Mother & child with black 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.

Dogs are better than popping pills or drinking elixers.

Not only does being around the family dog help your child’s mood, dogs are great for children’s health.  Children with dogs for pets have been found to have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and fewer overall physical complaints than those without dogs.  In fact, there are several diseases where dogs have been used to help those who have the disease.  Two of these are: rheumatoid arthritis and emotional disturbance stemming from cases of severe abuse. “People have always loved their dogs, but now we’re discovering specific ways to harness the benefits…in psychotherapy,’’ said Dr. Samuel B. Ross, executive director of Green Chimneys Children’s Services in Brewster, NY, where special dogs are used in treating emotionally disturbed children.

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…

  • It is generally believed that the growing village that was to become Albuquerque was named by the provincial governor Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdes in honor of Don Francisco Fernández de la Cueva y Enríquez de Cabrera, viceroy of New Spain from 1653 to 1660. One of de la Cueva’s aristocratic titles was Duke of Alburquerque, referring to the Spanish town of Alburquerque.
  • Western folklore offers a different explanation, tracing the name Alburquerque to the Arabic ‘Al-Barquq’, meaning “the plum”, and the derivative Spanish word ‘albaricoque’, the “apricot”. The apricot was brought to New Mexico by Spanish settlers, possibly as early as 1743. As the story goes, the settlement of La Ciudad de Albaricoque was established near an apricot tree. As frontiersmen were unable to correctly pronounce the Spanish word, they pronounced it as “Albuquerque.”
  • Nickname(s): The Duke City, Burque.

Source: Wikipedia

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