Are Labrador Retrievers Smart?

Dogs are highly social and smart animals. Social animals can understand one another’s emotions. It helps them co-exist with other individuals in their packs. We don’t need a lot of scientific evidence to agree that dogs are smart creatures. Anyone who’s interacted with a well-trained dog will commend a dog’s mental capabilities. Their intelligence and social nature are what make dogs such amazing pets. Today, we’re going to be focusing on a particularly popular dog breed; Labradors. Labs are loveable, everyone knows that, but are labrador retrievers smart? We’re going to be figuring that out.

The Lab breed has been around for many centuries and has played various roles. It was first used as a fisherman’s dog in the 1700s. Then people started using it as a hunting breed in the 1800s. Nowadays, Labs are one of the most popular pet breeds in the USA. They make great family pets, are hardworking, and good for security as well. Let’s take a look at this breed’s characteristics to understand its mental capacity.

Characteristics of a Labrador Retriever

Incredibly Active

Labs are classified as a sporting breed by the AKC. As their name suggests, Labs are retrieving dogs, and they’re pretty much ready to retrieve anything. Whether it’s an animal that you just hunted or a ball that you just threw, your Lab will happily bring it back to you. Being sporty also means that they have a high energy drive.

Their energetic nature makes them great exercise partners as well. You can take your dog out on a run or walk with you. If you’re a nature lover who likes going trekking, a Lab can make great company.

Great Around Water

As we mentioned above, Labs were extensively used for fishing in the 1700s. This has made Labs quite comfortable around water. These dogs are great swimmers and simply love being around water. You can take them on a boat ride or even have them tag along with you when you go to the beach.

Highly Trainable

A good dog is one that actively looks for guidance from its master. Its ability to understand this guidance is a major indicator of its intelligence. Labradors are incredibly easy to train. They aren’t stubborn and have a drive to please. They’re also incredibly well-behaved. These characteristics make Labradors practical working dogs and loveable pets.

Have Sensitive Noses

Labs are known for their sniffing ability. They’re often used in border control to sniff out any illegal items. Their sensitive nose makes them great for security purposes if they’re trained right.

Good Around Others

Labs aren’t a particularly aggressive breed; they’re patient and have a gentle nature. This makes them great around other people and kids as well. A Lab needs only a bit of socializing to turn it into a very friendly dog. If you have any kids, then you can expect your dog to bond with them well. Labs are known for being selfless. They put the protection of their pack above all else.

Their gentle nature makes Labs amiable with other pets as well. They tend to be a bit cautious towards adult dogs at times. However, if you take the proper steps to introduce them, then you don’t have to worry about aggression. If you own a Lab and want to adopt a new dog, then you won’t have a hard time acquainting your Lab to the new member.

Another notable thing about Labs is their soft mouths. Dogs need to be trained to control their jaw muscles to regulate their bite force. Labs have been used for retrieving purposes for a very long time. This has resulted in them becoming much better at controlling their jaw muscles. Teaching a Labrador to have a soft mouth is very easy. You can override their instinct to bite down on objects as hard as possible without much trouble. This is another reason why Labs are great around kids and small animals. They know how to be gentle, and they also understand how powerful their jaw can be.

Healthy

The Lab breed doesn’t have any major health complications. These dogs are healthy and have a life expectancy of around 12 years. They are susceptible to eyesight problems and hip dysplasia as they age. Then again, any dog breed faces problems like these as it ages.

Labradors have a nice double coat that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. Brushing their coat once or twice a month is more than enough to keep them looking fresh and groomed.

These are some notable characteristics that define the Labrador breed. We can see that these dogs are energetic, friendly, and practical. Most of all, they’re obedient. Now let’s get back to our main question.

Are Labrador Retrievers Smart?

Yes, they are, this breed exhibits many traits that are present in other intelligent dog breeds. Labradors are ranked at number 7 in the top 10 smartest dog breeds list. Their smartness is measured by their ability to be obedient and their working intelligence. However, intelligence can only make a dog useful to an extent. Some dog breeds are far more intelligent than Labs. However, those dog breeds aren’t as popular for a reason.

An intelligent dog without the right temperament can be very hard to manage. Most intelligent dog breeds are stubborn, ill-tempered, and may even try to manipulate their owners. Labradors are intelligent and have an awesome temperament. They have an innate need to please their owners and make them happy. This makes them incredibly obedient dogs. They quickly learn commands and do their best to follow them. Their loving nature also makes them highly trustworthy. Labradors are popular pets and also popular service dogs. Many agencies enlist Labradors. They’re great search-and-rescue animals, hunting animals, and service animals.

Overall, the Labrador breed is intelligent, and it puts its intelligence to good use. They’ve been serving humans for centuries now. Obedience and the need to understand commands has pretty much become a part of their genes. These traits combined with their friendly demeanor and their awesome temperament makes Labs loveable animals.