What Are Labrador Specific Behavior Traits?

Known for being friendly, gentle, easy to train and good-natured, the Labrador retriever is a popular breed as a family pet, a guide dog or as a working retriever for the police and armed forces. The breed requires a lot of exercise and has a particular affinity for swimming. It loves to chew and hold items in its mouth but needs stimulation; otherwise, it can become destructive in the home if left on its own for too long. The Labrador is originally from Newfoundland, Canada, and was bred to hunt and retrieve birds.

  1. Natural Hunter and Retriever

    • The labrador's has been bred and trained to retrieve the hunter's spoils.

      The Labrador was trained to hunt with gun sportsmen and earned the nickname "gun dog." The first written report of the breed was in a letter by a visitor to Newfoundland in 1822. The traveler wrote about "small water dogs" which were preferred for retrieving because their smooth, short coats did not retain icy water in the the cold weather. Britain's Earl of Malmesbury liked the dogs and had some imported to England. In 1887. The name "Labrador" became attached to these dogs when the Earl mistakenly called them his "Labrador dogs."

    Friendly, Mellow Disposition

    • The breed's friendly and even-tempered disposition makes it a preferred therapy dog and guide dog for the blind and deaf. It can be trained to provide affection, comfort and companionship to people in hospitals, nursing homes, retirement homes, prison, mental institutions, schools --- especially to special education students --- and stressful situations such as disaster areas. The breed's gentle nature also extends to other animals. In a quirky example, at the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, a cross-species friendship developed between an elephant and a Labrador, in which the Lab preferred its friendship with the elephant over the people and the other dogs at the sanctuary.

    Keen Sense of Smell

    • A Labrador's nose has 25 times more olfactory receptors than humans. That's why they are used for hunting, tracking, law enforcement and as detection dogs. A Labrador can pick up even a faint smell from a long distance. The breed's nose is built for superior performance, with slits beside the nostrils allowing more air to pass through the nose, promoting circulation over the olfactory receptors. Labradors can sniff out criminals, drugs weapons or bombs. Some dogs are used to find people buried in rubble after earthquakes, cyclones or landslides.

    Big Eaters

    • Labs love to eat. Don't let them snack during the day, as they will soon become overweight.

      As a working dog with a good appetite, the breed is prone to putting on weight if it doesn't get enough exercise. They are fast growing and genetically prone to hip dysplasia. Labrador puppies should be fed a diet prepared for large breeds, or a regular dog food containing less than 25 percent protein. Adult Labradors are particularly prone to a life-threatening condition called gastric dilatation and torsion. The condition usually presents with a dog in various degrees of distress characterized by panting and a distended abdomen. It happens when dogs eat dry dog food and the food then expands in the stomach when the dog drinks water immediately after it has eaten. After putting the portions of dry dog food in the dog's bowl, add warm water up to the level of the nuggets. Let it sit for five minutes before feeding so that the absorption/expansion process happens in the bowl, not in the dog's stomach.

    Independent Streak

    • Being smart, the dogs learn fast, but they may have an independent streak. Some dogs --- especially those with strong retriever traits --- will get bored with training. Owners have to patiently convince them in a fun yet firm and calm way that what the human wants to do is just as fun as a flushing game.