Labrador Retriever

The lab is traditionally a gun dog, but they are definitely now known for their kid-friendly attitude, making them a popular family dreed. They come in black, golden and brown and are considered a large dog breed.

10-12 years 

The energy levels of labs vary dramatically. However, they all have enough energy that they require daily walks and attention.

Labs are generally intelligent and being extremely food focused, means they are easily trainable and respond very quickly to positive reinforcement. 

Their love of people – they would do anything for a cuddle. This means that they will generally cope better as an inside dog.

I could definitely live without their drool and their shedding. And just sometimes, I wish they understood personal space. You will never have to go to the toilet alone when you own a lab!

I probably didn’t appreciate how much shedding they do. The constant hair is a nightmare. Also, whilst food focus is great for training, they consider everything, and I mean everything, edible. This means you will end up at the vet at least once for either a blockage or something poisonous. My strangest vet visit to date was for eating a poisonous puffer fish at the beach! 

Very, although you still have to be very careful with kids around them. Because they are so tolerant, they are inclined to put up with too much and then things go wrong when pushed that one step too far. 

They always want to say hello to every dog. However, the best thing you can teach your dog is to not say hi to other dogs so that your walks are easier – this goes for all dog breeds. 

If labs aren’t allowed to be with you, they can definitely get stressed. I have three labs, the two boys are chilled, but my girl is a stress head. 

Drool. Drool. Drool. Hair. Hair. Hair. I don’t think I can emphasise this more. I love my labs, but man they are messy. My girl is a barker at everything, but my two boys are not – so again this seems to be a dog specific trait.

Labs are prone to joint issues. It is really important to do your homework before buying a pup. Make sure they have been assessed for hip and joints. It is really important that you monitor their diet. Labs are notorious for being obese, not just overweight. I work very hard to keep my dogs in a healthy weight range. Overweight dogs live shorter lives and have more health issues. 

Because they eat everything, you need to be very conscious of all baits.