Top 6 vital stats about Labradors...
Social
Highly social, considered “people dogs”
Exercise
2+ hours a day of exercise
Grooming
Brush weekly
Feeding
2 times a day
Training
Easy to train
Shedding
High shedding
Labrador health conditions & temperament
Do Labradors need a lot of grooming?
Yes, Labradors require a lot of grooming. This is because Labrador retrievers have a dense, water-resistant double coat that sheds moderately year-round and more heavily during seasonal changes.
Do Labradors suffer from health conditions?
Yes, Labradors are susceptible to health conditions. One example is obesity which is a significant concern for this food-loving breed, which can exacerbate other health problems.
Do Labradors bark a lot?
No, Labradors are not known for excessive barking, contrary to some misconceptions. These dogs typically bark with purpose rather than for no reason. While individual personalities vary, most Labs tend to be relatively quiet compared to many other breeds.
Labrador feeding & attention
How often to feed them?
Puppies need frequent meals - typically 3-4 times daily until they're six months old. Adult Labradors generally thrive on two meals a day, spaced about 12 hours apart.
Are they social?
Yes, their social nature is equally pronounced – Labradors are often described as “people dogs" due to their strong desire for human companionship.
Easy to train?
Yes, they thrive on physical activity, requiring daily exercise to maintain their health and happiness. Whether it's a game of fetch, a swim in the lake, or a brisk walk, Labs are always eager to get moving. Labradors, with their vivacious personality, can indeed be quite trainable with the correct approach.
Are they social?
Labradors happily greet visitors with a wagging tail and follow their family members from room to room. This breed excels in social settings, making them popular choices for therapy work and family pets.
Labrador personality & good to knows
Good with children?
Yes, Labradors can indeed be good companions for children, provided that there is appropriate supervision and that both the dog and the children are taught to interact with each other respectfully.
Good with small living spaces?
Yes, Labradors can adapt well to apartment living with proper care and attention. While Labradors do benefit from having room to move around, their adaptability and exercise needs are more crucial than the size of their living space.
Good with other pets?
Yes, Labradors are renowned for their exceptionally friendly nature, including their amiable disposition towards other dogs. These gentle giants typically exhibit a playful and sociable demeanor, making them excellent companions in multi-dog households or at the local dog park.
Good with children?
Labradors are intelligent and can be very loyal to their families, which can translate into positive relationships with younger members. Labs are better suited to families with older children who have learned how to handle animals gently.
Did You Know?
Labradors have webbed toes, making them exceptional swimmers capable of rescuing people from drowning.
Labradors have been trained to detect cancer through scent, potentially saving human lives.
Celebrities who own Labs include England's Prince William, actors Drew Barrymore, Kevin Costner, Edie Falco, Minnie Driver, Mary Kate Olsen, and musician Sarah McLachlan.
Package available for your Labrador includes
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Complementary treatment
Up to
£500
per illness/injury
Up to
£750
per illness/injury
Up to
£1000
per illness/injury
3rd Party Liability (dogs only)
Up to
£1M
per illness/injury
Up to
£2M
per illness/injury
Up to
£2M
per illness/injury
Death from Illness*
*Death from illness does not apply to dogs aged 9 and over & cats aged 11 and over
£1,000
£1,500
£2,000
Death from accident
£1,000
£1,500
£2,000
Labrador Training & Exercise
- Establish a regular training schedule and stick to it, even if it’s just for 10-15 minutes daily.
- Mental stimulation is equally important; puzzle toys, training sessions, and nose work games can keep their intelligent minds engaged and prevent boredom-related behaviours.
- Labradors need at least 1-2 hours of exercise daily. A great tip is to vary their exercise routine to keep them engaged.
- Fetch is a classic game that taps into their retrieving instincts, especially when played with floating toys in water, which Labradors absolutely adore.
Labrador Common Health Conditions
- Hip and elbow dysplasia are common orthopedic issues in the breed, potentially leading to arthritis and mobility problems.
- Labradors are susceptible to eye disorders such as progressive retinal atrophy and cataracts.
- Exercise-induced collapse is a condition causing weakness and collapse after intense activity.
- Regular veterinary check-ups, balanced diet and a stress free environment are key to maintaining your Labrador’s health.
Labrador Health & Social Maintenance
- Adult Labradors typically need between 1,000 to 1,800 calories per day, depending on their size, age, and activity level.
- To manage Labradors hedding and maintain coat health, Labradors benefit from weekly brushing sessions, which can increase to daily during heavy shedding periods.
- Labradors are known for their loving nature, so providing plenty of attention, cuddles, and positive reinforcement will strengthen your bond and boost their emotional well-being.
- Despite being gentle and intelligent, Labs are very high energy and tend to do everything with a huge amount of vigour. So Labs may be unsuitable for households with small children due to them being prone to excitable accidents.
Frequently Asked Questions
As well as finding the best cover for your beloved pet, you’ll also want to find the best deal on cat insurance or dog insurance. And that means doing your research.
When you compare pet insurance, you’ll receive a pet insurance quotation that meet your pet’s needs. But first, you’ll need to provide the following information to the pet insurance provider:
- Your pet’s details: This includes their age, breed and size
- How much your pet cost: This only applies if you bought your pet, not if you’ve adopted your pet without an adoption fee (applies if you’ve adopted your pet and paid an adoption fee, the adoption fee will be the pet cost)
- Your pet’s medical history: Has a vet diagnosed any existing medical conditions? (information provided at the point of making a claim)
As your pet becomes older, it can be harder to get cover for them. Some pet insurance providers will not let you take out cover for pets over a certain age. At Purely Pets, we have no upper age limit on our pet insurance policies. This makes it simpler to find pet insurance to protect your older pet.
ou already know there are different types of cat and dog insurance cover available, but here’s what that insurance jargon actually means:
- Lifetime pet insurance: Also known as reinstatement cover, this policy offers ongoing protection for illness and injuries. Your pet is covered for medical treatment administered by a vet up to a certain vet fee limit each year. The full amount is reinstated every 12 months.
- Maximum benefit pet insurance: Covers each illness or accident up to a fixed amount. Once that figure is reached, your pet is no longer covered.
- Time-limited pet insurance: An accident or injury is covered for a specific length of time. Handy for short term illness.
- Accident-only pet insurance: Your pet is covered if they are injured in an accident – but not if they fall ill. Usually up to a certain amount.
At Purely Pets, we believe every pet deserves the very best, which is why we only offer lifetime cover. You can choose from 15 levels of cover, with costs of up to £15,000 covered by your pet insurance. Get an instant pet insurance quote today.
For many pet owners, the idea of not having pet insurance can be worrying. Can you afford to pay for vet fees if the worst were to happen and your furry friend fell ill or had an accident?
It's important to weigh up the possibilities as insurance might be the answer to providing you with peace of mind.
There are a number of factors that determine how much you pay for pet insurance for your pet dog or cat.
Each pet is different, and the cost of pet insurance premiums can vary accordingly. Luckily, there is bound to be a policy offering you just the right cover for your pet.
The cost of pet insurance can vary according to:
- Type of pet insurance policy
- Amount of cover required
- Your pet’s size and age
- The breed of your dog or cat
- Health of your pet
- Whether your pet has been neutered or spayed
- Where you (or more specifically, your pet) lives
- How much excess you want to pay (just make sure you can afford the amount you decide on).
When working out premiums for your cat insurance or dog insurance, a pet insurance provider will look at each of these factors and assign a risk rating for each one. The higher the collective risk, the more likely you will make a claim – and the higher your pet insurance premiums will be.
As a rule of thumb, the cheapest pet insurance options are accident only. But these also provide the lowest level of pet insurance cover.
At the other end of the scale you have lifetime pet insurance policies, which provide the highest level of protection and give you a range of options should your pet require vet treatment at any time in their lives (providing the pet insurance policy has not lapsed, your policy has been renewed each year, and your premiums have been paid and are up to date).
You need to decide how much protection you want to give your cat or dog and decide on the level of pet insurance cover accordingly.
If you own a happy and healthy pet, you might wonder 'is it worth insuring my dog?'
You should always protect your furry friend with dog insurance – here are three reasons why:
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Vet bills can be costly: Even the healthiest of pets can sometimes fall ill or get into an accident, and veterinary fees don't come cheap. With a pet insurance policy in place, you can get them the care they need if the have an accidental injury, without worrying about expensive vet bills. Plus, if your dog injures someone else, or their property, third party liability cover can help pick up the pieces.
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Your pet deserves the best care: Without dog insurance, it's easy for pet owners to go for the cheapest option available to treat their furry friend, but they deserve so much more. Dog insurance will cover the cost of veterinary treatment throughout your dog's life, meaning you can get your pet the right treatment, when they need it most.
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Get covered before new illnesses develop: Trying to find insurance once your pet is already ill is tricky. Pet insurance providers often won't cover a pre-existing condition, so you'll still need to pay the veterinary fees associated with this illness or injury. Read the policy wording carefully to check if your dog's pre existing condition is covered or not. Cover from Purely Pets includes dental being accident only in year 1 and dental illness from year 2 onwards.
Incorporate plenty of physical exercise before training to help your Lab focus better.
Labradors excel in obedience and retrieval tasks, so consider integrating fetch games into your training routine to make it more engaging. Try incorporating activities like swimming, which is excellent for their joints, or playing fetch to satisfy their retrieval instincts.
Labradors are known for their loving nature, so providing plenty of attention, cuddles, and positive reinforcement will strengthen your bond and boost their emotional well-being.
For mental stimulation, puzzle toys filled with treats can keep them occupied for hours, challenging their problem-solving skills.
Hide and seek is another fantastic game that combines physical exercise with mental engagement, as your Lab uses their keen sense of smell to find you or hidden treats around the house.
For a medium-sized adult Lab weighing around 30 kg, this translates to approximately 300-400 grams of high-quality dry dog food daily, split into two meals.
Working or highly active Labs may require up to 50% more food, while less active or older dogs might need less to prevent obesity.
