Labrador Retriever - Breed Facts & Characteristics

There is a reason Labrador Retrievers are one of the most popular dogs worldwide. Playful and devoted, they are known for their open, enthusiastic temperaments, which you’ll soon come to adore - as long as you can stand the affection overload, that is. They are smart too. With a little patience, the Labrador breed trains well. Just keep that plate of food away from the edge of the table.

Official name: Labrador Retriever

Other names: Labrador, Lab

Origins: United Kingdom

Black and white portrait of adult and puppy golden Labrador side by side

Drooling tendencies		Warm weather?
Grooming needs		Cold weather?
Shedding level		Suited to apartment living ?
Barking tendencies		Can stay alone?*
Energy level		Family pet?*
Compatibility with other pets

* We advise against leaving pets alone for long stretches. Companionship can prevent emotional distress and destructive behaviour. Speak to your veterinarian for recommendations.

Every pet is different, even within a breed; this snapshot of this breed specifics should be taken as an indication.

For a happy healthy and well-behaved pet, we recommend educating and socialising your pet as well as covering their basic welfare needs (and their social and behavioural needs.

Pets should never be left unsupervised with a child.

Contact your breeder or veterinarian for further advice.

All domestic pets are sociable and prefer company. However, they can be taught to cope with solitude from an early age. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or trainer to help you do this.

56 - 61 cm Height

30 - 36 kg Weight

53 - 58 cm Height

25 - 32 kg Weight

Baby age	Birth to 2 months
Puppy age	2 to 15 months
Adult age	15 months to 5 years
Mature age	5 years to 8+ years
Senior age	From 8 years

Black and golden Labrador biting onto one orange toy while running on grass

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Get to know the Labrador

All you need to know about the breed

Labrador Retrievers are definitely not the dog equivalent of a couch potato. Swimming, playing – did someone say, “Fetch!”? – and long walks with their favourite humans…the Labrador is up for anything and everything. Including training. Training sessions are usually a satisfying endeavour thanks to the breed’s inherent intelligence. Balanced and playful, once trained, most Labradors are really great with children. Often trained as therapy dogs, the Labrador’s character traits mean they make for superb service animals. And they have pretty good manners too.

It’s important to remember that this breed has one fairly big motivator: their appetite. This can make it challenging to maintain a Labrador at a healthy weight, perhaps more so than with other breeds. However, with a balanced, right-for-Labradors diet, plenty of exercise and a good vet, you’ll have yourself a healthy, contented dog.

Quite robust and muscular, they have powerful jaws and a large nose. Their eyes, usually brown or hazelnut-coloured, are full of softness, intelligence and devotion. When a Labrador Retriever looks at its owner, the connection is clear for all to see.

Labradors’ coats are short and thick, without waves or feathering, with a weather-resistant undercoat. You can find the breed in yellow (ranging from light cream to fox-red), brown or all-black. Their tails, often aerobically in movement, are quite thick at birth. Completely covered with dense hair, it gives the Labrador’s tail the appearance of roundness, or what is commonly called an ‘otter tail’. Good advice: when a Labrador is content to see you, don’t stand in the path of its tail!

Known for their friendly, kind temperaments, the Labrador Retriever breed is supremely adaptable to almost any living situation. As a family dog, they will somehow gather the patience to wait for the children to get home from school and excitedly head into the garden to play with them. While a Labrador will bark when it hears strange or loud noises, they don’t make great guard dogs – when well-socialised, they are quite devoid of aggressiveness, bearing no ill will towards man or their fellow pets.

Black and chocolate Labrador puppies sat next to another on grass

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2 facts about Labrador Retrievers

1. Labs live for 2 things: playing and food

And not necessarily in that order. But that’s what training is for. There are plenty of great Labrador puppy training videos on the internet - and great trainers locally. The playing helps keep your Labrador in great shape and prevents him from getting bored. You’ve got this!

2. Staying on top of things

Labrador Retrievers can be prone to certain health concerns, from conditions like hip dysplasia (a reputable breeder will have tested the parents before mating them to help prevent the puppy from having it) to ACL tears - yes, like humans. With recommended exams, a balanced diet and check-ups, most problems can be found early.

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History of the breed

There’s a reason Labrador Retrievers are so good on both land and in the water. A direct descendant of the St. John’s Water Dog, named after the capital of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, fishermen used these hard-working dogs to help retrieve their nets and fish from the icy waters of this coastal wilderness. The dogs also kept the fishermen company on what was an isolated, massive and surely inhospitable island.

However, the answer to “Where do Labradors come from?” isn’t that straightforward. The breed as we know it today is believed to have been established in Great Britain sometime in the early 1800s. Adventuring aristocrats and returning fishermen brought the Labrador’s ancestor back to England with them, where the dogs found early fame for their hardy constitutions and loyal dispositions.

The Earl of Malmesbury, a clearly forward-thinking man took notice and deduced, correctly, that the dogs were well-suited to life on the estate. A breeding program was successfully put in place and it is thanks to the Earl and some of his fellow noblemen that the Labrador Retriever breed exists today. Still as comfortable in the water as they are on land, the Labrador Retriever remains one of the most popular dog breeds in the world.

Black and white close-up portrait of Labrador's face

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From head to tail

Physical characteristics of Labrador Retrievers

1. Ears

Floppy but not heavy ears hang down alongside the dog’s head

2. Coat

Short, dense coat over water-resistant undercoat

3. Fur

Fur that ranges from black to chocolate or yellow, from light cream to reddish

4. Tail

Set high, tail is naturally long and rarely stops wagging – and their whole body can wiggle at times.

5. Legs and spine

Well-proportioned, with good balance between leg and spine lengths.

Golden Labrador standing on grass looking to the right

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Things to look out for

From specific breed traits to a general health overview, here are some interesting facts about your Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever can be prone to obesity

They are fond of contraband when they can get it! -- but our science shows that regular exercise and a balanced diet are Labrador essentials to offset their propensity for obesity. This will also minimise joint problems such as hip or elbow dysplasia, which can lead to malformation of the hips and arthritis as well as related conditions in the elbow. Sometimes painful, dysplasia can reduce the Labradors’ mobility, requiring surgery to fix. The good news? Early detection is key to managing this condition and regular check-ups can help you and your vet stay on top of it.

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Caring for your Labrador Retriever

Grooming, training and exercise tips

The Labrador Retriever is an exuberant, energetic breed that needs lots of exercise every day. A Labrador who doesn’t get enough activity is likely to engage in hyperactive and even destructive behaviour to release their pent-up energy. The breed’s favourite activities are retrieving things, hence the name, and swimming. The Labrador can be prone to weight gain, but luckily, Labs also love to burn up energy on hunting trips or long runs. As you might have deduced, this is not a good breed for the sedentary.

To maintain a healthy, shiny coat, Labrador Retrievers should be brushed weekly, and even more often during seasonal shedding periods. They may need occasional baths to keep them clean, particularly after outdoor activities. And if they were anywhere near a lake or pond! Labradors, like all dogs - and people - need regular dental care, including at-home teeth brushing and professional cleanings. Maintaining good dental hygiene is important for your Lab’s overall long-term health. Nails should be clipped as often as needed and ears checked weekly if they’ll let you.

With the Labrador Retriever’s physical strength and high energy level, early socialisation and puppy training classes are vital. And fun. Gently exposing a Labrador puppy to a wide variety of people, places, and situations between the ages of 7 weeks and 4 months and beginning training early on will help them develop into well-adjusted, well-mannered adults. For the Labrador, puppy training classes are part of the socialisation process and help you, the owner, learn to recognise and correct any bad habits early. Labradors are devoted, intelligent, and enthusiastic companions who, with a little patience, will take to training well and return on time invested with tail-wagging great behaviour.

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