Labrador Retriever

Labradors are good with families who can cope with their excitable energy and have a love of the great outdoors. This breed always wants to have something in their mouths, this can be challenging if young children have toys everywhere, they won’t last long if a Lab is in the picture!

Overall, they’re kind-hearted, tolerant dogs who are good with children that understand how to safely interact with dogs. 

Labs are loyal and affectionate, all they want to do is to snuggle up on the sofa next to you, follow you around, gaze lovingly into your eyes and lean on you.

One of the reasons why Labradors thrive in family settings, is there is usually always someone available to get attention from. This means that they can struggle if they are left home alone.

Yes, yes and yes! Pet Labradors love to play, it’s one of their top desires. It’s in their genetic make-up to seek, find and retrieve nets and lines from water and birds from shoots, but most pet owners cannot fulfil this need. This is why they need to play with toys to replicate this trait, especially soft toys. 

Seek and find games are great for kids to get involved in, they can secretly hide treats or toys in the house or garden and then release their Lab to sniff it out. 

Entertaining a Labrador can be time consuming so anyone who has one at the top of their list should bear this in mind.

Labradors are not known to be particularly vocal dogs. But like lots of dogs out there, they’ll bark to let you know someone’s at the door or to alert you to an intruder. Noisy barking can get out of hand if their needs aren't met.

For a Labrador to live their best life, they need an active lifestyle, both physically and mentally. 

They’re highly sociable dogs, so if they’re not exposed to other dogs, people, sights and sounds in daily life, they can become nervous, resulting in aggression triggered from the fear they’re experiencing. Labs are social butterflies and when they’re over-excited about meeting new people, they tend to jump up at them to say hello.  

Labs have a bit of a reputation for being destructive in their early years. This can be avoided by meeting their needs, not leaving them on their own for too long and giving them plenty of long-lasting chew toys. 

Resource guarding (a dog’s reaction towards a threat of their favourite item) can occur if owners constantly remove things from their Labs mouth. Swapping items out will help reduce resource guarding if they’ve got something they shouldn’t have.

Labradors thrive in rural settings as family pets. They need a home with a garden for them to play in and access to open green spaces with plenty of sights and scents.

Whilst they’re quite a tolerant dog and patient enough to live with families, they can be boisterous around young children and risk knocking them over. A Lab who’s used to other animals can live happily with other pets in the home including cats and dogs.
If you’re going to be a Labrador owner, you need lots of time to dedicate to your canine companion to meet their exercise, play and training needs. 

A home in the bustling city, or one where the owners work and need to leave their Lab home alone every day during the working week will make for an unhappy dog. 

Labradors need at least two good walks a day where there’s lots to see and space for them to stretch their legs.

They also love swimming and retrieving toys from the water.  Swimming is great for their joints so it’s worth looking up local hydrotherapy pools if you don’t live near open water.

Labs also need to use their noses, chasing sniffs gives them a purpose in life.

All puppies need to learn how to be around people, pets, and other dogs, in a calm and polite way (known as socialisation). They also need help to feel calm, comfortable, and confident in everyday situations like travelling, the sound of traffic, and being in busy places (known as habituation). This is essential to prevent tricky behavioural problems in the future, and you'll be off to a great start with your ongoing training.

Labradors are easy to train because they’re motivated by food and toys. They were bred to work alongside people and just want to please you in what they do. If they’re not given a job to do, they can get bored and get frustrated, leading to undesirable behaviour.

As with all breeds, start your dog off young and keep going with it through tricky adolescence and you will reap the rewards once they reach adulthood.

Barking, digging, hunting, stealing food, and resource guarding are all behaviours you might see from your Labrador if their needs aren’t met.

Labs are also known to chew things and while this isn’t a training issue, it’s worth providing them with long lasting chews so that they don’t take it out on your furniture.

Labradors are moderate to heavy shedders. They have a thick undercoat and a smooth, slightly oily topcoat. All you need to groom your Lab is a slicker brush and a rake. Regular grooming will prevent hair from sticking to your carpets and clothing as well as helping to keep your Lab cool. Grooming sessions will also allow you to spot any lumps, cuts, or parasites before things get worse.

Labradors are vulnerable to certain genetic health conditions.

If you’re getting a Lab, it’s best to buy a puppy from a breeder who carries out health tests on the parents. Very basic testing should cover hip and elbow dysplasia, as well as eye tests.

Other conditions this breed can be affected by include Degenerative Myelopathy (a condition that affects the nerves in the lower spine), Centronuclear Myelopathy (muscle weakness), Narcolepsy (a genetic disorder that causes sudden collapse) and Exercise Induced Collapse (a hereditary neuromuscular disease that causes dogs to collapse after strenuous exercise)

Labradors love their food and if an owner’s not careful, this can lead to weight related issues. Overeating or exercising too soon after a meal can lead to bloating which is a life-threatening emergency condition.