Do labradors really smell?

[headintheproverbial]

Looking into getting a family dog over the next year or two as the kids get older and researching now.

Labs seem a good bet for children, trainable and friendly.

But one 'con' I keep seeing as I research is shedding and smell! We have dogs in our extended family but no labs. Is it bad??

I have yet to pet a Labrador that didn’t leave me with distinctly ‘doggy’ smelling hands.

Well I must admit I’ve met some honkers in my time! That said I have a friend with a lab and havre never noticed the doggy smell in her home

I dont have a lab ,but every lab I've met has stunk, but theyve never stunk more than my basset hound who reeks some days lol

It's odd how some breeds smell more doggy.

The bloke I'm seeing has a Great Dane, which when you look at the shape of its head etc is a bit like a souped-up labrador (body isn't). It has a very doggy smell, regardless of being washed etc.

My cocker spaniel has a typical wet dog smell when wet, but doesn't really seem to smell doggy otherwise (other people outside the household say this, not me). He does have an earthy / muddy smell if he's been on a wet garden / fields but that is literally wet earth on his paws.

Not if they are regularly shedded and groomed/bathed.

I would also say that imo, while I think they are great choices for active people with older children, I personally do not think they are a great choice of family pet for young children at all.

They are absolutely enormous and very strong and not at all gentle, not malicious usually but very over the top and clumsy and jumpy and overwhelming.
Very mouthy aswell.

On walks, I often have trouble with young Labradors.
They often race over and jump all over my dog ignoring requests to stop, I have had a surprising number of Labradors aggressively growl and lunge at me and/or my dog on walks too and I have seen a lot of young Labradors with owners struggling to hold them back with their lunging and pulling to get to exciting things.

My friend has a lab. I think the shedding would bother me more than the smell. Swathes of hair everywhere, she is hoovering all bloody day. Non/low shedding was pretty much top of my list when looking at what type of dog to get.

My lab had horridly stinky ears because of his allergies.

He never had any worse genetic doggy smell than any of my other breeds I’ve had (other than my greyhound, who doesn’t smell at all)

No. Mine only smelled when wet.

My sister's golden retriever on the other hand...

If you keep up with really regular grooming you might be ok.

Labs do smell really. The amount depends on the owner but they reek usually. Dogsat a couple of them. I also don't think they're that great with kids, due to the food drive out on walks. Has my shoulder wrenched out by a lab after a manky bit of discarded pizza in the park. As they are dustbins about food, can also have dodgy tummies occasionally. Lovely dogs tho, like permanent gormless teenagers.

I’ve had three and fostered two. They shed yes, but none of them smelt. I imagine it’s got a lot to do with how they are looked after and how they are fed. Dogs with a food allergy can have a yeasty smell to their coats for example. Also if, as PP mentioned, there’s any ear problems that can honk pretty badly, but they are easy to keep on top of with sufficient vet visits and also with daily cleaning of the ears. Brushing teeth is another thing that should be done every day, keeps smells and decay at bay. Good thorough daily brushing keeps coats in good condition so they are healthy and that will keep smells away (also helps with the shedding). Mine were/are fed very high quality food and raw bone. At the moment I’ve got a 15 yr old Labrador and a 14 yr old greyhound, and, though neither ‘smell’, if I had to choose I’d say my greyhound is definitely ‘smellier’. I’ve only known one Labrador that ever smelt and she was my friends dog who had an allergy to grain in her food, as soon as that was identified and she had a change of diet, she was fine and non smelly.

They just smell like dogs btw... it’s not some horrendously strong smell like billy goats or something.

Yep, we have a labrador, huge chocolate coloured hound called Rover. Who, if you can keep him away from fox shit, doesn't smell anymore doggy than any other dog.That said, I do take him up to the stables with me and he'll get a wash down along with the horses.

What a strange thread. The only time my lab smells bad is when she's rolled in poo (which I will admit is a favourite pursuit of hers). When she's poo-free, she smells fine. It's possible I don't notice a strong dog smell because I'm used to her but if that's the case, then it's not going to be a problem for anyone who owns a lab, is it?

She doesn't take lots of grooming - I simply hose her down after a poo incident, then she's fine.

And as for this load of nonsense:

They are absolutely enormous and very strong and not at all gentle, not malicious usually but very over the top and clumsy and jumpy and overwhelming.

Labradors are not 'absolutely enormous'. They are large dogs, yes, but there is a range of sizes within the breed, with females particularly being smaller. My lab is extremely gentle - my kids were aged 5 & 8 when we got her and she'd come from a home with children who were even smaller, without any problems at all. Some labradors, particularly very young dogs and those who haven't been properly trained, may be 'over the top and clumsy and jumpy and overwhelming', but to state it as if these are primary features of the breed is ridiculous.

I don’t have one, but labs I have known have smelled more “doggy” than other dogs yes. They tend to have oilier coats in my experience. Still lovely dogs though!

Labradors are not 'absolutely enormous'. They are large dogs, yes, but there is a range of sizes within the breed, with females particularly being smaller. My lab is extremely gentle - my kids were aged 5 & 8 when we got her and she'd come from a home with children who were even smaller, without any problems at all. Some labradors, particularly very young dogs and those who haven't been properly trained, may be 'over the top and clumsy and jumpy and overwhelming', but to state it as if these are primary features of the breed is ridiculous
My personal experience of the breed is that most are extremely exuberant, extremely bouncy, extremely jumpy, completely food obsessed, pretty mouthy and have poor manners around other dogs.

I maintain that in my personal opinion, they are not ideal dogs for young children and are better suited for active families with older children.

Your experience of the breed is obviously different.

The only gentle, calm Labradors I have met have been either old or grotesquely overweight or guide dogs.

Mine smell delightful! Well the older one pongs a bit but mostly because he has a taste for dog crap.

All I can say is that mine are the most delightful family dogs. Loyal, friendly, reliable and extremely loving. I highly recommend the breed.

Our labrador smells doggier than our cockapoo. Their coats are different so you bath them at different intervals. Our cockapoo smells of grass and earth for a short time if she’s been running in fields and manky water if she’s been ditch diving. Our labrador generally smells more doggy though. He’s not a traditional labrador in that he doesn’t like mud or water and actively avoids them. So he would smell worse if he was a fan of those.

I've never met a Labrador that didn't stink - sorry!

Pmsl at labs being absolutely enormous!
I've always had labs, have 2 now. Definitely not smelly. I've smelt a lot worse dogs.

I have a black lab, I don't think she is smelly and I am quite house proud. Maybe I'm just used to the smell but I really don't notice one.
She is an absolute fur monster though- her shedding is unreal and I have to hoover at least once a day and she has to be groomed every day out in the garden.
We got her when my youngest was 2 and she has been the perfect family dog. We went to puppy training classes and continue to reinforce recall and other behaviour training on a regular basis.
She needs a LOT of exercise and mental stimulation- at least 3 hours a day, most of that she needs to be running and chasing a ball or swimming in the sea.
Labs are great dogs but definitely need a family who are active, enjoy the outdoors and don't mind putting a lot of effort in with training.

They smell beautiful. They have that lovely dog smell . Their ears smell of pine forests and there paws smell of popcorn. I love the lab smell

PollyRoulson I agree! Our current Lab (8 months) has lost his biscuity puppy smell but still smells scrumptious. I go in for a sniff a couple of times a day at least. He’s a country dog, hardly ever bathed but smells just fine unless he’s been into a fetid pond. Ours’ is only really in the (very large) kitchen or garden, and comes into the snug each evening, where he cuddles on the sofa. I’ve never noticed a doggy smell. Luckily, he is the same colour as our floors but I barely notice hair about ( the cat on the other hand....)

@PollyRoulson

They smell beautiful. They have that lovely dog smell . Their ears smell of pine forests and there paws smell of popcorn. I love the lab smell

Ahh, that’s lovely and I know for a fact that my two DDs will agree wholeheartedly with that. They’ve both spent a lot of wistful hours, cuddled up in front of the fire, breathing in deep the aroma of Labrador! I may or may not have been doing that too only this very morning (when I should have been doing the housework ).