Observing Dog Behaviour
My neighbor Luke got a puppy one year ago and named it Zeus. From observation, the puppy from is a male Labrador retriever. When Owen got Zeus, the dog was quite shy, and he never came to the backyard. From research, I knew that Labrador retrievers are energetic dogs which require a lot of exercises. Therefore, I was quite concerned when Zeus remained locked up in the house. Soon after, Zeus started playing around in the backyard or sitting on the porch to watch children play in the street.
Labrador retrievers are friendly, compassionate and sociable. Unlike many dogs, Labradors like socializing with other dogs as well as human beings. Zeus is what one can describe as an adaptable dog. He is cooperative, gentle and affectionate; some of the qualities which make Labradors great family pets. I observed that Zeus was friendly with Rita, Luke’s one-year-old daughter. Whenever the Zeus and Rita are out in the yard, Zeus is always making sure that Rita is comfortable. In one case, Rita fell in the sandpit and was unable to stand. Zeus rushed to the sandpit and stood still. Rita held onto Zeus and stood. Thus, I observed that Zeus had been trained to be a companion to Rita.
Labrador retrievers are easy to train. According to Dog Temperament (2019), Labradors need some obedience training at an early age. Labradors are very strong dogs, and if not adequately trained, they become destructive. Zeus received some obedience training when he was a puppy because he is a well-behaved dog who listens to his owners. Also, Zeus understands simple commands such as sit, stop, fetch and eat. Therefore, Labradors are intelligent animals who can differentiate the various commands. One outstanding trait about Zeus is that he understands Rita. As mentioned earlier, Rita is one year old, who is learning how to speak. Whenever Rita claps, Zeus will wiggle his tail and circle around her. Also, whenever Rita yells in her gibberish, Zeus stands still. Although I have not entirely understood the communication pattern between Zeus and Rita, it is evident that they share a language that they understand.
Zeus is friendly towards other dogs. The Labrador breed is famous for its good-natured and loving temperament (Dog Temperament, 2019). The energetic Labradors like to play and run around with other dogs. I observed that one problem Luke experiences is to get him to come back when he is playing with other dogs. The park is nearby and severally, Zeus sneaks to the park to play with other dogs.
Zeus is also friendly to other pets. Luke also owns a cat which coexists peacefully with Zeus. Initially when Zeus was a puppy, he used to chase the cat around the house and in the yard. I later came to realize that Zeus was only looking for a way to release his pent-up energy. I observed that Zeus sleeps peacefully next to the cat. Furthermore, Zeus wiggles his tail whenever he sees the cat. Although the cat is never equally as excited, the two animals have learnt to coexist peacefully. Also, Zeus is a playful dog which makes him chase other animals in the neighbourhood. However, Zeus never harms any of the animals. From my observation, Zeus chases other animals as a way of playing around.
Labradors that are not well-exercised become destructive. Labradors are enthusiastic athletes and require a lot of exercises to keep them mentally and physically fit (Dog Temperament, 2019). I observed that Zeus does not get enough exercise. The only child in the household is Rita, and her parents are always busy with work. Therefore, Zeus is mostly locked up in the house or playing with little Rita in the yard. Naturally, Labradors have high energy and exercises such as swimming, playing fetch and walking, release the energy and prevents the dogs from becoming destructive. Due to lack of enough exercise, Zeus tends to be destructive. For instance, Zeus is known for his notorious bin-raiding behaviour. Although bin raiding is a common trait among Labradors, Zeus scatters litter all over the back yard. Also, Zeus tends to chew on any item he comes across. Sometimes Zeus barks at strangers while jumping up and down. Although some people interpret the behaviour as naughty, I observed that Zeus refrains from destruction whenever he gets enough exercise.
Zeus likes to have his mouth full. As evident from the name, Labradors are retrievers; thus, they naturally want to carry stuff in their mouths. The Labrador’s original job was to go out into the field and bring back the downed bird the hunter shot in his mouth (Dog Temperament, 2019). Therefore, Labradors like to carry things in their mouth. I observed that Zeus tends to carry toys from the house and to bury them in the back yard. After a few minutes, Zeus digs up the toy and carries back to the house again. Thus, Zeus practices his natural habits by chewing, hiding and retrieving toys.
In conclusion, Labradors are very expressive animals. From my observation of Zeus, it is easy to predict behaviour because Labradors have an expressive body language. Labradors are social and friendly to other dogs as well as animals from other species. Besides, Labradors are easy to train since they understand command words easily. Also, Labradors require regular exercise failure to which they become destructive.
Reference
Dog Temperament. (2019). Labrador Retriever Temperament and Behaviour. Retrieved September 28, 2019, from Dog Temperament: https://www.dogtemperament.com/labrador-retriever-temperament/