Characteristics and nature of a Labrador!

The Labrador is one of the most popular dogs in the world. But because the breed is so popular, it doesn’t mean that a Labrador will suit you. In this post, I’ll give you a good overview of the Labrador’s nature and characteristics so that the decision may be a little easier for you.

The characteristics of Labrador can be described as friendly, fond of children, loving, and greedy. Although Labradors are originally hunting dogs, they are one of the most popular family dogs in the world.

Origin of the Labrador

Before we go into the character traits and the nature of the Labrador, we should first clarify where the Labrador originally comes from and how nature has developed.

The Labrador is a hunting dog whose task is to retrieve shot ducks from the water.

Originally, the Labrador came from the Canadian islands of Newfoundland and Labrador and was used there by local fishermen to work on and in the water.

With the ships, the Lab came more and more often to England, and one recognized fast its talent to retrieve things from the water.

The English hunters, who shot ducks or other waterfowl, for example, benefited from this and quickly recognized the advantages of the Labrador as a hunting dog after the shot.

There are two different types of Labradors

The Labrador can be divided into two categories. Once there is the Labrador from the working line and once the Labrador from the show line.

The working line Labradors are slightly smaller, slimmer, and have a greater will to work.

On the other hand, the show Lab is generally broader, taller, and often more stubborn. The breeding here, to the chagrin of the animals, goes further and further in the direction of more extensive and wider.

The Showlabrador also tends to get fat quickly because they do not have the will to work and, therefore, the activity like their more active cousins. Nevertheless, they are just as, maybe even more greedy.

Overall, however, both are great dogs.

The characteristic appearance of the Labrador

The Labrador is a large dog that can reach a withers height of 54 to 57 cm and a weight of 25-36 kg standard.

The Labrador has a broad skull and is compactly built. A characteristic of Labrador is his otter rod which he uses for steering in water.

Labrador is insensitive to cold and wetness

.As we already know, the Labrador was used for hunting in wind and weather to retrieve shot waterfowl.

These characteristics have been bred over the years, so they like to do this task and don’t mind the weather.

So we got a water-crazy dog with an extremely dense and water-repellent coat which makes him insensitive to wetness and cold.

The dense coat has, of course, also a disadvantage because the Labrador hairs very much.

Due to this fact, the Labrador is not a dog for fair-weather walkers. The Labrador needs a lot of exercises and wants to go out in all weathers.

The Labrador can even swim in the water in winter if it is not too long.

Labradors are always dirty

I had already touched on this briefly. But if your Labrador finds a mud hole somewhere, you can be sure he will jump in.

Labradors love to roll around in puddles or mud holes. Of course, this makes grooming a little more involved, even if the Labrador doesn’t have a long coat.

But if he regularly jumps in mud holes or rolls in carrion, you must bathe your Labrador regularly.

I must admit that I am glad that our dogs do not like to go out, even in the rain.

Special features of the Labrador

One characteristic that distinguishes the Labrador is his gentle mouth. He can carry delicate objects or shoot ducks in his mouth without harming them.

This is a necessary breeding goal. After all, what the hunter wants is a duck that has already been mangled by his dog while retrieving it.

On the one hand, this is necessary to find the shot waterfowl as fast as possible. On the other hand, the Labrador is also used as a bomb-sniffing dog. Also, the sense of smell of the Labrador is perfect.

Labradors are greedy

A characteristics trait of the Labrador is certainly that they are very greedy.

But this was also intentional. The Labrador had to gulp his food during the hunt to be ready for action again.

A dog that must first be persuaded to eat was not valuable.

This characteristic, however, can be used for training because the Labrador makes for a treat as a rule everything.

The other side of the coin is that a greedy dog, of course,, also runs the risk of quickly becoming overweight.

A typical characteristic of the Labrador is that he wants to work.

Then we come directly to the following characteristic of the Labrador. They want to work like all working dogs. Labradors need a lot of exercise and want to be kept busy.

The characteristic that they are very greedy is, of course, beneficial. With good treats, you can get the Labbi to do almost anything.

They also love to play. So you can motivate your Labrador with treats or by playing, cuddling, etc., to work with you.

But this also means that you have to do it. The one who is easy to motivate must also be kept busy.

Labradors are easy to train

.The Labrador is relatively reasonable and easy to train.

You can be unlucky to get a male with a thick head, but even here, you can achieve everything with treats.

You may have to discuss it twice more and clarify to him that you mean business.

Overall, the Labrador is known for his “will to please.” This means that he wants to work with his human and please them. The working line, of course, is more than the show line.

There are intelligent dogs, but they don’t care what you think, and there are intelligent dogs, like the Labrador, but they want to please you. This character trait is the reason why the Labrador is easy to train.

Typical characteristic: Labradors are friendly

When someone has to describe the characteristics of the Labrador, the same terms always fall. The Labrador is friendly, good-natured, and fond of children.

These are character traits that make Labrador a perfect family dog.

His friendliness can also be exhausting in the first years because he wants to greet every person and dog them.

Labradors are impetuous

Another term that is good to describe the characteristics of the Labrador is: impetuous.

Labradors are simply reckless; you can even say clumsy. They are like the chubby buddy who can’t estimate his size and strength and runs over one or the other.

Be it a puppy or children. We just had the encounter today with a male Labrador friend.

Since Arya, our Broholm puppy, is bursting with self-confidence, she announced him relatively quickly. He treated our Broholm puppy like a playmate of the same size. Without consideration for losses.

So if you don’t want a rough dog in the first years, you might not be suitable with a Labrador.

After approximately two years, a Labrador becomes somewhat calmer.

Conclusion: What are the nature and characteristics of a Labrador?

In summary, the character and nature of the Labrador can be described as extremely friendly, fond of children, and open-minded. At the same time, he is impetuous, greedy, tend to be overweight, and loves to jump into any mud hole.

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