Question for Labrador owners please...

[Girolle]

I know they shed...a lot, but how hard is it to keep on top of? I accept it is extra work in this regard but are there any owners that are relatively houseproud and manage fine?
I’ve done a ton of research on breeders and would be a first time lab owner ( but not a first time dog owner). Have time to invest in training and temperament is so key. Would you say they are harder work as puppies than other breeds? ( I know all puppies are hard work). Would love to hear from you!

We had a chocolate labrador and oh my god her coat was an utter nightmare. She was on good food, I brushed her regularly but there was a permanent carpet of dog hair throughout the house. She did come from a puppy farm (we rescued her at 4 months) so I think it could have been breeding but friends with labs also have the same issue. They have very thick deep coats, and shed all year round. I used to hoover twice a day every day. And it still appeared in corners . She was a dream of a dog regarding training and behaviour however, and was so gentle kind and loving. My only suggestion would be to really research their breeding to avoid the common labrador arthritis problem... our girl started with it at 7 and it was really awful as her life got towards the end. They really are amazing family pets, but I'd be prepared for the hair . We lost her at 13 and I still miss her like crazy but our other dog is a working cocker and he's been a little demon in comparison.... especially the puppy phase.

A groomer on tv said the darker the lab the more they shed so a yellow lab sheds a lot less than a black lab.

The working labs here seem have lot thinner coats than my show lab especially this time of year

Our yellow lab sheds hair everywhere!
He's been easy to train but he knows his own mind so he'll only do it if he really wants something.

He's extremely friendly and loves everyone and everything. Very good natured and rarely growls in anger (usually only when I try to move him off my pillows!) . Be prepared to be licked to death 😁

Not sure about that Niffler. I had a black lab, he shed a lot. Now I have a yellow lab and he sheds no less, in fact perhaps even more. My yellow lab's coat seems thicker than my old black labs was somehow. I do seem to sweep up much more after him.

But, I wouldn't change him for the world. Hes such a lovely little fella, sweeping up some hair isn't a big deal in the larger scheme of things.

He is just over a year. He has never growled ever. A small yorkie just wandered into my house, he was from up the street. Being a male too, I thought perhaps they might have a little growl at each other. Yorkie had to stay with me as he got out and owners were not home. My gosh, they played so beautifully. Even from Yorkie just waltzing into his home, didn't bother him at all.

I have a yellow lab and yes he sheds a lot, all year round but worst in Spring. I bought a 'Furminator' grooming brush and it's made a huge difference - it's addictive though!!

In summary, yes they do shed a lot and you should be prepared for that. But don't let it put you off because they are incredible dogs, intelligent, loyal, loving, and totally gorgeous too!

They shed ALOT ideally vacuuming a couple of times a day is necessary especially in the summer, a good brushing down a couple of times a week is essential.
They're generally easy to train especially if you use food. If you have the time to spend with them training they make great dogs.
Labrador temperament is second to none I've yet to meet a nasty Labrador, that's why they're so popular as family dogs.

Forgot to mention that he was super-easy to train because he's very 'treat' motivated (like most labs)!

Regarding the hair... I'm only slightly joking when I say, buy a lab to match your carpet!! We have a yellow lab, beige/cream carpets but dark sofa! The next sofa we buy will match the dog!!

Having had Labradors and golden retrievers, I find the Labrador hair worse. It's so thick it weaves into everything, can just brush the golden retriever hair off and it collects in little tumbleweeds that you can pick up.

It was on one of those rescue programs. There was a test to brush lots of different dogs for an hour to see who shed more and that's what the groomer said and more did seem to come off the black lab. Although labs do shed bad if you brush them regularly you will reduce the amount that's left around.

I have a black lab. He’s 10 years old. He pretty much moults the whole year, with 2 big sheds a year. They can last about a month and I have to hoover daily then. We don’t have any carpets downstairs and have leather sofa’s. During the big sheds I also use a ‘furminator’. Can fill a carrier bag of fur a day! When he’s not shedding it’s pretty manageable. Can do a quick sweep up of the fur instead of having to hoover daily. There isn’t one day though that I don’t have to pull a hair out of my cup of coffee or dinner! They even follow me to work!
Saying that, he’s adorable and my best friend in the whole world and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

My family has a chocolate labrador and she does shed quite a bit. We have to hoover quite a lot and it still doesn't get all of the hair. However the house still looks fine and we all absolutely adore her!! She was easy to train since she's so food driven and is more than worth the extra hoovering

From our experience of owning black labs,MIL having a yellow,and knowing several owners of chocolates by far the hardest moulter was the yellow lab.Literally clouds of hair floated everywhere at certain times of the year,but he shed continually.The chocolate labs also bad.But our labs ,yes they moulted but had generally oilier ,glossy coats.Also know a very sleek working black lab,more like a pointer in build and her shiny coat less moulty by far.It seems to be the drier,duller coated labs that drop the most hair.As a result now own short coated springers,hardly any hair by comparison and no grooming,just ears to combine twigs out of !

I have a yellow lab as does a friend. Hers is very pale, soft and flat coated and sheds loads. Mine seems to have more wiry, abundant hair and has a bit of a ruff and sheds much less. We do have the whole house floored in yellow lab coloured flooring though!

It's not just the hair imo, it's that powerful waxy smell that penetrates everything... lab owners become accustomed to it, I think. I will say however that I have an unfortunately excellent sense of smell. Great dogs though, the serene ones at least.

My black one doesn’t shed at all. My blond one sheds a lot. I’d say they were quite easy puppies. Although black one took until she was about 8 or 9 months to be house trained.

Our black lab is nearly 5 and our first dog. We weren’t prepared for the hair, it is never ending and then twice a year it just drops off him. I can hoover in the morning and by lunchtime the shredding is very visible on our beige carpet. Vacuuming the living room can easily fill the dyson more than once. So we have a routine when moulting to have a good brush out before vacuuming.

He was a brilliant puppy, we got him at 12 weeks, he was crate and house trained by the breeder and settled to his new home within 3 nights. We only ever had 2 indoor poo accidents. He has the usual puppy nipping but learned quickly. The only problem was chewing at night which continued until 18 months then just stopped one day. He’s amazingly placid, stoic and biddable, and very very rarely barks, the perfect family pet, but a crap guard dog!!

All puppies are hard work but worth the investment of time, training, patience and love. Labs are relatively clever dogs and so House training isn’t so tricky as it can be with other breeds. As for moulting I’d never considered the difference in the colour of Lab but I would agree that yellows shed less, our chocolate was the worst for quantity of hair lost, but also the most loving (and the least intelligent, but adorable) of Labs that we’ve had.
I currently have a yellow Lab, she was easier to House train than most of the other dogs I’ve have, she doesn’t mount too much, she’s very affectionate but also very clever.

I was, briefly, without a Lab when we lost ours very unexpectedly and suddenly a couple of years ago and it only reinforced what a super breed they are. I think, as with any breed, the key is do your research and find the right breeder. You also need to decide which type of Lab, they’re not all the same, it’s not just about colour but do you want a barrel chested Lab or more hound featured?
I knew I’d found the right breeder when I would happpily have taken the breeding bitch home, who with 4 week old puppies was never going to have been at her best but even then was wonderful.