Boy with yellow Labrador RetrieverAccording to registration statistics recently released by the American Kennel Club® (AKC), the Labrador Retriever is the most popular purebred dog in America for the 21st straight year. More than twice as many Labs were registered than any other breed making it a likely leader for many years to come.

In a recent article, a licensed professional counselor for more than twenty-five years, explained how owning a Lab can help produce healthier, happier, more well adjusted children. Here is an excerpt from her article:

The ten reasons that I am giving for children to have a dog are not listed in order of importance. All of us have different characteristics which we find more important than others. Every reason I list, however, is important to the childhood of your son or daughter.

Having a dog helps teach responsibility to children.

Whether they’re helping to bathe, feed, or exercise the family dog, children will learn the value of responsibility.  Caring for the dog will teach children that their pet is dependent on them for food and exercise and love. Dogs require a lot of care; they need to be fed, walked, played with and trained.  Children come to understand that dogs have to learn discipline in order to be pleasant around the family and others.  Children come to appreciate discipline by observing how important it is in their dog.  Having a dog teaches children patience, commitment and selflessness.

Caring for a dog takes a great deal of responsibility.  Children learn to be less focused on themselves and more patient with others.  Responsibility is a key factor in leadership development in children, and one of the best ways of learning responsibility is in the home with the family dog.  Being responsible for a dog teaches children valuable life lessons. The lessons that children learn from having a dog are priceless and may just help in being successful in life and in a career.

Be sure to read the rest of her seven part article, Ten Reasons to Own a Dog.

At Twin Lakes Kennel, we have been breeding and training world class Labrador retrievers for more than thirty-five years. Our Labs can be found across the states from Hawaii to Maine, from Alaska to Florida. Our second-to-none Puppy Guarantee makes buying a pure-bred Labrador retriever one of the wisest decisions you will ever make.

But don’t take our word for it. Read the personal testimonials from prominent Lab owners from around the country. And visit our Puppy Page or call Woody or Judi for up-to-date puppy information at 910.462.3246.

Did you know…

  • The first Europeans credited with having settled the area now known as Bowling Green were Robert Moore, his brother George and General Elijah Covington. In 1798, Robert Moore donated 2 acres of land to county trustees for the purpose of constructing public buildings. Soon after, he donated an additional 30 acres to 40 acres surrounding the original plot. The city of Bowling Green was officially incorporated by the state of Kentucky on March 6, 1798.
  • Some say at the first county commissioners’ meeting in early 1798, the pioneers decided that the new town would be “called and known” by the name of Bolin Green.” This name was after the Bowling Green in New York City, where patriots had pulled down a statue of King George III and used the lead to make bullets during the American Revolution.
  • Others say the Virginian settlers may have been honoring Bowling Green, Virginia. Still others say, Robert Moore kept a “ball alley game” on his residence which guests called bowling on the green.
  • Early records indicate that the city name was also spelled Bowlingreen and Bolin Green.

Source: Wikipedia

Call Woody and Judi Thurman at (910) 462-3246 for more information.