Labrador Retriever Life Span – How Long Do Labs Live?

Labrador Retriever Life Span: Labradoodles live for 12 to 12.5 years on average. However, chocolate Labs, which are also Labradors, live for 10.7 years on average. It is not clear why this is, but it may have something to do with the dog’s diet or how they are cared for.

How long do lab tests last? This isn’t a fixed time for each Labrador. Some Labradors live much longer than 12 years old. Others don’t make it to age ten. What factors will affect the length of your dog’s life? And what can you do to make it longer?

What Influences the Life Span of a retriever?

There are two main groups of things that can affect how long your Labrador lives. These are important for any dog’s life.

• Genetic information that comes from his parents.
• Things happen to your dog throughout his life. Things like accidents, injuries, and sickness can occur.

Labrador Retriever Life Span – How Long Does Labrador Live?

The life expectancy of dogs is often inaccurate because it is based on old data. But now, there are research data so that we can know the actual number.

What They Show

In 2004, two studies were done. The first study found that the median age of death in Labradors is 12.25 years old in over 500 Labradors. The second study found that the median age of death among Labradors was 12.5 years old in over 400 Labradors. Finally, a newer, more extensive survey done in 2018 looked at nearly 30,000 Labradors and found that they lived on average for 12 years.”

Is This Changing?

But there is some good news. One study showed that Labradors are living longer. There were only 39 dogs studied, but it still supports the idea that Labradors live longer. So maybe our original answer to the question “How long do Labradors live?” will need to be corrected!

The oldest Labrador that we know of was over 19 years old. In the comments area below, readers have shared stories about their dogs living to be over 15. So can you help your dog live for a long time? We should start by looking at the genes that influence how they look and behave. And which set limits on their lifespan.

The Labrador Retriever’s Lifespan and Genes

Labradors inherit a variety of Labrador characteristics and can pass them on to their descendants. These traits include the color and length of their coat, how they behave, and more likely they to get sick.

Labrador body type

Labradors are very good because they don’t suffer from back problems and their bodies are very good for running and leaping. They haven’t been bred to have shortened faces, which could make them breathe badly or hurt their brains. Nor do they have too much skin or hair, which is good because it helps them be healthy.

Temperament and Labrador lifespan

Dogs have different behaviors because of their genes. For example, some dogs hunt or fetch things. Genes also control temperament, but it is affected by the environment too. For example, one study found that fear and anxiety affect how long dogs live in pet homes. Sometimes, people have to put down their dogs after a while if they misbehave for too long. So temperament should be considered when thinking about the life span of your dog as well.

Some dogs inherit several favorable genes that improve their chances of good health – reduced risk of cancer, for example. They then pass these favorable genes on to their puppies.

Life Expectancy and Inherited Disorders in Labrador Retrievers

Labradors are generally healthy. But it is essential to be aware of some diseases that can affect how long they live. One disease is hip dysplasia, and another is CNM. Tests are done on adults before breeding them so that these diseases do not get passed down.

We, humans, do not have tests for different diseases. Some of them are cancer, heartworm disease, and other illnesses. Labradors are more likely to get these diseases than other breeds of dogs, according to research done in 2004.

Inbreeding and Longevity

Dog breeds have genetic disorders. This happens when two dogs who are close relatives mate. The inbreeding coefficient for Labradors is 6.5%, which is higher than the level at which we see harmful effects from inbreeding. Another thing to know about a dog’s life span is size, and Labradors are a little disadvantaged there – they aren’t as big as some other dog breeds.

How Size Affects Labrador Retriever Lifespan

Smaller dogs live longer than bigger dogs. This is a mystery of nature that we do not understand. But there are many exceptions to this rule, so it does not always happen. When one person in the same species is compared to another, being larger can be a disadvantage. It might happen when one looks at different species of animals, like the elephant and the mouse! But in general, when looking at members of the same species, being small can be better because they live longer lives.

Labradors are smaller dogs. They are more likely to get sick and have shorter lives. Different breeds of dogs live different lengths of time.

Is there any truth to the claim that Purebred Labs live longer?

How long do Labradors live? They can live until their life is over. But they also depend on the type of dog. Purebred dogs have a certain amount of time left to live, but not as much as mixed breeds because they are pedigree pets. The average for purebred dogs was 1.2 years less than that of mixed breeds, according to a study published in The Veterinary Journal in 2013. So you cannot guarantee that your Boxador will outlive your neighbor’s Labrador; it all comes down to averages.

Comparing Pedigree Dogs

When we look at all dogs of a particular breed, their lifespans vary significantly. Aside from size, there are differences in lifespan among the species. In addition, life spans can vary depending on how well a dog is bred. Many tiny dogs have hormone issues, brain problems caused by skull compression, and other health concerns. Labrador confirmation, on the other hand, is relatively healthy.

Let’s talk about the issue we talked about at the beginning of this essay. It has been discovered that chocolate labs have a shorter lifespan than black or yellow labs.

Labrador Retriever Life Expectancy & Coat Color

For a long time, it was believed that the color of a Labrador didn’t affect their life expectancy. But a study showed that black Labs and yellow Labs live for 12 years, but chocolate Labradors only live to be 10.7 years old.

We did not know the exact reason for this yet. But, in that study of Chocolate, they had more problems with their ears and skin. These included self-inflicted problems caused by irritation from fleas. We do not know if there are differences in the English Labrador and American Labrador life expectancy. This study was a large sample of Labradors, so it likely represents all Labradors as a whole.

How Long Will My Dog Live?

Genetic factors play a significant role in how long your puppy will live. But you can’t choose the parents of your puppy. As your Labrador grows, he will face different experiences that may affect his lifespan. Some control things, like whether he gets food or not or what kinds of treats he eats. Let’s talk about some examples now.

Accidents & Roaming

Many dogs die every year. This could have been prevented if the dog had been supervised or put in a safe place. You can do this by using a fence, putting the dog on a leash, or teaching him to come when you call his name.

Neutering

At one time, people thought that neutering a dog would make it live longer. Unfortunately, this is not true because these dogs still want to mate, and they might go far away from their house. This can lead to more accidents.

Neutering a dog means you will not have puppies. However, it may cause joint problems and cancer. If you want to fix your dog, read our article on neutering before deciding if it is right for you.

The two things that will help your dog live a long time are training and control. You can teach the dog to come to you when called so it will be safe. Teach him with distractions, too.

Vaccination

Dogs can die if they are not vaccinated against certain diseases. Vaccinating your dog will make him less likely to get sick. And if he does get sick, he will be less likely to get very ill and may recover faster. Location of where you live also affects how long your dog lives. If you feed your dog more food than it needs, then its life is shorter, and it has a hard time living with that extra weight on him.

Overfeeding

Labradors are becoming overweight because people feed them more food than they need. Labradors are intelligent dogs, so they want more food. They also like to help other people give up their good stuff to keep giving them treats. You can stop this by not feeding your dog too much food and not giving him too many treats. Check out our information on Labrador weight to ensure your dog is at the ideal weight for optimum health.

If you have a greedy Lab, consider using a slow feed bowl, such as this one.

What Do Studies Say?

Studies have shown that restricting the calories of dogs can make them live longer. It’s not surprising because we know that obesity has a lot of health risks. But many people don’t think about it when they feed their dogs. We found out in 2003, when we studied Labradors, that they could keep their lean body mass throughout their lives if they restricted the amount of food they ate.

Resist Those Puppy Eyes

Many people think that the tendency to become fat is a myth. It’s not that your dog wants to eat a lot, but he tries to get you to give him food. For example, you have the cupboard, and your dog points at it.

Keeping your dog slim can help him live a long and happy life. Some diseases like arthritis in older dogs will be prevented or minimized if he is thin. You can also make your senior dog’s retirement more comfortable by making sure that they eat less food every day.