Labs come in a variety of shapes and sizes and my first Labrador customers were no exception. Ingo, a lovely young chocolate Labrador, very friendly and bouncy, had been with his owners since he was a pup and was very well adjusted. He loved life and everyone in it. He was not above testing his boundaries though and would cheekily hover in the garden near to the back door without actually coming in when he was called. If I went out to get him he would laugh at me and run off around the garden looking back and hoping I would chase him. He particularly loved water and at the time my garden pond didn’t have any fencing around it so he would regularly go in for a paddle especially on hot days when he wanted to cool off.
His brother Riley, a much older black Lab, had been re-homed. He was a busier character always on the move and looking out for what was going to happen next. He had a wide-eyed expression and a friendly nature. Riley was the ring leader in any activity the pair would get involved in and he would egg Ingo on in their projects. It was Riley who was the first to venture into my pond and he encouraged Ingo to go in too. He was always on a mission when he went out for walks and powered on without ever pausing for a sniff around like most other dogs. Despite his difficult start in life, Riley had really fallen on his feet with his new adoptive home and was a very lucky boy.
Not having a big garden at home both boys loved all the space my garden had to offer and would chase each other around for ages. It was Ingo who tired first, even though he was younger. Riley, who had so much stamina, could keep on going for hours.
The boys have been coming to stay with me for a couple of years now and I really enjoy their visits as they are always well behaved and a very sociable pair.