If your dog could talk what questions do you think they would ask you most often? Every dog and dog breed is a little bit different, but some traits seem to be universal for a specific breed like the Labrador Retriever. We can think of one question that all Labs would constantly be asking their owners.
We’ve raised 3 purebred Labrador Retriever puppies in training and we are currently raising our fourth. We’ve probably also puppy sat 100+ Labs during our time as guide dog puppy raisers.
I’d have to say after being around all of those Labs over these past 7 years this statement is probably true 99.9% of the time.
A Labs Only Question…
A Labs Only Question
What do you guys think? Have you raised Labrador Retrievers? Is this their only question? Or perhaps there’s a little more to my Lab puppies in training: Stetson, Derby, Dublin, and Adelle.
Okay, okay…so maybe that’s not the only question. If you had to ask me it is by far number 1 on the list, but if you had to have a top 5 list for Labrador Retrievers questions they would be:
Top 5 Questions From A Lab
1. How Long Til My Next Meal?
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2. Can I have a treat?
3. Where is my tennis ball?
4. When is my next walk?
5. Where’s the nearest lake/pool?
I’m speculating a little here as I’ve yet to have a Lab who loves to swim. Although many of my friends Labs as well as Labs I’ve puppy sat were definite water dogs. I’m not too sure about Adelle yet, but she does like sleeping with her head in the water bowl…we’ll see.
Second, our puppies in training aren’t allowed to have tennis balls because they can become obsessed (or so they tell us). Once again I’m speculating, but seeing how much my pup’s love their other toys I could very well see them obsessing over a tennis ball.
So that’s the list. Do you have a dog or puppy? If they could speak what do you think their top 5 questions would be? Tell us about it in the comment section below.
If you enjoyed this puppy meme with Dublin then check out another one we made when he was a little bit older: This Puppy…Is Part Boxer!
I thought Beagles and Coonhounds were all about food – must be a universal trait, though I have a Beagle who, when the Beagle Brigade called me re: him soon after he first came and still young, I had to tell them, “No, he is not food motivated….”
Interesting about your Labs not being water dogs. Another dog I took in for a woman was a Chesapeake/Labrador cross, Victor. Lovely boy who hated water and wouldn’t fetch.
You are wise to avoid tennis balls. Though my hounds are not normally fetch/ball dogs, one Beagle, who is now adopted in a wonderful home, came to me obsessed with tennis balls. I had to treat her for OCD. Her adopter, when I tried to explain what I thought Molly needed in a home, cut right to the chase: “She needs structure.” Bull’s eye!
Charming and effective graphic – who could turn down those eyes?
Yep, Labs are major food motivated. My Australian Shepherd mix…not so much…
Some Labs might remember their roots and ask “How come we never go hunting?”
Good point! I think Derby (my second puppy in training) would have made a good hunting dog, but Stetson my career change is a big sleeper.
“Why are you leaving me?!” when you’re headed out the door. 🙂
Stetson (Lab), No. Linus (Aussie Shepherd Mix), YES!
“That was really good….what was it?”
Yep, they are little vacuum cleaners.
My pitties would def ask to eat every five minutes, then to play and then to go for a ride in the C-A-R LOL
My Lab, Stetson loves to eat, but when he’s done it’s time for his siesta…zzzzz
YES to the food question. My first lab didn’t like to fetch or swim, but he ate everything – socks, tamale husks, even a fish hook once (he passed it after he ate a tamale husk). My second lab LOVES to swim, play in water, and fetch. But meal time is the highlight of her day!
I haven’t had a swimmer yet, but I have puppy sat Labs that love to swim. I’ve had 100’s of Labs come through my house since I started raising guide and service dog puppies and I haven’t had one yet that did not love to eat food.
Haha…this made me laugh :-). With the labs I’ve known, they are definitely all about food. Quite often they don’t know when to stop either and will eat to excess if allowed, this sadly resulting in the number of overweight labs you see in the UK.
My mums Labrador is a swimmer. So much so that when we take him to the local park, there’s a stream there in which he’ll throw his own toy into just so he can go and get wet! It’s funny to see, he drops his toy at the side of the stream, nudges it gently into the water, dives in, brings it out, rinses and repeats. So easily pleased, lol.
We haven’t had a Lab that likes to swim yet. Maybe Adelle will be the one. However, growing up we had a Border Collie that used the pool more than any one of us. He would take himself for a swim on a daily basis. Thanks for sharing about your mums Lab!
What a great website, so glad I found it! And I love labs!
I have owned a couple labs in my life and this is just spot on. Food, love, and fun are the only things on their mind, ever. I’ve also never seen a dog eat as quickly as a lab could. They’re like living vacuums. In my experience, this also makes them incredibly easy to train. They are already intelligent dogs with the drive to do anything for food.
When I first brought home Adelle (yellow Lab) I thought she’d be my first normal eater, but after a few days of slow eating she now rivals my other Labs in the eating competition.