by Kristen Moore

Created on: April 24, 2010

The Labrador Retriever is unquestionably one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Although the Lab has held this rank for a considerable amount of time, you might still be left wondering if this is the right breed for you and your family. After all, popularity isn’t necessarily everything. Following is a detailed description of the Labrador Retriever so than you may make a final decision about this breed.

Description

The Labrador Retriever is a medium to large sized breed. This dog usually weighs between 70 and 100 pounds. The Lab maintains a rather short, coarse coat and sheds an average amount. This breed comes in a wide variety of colors. Indeed, Labs can be found in black, brown, yellow and even white. Labs nearly always have brown eyes and a long tail. This dog sports quite short, hanging ears. Also, the Lab maintains a rather long snout and a slender build. It should be noted that this breed is adaptable to live both indoors and outdoors.

Personality

Intelligent, loyal and tranquil are all excellent descriptions of the Labrador Retriever’s personality. This breed is rather passive and almost never becomes aggressive. The Lab is usually quite friendly with people – whether they are family members or total strangers. This dog is also rather fond of children and makes a great companion to households with small children. However, no dog should ever be left unsupervised with a small child. Although Labs are innately friendly, they are a large enough breed that too much rough play could result in the accidental injury to a child.    

Uses

Man originally utilized the Labrador Retriever as a hunting and scent dog. Today, many people still love to use these wonderful dogs as hunting partners. The Lab is quite obedient to its master and can easily be trained to undertake such a task. In fact, Labrador Retrievers earned their namesake by retrieving fallen birds for their masters. Labs have an extremely soft mouth and can retrieve a dead bird for a hunter without causing any damage. If you love hunting and the outdoors, the Labrador Retriever might be an excellent companion for you. Even if you do not hunt, the Lab is also great as a mere companion dog. If you choose to own the Lab as a companion, simply make sure that your dog has a sufficient amount of room to run around. Although the Lab is adaptable to indoor living, this dog should still be taken outside for exercise. After all, the Lab is a rather energetic breed.

If you are considering a Labrador Retriever as your next canine companion, hopefully this information will be helpful to you. Another positive aspect to owning a Lab is that they are an abundant breed. You should not have to hunt for a long time to find a Lab for sale or even at a rescue center or animal shelter.  

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