Labrador Retriever Characteristics

Common Personality Traits of a Trained and Loved Labrador Retriever

• Loyal
• Friendly
• Tolerant
• Intelligent
• Energetic
• Mischevious
• Sensitive

Common Personality Traits of a Labrador Retriever that has not been Trained or Loved

Although labs are predisposed to the above characteristics, they require a lot of training and love before they readily display their true nature. When a labrador retriever is placed in a home where they are neglected, abused, socially disconnected from members of the household, or deprived exercise and routine, they display the following characteristics:

• Anxious
• Fearful
• Aggressive
• Destructive
• Overly Hyper
• Anti-Social (with dogs and humans)

Learn more about Training Your Labrador Retriever>

Other Lab Characteristics that You Should Know About

• Shedding - they shed constantly - lab hair is everywhere - if you are an absolute neat freak they may not be for you
• Energy - they have lots for the first 2-3 years - be prepared to do a lot of walking!
• Biters - labs nip and bite until they are 8 months - 1.5 years old. This means fingers, toes, furniture etc.
• Clumsy - labs tend to be the comedians of they dog world - they knock things over with their tails, they bump into you, they walk into walls, they knock children down without meaning to
• Mouthy - they like to steal socks and underwear and carry them around the house, they will nip at your long shirt or pant cuffs....this is what the breed has been bred for...so accept it as is!
• Garbage Cans - labs eat everything from dead frogs to cat poo to fermenting veggies from the garden.

If a Labrador Retriever were an actor, they would most likely be similar to:

• Ben Stiller in "Meet the Parents"
• Drew Barrymore in "50 First Dates"
• John Candy in "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"
• Will Ferrell in "Elf"