Yes, training most Labrador Retrievers is easy. They housebreak quickly and are usually willing to please. But this breed is strong and energetic, especially adolescents.
Many Labradors between one and three years old are dropped off at animal shelters or rescue groups because of dog behavior problems such as pulling vigorously on the leash and jumping on people. Focus on teaching loose-leash walking, indoor calmness, and no jumping. All of these are taught in my puppy training book, Respect Training For Puppies. Yes, most Labs are happy to see everyone. They'll bark when someone comes to the door, but they're not protective. This is a friendly, trusting breed.
However, remember my cautions about exuberance and jumping. Young Labs up to two or three years old romp and jump with vigor. That means things can go flying — including people. If your Lab has been allowed to jump on people, you should stop this behavior immediately. Jumping can injure people, and even when it doesn't, it puts a dog in a heightened state of arousal that isn't good for him.
If you don't yet have your dog and your home includes toddlers or infirm adults, you might consider skipping the challenging puppy and adolescent stages. Look into adopting an adult Labrador Retriever from a rescue group.
Adults have a more settled temperament and you can specifically look for a calm one. Most Labs are fine with other dogs and cats, fine with livestock, and even fine with very small pets such as rabbits and ferrets. Of course introductions should be made properly. Don't just plunk a baby bunny onto the floor and let your full-grown Lab loose in the room.
Even a friendly dog can make mincemeat of a small fragile creature simply by jumping on it. For such a shorthaired dog, Labrador Retrievers shed more than you might think — on the high side of average at least. The bulk of their shedding occurs twice a year, for three weeks in the spring as their thicker winter coat switches to a cooler summer coat, and three weeks in the fall as their summer coat switches over to a winter coat. But they also shed some all through the year.
Labs need more brushing than some other shorthaired breeds because of the high shedding. If you don't diligently pull out the dead undercoat during regular grooming sessions, it will all fall out on your floors and furniture.
Labrador Retrievers typically live years. Many Labs do live to 12 or 13, but usually with chronic health issues such as arthritis.
Unfortunately, an increasing number of beloved Labs are lost in middle age to inherited forms of cancer or heart disease. Common orthopedic diseases in Labradors include hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, and luxating patella loose knee joints , each of which causes chronic pain and lameness and can require expensive surgery. Labs are very prone to rupturing the ligaments in their hind legs — expensive surgery again. And if one hind leg ruptures, the other is likely to follow at a later time.
Another surgery. It's a good idea to have pet insurance when you own a Lab. The breed is at higher-than-average risk for an emergency gastrointestinal syndrome called bloat, which can kill a healthy dog within hours. One example of an odd neuromuscular disease is called exercise-induced collapse. As the name suggests, affected Labradors who have been vigorously exercising suddenly begin swaying, collapse, and require a rest before they can move again.
Here is a complete list of health problems in Labrador Retrievers. Officially, Labrador Retrievers come in black, yellow, and chocolate. They also come in silver gray , but this color is frowned on by breed purists.
These are just made-up names for yellow Labs whose shade of yellow happens to be golden or reddish or whitish. Whatever the shade, it's still just a yellow Lab.
Now, what about silver Labrador Retrievers? The official breed clubs, and breeders who show their dog in the conformation ring, state that silver is a disqualified color for showing purposes. In fact, most Labrador breeders insist that silver dogs aren't even purebred. Their position is that the silver gene infiltrated the Labrador's gene pool by crossbreeding Labs with Weimaraners. I think they're probably right. I think that one or more Weimaraner crosses probably did introduce the silver gene at some point.
However, since genetic diversity is a good thing in living creatures, I don't view cross-breeding as an evil thing. So if there are some Weimaraner genes floating around in a silver Labrador, that wouldn't bother me.
On the other hand, if I wanted a dog who could be counted on to look and act like a Lab, you're more likely to get that in a Lab who isn't silver, especially if the silver breeder is still using Weimaraners in his breeding program. They make you exercise Speaking of energy, those Labs need lots of exercise.
Long walks, trips to the dog park, play sessions in the backyard, you name it. The good news: You will get lots and lots of exercise yourself.
No excuses either. Rain, snow, wind, whatever, your dog still needs to expend that energy. Thirty monotonous minutes on the treadmill or a hike on the trail with your lovable Lab? No contest which one is more enjoyable. A need to please Labradors originated on the island of Newfoundland and served as companions to the local fisherman, working alongside them all day to retrieve fish and tow in lines. At the end of a long day, they would go home with the fisherman and were treated as a member of the family.
The breed is obedient and loyal — what more could you ask for? As such, they take well to obedience training, which is a must considering their unbridled energy level. Whether you work with a trainer or do it yourself, your Lab is ready and eager to learn. Just make sure you have a handful of treats ready as a reward!
The ultimate goofballs In addition to all the great qualities we noted before, the Labrador has a hilarious sense of humor. They are funny, silly, goofy bundles of fur that will make you laugh each and every day.
Case in point:. Low grooming needs For grooming, all the Lab needs is the occasional bath and brushing. Their coat is short and dense and sheds on its own.
No need for haircuts. No irksome hairballs. I grew up in a house full of Labrador Retrievers, so I'm a little biased, but there are many reasons why labs make great family pets. There's nothing cuter than a lab puppy I should have included that part. Do you know anything about how labs will act around small animals? We take litter-mates so they have each other and a familiar scent when we share away. None of my labs have ever chewed a piece of furniture or wood trim of house or fence.
These black labs are the very best! We did get a dog from The Seeing Eye Dog foundation, she flunked out of the program but was a wonderful loving family pet so yes Che CJ thos organizations for a perfect family pet. You will love your lab, what ever color you choose. We have a black lab Bella. We got her at 6 wks old. My heart smiles every day. Bella is so very loving and very much in tune with my feelings. Extremely intelligent. Gentle and loving with children.
When im sad,or ill, she lays right beside me to comfort me. This was very helpful. My family might get a lab, and I've been researching them for the last month. Our Yellow Lab, Butters, is the absolute best family dog ever. We have 2 younger kids, 5 and 7, and I have no trust issues with our dog. The kids can take a cow bone right out of her mouth, put their hand in her food bowl, or climb on her like a horse.
When she was a pup, she ate through my spa cover, destroyed my lawn furniture, ate stucco off my house, ate countless kids toys, and I wouldn't give her up for anything!
Labs require lots of patience and can't get enough attention, but they are well worth it.
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