Labrador Retriever

Lily Girl: A Memoir

(A Blog Favorite)

There once was a lab named Lily,

Eyes of sepia, tail like a whip, coat ebony and silky.

She was lovely, she was sweet, she was silly.

She chewed, she fetched, she snuggled.

She snored, she scratched, she wiggled.

Everyone’s heart she moved.

Lily pranced to her own beat; she was loved.

 One day she left,

that day I wept.

                                                                          -p.o.martig

The Labrador Retriever: An American Icon

To own a Lab is to own the gift of love.   They are loyal, affectionate, busybodies, chewers, intelligent, and obedient (when trained) but most of all they love to play, especially retrieving.  Lots of toys are required or “you’ll be sorry”.

Labrador Retrievers are the most popular breed in America.  They are especially suited  for work with children and the elderly because they are even-tempered and well-behaved.   I once saw a child pull Lily’s ears and try to twist her head around.  Instead of growling or snapping, Lily calmly did an about-face and trotted over to me.  I don’t know if I could have been so tolerant.

Labs are great assistance dogs and are trained to aid people who have autism or blindness, are great therapy dogs and help law enforcement and other official agencies with screening and detection.  It is not unusual to see a Lab and its handler at the ferry docks sniffing for contraband in the cars waiting to board.  

Labs are most prized for sporting and waterfowl hunting. They have a passion to fetch, over and over again. They want to please.  Lily would have had to be taken as a puppy to be trained to hunt.  It takes a lot of discipline and endurance. Lily was just too playful and carefree to be allowed admittance. 

Lily loved to fetch. She loved to swim and fetch. She loved to run and fetch. She loved to chew and fetch.  Lily was wild about fetching.

Labradors compulsively chew as puppies and as adults.  Chewing is their passion.  One day Lily did not look well.  She hadn’t eaten her dinner and that never happened,  Lily was a chow hound. She was soulful and listless.  Off to the vet, we went.  Come to find out, Lily Girl, had a stick stuck sideways in her throat.  It was infected and had been there for quite some time. She had been chewing wood! Lily was immediately sedated and the stick removed and mom, although relieved, fainted from the bill. (Not really)

Labrador Retrievers Fact Sheet

Country of Origin:  Canada

Weight: Males (65-85 lb ) Females (55-70 lbs)

Height: Males (22.5-24.5″) Female (21.5-23.5 “)

Coat: Smooth, short, dense, and straight

Litter Size: 5-10 puppies

Life Span: 12-15 years

Labrador’s Health Issues

Labs are prone to “hip and elbow dysplasia” and “luxating patella” or knee dislocation. They can also suffer from “exercise-induced collapse”,  a syndrome that causes hypothermia, weakness, collapse, and disorientation after bouts of exercise.  Lily had a type of stressed induced Alopecia Areata, apparently common with labs.  Large sections of hair had sloughed off and scared the living daylights out of me.  A change of diet to fish (salmon) and lamb in a dry formula brought the silky coat back to life.

Labs love to eat and have the propensity to become obese. Lily too, had a weight problem but was kept in line with exercise, a special diet, and lots of swimming.

Lily never did have any pups but I wasn’t too upset.  The thought of 10 little chewers around the house gave me hives.

When I moved away, Lilly was adopted by a lovely woman named Clare who was Lily’s friend in retrospect (she was her dog-walker for two years) and I could not think of a better person to accept Lily’s love.  They are now entwined with life and each other.  I miss Lily and had to let her know.