Is a Labrador a good family dog

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Are Labradors Good Family Dogs? Pros & Cons

Do you want to know if Labradors are good family dogs? As someone who has spent years running a dog shelter and has had the pleasure of working closely with many breeds, I can confidently say that Labradors are among the top choices when selecting a family dog.

Labradors are excellent family dogs. Known for their friendly nature, intelligence, and loyalty, they are highly trainable and good with children. Labs are also adaptable and energetic, making them ideal companions for active families.

But

Labradors are also prone to obesity, are heavy shedders, can quickly get bored, and are susceptible to separation anxiety if left alone for too long.

Nonetheless, their reputation for being friendly, loyal, and highly trainable isnt just hearsayits a well-earned accolade that makes them stand out in the canine world.

Whether youre a first-time dog owner or looking to add another furry member to your pack, you should know what makes Labradors such excellent family dogs.

Lets get started!

Key Insights About Labrador Retrievers

Good family dogs come with many positive traits. Still, everyone will agree that being loving and affectionate tops the list of characteristics dog owners look for in a family dog.

Luckily, Labradors easily pass the test for an affectionate dog and have plenty of other good family-dog characteristics, as discussed below.

Pros

Lets shed some light on the positive attributes that contribute to the Labradors enduring popularity as a companion

1. They are Loving and Affectionate

On the Labrador Retriever breed standard page, the AKC gives this breed a full mark for an affectionate dog. The Labradors loving temperament explains why most dog owners in the US and worldwide choose this breed.

Affectionate dogs are loving, friendly, kind, caring, and loyal to family members and other people known to them, and these are traits anyone looking to own a dog cannot resist.

2. Labs are Highly Intelligent and Trainable

Every dog is trainable. However, some, like Labradors, are more trainable than others for these three reasons:

Labradors are highly responsive to command cues. Labradors take the 7th position on the list of the intelligence of dogs, meaning they will understand command cues without making you repeat them more than five times and will obey those commands more than 95 percent of the time.
They always want to know that obeying a command has a reward. Labradors always have a good appetite, so training rewards are readily welcome. Your Lab will do anything you ask of him to get that reward.
Pleasing their owner is in their nature. Dogs can be stubborn, self-driven, receptive, and eager to please. Labradors have an eager-to-please personality, which draws their attention to the owner or trainer during training.

Do you want to know more about training your new Lab pup? Check out this guide, 7 Speedy Ways To Train a Labrador Puppy.

3. They are Sociable Dogs

Sociability in dogs is defined by their openness to strangers, level of playfulness, ability to adapt to new situations, and tendency to be protective or not.

Labradors pass the sociability test in all these areas:

They are open to strangers and consider everyone their friend.
They are always ready to play and can play non-stop.
They are highly adaptable and dont survive on routine.
They are not over-vigilant but instead go by the what is mine is yours attitude.

A study found that Labrador Retrievers scored higher on sociability, trainability, and boldness than other dog breeds.

Sociability in family dogs will make interacting with their owners and family members easy. It also makes it easier and safer for the owner to welcome strangers in the home or meet unknown people outside the house.

The Labs sociability is also why they dont make good guard dogs. Although they bark loudly, they are docile and readily make friends with everyone.

4. Good With Kids

Parents need to keep their childrens safety in mind when introducing a dog into their household. Fortunately, Labradors are typically great with children.

Being good with children implies that your Labrador has high patience and tolerance for childrens behavior. Besides, your child will be safe because Labradors do not manifest aggression signs unless provoked.

Of course, any dog should always be supervised around kids, especially when one of the parties has little or zero previous exposure to the other party.

Watch Our Cool YouTube Video All About Labradors

5. Good With Other Pets

Because of their outgoing, friendly, and everyone-is-my-friend disposition, Labradors get along well with other dogs and pets in the home and public.

Having a dog thats good with other pets prevents issues of territoriality and aggression.

Naturally, youll need to make a proper introduction, especially with other pets such as rabbits, but Labs are among the best breeds fit for multi-pet households.

6. High energy is Their Mantle

Labradors are high-energy dogs that require at least 1 hour of exercise daily. More energetic Labs will need 1.5 2 hours a day.

While this characteristic could be a minus for an older owner without much energy to spend with his Lab, having a lot of energy is good for a young family with children.

You and your children will enjoy playing and running around with your Labrador without the risk of easily overworking the dog.

7. They are Great Swimmers

Labradors were bred to retrieve waterfowl for hunters, so they had to have excellent swimming skills. Labs also have webbed feet, which help them propel through the water.

The AKC lists the Lab among dog breeds that are born swimmers.

As a family dog, being a good swimmer will be useful when you and your family take the summer holidays.

Because Labradors love the water, theyll have a good time with you by the beach and play lively fetch games in which they can retrieve toys from the water.

Just be prepared for swampy areas and muddy ponds. Your Lab has no off switch when it comes to water Sowmya Sankaran

You might end up with a swampy mud monster if you dont head them off in time. My dog is definitely a mud magnet! She will make a beeline for a muddy puddle and lie in it to cool off. Keep an old towel in your car as a precaution.

8. The Soft Mouth: A Unique Labrador Trait

Biting is a natural trait of dogs. It can be an aspect of play or defense when your dog is provoked.

While some dogs have a strong hurting bite even in play, Labs are known for their soft mouth precisely because they were bred to bring back prey water birds intact without biting down strongly.

A soft bite makes Labs safe family dogs. They will not hurt children or adults with their bite during play. Besides, their natural soft bite makes it easy for them to train in bite inhibition.

9. They are Generally Healthy and Long-Living

Labs are generally healthy dogs and will live up to 12 years with proper care. A study found that some Labs can live a lot longer, up to 16 or 17 years.

According to this study, long-living Labradors have a slower rate of body fat accumulation, especially in the first years of life.

They also have a slower rate of lean body mass loss. Because of their long life, Labs have been used to study longevity in human life.

Other physical and personality characteristics of Labradors are also signs of good health in your Lab dog:

A lively, alert, and friendly disposition.
A sturdy, glossy coat.
Bright and shiny eyes.
Clear, light-pink skin inside the ears.
Fresh breath.
Moist nose with clear discharge.
Firm gums with white teeth (teeth may discolor with age).
Clear-yellow urine and brown and firm stool.
Healthy body weight is 65-80lbs/29-36kg (male) and 55-70lbs/25-31kg (female).

10. Minimal Grooming is Required

Labradors require minimal grooming during the week except in the heavy shedding spring and fall seasons (see below). With good nutrition to keep their coat healthy and glossy, Labs only need 2-3 coat brushings a week.

An occasional bath when your Lab is very dirty is opportune. However, avoid harsh shampoos that remove your dogs natural skin oils. You must trim your Labs nails and brush their teeth regularly.

Cons

Despite their many good qualities as family dogs, these dogs also have a few drawback traits you need to know about before settling for Labradors as pets.

1. They are Heavy Shedders!

Labradors have an outer coat with long, thick hairs and an inner coat with finer hairs that play an insulating role in extreme weather.

Throughout the year, your Lab will leave signs of his forever shedding coat on your couch, carpet, or clothing. Continuous shedding also means your Labrador is not hypoallergenic.

Whats more, your Labrador goes through a heavy shedding season when the weather changes in late fall and spring.

Because the undercoat is shed in clumps during these seasons, your Labs fur can be a nuisance, especially for owners who are neat freaks and family members with an allergy to dog fur.

If youre looking for a breed that sheds less, you might want to consider the Labradoodle.

2. Labradors Can Suffer Ill-Health

Although we indicated earlier that Labs are generally healthy dogs, it is also true that this breed is prone to several health issues and conditions, including:

For this reason, the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. advises that your Lab undergo the recommended tests for these diseases and conditions, including the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) hip and elbow evaluation, annual eye examination, and the (EIC) DNA test.

Screening for health issues such as the above tests is essential if you plan to breed with your Labrador. Genetic disorders mustnt be continued in the breed bloodline.

Labs poor health can be costly and comes with emotional strain to the family. Because of this, you should know about these health issues before deciding that a Labrador is a good family dog for you.

3. Be Careful About Over-Feeding

Its no secret that Labradors love their food. If you are the kind of dog parent who does not control your dogs eating routine, love for his food bowl could spell two drawbacks to owning a Labrador:

Your dog could easily become overweight or obese.
The cost of your dogs food could put an additional strain on your pocket.

Its worth noting that the high food motivation in Labradors and the resulting overweight and obesity are genetically controlled, according to the findings of a scientific study targeting obesity-prone Labrador Retrievers.

Ensure you choose the best diet for your Labrador, including the correct nutrition, and know exactly what they can and cant eat. This article has it covered; Best Diet for Labradors: Nutrition, Types, and More!

4. Labradors Can Suffer Separation Anxiety

Because of their closeness to their owners and family, Labradors struggle to find comfort when left home alone.

If your Lab has separation anxiety, he will show some of these symptoms:

Destructive behavior, including chewing furniture or scratching the door.
Excessive barking or howling.
Excreting in the house.
Pacing, whining, and shaking.
Excessive drooling.
Repetitive behavior.
Self-harm through behavior such as biting.
Vomiting.

Proper socialization and fear inhibition in puppyhood can save your Labrador from experiencing separation anxiety.

Owners should train their Lab puppies to spend time on their own to learn to cope with separation from the family.

Read More: How Long Can Labradors be Left Alone?

5. They Can Become Bored and Depressed Easily

Labradors are sporting dogs with high mental stimulation needs. That means your Lab needs to stay engaged most of the time to be happy and healthy; otherwise, your dog will be bored and depressed.

Activities and games that require your Lab to concentrate and be involved in problem-solving and decision-making, like learning new tricks, are great options for the mental stimulation of your Labrador.

If your Lab is not consistently mentally stimulated, he can opt to find his way of getting engaged. Unluckily, your dogs choice of activity or behavior may not be what you would want him to be doing.

6. Addressing the Labs Propensity for Odors

According to PETMD, most dogs with strong body odor may have health issues. However, all dogs tend to have some doggy smell.

Dogs produce oils that can sometimes cause an unpleasant odor that is quite noticeable to their owners. In addition, the glands in the ears emit a yeasty smell.

Because Labradors have a double coat that repels water, their thick outer and finer inner hairs can hold onto smells.

So, if you are one of the super smellers, you may find this Labrador doggy odor unpleasant and challenging to put up with every day.

7. Plenty of Space is Needed

Labradors are large to medium dogs with plenty of energy to spend. Their dynamic nature requires plenty of space to run and play.

Families with plenty of yard space will find it easy to own the high-energy Lab. However, owning a Lab may not be a wise decision if you live in an apartment with little space.

While you can bring your Labrador to dog parks and take daily walks, most of the hours of the day are spent inside the apartment. A Lab that feels confined can get creative with chewing stuff he shouldnt get his teeth on.