How old is a labrador when fully grown

Obviously, Labradors have a number of endearing traits or they would not be so popular. They are intelligent and fairly easy to train, partly from their desire to work with people. They are "easy keepers" and can become overweight if they are not exercised and food portions adjusted as needed. Labrador s are excellent family dogs because they do want to be with people and many do not do well as kennel dogs. Labradors do tend to be protective of their families and homes but are usually happy to greet company, too.

With the strong retrieving instinct, they can develop into destructive chewers if not given appropriate toys and guidance.

Labradors may tend to "mouth" people and the solution is often simply to give them a toy to carry around, so their mouths are already full! These are very strong dogs and early training is necessary to have a dog that walks nicely on lead.

The wonderful double coat that keeps the Labrador warm while retrieving in icy water also gives this breed top billing as shedders. Normally, their coats do fine with a quick weekly grooming, but at shedding time daily grooming is needed. The amount of exercise they need varies with the different lines: field line dogs can run all day, whereas show line dogs only need moderate exercise.

Early in the s, some of the multipurpose dogs used in North America mostly Canada by hunters were shipped back to England. Many of these "water dogs" were of the Newfoundland type, but the smaller ones were often designated "St John's" dogs. In England, the breed was developed and refined probably with some flat-coated retriever input into the breed we recognise today.

As is evidenced by their name, Labrador retrievers were bred and selected for their outstanding retrieving abilities, particularly in water. They have worked as partners with duck hunters in all kinds of weather and conditions. Their intelligence and desire to work as a partner with man has led to many other jobs, and to their current status as popular pets.

Today, Labradors excel as service and guide dogs, family pets, scenting dogs for the military, customs and arson task force dogs, search and rescue dogs as well as hunting companions and performance dogs. The breed's good nature has propelled the Labrador to number one ranking in popularity in America. Despite their fame as indoor pets, they are even more at home outdoors. It should always be remembered that Labradors are water retrievers at heart and from early on, puppies show a strong desire to carry things around with them and a strong attraction to water, even puddles!

Select Your Region. Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube. Your use of this site is subject to the terms of our Terms and Conditions. Do Labradors need a big yard? Even small breeds need room to stretch their legs and run about, and Labradors as fairly large and lively dogs need quite a lot of space.

This means you need a decent sized backyard if you plan on buying a Labrador puppy. Labradors can be quite silly during adolescence, bouncing and cavorting in the home. Labrador average sizes Many adult female Labradors reach a weight of lbs and stand inches high at the shoulder.

Many adult male Labradors reach a weight of lbs and stand inches at the shoulder. In the first yellow Labrador was recorded. His name was Ben of Hyde and he belonged to a Major Radcliffe. From then, the popularity of the yellow Labrador grew but black remained and still is the preference of the shooting crowd. The English Labrador comes from English bred stock.

Its general appearance is different than the American bred Labrador. The English bred Labs are heavier, thicker and stockier whilst American bred Labradors are taller and lankier. Both types come in yellow, black and chocolate. When is a Labrador no longer classed as a puppy? These are interesting questions. Most people think about fully grown as being the biggest size a Labrador will reach.

But changing from being classed as a puppy to being an adult is not just about reaching the largest size. You have to consider sexual and mental maturity too. Evolving from puppy to dog involves all three of these characteristics. To get a better perspective of how big your dog will be at what age, take a look at the below chart.

Note that this is an average and your dog may be smaller or larger than this at any given point, but it does give you an idea. You can see from this some interesting numbers.

Being too thin is also unhealthy, especially if your puppy is still growing. Weight loss or not being able to gain weight can be caused by worms, illness, or a lack of calories. Active dogs will need to be fed more than those that lead sedentary lifestyles. What you can do is increase their intake and monitor their growth rate. Puppies generally gain 2 lbs 1 kg a week from birth until they are 6 months old. After that, their weight-gain tapers off slowly.

Most people think that dogs mature at the same age, but small dogs like a Terrier or a Pomeranian might reach adulthood at 9 months of age whereas a Great Dane might fully mature at 3 years of age. It has been noted that they reach their full height at 1 year of age, and their adult weight at 2 years of age. The general consensus is that you should fix your dog around 6 months, but there are new studies to suggest that early neutering might create more problems for your dog.

Another specialized study suggests pet owners to neuter or spay after 37 weeks. This prevents excessive growth that can aggravate hip or joint problems. Depending on when your dog is neutered. If it is neutered after sexual maturity, it will most likely have already reached its adult size and will not grow any taller. However, most neutered pets gain weight much more easily due to a decrease in sex hormones. This will cause their metabolic rate to slow down so you should adjust their diet accordingly.

English Labs are show dogs that are bred to be more heavyset. Therefore, they can be slightly on the heavy side. As for American or working dogs, they are generally more athletic and lighter. Gender also plays a role in their weight , with females nearing the lighter end of the spectrum and males being on the heavier side. Chocolate or White Labs are usually bred for the show ring. It is entirely possible to have an English Fox Red and vice versa for all other colors.

When your pup reaches adulthood which is 24 months of age, it is still possible for him or her to gain additional weight. Leading a healthy lifestyle will keep your pup healthy. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.