A few weeks ago – I wrote an article called "The Irreverent Vet Speaks out on Labrador Retrievers". As I wrote to you, we had questions from users about what dog breeds are especially the good and bad traits of each – not just their history, weight, and height.

Go to my full article to read my list and comments. Go to The Irreverent Vet Speaks out on the Labrador Retriever.

This article promoted a lot of emails and comments from lab lovers. To be balanced, I'd like to share some of those comments with you.

1.Article Not Fair.

This is in Response to the Irreverent Vets opinion on Labrador Retrievers. I found the article very general and somewhat discouraging. He/She seems to think (a lot) that one should always choose a reputable breeder for the purchase of a dog. It has been my experience that true dog /animal lovers ALWAYS encourage adoption/rescue first.

I have just rescued my third Labrador. My first was a full bred Labrador male that at the age of 1 and 1/2 weighed in at 110 lbs. Of all muscle. He came to me with absolutely NO training whatsoever. Within 3 months I had this beast of a dog eating from my hand and behaving like teachers pet.

My second rescue was an abused 1 yr old female lab/pit bull mix. Always around my small children and cats in the home. In fact was VERY protective of EVERYONE in our home and never once showed any aggression to anyone in our home. She was our blessing for 13 yrs. I have just rescued my third full bred Lab that is 6 mo old and spent 1/2 of her life in a high kill shelter. She has NEVER had any training either. It took me 1 day to potty train her and I work all day. She listens VERY well.

In my opinion Labradors are just like a child. You can successfully curb undesired behavior with proper training and you can do it very fast with Labs as they are fast learners, people pleasers and love affection. I use positive reinforcement with treats and praise and we have had our Angel for 1 week now and she has not chewed anything- showed any aggression-and has only had 1 accident in the home.

I don't think the author of this article stressed enough the absolute wonderful qualities of owning a Labrador Retriever. Labrador Retrievers are probably the easiest breed to train as they are fast learners. They are true people pleasers and you can accomplish a great deal with them by simple praise. They are extremely loyal and fun. They are great dogs to have with children as they are on the same level of play factor. They like to play with a high amount of energy however they are VERY gentle.

I recommend if you love the breed - you try rescue first. There are MANY breed specific rescue groups out there and before paying a breeder for a brand new pup I always would try to rescue a discarded dog first that would otherwise be put to sleep.

Pamela Easton


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