Labradors are considered very friendly, loyal pets, making them compatible with all types of families. They’re possibly one of the most common dogs to own. However, with all these positives, are Labradors hard to look after and train?
Labradors are typically not hard to look after, though they still require general care and attention. Nevertheless, this breed is highly intelligent and easily trained, which is one of the reasons they’re commonly chosen as a pet.
In this article, I will discuss the various types of care a Labrador requires, including grooming, energy level, trainability, and more. I’ll also go over some debates surrounding different types of Labradors. So, let’s jump right in!
Are Labradors High Maintenance?
Labradors are not high maintenance. They require attention, exercise, and grooming just like other dogs, and they are extremely well-tempered and obedient.
Whether a Labrador is too high maintenance for someone is up to the owner and how much time and effort they’re willing to give their pet. For example, some Labs may be too high-energy for owners who don’t have much spare time throughout their day for walks.
To some, their dog may require some extra care and attention, but it’s completely worth it because of how sweet and obedient they are with their owners.
The amount of time and energy an owner needs to dedicate to their Labrador will depend on the dog’s age, health, and energy levels. Young puppies require daily exercise and playtime. Older Labs may need more frequent vet visits due to medical conditions.
Types of Care a Labrador Requires
All dog breeds require different levels of care due to their size, type of coat, and energy level.
Let’s go over the needs of a Labrador so that you can decide for yourself if it’s too high maintenance for you.
≫ Physical Stimulation
Some may consider a Labrador high maintenance because of its high energy level. According to Pet Plan, labs are very intelligent dogs and require physical as well as mental stimulation every day. Since they have high energy, they need to be walked every day or have a fenced-in backyard where they can run and play. Long walks stimulate a Labrador’s mind due to all the smells and different things they see.
Taking a Labrador on a walk is not going to be a quick activity either. A daily one-hour walk is what your Labrador will need at a minimum. Sometimes, two-hour-long walks a day are ideal, especially for younger Labradors.
Smaller dog breeds may only need to be walked for 15 minutes, but Labradors are large dogs with a high energy level, increasing their walking time.
If you are lucky enough to have a fenced-in backyard, you can let your Labrador play outside whenever you want. An outdoor play area will help with your Labrador’s physical stimulation needs, but you still need to play with your lab to stimulate its mind and get all that energy out.
It’s highly recommended to play fetch or some other type of game with them for a little bit each day. For mental stimulation, it’s great to get a type of toy that has the treat buried inside it, and the dog has to figure out how to get the treat. You can also get a dog obstacle course for your yard; any Labrador will surely love it.
The Domaker Dog Agility Training Equipment 5 PCS Adjustable Outdoor Set (available on Amazon.com) is the perfect option for any Labrador. It comes with a tunnel, a hoop to jump through, and poles to weave in and out of.
This is a great way to train your Labrador while also letting it get some energy out.
≫ Grooming
When it comes to grooming, Labradors do shed, even though they don’t have long fur coats. Usually, brushing them once, sometimes twice a week, will be enough. Giving them regular baths will also help with the shedding and keep them smelling fresh.
Just like all other dogs, you’ll need to trim your Labrador’s nails every so often. Trimming can be done at home or at the groomer. You’ll also want to make sure you take care of your Labrador’s teeth.
According to the American Health Clinic, Labradors are more susceptible to dental problems than some other breeds are. Regular teeth cleaning and dental treats/bones are a great way to prevent issues.
You can also get food and water additives that help plaque buildup. Regular checkups with the vet can also ensure they’re keeping an eye on any issues that may pop up.
Since Labradors have longer ears, they are sometimes prone to ear infections. So, to prevent this, it’s best to clean their ears once a week. Also, when your Labrador is resting, you can flip its ears back to allow airflow to help prevent moisture build-up. Doing so should hopefully keep you from having frequent visits to the vet for ear drops.
≫ Healthcare
Just like any dog breed, Labradors are more susceptible to certain health issues than others. However, this does not mean that they definitely will develop any of these.
Some general health issues that can occur for all dogs are:
- Obesity: It can be due to the food their owner is feeding them and lack of exercise.
- Cancer: There are many types of cancers that any dog can get.
- Heart disease: It’s common among many dog breeds and usually occurs in old age.
- Bloat: It can affect any dog. Bloating can be caused by too much food or eating something that obstructs the bowels.
- Progressive retinal atrophy: This is a disorder that affects a dog’s vision and can occur in almost all dog breeds.
To prevent the above conditions as much as you can, you must feed your dog the appropriate diet, make sure it gets the recommended amount of exercise, and have regular vet visits to make sure they’re healthy.
According to Metlife Pet Insurance, the following are health issues that aren’t as common in other dog breeds but are more common in Labradors:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia: It’s a genetic disease that can be passed on or inherited. It tends to progress among Labradors who don’t get the recommended level of exercise.
- Centronuclear myopathy: It’s another genetic disorder that causes muscle deficiency and stunted growth.
- Exercised-induced collapse: Another genetic health issue is when small amounts of exercise lead to your Labrador collapsing from exhaustion even though they normally exercise for longer amounts of time without issue.
Again, being more susceptible to certain medical conditions does not mean your Labrador will inherit any or all of these health issues at some point. However, it is important to know about them so that you can be prepared in case your dog develops any of these conditions in the future.
By being familiar with these health issues, you can be aware of the symptoms and get medical treatment for your Labrador as early as possible.
Always keep a close eye on your pet and any changes in behavior, such as how they walk, eat, or drink. It’s not always easy to see if your Labrador is in pain, so noticing small changes in their behavior is important.
Labradors’ Trainability and Personality
According to the American Kennel Club, Labradors are considered one of the top trainable dogs in the United States. This is why you see many Labrador service dogs because they can easily meet the criteria required for a service dog.
Being a service dog requires an insanely high level of intelligence because they are trained to either guide blind persons, alert someone if they sense a medical issue coming on, and ignore all other people and dogs around them to solely pay attention to their owner.
Not just any dog breed can become a service dog, so the fact that the majority you see are Labradors speaks volumes about their level of intelligence.
Service and emotional support dogs have to be very aware of their surroundings to know if a person is upset or in need of medical assistance. This type of awareness requires a high intelligence level in dogs because they’re expected to know these things without receiving a command from a human.
Some dog breeds are more empathic and emotionally aware than others. It’s been proven that Labradors are one of the top choices for being one of the most emotionally intelligent dogs. They seem to have an extra sense that can pick up on when humans are sad, mad, or happy.
Labradors are highly intelligent, so when being taught tricks or commands, they catch on quickly and don’t forget them. This trait is why Labradors can be considered low maintenance because of their obedience.
This breed also has a very sweet and friendly temperament making it easy for them to get along with just about anyone. They are great for an older couple, great around kids of all ages, and usually get along with most other dog breeds.
Their temperament is also why they make great service dogs because the dog has to be kind-natured to be around so many people and unfamiliar places all the time.
≫ Does a Labrador’s Coat Color Affect Its Personality?
Some suggest that a Labrador’s coat color affects its personality and trainability, but there isn’t much scientific evidence to back this up. Labradors can be born with yellow, chocolate, or black fur coats.
According to Biomed Central, chocolate Labradors have a bad reputation for being more challenging to train and being less obedient overall. However, there isn’t much evidence to suggest why this may be.
Chocolate labs have also been said to be more hyperactive than yellow or black labs. Again there isn’t hard proof of this, and it could just be the personality of the dog who happened to be a chocolate color or lack of discipline from its owner.
This misconception could also come from the fact that chocolate Labradors are fewer in number compared to the percentage of black and yellow labs available. So, maybe they get spoiled too much for being “special.”
Labradors are not known for being aggressive unless abused by someone, so no specific coat color has been said to be more aggressive.
Is It Better To Own a Female or a Male Labrador?
Both male and female Labradors are great to own. However, some suggest there are some advantages to owning a female Labrador as opposed to a male. Female Labradors mature faster than a male and therefore are intelligent at an earlier age.
Female Labradors appear to mature earlier and reach their level of intelligence far sooner than male Labradors. This is not to say that males are not smart or not great to own; there are just a few small advantages to owning a female lab.
Females are also generally smaller than males, most of the time. Therefore, if the size of the dog matters to you and your space, then a female Labrador might be better for you. However, there are still small male Labradors available.
When it comes to being trained, there is no difference between a male and a female Labrador. Even though female Labradors seem to mature sooner, the ability to train either of them is about the same. This can also just depend on the dog and its personality.
There isn’t extensive scientific research to back up the advantages of having a female Labrador. It is strictly from previous or current Labrador owners who feel that is the case. So, it’s really up to you to decide.
Final Thoughts
The general consensus about Labradors seems to be that they aren’t high maintenance. However, this all depends on the owner and what they are willing to do when it comes to owning a dog.
Labradors require regular grooming and lots of walks or play time due to their high energy level and intelligence. They’re very easy to train due to their intelligence, and this is why so many of them are sought after as service and emotional support dogs. They are also extremely sweet.
