The Labrador Retriever, also known as just Labrador or Labs, has a reputation of being one of the kindest natured dogs - which is why they are the most popular breed in the UK as well as the US.On bringing your new Labrador puppy home you should think about taking them to puppy classes for early socialisation and training. Getting them used to different people, dogs and situations will help them grow into a well-mannered adult, and will help you recognise any bad habits that they may be developing.
Life Span: 10 – 12 years
Breed Group: Gundog
Colours: Black, Chocolate, Golden/Yellow
Exercising Your Labrador
As many Labradors work in roles such as search & rescue, assistance and in drug and bomb detection; they are quite an active, outgoing, energetic breed that requires lots of exercise daily. A minimum of one hour exercise a day is required for any Lab, as pent-up energy can lead to destructive behaviours such as furniture chewing and scratching. Swimming and retrieving are amongst the breeds favourite activities and they love to participate in obedience and agility training to burn off their energy. If you’re going to get a Labrador pup, make sure you don’t skimp on the training! They will soon grow to be large and full of energy, so make sure you get any training in early. Do some research using our
Advice Centre, or take your Labrador to training classes and you’ll have them obedient in no time.
Feeding Your Labrador
Be warned that most Labradors love to eat, which means they can become obese very quickly if overfed. They require a high-quality pet food and the majority of Labradors do better on a grain free diet from a young age.
We recommend the
Puppy Salmon & Potato dog food out of the
Sensitive range from weaning until around ten to twelve months, depending on their growth. If they are growing quite quickly then we advise that you switch onto the adult range at ten months.
Once they reach the adult food stage we would then recommend moving over to our grain-free
Adult Salmon & Potato dog food from the
Sensitive range.
Always ensure that clean, fresh drinking water is available at all times.
What Height & Weight Should My Labrador Be?
Height: Male: 57–62 cm, Female: 55–60 cm
Weight: Male: 29–36 kg, Female: 25–32 kg
Overall, the Labrador Retriever makes for an outgoing, but lovable companion that is perfect for most dog owners – and especially families.
