According 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:
Dogs boost children’s confidence.
“For many children whose nurturing has been faulty, taking care of an animal can interrupt the cycle of abuse repeating itself over generations,’’ said Dr. Samuel Ross, Executive Director of Green Chimney’s Children’s Services in Brewster, New York, “They can learn to be care-givers, even if they haven’t been well cared for themselves.’’ Children who were regularly given the opportunity to care for a puppy at their preschool, as well as those with dogs at home were found more socially competent. They were more popular, felt better about themselves and were better able to understand other children’s feelings.
Many other life lessons are learned by living around a wonderful dog. Some of them are learning to be gentle, benefits of companionship, importance of faithfulness, the safety and security of home and appreciation of the needs of others. Above all the lessons, dogs are just great fun. They can make us laugh, even after a terrible day. They are always there wanting a reassuring hug. A dog’s primary wish in life is to make you, its owner, happy. How noble—and cool—is that?
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 Oklahoma region became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Prior to the American Civil War the United States government began relocating the Five Civilized Tribes to Oklahoma. Treaties of 1832 and 1833 assigned the area known today as Norman to the Creek Nation.
- Following the Civil War, the Creeks were accused of aiding the Confederate States of America and as a result they ceded the region back to the United States in 1866. Shortly after this the Arbuckle Trail, a feeder route to the Chisholm Trail, was developed to hasten the transfer of cattle from Texas to the railroads in Kansas. A federal survey of the empty lands along the Arbuckle Trail was undertaken in the early 1870s, headed by 23-year-old Abner Norman.[8] Norman’s work crew set up camp at what is today the corner of Classen and Lindsey streets; it was there that the men, perhaps jokingly, carved a sign on an elm tree that read “Norman’s Camp,” in honor of their young surveyor.
- On April 22, 1889, the Land Run saw the founding of Norman with at least 150 residents spending the night in makeshift campsites;[8] by the next morning a downtown was already being constructed. Almost immediately two prominent Norman businessmen began lobbying for the territorial government to locate its first university in Norman. On December 19, 1890, Larsh and Waggoner were successful with the passage of Council Bill 114, establishing the University of Oklahoma in Norman approximately 18 years before Oklahoma statehood.
Source: Wikipedia