Labrador Retriever

Labradors are medium-sized, strong dogs with an athletic build and especially strong tails. Their head should be broad with pronounced eyebrows, and their jaw should be strong and powerful.

FUN FACT: Labrador Retrievers love to eat and will devour everything they find. This is why the breed is prone to obesity, so anyone having a Lab should limit its treats, give it plenty of exercise and secure a balanced diet for the dog.

Grooming and care

They have a two-layered coat that comes in yellow, black, and chocolate color. The topcoat is short and thick, while the undercoat is soft and weather-resistant. Black-coated Labs were favorites among early breeders, but over the years, yellow-coated ones have become more popular.

This breed sheds a lot. It is necessary to brush a Labrador as often as possible, especially when it’s shedding season. They will need a bath around every two months to keep him looking good. If your dog rolls into something really dirty, you must bathe them more often.

Their teeth need to be brushed a few times a week to remove built-up tartar and to secure good and healthy gums. Trim their nails as needed and check their ears regularly for any redness, wax buildup, or a bad odor that can indicate an infection. Because Labs are prone to ear infections, you should clean their ears after every bath, swimming, or any time your dog gets wet, and that will help prevent infection.

To be sure that your adult dog enjoys and is patient with all this stuff, you will need to start with these things while it is still a puppy so it has enough time to get used to it. If you make it a positive experience with loads of praise and awards, you can be sure that your dog will enjoy these grooming activities when it grows up.

FUN FACT: Ear infections are common in this breed, so you must check your Labradors' ears weekly. After checking them, wipe them out with a cotton ball ear cleaner to help prevent the infections.

Labrador jobs

Because of their sweet and calm nature and because they learn fast, these dogs are often used as therapy and/or rescue dogs whose primary purpose is to help people. They are trained to serve as guide dogs for blind people or as service dogs for handicapped people and people with special needs.

Because of their excellent sense of smell, these dogs are also used for hunting purposes or for helping the police (they can smell drugs easily).

FUN FACT: Russian President Vladimir Putin had Labrador Retriever named Konni.

Exercise

Labs are very energetic dogs that require a lot of daily exercise to be happy and healthy. If you don’t provide your dog with enough exercise, he can become hyperactive and destructive. What this dog breed loves the most is swimming and retrieving. They make a great hunting companion.

You mustn’t over-exercise your puppy. They are considered “workers,” and they will exhaust themselves, so it's up to you to say when the playing time is over. If you over-exercise your puppy, he can develop joint problems later in life.

Labs are great competitors in canine sports such as obedience, agility, dock diving, and tracking.

FUN FACT: Many famous people owned this dog, including Bill Clinton, Kevin Costner, Drew Barrymore, Anne Hathaway, Mary Kate Olsen, and many more.

Socialization

Labrador Retrievers are a very friendly breed that socializes well with other dogs and humans, including children. They are playful and energetic. One of their favorite amusement is swimming. Labs enjoy the water and everything connected to it.

Many people think that because they are so good, they don’t need socialization, which is completely wrong. As with all the other dogs, you will need to start to socialize with your dog while he is young because a small cute puppy will soon be grown up, and if not raised right, you will not like his behavior.

Luckily, these dogs excel in obedience training. You will need to expose your dog to a variety of situations, including different people, places, and sights so that your dog will get experience and get used to it.

If you are a new dog owner and don’t know how to properly train and socialize your dog we advise you to search for an expert who will show you the best methods that will work for you and your dog.

Like all other retriever dogs, they like to carry something in their mouth, and they can chew stuff. That is important that you secure him with chew toys if you don’t want him to chew your furniture. If you let them alone for too long, they can become destructive and start to dig or chew things. They are very devoted family dogs that need to be included in all family activities if you want them to be happy.

Lab and kids

This dog breed is excellent with kids. They will enjoy doing everything with them. It's not uncommon to see a Lab dog wear a party hat at a child's birthday party. But no matter how this dog is good-natured, you will still need to teach him how to act around the kids – and most important you will need to teach your kids how to play and interact with the dog.

With all that, you can be sure that they will get along and enjoy each other's company.

Labradors and other dogs

If this dog is exposed to many dogs and other animals from puppyhood, they will get along with all of them. By nature, they are not aggressive, so it is not a hard job to teach them to be good around other dogs and animals.

They especially love other pets in the household if they are raised together from the start.

Health problems

Labs are generally healthy dog breeds with 10-12 years of life expectancy. They are prone to health problems that every new dog owner should know.

These dogs are prone to

• hip and elbow dysplasia,
• eye conditions, including progressive retinal atrophy (an eye disease that includes the gradual deterioration of the retina. At the beginning of the disease, dogs become night blind, and as the disease progresses, they will lose their day vision),
• heart disorders,
• hereditary myopathy (affects muscles and the nervous system. The puppy that is diagnosed with this disease will always be tired and stiff when he walks. In some cases, he could even collapse after exercise. Because there is no treatment for this disease only thing you can do is give your dog rest and keep him warm);
• gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat),
• ear infections (because Labs love water, they are prone to ear infections),
• cold tail (it is a common disease to Labs and other retrievers), etc.

Because these dogs are prone to some health problems, you can perform a few health tests to ensure he is healthy – hip and elbow evaluation, ophthalmologist evaluation, and EIC DNA test.

Obesity

These dogs are also prone to obesity, and that’s why it's extremely important to train your dog regularly. You must pay attention to the correct amount of food you give your dog. These dogs usually have a big appetite, and if you let them, they will eat more than is good for them and their stomach.

Also, you need to be careful with the number of treats you are giving your dog. If you want to be sure that your dog is not obese, you should be able to feel his ribs, but you should not be able to see them. This is the easiest method to check if the dog is obese.

EIC

Exercise-induced collapse can occur when the Labrador is young. The DNA test will allow breeders to identify carriers. With these results, they will plan their breedings so they can avoid producing this disease.

FAQ

Labrador Retriever breeders

If you are looking to buy a Lab puppy, make sure you buy it from reputable Lab breeders who can guarantee you that the dog is free of genetic diseases and that it has a sound temperament. Many people are breeding Labrador (which explains why is there so many of them), but not all of them are responsible and/or authorized by proper authorities.

Labs vary depending on what breeder you choose. Some breeders aim to breed a perfect Lab for working purposes, while others want to get as close as possible to the ideal Lab look, so the dog can compete in dog shows. Some of the breeders aim for both.

These are great companions that will fit into any family as long as they are giving love and attention to the dog. Whether you are a first-time or an experienced owner, this dog breed is for everyone. Devote your time and socialize and train your dog from puppyhood and we assure you will, in return, get an obedient dog who will enjoy spending every minute with you and your family.

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World Dog Finder team

The breed originated on the island of Newfoundland and was originally called St. John’s dog. Labrador Retrievers (or Labs) were bred to help local fishermen, mostly to retrieve fish that had escaped a fisherman’s net. Labrador Retrievers are muscular and athletic people-oriented dogs.

Many people believe that St. John’s dog was bred with small local dogs and Newfoundland dogs. One English sportsman noticed these dogs, and he imported a few Labradors to England so they could serve as retrievers for hunters. These dogs were almost extinct in the 1880s, but because of the Malmesbury family members and other English fanciers of this breed, they managed to keep this breed alive.

Because of government restrictions in Newfoundland, this breed disappeared at that point. Families were only allowed to keep one dog, while owning a female dog was highly taxed, and because of that, they removed female puppies from the litter.

This dog breed managed to survive in England as the Kennel Club recognized it in 1903. British Labradors were imported into the US during the 20s and 30s to establish this dog breed. This breed became widely popular after World War II,, and since then, its popularity is constantly on the rise, and they have been on the top of the most popular dog lists for the past 30 years. 

Labs today are great working dogs in the field of detection, especially drugs, and explosives; they are great therapy and assistance dogs and remain one of the most popular retriever breeds for hunters.

FUN FACT: The Labrador Retriever has been split into two different types of Labs – the American Labrador and the English Labrador. The American Labrador is bigger, and it was created for working purposes, and the English breed was bred for dog show purposes.