Show or working Labrador?

[Sunflower07]

Hi,

I am thinking of getting a Labrador either later this year or next spring. I have relatives who have had the field/working type in the past. I don’t know anybody who has had the show type or both types to compare.

I have read conflicting info. Some people say there are big differences in temperament and energy levels, and some people same there isn’t, and any differences are more due to personality rather than the breed lineage.

I am speaking to some different breeders but was wondering if anybody has experience of both types who could give me any advice please on the differences and which may be best.

The dog would be walked for about an hour a day off lead, and then a shorter 30 minute walk. I have a big garden for in between walks, and I would like to do agility with them (mainly for fun rather than competition). I have another dog who is very playful (a cockapoo) and loves sniffy games and retrieving toys etc.

We have a working labrador. She has all the traits people describe in show labs because she's a labrador. She's sweet, gentle, non-confrontational, loves humans, very docile with kids, and is incredibly loyal.

But I do not say this lightly, between 6 months and 2 it was hell at times. We thought she'd turned a corner, and then she would regress for weeks. Labrador adolescence is not for the faint hearted. She needed a lot of mental stimulation (as well as having to be taught to do nothing). We did scent work classes and gundog training, on top of obedience classes and occasional mantrailing, all of which took time and money.

That said, when she turned 2, she calmed down loads. Now, as long as her needs are met with a good exercise and some very structured retrieval/scent training, she's an absolute dream to be around. Last season she started a little bit of beating on our friends' shoots and that was incredible for her mental satisfaction and wellbeing.

If you do get a working line, I'd say look carefully at the lineage. You don't want too many FTW or FTCH. Ours doesn't, and that coupled with her temperament means she's a good pet and she won't succeed as a proper working dog beyond the odd casual shoot, but she's still pretty driven.

I also agree with a comment upthread that says their temperament can be determined at 6 weeks. We thought our breeder was a bit mad describing ours the way she did but now that adolescence is out of the way, we can see she had her temperament bang on. So do ask how the breeder matches puppies to the right houses based on that. Ours wouldn't have succeeded in a full working home but our breeder knew she would still need to go to an active home with time to invest in her training etc.