Labrador Retrievers are very loyal companions. They make great family dogs as they are gentle with kids, playful, and very intelligent. In this article, we will look at the breed characteristics of the Labrador Retriever, explain where they originated, provide a short history of the breed up to the modern day, and answer commonly asked questions about the breed.
The Labrador Retriever dates back to at least the s. The breed was first introduced in Newfoundland, Canada. During this time, small water dogs were bred with the Newfoundland dog breed to be a new breed called the St.
These dogs were owned by fishermen in the area to jump into icy water to bring fish that fell off their hooks. Although there were different breeds of dogs similar to the Labrador Retriever, the breed kept living in Newfoundland until the s.
The Labrador Retriever was then imported to Poole, England. The Earl of Malmesbury saw the Labrador Retriever and immediately brought him home. This led to Labradors becoming increasingly popular in England over time.
The British sportsman and soldier Colonel Peter Hawker described the breed as being not larger than an English Pointer, long in its head and nose with a deep chest; more often black than other colors; having a short and smooth coat; agile and quick; and adept at swimming. By the s, the Labrador became very popular in England and was called the Labrador Retriever.
In , the first yellow Labrador Retriever was born and the breed was recognized by The Kennel Club in The breed regularly features on lists of the most popular registered breeds in the United States; the Labrador Retriever has been the most popular dog in America since The Labrador Retriever is a working dog with a strong work ethic.
It is normal to spot them working in a wide range of fields. The most common working role of Labrador Retrievers is working as guide dogs. You can expect to see Labradors work in carting, detection, therapy, and even search and rescue activities such as tracking. Their quiet nature while engaging in these pursuits make them a great assistant of hunters. Labradors are one of the longest-living dog breeds. The median longevity for a Labrador is about 10 to 14 years.
The color of the Labrador can also play a role in lifespan. Over time the pounds pile on, which sadly does shorten lifespan. This is why health testing plays such an important role in extending Labrador Retriever life expectancy and quality of life.
Screening schemes exist for hip and elbow dysplasia, PRA and other inheritable conditions. This enables breeders to use only parent dogs that are free from inheritable conditions for breeding. This means the next generation of pups stand a much better chance of leading long and healthy lives. Something every owner wants for their best buddy. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs , Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, May 1, , Vol.
Longevity of British breeds of dog and its relationships with sex, size, cardiovascular variables and disease , VetRecord.
Our much loved black lab passed today. She was loyal to a fault and gave our family over 16 lovings years. The cancer went wild in the last few months and had arthritis. She was always a country farm dog inside and outside whenever she wanted.. Our heeler is 12, Cat 14 and are in decent health. Our pet family just keeps aging.
My prayer is for her to be with us for awhile still. My black lab retriever will be 12 in December and she is in great shape and does have a few lumps and bumps that have been checked. It makes me sad to see my pooch getting older. She is the best girl! Our beloved yellow lab will be 12 years old tomorrow. He is showing signs of old age so we are pampering him more than ever. It will be a very sad time when he leaves us, especially for my husband. Thank you so much this information it was so helpful for me I will continue to check with you to see if you have more information I need again thank you so much for your help.
Your email address will not be published. How long do dogs Live? I admit tho that professionally trained labs were more obedient than her but I trained her to the best of my knowledge and was still a kid and had no idea how to train a lab. She would even follow whatever direction I pointed at. But unlike a trained dog that will stop when u blow a whistle to see where u point, she would only turn around to get directions from me if there was not a bird or whatever she was searching for where she initially thought it would be.
But she did not come back without it. Which that proved to be problematic at times. So I would have to keep a training dummy with me to throw or I believe she would drown herself searching. But at 15 the thought of that never crossed my mind while trying to teach her. If it were up to Katie she would already be under the duck as it fell and catch it in mid air. And she was very good at catching things and very very fast on land.
In fact I had to stop throwing a heavy training dummy or sticks for her to fetch and swap strictly to light tennis balls because she was so fast that when I would throw as hard and far as I could it with her at my side, she would make it to the area the ball was going in time to turn around and catch it.
That was one of my favorite tricks to show people that she did. But when I stopped throwing the dummy was the day she figured out that she could do that and it almost hurt her. It was way too heavy to catch in mid air and u could tell it hurt her jaw so I switched to balls.
And she knew where every single one was. She somehow figured out that even when people wouldnt throw it anymore from her pouncing and slapping at their feet with both paws they woild, they would when she pinned a super slobbery soaking wet ball to their legs with her paw.
And if u tried to just ignore all of that showmanship she was pulling and go on about your business, next thing u know u felt a super slobbery ball on your hand because she would walk up from behind u and try to stick the ball in your hand lol. I love that old girl but her days of fetching and hunting have been over for several years now because shes 16 and in no shape to do any running but it aint by her choice. Her back hips give her problems now it seems.
We have a girl lab, six years old yellow one, at our home in Japan. She was also born in Japan. She is doing very well now and very healthy. I have a six year old black Labrador dog named Ralph. He has been fine so far but of late he seems to be walking very slowly when we are returning back from our one hour walk. I am worried that there might be some health issues with him. Do I need to contact my vet. Please any advise would be helpful. When our black Lab Stetson was around the same age he too started to slow down.
You should definitely consult your vet before giving any supplements. My ole girl Divey shirt for Godiva is 16 years 4 months. She eats Kirkland mature food at night with salmon oil. That has really made a difference for her dry skin. We adopted her from the veterinary school research lab when she was 4.
We joke they gave her some good stuff there. Duke a black lab with white spot on chest and hind feet now going on 21 started greying around mouth still the fastest dog on the property and catches the odd rabbit once in a while love him to bits. Wasnt neutered until he was 6 or 7 when he and the other Male started fighting when my dad brought a puppy home.
He had twisted kneecaps on both hind legs that kept him from running fast or jumping in anyway. My Chocolate Lab Buddy will be 14 in December.
He has been an outside dog. This past winter something happened to him with his breathing and he has a gagging cough. He has a bad habit of covering up his food with straw and I believe he ingested some of it. Brought him back home expecting to lose him and started handfeeding cooked chicken breast and scooping water in our hands for him to drink. He recovered but breathing is a problem. Yesterday was just 84 here in Ky and little humid. Husband found him foaming and purple tongue so we think he suffered a heat stroke because of poor breathing.
So, now he is in his huge winter kennel in home with us with central air and fan blowing on him. Breathing much better. His back hips are starting to go and has trouble getting up and walking. Love our Buddy! We got our girl Princess from Lab Rescue never changed her name ; just before her 5th birthday. She will be 16 on the 4th of July this year. She is extremely healthy to this day. Only issues are an arthritic lower back that has weakened her back legs, cataracts, and some hearing loss.
She has been through a lot—mostly brought on by relentless counter surfing. She once ate an entire bag of raw potatoes, she has eaten loaves of bread in the plastic, even coffee grounds. Several times she broke into the trash and ate chicken carcasses. She has never been sick other than one UTI, and never had surgery, other than being spade.
We were told she had birthed a litter of puppies before we got her. She has never lost her veracious appetite, and as I type this, she is breathing hot breath on my leg asking for her dinner. Our pure chocolate lab Katie is turning 15 in 6 weeks. She walks every day, although the walks are getting shorter. We do not feed her table food. Just dry food and have added some canned food for dinner. I was looking through the comments and was so surpsied to see the long life many of these labs have lived!!!
We are hoping Katie feels heathy and well enough to make it many more years!! I have not had any health issue since when my first male was put down for hip dysplasia. The oldest female I had passed it I currently have a 17 year old a two year old and one year old. My 17 year old still runs and plays just like she did at 7. My yellow lab friend is 12 years old and till about weeks ago he still went on a 30 minutes walk twice per day or more and he was a bit running too.
He was not like a year before but still moving around, fetching a ball … and then suddenly about 2 or 3 weeks ago he started to stopping on walks after 20 meters… last days he is stopping on 5 meters maybe he goes 10 and then he lays down.
The vet gave him some pain killers and glucosamine. At night he sleeps in my bed, but I was thinking that through the day he might be happy to lay on an ortopedic bed if I buy one? Does anybody have this for their lab? I have small stairs 4 stairs and I made him a rampe… Do you maybe have some other recommendations or suggestions? I will be very happy! Thank you for every comment i'll receive! My dogs also started to slow down around 12 years old.
The Glucosamine really seemed to help my dogs when they got older. Something else you might consider is getting him something to help him walk on slick surfaces. There are dog booties and toe nail grippers that can be helpful.
Hopefully that helps. Thank you very much for the advise! I will talk about it with my vet. Thank you :. My girl Nellie was 16 in May she had both knees replaced 5 years ago, she is strong as an ox and sets the pace when we walk.
I credit it to healthy diet, excercise, regular vet visits and a loving home. She survived two bouts of cancer Mast cell and is doing great except for arthritis in her hind quarters, loss of almost all hearing, and minor loss of sight.
We feed her Natural Balance dry food and table scraps such as leftover meats. I always cook extra vegetables so that she can have a serving or two with her dinner. She is always happy. We started her on Galliprant this week, to see if will help with her arthritis. The 1st, Korbel, was a beautiful yellow lab, very smart.. About a year before he died Korbel was retired but we still had him. He was retired when my husband who was blind became too sick to use a guide dog.
I give him 2 cups of food daily. She was diagnosed with Lung Cancer with a 3m mass and really made breathing difficult along with a dry cough. Her excessive panting prevented her from sleeping as the final week was difficult. The process happens very quickly, she soiled her bed and went all over the floor, and I knew it was time. I have lost many people very close to me, and each hurt immensely but losing my best friend I would see everyday and a dog who let my son now 4 hang all over her with a wagging tail breaks my heart.
I miss her digging the beach or chasing ground squirrels or being so happy when my mom would cook, her perfect little round head and dark set eyes always had me kissing her. She was a bit heavy towards the end but wore it well. I am writing this hoping to help others know to cherish their time with the best breeds in my opinion as I know lying in my house will feel very empty. I am having a hard time losing my best friend Riley.
I had the vet put him down but I wonder if I should have not done more to help him feel better for a while longer with more treatment. I have just had to have my black lab Shaun put to sleep I took him on as a foster but no body wanted him ,so he became part of my life as I lost my wife and he became all I had he was constantly with me every move I made he followed me then his legs started to go weak as a result of his neglect when he was younger.
Then the other day could not get him up and he was by the door trying to get out to do his business but couldnt. I called the vet and they came for him and advised me that there was nothing they could do.
I feel completely lost as I live on my own and he was my companion. I have black lab we get from shelter he have 2 years now is 14 year a lovely dog have some cancer but still in shape. We lost our beautiful black Lab Sasha in Mar 19 aged 15 and a half. Broke our hearts and always will. However we now have Luna tic a nine month beauty. She loves life and is a water baby par excellence. Highly recommended. We just put our love Tyson down as he developed a rapid pneumonia and was in distress.
He went from old age well to dying in a matter of hours. He was 16 years and 3 months. He was walking around the yard and my gardening buddy until the day before he died.
He was diagnosed w heart failure in February but was well controlled with medicine. He also had weakening of his hind legs and a herniated disc that caused stiffness but he refused to let it slow him down. I got him at 8 months old. Best dog ever. I will miss him the rest of my life.
He found me a husband literally…his dog and mine were playmates , watched me through six pregnancies and two living children, knew how to open doors, I used signs with him to communicate and he was my best buddy for most of my adult life. What a treasure they are.
He was lean by nature rare for a lab I know and stayed at lbs his whole life until this last month. I think lean living extends life.
We also fed grain free and rarely gave more than green beans or peas as treats. We did give him rimadyl and tramadol for the last few years along with his heart meds.
He was not fixed bc he was always lean and mild mannered. We also were careful with flea and tick meds and vaccinations as he aged bc they seemed to cause him to lose his appetite and have other neurologic issues. I am amazed by all the older labs here. I know I will own another one someday. But I do believe they are worth the pain. Next time I will add more supplements and healthy foods to their diet to help them live longer. Our black Labrador, Lady, past away December , at the age of 18 yars and 10 months.
She was like a child to us and really very clever. She has always begged for table scrapes, but does more so since she has gotten older. Just last year I got another fur baby Charley a Cavapoo who has lots of energy and I think that what keeps Lucy going. We adopted him from my grown son when He was 2. He stayed young because of our 2 yorkies and 2 Chihuahuas that were adopted as well.
My black lab Lucy is going to celebrate her 13th year very soon. We love Lucy so much. Hope to keep her a much longer time. She was actually an offspring of my chocolate lab. She was spayed at 6 months. I have a female black lab mix crossed with an English Mastiff. She looks more like a lab.
Currently, she is over 15 years old. She has several issues though like being deaf, cataracts, arthritis, trouble walking or backing up. Quality of life really goes down with age.
She just eats and sleeps all day. If she stopped walking or something, I would put her down. A few years ago, she went about a week not being able to walk, but she pulled out of it.
Well our second Chocolate Lab passed away unexpectedly yesterday Sunday March 7, He was in excellent heath up to this pont. He was having a breathing issues. He was missed diagnosed and was on meds for???? And it was not our normal vet. Our vet was booked so we had to take him elsewhere.
Then yesterday morning we knew something was wrong when he did not want his morning milk bone. I took him to the animal hospital and they diagnosed him with fungal pneumonia and a mass on his spleen which was missed. So they started treatment immediately but within a few hours he crashed…. They were able to bring him back for a short time but he passed before I got back there. There is no rhyme or reason but we are heartbroken.
Hershey was a loved companion and family member. He will be missed. My black lab Murphy is still with us, he is 16 years old and has a lot of grey hair like me now. He sleeps a lot and snores very loudly now sleep apnea? Doggie door that was here when we purchased our home because they owned dachshunds, which means he has to sort of scootch down a bit to get out.
He has a few big nodules I can feel which the vet seems not too concerned about near his ears and one on back. I really believe he is an angel. I was looking on this site because I hope he will live many more quality years and am looking for ways to help him achieve that.
My Black Lab Cloe was 10 years and 10 month old. I just had to put her down due to lymphoma cancer on Friday. She was the sweetest and smartest dog I have ever own. My son had brought her home when she was 6 weeks old. But when i saw her little face I fell love with her and she became my dog.
Both my Beagle and cat fell in love with her too. The would sit outside her cage and comfort her when she was little. When she was outside of the cage they would play. When she was 5 years old I found hard lump in the back of her leg and had it removed.
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