Tell me everything I need to know about Labradors please!

[Chocadore]

The good, the bad, the ugly.

Especially chocolate ones.

We've had our heart set on getting a Labrador (I've previously had staffies but not for several years now). We know several and they're amazing but we only really see them when they're out on walks on leads etc.

We want to be as prepared as possible as to what we might be letting ourselves in for

Loves: food, people, slippers, sticks, walking, walking, swimming.

Has to be in the middle - and I mean the precise mathematical middle - of everything. Half way between mine and DH's offices, slap bang in the middle of any board game, under the dining table at meal times.

Adorable and cuddly.

You should meet mine. He's got boundless energy and character. A little too much so at times 🤣

That's exactly where ours is up to. He's a rescue albeit from a known source, but I suspect for exactly that reason.

We have two labs - one black, one chocolate- both working lines. Land sharks as pups, prolific moulters, eaters of many disgusting things and will swim anywhere and we have put a lot of time into training which was definitely worth it. They need regular exercise. They don't pull on the lead and are generally well behaved but as a breed love a job. We're strict on food (as they have no off button where that is concerned) so they are the perfect weight. They're kind, loyal, loving, chilled, have their own distinct personalities and snooze on the sofa with us. I don't know where we'd be without them.

Before you buy one check out the breeders and make sure the pup's parent have had all the tests/scoring.

Working yellow lab here, likely very different to show types. Huge energy and drive, athletic and intelligent but needs a job or will look for mischief. Will never tire but is calm in the house. Really enjoyable to train, quick to learn and loads of fun to be with.
Mine would choose his ball over food or treats every time, not really food motivated. He’s steady around people and kids but not particularly bothered about other folks, just wants to be with me. I’m devoted to him too.

We have a black lab, shes 9, one of the loves of my life, she is loyal, excitable, dopey, mischievous, the best dogs to have with children. When I get home she's always so excited to see me, she will literally leap into my arms
She raids the compost bin, chews the table, loves eating our slippers, goes through a bed probably every 2 months and swipes food off the side when ur cooking dinner but she is so worth it.

Labs need not be pure show or pure working. Some breeders will breed across those lines to get an all purpose dog. Less extreme in the prey drive but still very fit for purpose.

I have 2 black labs, who love meeting other labs and in my experience, working or show, they are all lovely.

That would be my take-away. Every lab recognises every other lab as family and must take a moment to say hello.

They are gorgeous as puppies and just get sweeter and sweeter as they get older.

My lovely old boy has matured into a very calm dog, excellent with children, trots happily beside elderly relatives, and still wants to play with the younger dog.
Enjoy your dog, great choice.

Get a good hand held hoover. We have a shark!
Get good insurance. You'll probably get at the vet a few times due to the random stuff they'll eat.
Mine is not a chewer unless left for too long or it's a flip flop!
She's brilliant at telling the time, especially 5.30 pm.

My good girl ❤️

Each dog has its own personality but mine loves food, she will do anything for it which makes her training easier and recall excellent but she is prone to putting on weight and is chunky even though ive cut down on her food- middle age spread!
She sheds black hair everywhere continually.
She's good with kids, cats, chickens but she's been bought up with them
Her tail wagging is legendary, does full circle enthusiastic wagging pretty much all the time, knocking things off the coffee table as she goes.
She loves water, and swimming in the sea and will charge through any muddle puddle the more smelly and stagnant the better.
She's very loyal and has strong attachment.
Labs are fab

We have a 13 year old and a 11 month old lab. Be prepared for endless hair everywhere! A lot of chewing when they are young - but loads of love and affection as well. They are loveable idiots, but in the best way. The chocolate one is noticeably thicker than the black one 😂

I figured I should add a pic of my much missed boy since everyone else is sharing their gorgeous pups. You can see how much he's moulting here and before anyone says anything, no I didn't give him the stick he is immensely proud of finding here. He was a rescue so I didn't get the chance to train him that way, he learned so many other things with me but you couldn't discourage him from the bloody sticks.

I just remembered the whip-like tail too. If you have a coffee table, don't use it for nice/expensive mugs or glasses. I lost two expensive crystal glasses to his tail and countless mugs. He could clear the whole thing just walking past it.

I can't give you a true representation of having a lab puppy as mine came to us at 11 weeks & was already calm. We never had any of the usual puppy biting, or destruction, so have been very lucky in that part. He is however reactive & it is hard to hold when he lunges after other dogs as he's very strong. Mine is also incredibly lazy while in the house, but has bundles of energy when out playing. He is very smart & easy to train (in everything except hos reactivity)

I have a brown lab. She is wonderful, daft, always hungry, naughty, hungry, friendly oh did I mention hungry.

She was pretty easy to train as a pup (food is a great motivator to learn). She has a number of health conditions now as she is v old, but she loves her tablets as we call them treats and she just eats them.

She wants to be everyone's friend and likes most dogs. She can spot a badly behaved dog at a distance and will ignore them.

She loves children and hasn't ever shown any irritation.

I haven't ever heard her growl.

She sleeps most of the day now, but does start to sundown at 4. She has CCD but is still our girl.

One thing about brown/chocolate labradors. They are more prone to allergies. She has dry skin which isn't great for my dog allergies 🤧 and she gets hay fever. She has digestive problems and is on a hypoallergenic diet.

All I can say is she is the best dog in the world and the last 13 years have been a hoot.

They are twats in the puppy and adolescent stage (lovely twats), but after that are loving family pets who can be as energetic as you need them to be. They are very food orientated, and a lot of people look at the ones who are the perfect weight and think they are underweight, as we're so used to seeing overweight labs

I have a golden lab of show type which in theory are ment be more lazy but untill this year we was often out 4/ 5 hours a day but suited me as u like being outdoors .He needed physical and mental training loves a job to do even now at almost 9 we walk twice a day at for about hour or so each time .

Mine was actually pretty good as a puppy but did chew plaster of wall on a corner
Touch wood we have had no major issues health wise untill now and a touch of Arthritis is starting to show in one of his front legs if he over does it and forgets that not a puppy (I keep eye amd he tend not do zoomies but occasionally catches us
Loves his family water and food though order maybe reversed

Negative the hair is everywhere and walking when it is chucking it down as round block won't cut it

The optimism was the best and worst feature of ours. She was a rescued teen. Don't know what she went through before but immediately trusted us as brand new safe humans and went straight back to causing accidental carnage wherever she went. She wasn't a naughty dog. But if there was an opportunity to accidentally fall into a tin of paint, race round the garden shaking it off onto a freshly painted fence and then jump at enthusiastically at a neighbour who came to see what all the shouting was about she was the dog to do it.

We do miss her. We have moved from that house. Even when we left, a couple of years after she died the marks of her presence were clear.

But she was gentle with children, immediately trusting and friendly even to people who were not keen on dogs, always up for new adventures and would pop over and slump on our feet after a long day. I would have another happily.

They're utterly awesome dogs. I've had several and our wider family have them too.

They are so dependable, loving, kind, loyal, brilliant with kids (but obviously kids need firm boundaries and to learn how to treat the dog with respect).

They simply have the most beautiful nature, they're gorgeous to look at, athletic, biddable. I could go on and on.

The only bad bit is losing them to old age.

Gorgeous dogs, noble souls, we've had several. I'd advice get chunky (less mischievous in my experience), and get two. They are great company for each other and will tell you if there is anything wrong with the other one.

Choose a lab that best matches the colour of your wardrobe, because you will be wearing its fur until at least six months after they depart this life.

Don't drop a Brillo pad off the kitchen surface, they will swoop and eat it, then produce THE most repulsive ammonia filled farts until they sick it up next morning. If they trump whilst asleep, it is quite possible they will wake up, look at you disgustedly and leave the room.

Easily trained to be calm around fireworks in my experience, just take them outside, say "Ooh, Fireworks!" delightedly a few times and act pleased. One of mine used to get on the garden table for a better look. (He also loved it when I wore sparkly shoes).

They wiggle when they walk in a very sexy fashion and wave their tails.

"To the left, to the right!
To the left, to the right
And.........helicopter! helicopter! helicopter! helicopter!"

my daughter and I used to chant. Happy days. 💕

I should add that I've only ever had the working type. Hence mine have all been very driven, fit, intelligent and athletic.

None of mine have ever chewed, or done anything naughty tbh.

I think the show ones are more sedate.

Show type bitch was the sweetest easiest dog ever but an absolute gannet for food. Easy to train. Not bothered on other dogs. Wasn't bothered about cuddling. Happy to sleep all day. Housetrained by 10 weeks. Liked digging the garden. Didn't chew anything.
Working line male ( he's only 6 months) an absolute cuddle monster, easy to train but too easily distracted to excel so far! Loves other dogs. Energetic but sleeps all night. Will turn himself inside out for a piece of kibble. Hasnt chewed anything he shouldn't.
They are the absolute best dogs in the world and I wouldn't dream of getting any other breed!

Absolutely brilliant dogs (shh, don’t tell my podenco). Loyal, fun, gentle but can stand up for themselves. When I was a kid my lab once launched himself at a pitbull that tried to attack me - had never even heard him growl before but he would not back down.

The food obsession is not an exaggeration. Same dog over the years stole and ate 20 frozen scones, a whole roast chicken, a pan of cooled chip fat and an entire funeral buffet… He lived until 15!

Healthwise all our labs had ear problems, two got recurring sores on their paws when they got older and arthritis.

But best dogs ever.

Yes! We got one of ours at 6 months when she was kicked out by her owners. Turned into the most loving, smart, delightful dog but those teenage years were tough. Remember me telling her not to do something naughty, her looking at me straight in the eyes, and doing it anyway! So much attitude.

They’re the best, that’s all you need to know!

This was my view this morning when I sat down on the sofa to finish my tea. Cuddles are mandatory, stinky toys included. Why don’t you want me stuff this up your nose though Mum, it’s amazing, see? See?!