'Terrible teens' Labradors abandoned by dog owners

Adolescent Labrador Darcy has been recently fostered

Foster homes are desperately needed for adolescent Labrador dogs because many are being abandoned by their owners, an animal charity in south-west England has said.

The Labrador Rescue Trust said people who bought "cute" puppies during the Covid-19 lockdowns had been unable to cope with their pets once they reached adolescence.

Staff warned they were working dogs and "all of them go through the 'terrible teens'".

The trust said it was offering to pay for ongoing medical care and provide accredited behaviourists to train dogs in an effort to find fosterers.

Fosterers said Labradors, including Ben pictured here, "can be wilful"

The trust, which started in 1988, covers Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, parts of the Forest of Dean, Bristol and Bath, plus parts of Berkshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.

It said it had rescued and rehomed 12,000 dogs.

Behaviour and operations support worker Lucy Cooper said: "A lot of people think Labradors are your happy-go-lucky, and a lot of them are.

"[But] They are working dogs; they have breed traits and, sometimes, if those breed traits aren't fulfilled, they become bored, frustrated, and that can lead to behavioural problems.

"All of them go through the 'terrible teens' and that's where a lot of behavioural issues can be tricky for owners, and that's where we see a lot of Labradors coming into our care."

Lucy Cooper warned that Labradors are "working dogs"

Marie Ball, the acting co-ordinator of the trust in Cornwall, said: "Unfortunately, a lot of them are getting sold on the internet and the dogs are being passed around, which only enhances bad behaviour in the dog."

Mark and Wendy Edwards, from Bodmin, have fostered a number of dogs and recently adopted Ben and Darcy.

Mr Edwards said: "They can be wilful, they need your time.

"You've got to be very patient and you've got to love them because they're going to be with you 24/7.

"They're totally dependant on you and you've got a duty and responsibility to do your best for them.

"We don't always get it right and we've been practicing this for 34 years."