The Complete Labrador Handbook: The Essential Guide for New & Prospective Labrador Owners (Canine Handbooks)

Labrador puppy approved - tastes great. Thorough and informative, though I wish the text and photo formatting was more aesthetically pleasing. Feels like reading a research article.

This book was like our Bible when we got our new puppy. My husband and I both read beginning to end and marked up all the pages. It was so helpful and informative. From exercising times based on age to food sensitivities and food that is poisonous to dogs. I actually posted that information on the refrigerator so nobody accidentally gave him a grape or strawberry. Thank you! I highly recommend this book to all new lab puppy parents.

This book is a must have for all Lab owners both new to Lab's and long time lab owners. This contains a wealth of knowledge from some of the best breeders out there. I was surprised to see so many of the breeders that I had on my short list when I was looking for our lab. I thought I knew a lot about Labs after having one for 14 years but this proved me wrong. I feel that I am a much more informed and better Lab owner after reading this book... MUST HAVE!!

This was well written and organized. It probably had more information that I or most owners wanted to know about all the medical conditions that might afflict your Labrador. Can’t fault the book for being too complete but not a book most will want to read cover to cover but more of a reference book.

As parents to a puppy Labrador, this book feels like a comprehensive guide to all things- Lab. The author managed to capture almost every facet of our guy's demeanor and Lab-quirks, and offer helpful tricks and suggestions. I especially appreciate the part about having a Lab with young children in the home because it reminds us to be mindful of how important it is to have the whole family on the same page when it comes to behavior/house training. Thank you for a great resource!

Very comprehensive, thought out and important information to properly care for your dog.

Anything you don't know about Labradors, you will find in this book. Very well researched and very informative. Ms Whitwam interviewed the top breeders from the UK and USA, and in doing so, has written one of the most useful books that I have ever read regarding the breed. If you are new to Labrador Retrievers or just want to learn more about these amazing dogs, this book is for you. Thank you, Ms Whitwam!!! Great work!!!

I bought this book and picked out our lab on the same day. I was hoping to get the time to read this before we pick our dog out, but that was not to be. I read the book after, and realized it is better for those who are still in the decision-making stage. It gives prospective owners great information on the background and temperament of labs, how to pick a breeder, what a breeder is looking for in a prospective owner, questions to ask of the dams and sires and puppies, what to watch out for and so on. I also bought a book on Labrador training for dummies at the local Barnes & Noble and prefer this one for training and for pet care. I was surprised to see some spelling errors and issues with sentence construction. I rated it three stars because I will not be referring to this one as a pet owner. It is great for those who are looking to get a lab, it is a life-changing decision after all. --------------------------------------------- EDIT It's been 2.5 years now since we got our lab and I wanted to add that I didn't find any book useful for training. I watched all the Zak George videos on YouTube, he's amazing. And our family realized raising a well-behaved lab is a huge commitment - in terms of time, money, and patience. All of us do our bit to keep her engaged and happy. The first year was very challenging in terms of managing her energy but she mellowed out after turning 2, and now she's a good mix of couch potato and playful lab. (This might not apply to all, but was my experience.) EDIT - 5 years later ---------------------- Our lab is now 5.5 years old, time flies and she's slowing down. I learnt so much from raising her and I know I'm a better person for it. My main takeaway is labs are freakishly smart. Really scary smart. I didn't know it at the time, but my lab put me on probation for the first 8 months. She was carefully watching me and evaluating me. At some point, I realized she let her guard down and starting trusting me. She obeyed and listened unquestioningly. You need to work for it and earn their respect. If you don't have this, no book or training session will help you. I added some pics of our Poppy - one is at age 5.5 and the other, at 2 months old. --------- EDIT - 7 YEARS LATER ----------- As it's been so long, I can't remember if this information was already in the book, but I wanted to re-iterate the following: 1. Health and mast cell tumors When we first got Poppy, I thought that if we give her the best dog food possible and exercise her well, she'd be in great health for the rest of life. Well, I thought wrong. Poppy got her first mast cell tumor at age 6 and now got her second one at age 7. The vet said that unfortunately, after years of inbreeding for pure-bred labs, you get the best and worst - sweet, calm, playful dispositions and being pre-disposed to health issues like hip displaysia and mast cell tumors. She did well during her first surgery and I hope the 2nd goes smoothly too. But it was tough on all of us, be prepared for some heartbreak. 2. Pet insurance Get pet insurance when your dog is healthy and not exhibiting any health issues as insurance won't cover preexisting issues. Do your research into what it will cover and what it won't, just like you would for people insurance. You might not see the benefit immediately and wonder why you're paying, especially when they're young and healthy. I paid for 2 years and cancelled later, also because we have the means to pay for anything she needs, out of pocket. I wonder if it would've helped to have insurance now that she's older. The costs all add up - simparica trio, the monthly flea and tick prevention is $40 a pill. Surgery for mast cell tumor removal costs 1200 - 1700. Ideally, your lab or any other dog for that matter should not suffer or be given up to a shelter because you didn't budget for this. Time flies fast, so be enjoy the best parts and make great memories, and be prepared for the worst.

Un libro molto esaustivo .. completo

Information on Labrador breed and training advice.

Very informative, useful guide

This book is full of information on labradors.

Das Buch ist sehr gut geschrieben. Sehr informativ und beinhaltet Sichtweisen von unterschiedlichen Experten und Züchter, so daß man ein sehr breites Bild geschildert bekommt und auch nicht einspurig. Die Informationen reichen vom Kauf/Aussuchen bis hin zum adelten Labrador. Das Buch ist auf English und die Vereine sind hauptsächlich von Großbrittanien und den Vereinigten Staaten aber die Informationen sind universell.