Labrador retriever Kudo with gooseAccording 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 and self-esteem.

First and foremost to benefit children’s self-esteem is the experience of being loved unconditionally.  As your children get older and are capable of delivering commands to the dog, they will quickly learn to be strong and confident, or most dogs just won’t listen. Furthermore, telling a dog to sit, and then watching the dog do what he was told, provides children with tons of confidence.

Having a dog who will always listen, a non-judgmental companion, and a friend who is always excited to see him/her increases your child’s self-esteem, studies say. Dogs can also help improve your child’s reading skills, as little ones often associate a dog’s enthusiastic ear and wagging tail with positive encouragement. By giving children the confidence needed to consistently practice reading, they become better readers by virtue of the practice.  Dog-owning children have fewer sick days off school, and children who own them often have better self esteem.  Daily contact with animals and responsibility for their care offers the children a sense of self-worth that doesn’t merely happen because someone tells a child how wonderful he/she is.

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…

  • Augusta is the state capital and seat of Kennebec co., on the Kennebec River; inc. as a town 1797, as a city 1849. Government, health services, and education are now the important industries. Traders visited the site, long known as Cushnoc, even before 1628, when the Plymouth Company established a trading post.
  • Fort Western was built in 1754, and Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Quebec assembled at the fort in 1775. (The garrison house was restored as a museum in 1921.) The settlement around the fort developed with shipping and shipbuilding on the Kennebec. Manufacturing began in 1837, when a dam was built across the river; the dam was removed in 1999. The capitol building (1829) was designed by Charles Bulfinch but has been considerably enlarged and remodeled. James G. Blaine’s early 19-century home is the governor’s mansion. A branch of the Univ. of Maine is there.

Source: Fact Monster.com

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