There are marked differences between different breeds of dog. Some are happy to laze about, others crave exercise. Some do not demand much attention, others want it all the time. Some are fussy about food, others happily eat what they are given. Some are attached only to one human, others make friends with all. All puppies are active, but Labrador Retriever puppies are more active than most. It is only when they are tired that they are quiet; but their energy is virtually boundless and it takes much exercise to tire them. They always want to play, and they are insistent and persistent in demanding companionship. In the absence of other puppies and dogs, they seek the companionship of any human who seems available. Play is the big thing, and all play-mates are loved equally. Puppies can play only with their mouths; they have nothing else. There is an important distinction that must be made between biting, on the one hand, and, on the other, what is called “mouthing” or “play biting”. No one who has suffered a hostile dog bite can mistake one for the other. Canine jaws are powerful, and in a bite the teeth can penetrate quite deep. In mouthing the jaws are not snapped together. A puppy’s teeth can be felt, of course, because they are hard and pointed, but they rarely even break the skin. Adult humans who fear puppies should think of the strength of the bite of a human infant whose teeth have begun to emerge. A Lab of any age is not afraid to approach anyone and it is hostile towards none. An adult Lab is intelligent, responsible and dependable; it is not a coincidence that most seeing-eye dogs are Labs. But Labs remain puppies in their minds until long after they have grown to adult size. Eighteen-month-old Labs are fully grown but have puppies’ minds. Their playfulness is difficult to curb, and their size means that they can knock over children and old people. But they are only playing. They mean well. Only an imbecile can play with a puppy for five minutes or ten, encouraging it to run about and jump, and then, tiring of the game, expect it to go and sit quietly in a corner. How is the puppy to tell that what was expected of it a minute ago has suddenly become impermissible, a crime? This sergeant-major mentality is a mark of the belief that one can order the world about. In it there is not a trace of sympathy for the poor puppy’s simple needs and wishes, no comprehension of its limited intelligence. It is a mark of the person who does everything with a bludgeon. A puppy needs love, and that can come only from the heart. Too many people seem not to possess one of those.
