can but this is not always possible and so there should be other things that you can do.
Obviously by staying home as often as you can you will help the problem but you will still need to deal with it because your dog simply cannot be acting out like this every time you have to go out.
You may also want to try softening your departures and returns. You do this by making less of a deal when you are leaving and coming home. Instead of making a big deal over the fact that you are leaving and giving your dog extra attention, you should try to slip out without them noticing.
You may feel bad the first couple of times but this will help because your dog may not even notice that you are gone at all, and even when they do, when they realize that they are not getting extra attention beforehand they will stop caring so much and not making a fuss when you do leave.
Other than these methods there are also things that you can do to help Labradors overcome separation anxiety problems. One idea is to use anti-anxiety medications to calm your dog, but these medications should only be used in the most serious cases and will need to be prescribed by the veterinarian.
The problem with these drugs is that, just as they would in humans, they can cause a dependency in dogs and so you need to be very careful when administering medication to your dog.
Drugs are also never considered as being a long-term solution and so you will need to work with your veterinarian in order to come up with a lifelong plan for the dog. You will need to create an effective and productive treatment program for your dog, one that they will be able to follow for the rest of their life and keep from getting the separation anxiety back.
About the Author:
Brooke Sunderland is a passionate lover of the Labrador and owns a popular website that can show you how to have a happy, healthy and well behaved Labrador. Among other topics there, you will find out more about Labrador Information plus a whole lot more.
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