01/02/2023
For those of you that have labradoodles you will recognise some of these traits in your dogs.
Breed of the month - Labrador
I couldn’t go past New Zealand’s most popular dog breed for our breed of the month feature! And look, it’s no surprise, there’s a lot to love about this family friendly breed.
The Labrador Retriever was originally the St. John’s Water Dog, bred out of Newfoundland in Canada some 500 years ago to help in the fisheries, where they would haul nets and long lines, dive for cod that slipped off the hook and even retrieve the hats of fishermen! They were later used by duck hunters to retrieve birds.
With these early origins, Labradors are bred to be energetic and people-pleasing with a soft mouth (must be gentle when retrieving delicate fish or ducks!), as well as stable and confident so as to be able to cope with gunshots and obstacles in the water etc. This is part of what makes them such an excellent family pet.
In their hunting origins, they needed to be willing to follow a hunter’s commands from a distance while locating a downed bird. They are strong-willed, and intelligent with a strong work ethic, very willing to work for their favourite humans. This is why you’ll find labradors performing many important jobs such as being guide dogs for the blind, or detecting explosives and illicit drugs. They have been selectively bred for cooperatively and collaborative communication.
In general, labradors can be:
🦮 People-oriented
🦮 Friendly
🦮 Sociable
🦮 Loyal
🦮 Intelligent
🦮 Easy to train
🦮 Playful (especially retrieve games like fetch!)
🦮 Confident and outgoing
🦮 Tolerant
🦮 Highly food oriented (sometimes obsessed!)
🦮 Strong and sturdy
🦮 Exuberant and energetic
🦮 Big chewers, if not given a good outlet
🦮 Mouthy
🦮 Prone to chewing or eating inappropriate things
🦮 Excellent swimmers
Labradors are excellent family dogs, especially if you get them as a pup and train them right. They need a moderate amount of exercise, and are generally easy enough to manage if they’re getting enough exercise and stimulation.
A more challenging trait to watch out for is over-exuberance. Because they are so social and lively, this can present as boisterous behaviours like pulling, jumping and being overexcited to greet others. Being big, heavy dogs, this can be troublesome so if getting a lab, invest some time in training them to be calm! Always wait until they are sitting or at least have four feet on the ground before patting and giving your love and attention to prevent jumping up.
They love to have a toy to carry around in their mouth because they are retrievers in their work/hunting they love to retrieve and carry things, sometimes obsessively like my Reggie! He was a Lab German Shepherd x and was obsessed with his ball.
Using a tug toy is a good idea, especially if you understand it is mock prey. Using tug toys properly can help prevent mouthiness. Give them lots of toys to chew and opportunity for retrieve games!
I love a labrador as a good all around family pet. I also like cross-breeds that include labrador in the mix, to give that family-oriented nature and trainability (keeping in mind that of course, as with all dogs, it also comes down to their training and socialisation, doing the right thing at the right time when they are a puppy).
Watch their diet to make sure they stay in a healthy condition (they are very unlikely to self-moderate and can easily become overweight). Due to their enormous food drive, some labs may also eat inappropriate and dangerous items like socks, stones or clothing. Good discrimination training will help prevent this.
They’re big goofs and gluttons for food and love! They'll give as good as you give (plus 20%!). Their brains are directly attached to their stomachs, so they’ll do anything for food (part of what makes them so trainable!).
Mind the red wine on the carpet with those big beautiful excited tails, oh and muddy feet! They love water, so teach them to get out of the swimming pool, because they will be getting in one day!
But all in all, it’s a thumbs up for me if you’re looking for an all-round family pet!
Is there a lab in your family? I’d love to see a photo!
