The Labrador Retriever or simply Labrador, is a British breed of retriever gun dog. It was developed in the United Kingdom from fishing dogs imported from the colony of Newfoundland, and was named after the Labrador region of that colony.
In general, experts agree that labrador retrievers will live for around 12 years of age. With preventative care, your labrador retriever may even advance to 13 years of age. Meanwhile, some of the oldest labrador retrievers can reach 14 years (that's like humans living to age 78).
Labradors are generally healthy dogs that live 10-12 years on average. However, they do have some health issues that can cause them to die at a younger age. The main causes of death in Labradors are cancer, heatstroke, epilepsy, heart disease and bloat (gastric torsion).
It's tough to gauge exactly how long your Labrador might live as there are so many factors, both genetic and environmental, that contribute to their life expectancy. The average Labrador lifespan is somewhere between 10 and 14 years, provided they aren't beset by any exceptional health issues or injuries.
A lab can live to be 20 years old, but they generally live to around 10-12 years. There have been relatively few instances where they have lived until 20 years old. Many factors define the lifespan of labradors, and while it can vary, unfortunately, most don't live past the age of 15.
The oldest Labrador to ever exist was named Adjutant. He lived to be 27 years old and was far from the oldest dog in the world!
Labs are a slow-maturing breed and, even though they may begin to appear as adults, they still are really puppies at heart. Your lab will become mentally mature between two and four years of age and will noticeably calm down then.
A healthy adult Labrador generally needs at least 80 minutes of high-quality exercise per day. Of course, it's important to tailor this to each individual dog – some more energetic dogs will need longer, and more relaxed dogs will be healthy and satisfied with a little less.
It's normal for dogs to pant, especially when they're hot, excited, or energetic. Heavy panting is different, though, and may be a sign your dog is dangerously overheated, coping with a chronic health problem, or has experienced a life-threatening trauma.
They are also predisposed to elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, hemangiosarcoma, exercise-induced collapse, progressive retinal atrophy, centronuclear myopathy, and tricuspid valve dysplasia.
Overall Longest Living Dog Breed: Chihuahua
Vying for this top spot along with the Australian cattle dog is the official national dog of Mexico. Chis, as their loving owners often call them, are bright, curious, and full of spark and pluck.
The two most popular dog breeds don't have too many differences when it comes to life expectancy. Nevertheless, Golden Retrievers are known to live just a bit longer than Labrador Retrievers. For example, you can expect to have a Golden for 10 to 13 years and a Labrador for 10 to 12 years.
Your Labrador's tendency to sleep a lot is probably a result of the way it naturally operates. Large dogs like Labradors typically sleep for 12 to 14 hours each day (source). Your Labrador will probably sleep even longer if it is a puppy or an older dog.
Almost 90% of the Labradors exceeded the breed`s expected average age of 12 and five dogs went on to become 16 or 17 years of age. Why did some Labradors live to 16 or 17 and others only reached their expected average age of 12 or even below?
Most dogs need at least 1-2 walks per day (unless otherwise specified by your vet). A brisk walk is a great opportunity for your dog to burn off extra energy, and a slow, meandering walk – where you let your dog sniff and explore for as long as they want – is great for their mental health.
The 5-minute rule states that a puppy should only exercise for 5 minutes per month of their age – so, for example, a 4-month-old puppy should only exercise for 20 minutes.
Labradors, like all dogs, love to explore. Even a quick hike or walk around a nature trail will be great exercise. Just make sure you have the right hiking gear for your labrador. However, if your dog is still a puppy, he won't need any kind of structured exercise for the first 3 months.
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin when he's about eight months old and continue until he's two years old.
Osteoarthritis of the hips and knees may eventually lead to hind leg weakness. This may cause your dog to have difficulty rising or walking and you may notice his or her hind legs collapsing. Additionally, arthritis may affect the front legs, back, and other joints.
Labradors are actually a calm breed, but they were bred to be hunting and water dogs. This means they were born to do work. If they do not have a daily job to do, they can become a hyper dog. Labs calm down a lot after they are one year old.
Dogs with yellow or black coats live about 10 percent longer than their chocolate counterparts, according the study, published in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology on Monday. The median longevity for all labs is about 12 years, while the median age for chocolate labs was 10.7.
Labradors typically live to around 10–12 years old. But many will begin showing signs of aging around seven or so. Luckily, there are a lot of steps you can take to keep your pet comfortable in their elder years.
Because of their unique double coats, labs shed a lot throughout the year, and especially more so when the seasons begin to change. In the spring, labs will shed a lot of hair in an attempt to lose their winter coat and prepare for the summer. During fall, they'll regain the hair to bulk up for the winter temperatures.