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July 8th
Labrador Retriever puppies are about as cute as they come. Many potential dog owners pick up a puppy, figuring that they can’t be too hard to manage.
However, it’s important that you understand how big Labs can get before you adopt. Labs are very active, energetic dogs, and they can be quite a handful when they reach full size.
Many Labs will vary in size, making it difficult to know for certain how large yours will grow up to be. They are considered medium to large dogs.
The American Kennel Club provides measurements for show dogs which can give you a sense of a Lab’s size. They say that males should be around 23 inches tall at their shoulders, and that females should be around 22 inches tall. Males will typically weigh around 75 pounds, and females 65 pounds.
Keep in mind that these are measurements for show dogs, and they don’t apply to all Labs. However, they give you a good estimate of the size of a full grown Lab.
Spaying or neutering a dog early on can affect their growth, as you change levels of hormones in the body. Labs reach puberty around 8 months, and if you spay or neuter them before this point, they will grow differently.
Dogs that are spayed or neutered early on tend to actually grow taller, with a slimmer, narrower build. Lower levels of key hormones cause the growth plates to close at an older age, meaning these Labs will keep growing for longer.
Labradors are descended from work dogs, meaning they have a lot of energy and stamina. They need a good amount of exercise daily to prevent them from getting bored and gaining weight.
If you don’t have the space or the energy to keep up with a Lab, it may not be the ideal breed. Many Labs will start to act out if they don’t get enough exercise, leading to barking, yelping, and accidents around the house. They are fairly big dogs, and they can be hard to control when they start misbehaving.
Labs also tend to gain weight quickly if they don’t exercise. This can cause a wide range of health problems, including joint issues and heart disease. You should plan on at least an hour of activity a day to keep your Lab happy and healthy.
When deciding if a Lab is a good dog for your home, there are a lot of factors you should consider. The are medium to large dogs that can weigh over 80 pounds, so you’ll need a decent amount of space.
They also like to run around a lot, so it’s best if you have some room where they can blow off some steam. If you don’t have a yard, you’ll need to take them on walks or trips to the dog park frequently.
You should also keep in mind that Labs shed more than just about any other dog breed. If you’re worried about a mess around the house, they may not be the right breed for you.
If you’ve decided that a Lab is the right choice for you, head over to our puppy finder. At Uptown Puppies, we connect you to some of the best dog breeders and companies around.
We only work with breeders who follow strict ethical standards, meaning none of the dogs we find for you come from puppy mills or backyard breeders.
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