My Pets: dog owners

The Labrador Lifestyle

A survey of Labrador Retriever owners tells us what they eat, how often they exercise, and where they sleep.

How much does the average Labrador Retriever - like this black one - eat, sleep and exercise

A survey of over 4000 people with Labrador Retrievers provides a fascinating insight into the lifestyle of the average Lab. 68% of the dogs were pets, 6% working dogs, and of the remainder the largest group of people did not say (a quarter of overall responses). Black Labradors were the most common (49%), followed by yellow (27%) and chocolate (21%), with other colours including fox red and hailstone.

The study, by C.A. Pugh et al (Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies), looks at Labradors across the UK. The researchers say, “Engaging thousands of dog owners in the DogsLife project has generated a wealth of data that begin to address knowledge gaps regarding UK LRs and their lifestyles.”

Most of the dogslived with another pet: 31% with another dog, 22% with a cat, and 15% with another kind of pet. Families with children were more likely to have a cat, and less likely to have another dog, than other households.

Just over half (55%) slept indoors alone at night and 19% slept indoors with another animal. 21% slept indoors with a person, and for some of these dogs another pet was also present. Only 4% of Labs slept outside.

80% of the Labs were fed dried food and 13% were fed a mix of dried and wet food. Only 1% of owners fed a homemade diet. Younger dogs were fed more often, but by 6-9 months old most dogs were fed twice a day.

As for exercise, the average Lab got 129 minutes per day. Most exercise was off-leash or in the ‘other’ category (not including fetch/retrieve/chase, lead walks, running on lead, or obedience training). It’s possible that some of the ‘other ‘ exercise included work, since working Labs got more exercise than pet Labs once they were over 6 months of age. Before 6 months, dogs got less exercise (especially off-lead and fetch/retrieve/chase), perhaps due to breeder advice to limit the amount of exercise.

Perhaps not surprisingly, families with children spent less time exercising the dog than other households.

Another interesting nugget of information comes from data collected about height. Some data had to be discarded because it was suspected that people had measured in inches and recorded it in centimetres, or vice versa, which led to some strange numbers. But after that, the average height was greater than the breed standard by 2-3cm.

This shows that future research cannot rely on the height given in the breed standard; if height is a variable, it needs to actually be measured. Only 21% of females and 14% of males had a height within the range given in the breed standard.

The average female Lab weighed 26.8kg, and the average male weighed 31.6kg. Chocolate Labs tended to be heavier.

It is not known if the Labrador lifestyle is similar to that of other breeds. The sample included people from across the United Kingdom, and covered KC-registered Labradors up to 4 years of age.

This citizen science project includes data validation; for example researchers visited some homes to measure the dogs for themselves. They said, "Weighing the dogs was not always easy without veterinary scales, but the measurement of dogs’ heights was more challenging as many of the dogs were understandably quite wriggly!"

The project is ongoing. If you are in the UK and have a KC-registered Labrador Retriever born after 1 January 2010, you can take part in DogsLife.

How does your dog’s lifestyle compare to the average Labrador Retriever?

Reference

Pugh, C., Bronsvoort, B., Handel, I., Summers, K., & Clements, D. (2015). Dogslife: A cohort study of Labrador Retrievers in the UK Preventive Veterinary Medicine DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2015.06.020
Photo: c.byatt-norman (Shutterstock).

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dog boarding dog owners

Dog Boarding Tips for Dog Owners Planning to Travel

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A common challenge for all dog owners is finding a home their dog or dogs can stay with while they’re away on vacation. Thankfully, there are now companies that offer in-home boarding services for dogs and other pets.

However, for most dog owners, leaving a dog – even for just a few days or weeks- in the care of strangers is often easier said than done. This is why it is extremely important to find a trusted dog boarding company that will provide only the best care for your pooch.

Can’t wait to go on vacation but couldn’t take your dog with you? Here are some tips for you:

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Find out as much info as you can about the in-home dog boarding service provider.

What kind of reputation does it have? Are there in-house vets to supervise the pets? Will your dog be taken out on walks on daily basis? Are there professional groomers working in the facility? Are the staff trained and experienced in dog care? Do they have genuine affection for dogs? What do previous customers have to say about the quality of their service?

Visit the dog boarding facility ahead of time.

It’s very important to see the actual facilities and the dog kennels at least a few weeks before your trip. This is the only way you can be sure that your dog will be staying in a safe, clean, and comfortable environment. It’s also a great opportunity to meet the staff of the dog boarding service provider.

Have your dog visit the in-home facility a few times.

To make the whole experience smooth and stress-free, bring your dog to the pet boarding facility at least twice or thrice to meet the staff and get the feel of the place. Thus, by the time you're ready to go on travel, it won’t be difficult for your dog to make adjustments.

Bring your dog’s own bed, blanket, or favorite toy.

It’s always good to have something familiar when you are away from home. This is true for people and it’s as true for dogs too. Your dog might feel a little awkward especially on the first day of boarding but having a familiar item along can help lessen the stress.

Give as much information as possible about your dog.

Make sure the staff of the dog boarding facility is well-aware of your dog’s habits and needs, particularly if your dog has allergies or has recently undergone treatment, etc. What time do you usually feed your dog and what time do you take it out for walks? Sticking to the old routine will certainly make your dog feel more comfortable while staying in a different home.

Make sure that someone can easily be reached in case of an emergency.

Asking for the dog owner’s contact information is a standard procedure in most dog boarding facilities. However, if you will be vacationing out of the country or a distant place, it is a good idea to have someone you can trust with your pet, a friend or a relative who lives in the area who can be readily contacted if needed.

Keep goodbyes casual and short.

Your dog can definitely sense it if you are feeling anxious, worried, or sad. As you drop off your dog to the boarding facility, keep the mood light and talk to your dog in a calm, normal tone, as if it’s just an everyday thing and get it over with quickly. If you make a big fuss out of your goodbyes, you will only be making it worse for your dog.