One question that many first-time Labrador Retriever owners ask themselves is: “how much attention do Lab puppies need in a day?”
It is no strange thing to wonder how much care and attention you have to give a Lab puppy to keep them healthy.
After all, getting a Labrador means that you have to spend a lot of time and attention on your canine, especially during their puppy phase.
Furthermore, the primary task of any pet owner is to care for their pets as much as they possibly can.
Since being a dog parent takes a lot of work and preparation to get right, continue reading the rest of this article to get more insight into the question of “how much attention do Lab puppies need?”.
Do Labrador Retrievers need a lot of attention?
The long and short of it is yes, Labs need a lot of attention in comparison to other dog breeds.
Labradors generally have a reputation for being incredibly energetic and playful.
This high energy level means that they also need to get a proportionate amount of exercise to get proper stimulation.
Because of their history as an active breed, all Labrador Retriever owners need to provide all the needs of their Labrador.
This is especially applicable when a Lab is still a puppy and needs a lot of attention and guidance.
How much attention does a Lab puppy need?
Ideally, your Lab puppy should get a lot of attention. And there are so many different ways that you can give your Lab puppy the attention they need.
Let’s break down the things that comprise attention.
1) Exercise
First up, let’s talk about exercise.
One of the most pressing things in a Labrador’s life is the amount of exercise that they get.
Without enough exercise, most Labs turn to nasty behaviors such as chewing and digging through your backyard.
However, while regular exercise is an important part of your Labrador Retriever’s health, you should not overdo it when they are still puppies.
Experts warn against too much exercise for Lab puppies since they are particularly prone to joint diseases.
According to this study, degenerative joint diseases are one of the most common disorders in Labradors.
A good rule of thumb is for your Lab puppy to not be walking more than 1 mile at four months old.
Try to think of their exercise in terms of 5 minutes for every month of life. This means that your 5-month old puppy can walk 25 minutes and be fine.
Of course, this is not a completely scientific metric and is generally just there as an additional layer of precaution.
The important thing when it comes to exercise is to keep it moderate and not at all aggressive.
2) Training
Training your Lab is one of the most important aspects of having them as a pet.
Fortunately, Labradors are easy to train and are generally one of the most trainable breeds out there.
However, no matter how trainable they are, you still need to spend some time training your Lab.
How much time and attention that requires will highly depend on the methods you choose to employ.
Potty training, for example, means that you have to pay a lot of attention to your Labrador during the early days.
Generally, you will need to allot at least a couple of minutes per day to train your Lab puppy in what they need to learn.
3) Feeding
Feeding is another way in which you can give plenty of attention to your Labrador Retriever.
After all, while it will take only a couple of minutes to feed your Labrador. Puppies need to be fed more times than adult Labradors.
Thus, you will have to exert extra effort in making sure that they are fed enough times every day.
The frequency of feeding times will gradually decrease as your Lab puppy gets older. So, this is something that you will have to work on less in the months to come.
Conclusion
All in all, how much attention do Lab puppies need in a day will depend on your Labrador’s personality.
After all, each Lab puppy has different needs and personal preferences. Most of the time, what they need and want can be way different from their fellow Labradors.
However, there are certain rules of thumb that you can rely on when thinking about how much attention your Lab will need.
And, unlike what is commonly anticipated, attention goes beyond just exercise. There are other things that you need to do for you to identify how much attention your Lab puppy needs in a day.
You also need to factor in the time that it takes to play with them, teach them cues, potty train them, and feed them.
All of those tasks can accumulate a lot of time. Consequently, you should always be sure that you can take care of a Lab puppy when you get one.
