Daily exercise is necessary for Labrador Retrievers. It helps your do stay fit and healthy. Vets tell us that regular exercise is needed for muscle development and good digestion. I find that exercise also helps keep them more obedient by burning off all of that energy.
When a lab is deprived of regular exercise he can become aggressive, dis-obedient, may chew a lot more and may bark a lot.
I find that when I exercise my dogs daily they are stable, obedient, easy to handle, and more affectionate.
When I see other owners who have disobedient dogs I often draw a relationship to them not exercising their dogs regularly.
Exercising a Lab Puppy:
You don’t want to exercise a puppy as you would a 2 year old Lab. You don’t want to take puppies on long walks until they are 18 months of age. You also don’t want to make puppies jump up onto or down off of surfaces. If you play fetch with your puppy, limit the fetch session to 3-5 throws.
Exercising an adult Lab:
You want to come up with a regular exercise routing for dogs over 18 months of age. I like to walk my Labs at least one mile a day. I find a structured walk to be rewarding for myself and my dogs. I think the walk helps develop important bonds between an owner and dog.
In addition to a structured walk I suggest playing a game of fetch with balls, Frisbees, or other dog toys.
I am sure you also know that Labs love to swim. When you can you should incorporate swimming into your Labs exercise routing.
