Welcome to the Reading Room
The Reading Room is our library of articles, advice, stories, and other information. We hope you will find it as useful as we have!
Labrador Retriever information
- About Labrador Retrievers - A basic introduction to Labrador Retrievers.
- The Labrador Retriever in Detail - Detailed information about the breed.
Are you ready for a dog?
- Before you get a dog - The decision to get a dog is not something to be taken lightly. An adorable puppy can tug at our heartstrings but, in the end, will require a significant investment of your time and money for a significant number of years.
- 32 questions to ask yourself before getting a Lab
- Dogs make terrible gifts - Many Labs that come into our rescue were once cute little puppies that were gifts to family members.
Rescuing A Dog
- What is an animal rescue organization? - There are thousands of rescue groups in the United States. Each group has their own philosophy, rules, regulations, adoption procedures, etc.
- LRR philosophy - Read about LRR’s unique philosophy on animal rescue.
- Why adopt from a rescue? - Why on earth would anyone want to adopt a rescued dog? Here are our top 10 reasons.
- You can make a difference - Read how one woman rescued a Lab from a neglectful situation.
- My month with Max - A story about a LRR foster home’s first experience with fostering.
Dog Ownership
- So, you’ve just adopted a dog - What you and your new dog should expect. Discusses everything from family introductions, to feeding and sleeping arrangements, to obedience training.
- I am your puppy - Do you know what that means you should expect from me and what I need from you?
- Crate training - Crating is a wonderful tool that you can use to train your dog. LRR begins crate training all Labs when they enter our adoption program. We encourage you to continue crate training your adopted Lab.
- Who’s In Charge Here? - Information about dog dominance and “alpha”.
- Lost dog behavior - Article by Kat Albrecht explaining what factors affect the recovery of a lost dog.
- Pet theft - Animals are stolen at an alarming rate throughout the country and sold to animal research facilities for profit. In 1997, an LRR Lab, Bubba, was kidnapped!
- When is my lab going to settle down?
- A kids guide to dog care - How to love your dog. An excellent link for your kids - check out the Contract they have!
Health Issues
- Heartworm disease - Heartworm is a serious disease caused by infection with a parasitic worm that lives in the heart and adjacent large blood vessels of the lung.
- Ticks and Lyme disease - Read what Dear Labby has to say about ticks, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
- Smelly dog - Here’s an easy, inexpensive way to keep your Lab’s coat odor-free.
- Information on limber tail syndrome, also known as “dead tail” or “cold water tail”
Miscellaneous Articles
- Books on Otis’s Credenza - Book reviews and recommendations on canine behavior, training, dog ownership, and more.
- You might be a lab owner if… - Read these humorous tidbits that probably hit close to home.
- Dog names - Having trouble thinking of a name for your newly adopted dog? Here’s a few names to get the creative juices flowing.
- How Could You? - One of the most-published animal-related essays in the world.
- Rainbow Bridge - Dedicated to those Labs who were dear to us but have gone over the Rainbow Bridge.
Happy Tails
LRR takes special pride in the many happy endings we’ve had the privilege to facilitate. We enjoy following up with our adoptive homes to make sure all is going smoothly. It is especially gratifying to hear these great stories, particularly when some of these labs were rescued from awful situations and environments.
Read all of our Happy Tails, or view a few select stories below:
- Want an active, younger lab? Read about Max and Sarah, a lighthearted, but very realistic, account of young lab ownership.
- Think an older lab won’t make a good pet? Read about how Hershey, a 6 year old lab, not only learned new tricks, but has succeeded in a variety of programs while being an excellent companion. Also be sure and read about Tucker. This 10 year old rescue labby not only learned obedience, but is also a Therapy Dog for Fidos for Freedom!
- Don’t overlook the love a special needs dog can bring into your life. Read how Keller came into Kathy’s life. Kathy gives great advice on bringing a blind dog into a multi-dog household.
We also maintain a list of rescued Lab home pages. If your rescued Lab has his or her own web site (even if the Lab didn’t come from LRR), send us the link at webmaster@lrr.org!
Links
Below is a list of links to other web sites you may find useful. LRR is not affiliated with these external web sites, and provides them purely as a convenience.
Animal Protection
- The Humane Society of the United States
- World Animal Net - Directory of 16,000 animal organizations, searchable by Zip code. Find a local shelter, SPCA or Humane Society branch.
Service Dogs
Puppy Mill Information
Products and Services
- Suzanne Clothier: Relationship Centered Training – great articles and information for dog owners.
- Pet Lovers Companion
- HandiRamp Pet Ramps
- DogLeggs treatment for calluses, soreness, swelling, lameness and arthritis
- Karen Wrigley, Animal Communicator and Pet Psychic
- Canine Fitness Center
- Labrador Retriever Chat Board
