Activities
A very busy dog
Walking, swimming, agility, hunting.... The Labrador has a very busy life. Its versatility offers many possibilities
possibilities and its character is the key to real missions.
It excels not only as a companion dog, but also serves alongside the blind and disabled.
The beauty of being a couple
The essential thing, for both owner and dog, is to share free time. Agility is an ideal sporting activity for testing not only physical ability but also the complicity that is established between the Labrador and the man. Guided by its owner, who constantly stimulates it, the dog must overcome obstacles as quickly as possible. Agility is an English invention created in 1978, based on the model of obstacle courses in horse riding. Like a horse, a Labrador practising agility must show good skills in long and high jumps, must be able to calculate distances and analyse difficulties before overcoming an obstacle, be it a tunnel, a ring, a slalom or a bascule. The rules are similar to those of horse racing.
Usually, the Labrador, which easily assimilates the educational principles, successfully performs this type of discipline which, like agility, comes from across the Channel. The main thing, for the owner and the dog, is to share leisure time. Agility is an ideal sporting activity for testing not only physical abilities but also the complicity that is established between the Labrador and man. Guided by its owner, who constantly stimulates it, the dog must overcome obstacles as quickly as possible. Agility is an English invention created in 1978, based on the model of obstacle courses in horse riding. Like a horse, a Labrador practising agility must show good skills in long and high jumps, must be able to calculate distances and analyse difficulties before overcoming an obstacle, be it a tunnel, a ring, a slalom or a bascule. The rules are similar to those of horse racing. Dropping the bars incurs penalties, mistakes on the course or flat-out refusal to tackle an obstacle are grounds for disqualification. Among dog breeds, the Labrador, due to its morphology, is not particularly well structured to reach the top. However, it compensates for its less than excellent performance in speed with its determination and courage. There are other sporting activities that allow obedience to be put into practice. To strengthen this indispensable quality in your dog, the emphasis is on play and competition. The exercises are reminiscent of those proposed by dog trainers: marching on foot, with or without a lead, sending forward, orders from a distance. During an official test, the exercise is assessed by the judge, who will take into account the presentation of the dog, but also the quality of the relationship between the owner and the dog, i.e. the good functioning of the pair. Usually, the Labrador, which easily assimilates the educational principles, successfully performs this type of discipline which, like agility, comes from overseas.
Maintaining your figure
There is nothing like the regular practice of a sport to avoid roundness! The Labrador tends to put on a few kilos, which is even more noticeable if its coat is light in colour. This is a reality that you should not be afraid to face, given the negative effects that obesity has on your dog's life. It is therefore best to continue to combine the pleasures of sport and nature with body care. Your Labrador will benefit from this.
In the service of man
In addition to sporting activities, the Labrador has many opportunities to be useful.
Its tenacity and courage are appreciated for saving lives. Its excellent sense of smell also makes it highly valued for inspecting rubble or looking for avalanche victims.
Used to search for drugs, explosives or truffles, the Labrador is employed on several fronts. However, the activity that has earned the Labrador its reputation as a dog with a heart of gold is assisting people with disabilities. It is used as a guide dog for the blind or with the disabled. It is the Labrador, a dog of keen intelligence, that opens the lift door, brings the telephone to its master, makes him cross the road. Finally, it is often of great help in retirement homes, hospitals, rehabilitation centres for the disabled, etc., due to its calm temperament.
A fine programme for this dog of inexhaustible energy!
Sport and discipline
Obedience is inevitably linked to sporting activities. Jogging with your dog requires perfect discipline. You run non-stop and your dog stops at every corner because he smells a mouse or hare or is chasing a dog.... this is unacceptable. Of course you should use a lead if your dog is too distracted.
Cross-country skiing and walking trails are very popular with dog owners, so the Labrador benefits both from the advantages of nature and sport and from the presence of its owner. The latter can also involve the dog not on foot but on two wheels. Attached to the bike with a specially developed system (the dog's paws must not get caught in the spokes), which can be found in cycling shops, the dog can run alongside its owner who respects the pace of his companion.
