According to American Kennel Club, Labrador Retrievers are highly-favored dogs for their intelligent, trusting, and gentle disposition.Are you planning to adopt a lab? Then you should know everything about how long labs live to spend the maximum quality time with your loving pet and ensure they live a long life.Labradors are essentially a breed of UK-originated Retriever Gun dogs developed from imported Canadian Fishing dogs. Initially considered the friends of fishermen, Labradors are now in almost every household in America, being the best friend to thousands of families. The scientific name of Labrador Retriever is Canis lupus familiaris. These gentle, agile, outgoing, and even-tempered dogs are the best playmates for your kids.The bouncing puppy will fill your time with its fun activities and adorable gestures, leaving little room in your mind about the upcoming future and possibilities regarding its lifespan. But like any other breed, the long life of a lab is also determined by certain factors of genetics and upbringing. The quality of life of Labradors depends upon their genes, health issues, and lifestyles, determining the lifespan labs live. So, it’s better to know everything you can about the lifespan of Labradors if you are getting ready to adopt this special kind of dog.And why only the labs? Kidadl articles will let you know similar facts about all your favorite dogs. Read here to learn about how long do Boxers live and how long do Bulldogs live.The Average Lifespan Of LabradorsLabradors are one of the longest-living dogs, according to National Geographic.The average lifespan of a lab generally is 10-12 years. While many of them exceed this average mark and live up to 14 years, few, unfortunately, can’t make it to even 11. Apart from their own genetics, surrounding environment, diet, lifestyle, and the like can be determining factors contributing to the life expectancy of Labrador retrievers.Sadly, these otherwise outgoing and agile dogs start to become withdrawn from year eight or nine, when they are considered to enter in the winter of their lives. If it sounds unbelievable, the vital point to remember is that the age of dogs is not similar to human age. A 10 years old dog is around 60 years in human terms.Now here’s the good news. The average life expectancy of labs is changing for good! Recent evidence shows that these dogs are living much longer. Though the study includes sample numbers of only around 40, it has suggested that the average life expectancy of a lab might be increased up to 14 years. That’s a great deal of hope for lab parents!The officially confirmed longest-lived Labrador was an incredible 27 years and three months! Not just this miracle, there are plenty of other proofs in the media of Labradors exceeding their life expectancy and living over 15 years, all across the world.So, if you are wondering can these dogs live to be 16, yes, they certainly can! Labs are already one of those healthy breeds, which are more or less immune to inherited diseases and aging problems. Now, it seems that they are getting more adaptive over time, broadening the limits of their life spans. How incredible!Male Vs. Female Labrador LifespanBefore adopting a lab or any other breed, there is always a common confusion between males and females. Though both are similarly adorable for the dog-lovers, observations reveal some differences between the two genders among Labrador Retrievers.While the male Labradors are more attached to the family or household, the female Labradors tend to be more outgoing and independent. But the good news is, apart from physical appearance and behavioral traits, the gender of a Labrador Retriever doesn’t necessarily affect their longevity.Male and female scores are almost the same in the test of how long labs live! This means, in a lifestyle of favorable conditions, both male and female Labradors live as long as the typical life expectancy.Did you know that the fur colors play a vital role in the lifespan of Labradors? Sounds unbelievable, but it’s true, in the case of both male and female ones. As per study evidence, chocolate Labradors live considerably shorter lives than black and yellow labs.The recent study, published in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, states that Labrador Retrievers with black or yellow coats go on to live almost about 10 % longer than their chocolate-colored counterparts. According to the study, the median age of the chocolate lab is 10.7 years, against the median of 12 years for the other labs. That means, while the average life span of a black or yellow lab is around 12 years, chocolate labs generally live up to 10.5-10.7 years.The Royal Veterinary College of London’s (RVC) Vet Compass TM program conducted research in collaboration with the University of Sydney. This joint research revealed that chocolate Labradors are more prone to ear infections and skin diseases with almost 7-10% more possibility than the black and yellow labs, affecting their overall lifespan. The study was conducted on a vast population of 33,320 Labrador Retrievers. But it is unclear if these life expectancy numbers differ from English Labs to American Labs.Another determinant gene factor in the coat colors of Labradors is the dilute gene. The coat colors, resulted from this type are silvery gray, champagne, and charcoal. This gene turns the original-colored furs of a lab into a pale diluted version. Silver labs are diluted versions of chocolate labs, while champagne is diluted from yellow, and charcoal ones are the pale versions of black labs. Though not categorized by AKC, these labs are extra-special among breeders and in high demand by some families.This kind of gene carries a hereditary recessive condition called color dilution alopecia (CDA), causing patches of thinning furs, hair loss, and other skin problems like flaky or itchy skin. The puppies with this condition are born with regular colored hair coats, and the symptoms of CDA will show at six months of age or older. But don’t fret! Though this disorder is not curable, it is more or less manageable and not at all life-threatening.Causes For Death In LabradorsThere are certain significant health issues that affect the longevity of a Labrador and determine how long do labs live.Especially as they get older, they get more prone to a few challenging issues and problems regarding their health, which leaves an ill impact on their overall quality of life. Let’s look at the probable conditions to better understand Labrador Retrievers’ life threats.Labs love their food! As a dog-lover, it is almost impossible for you to restrain yourself from feeding your cute pet, especially when they are adorably enjoying the food that much. But overfeeding your lab can bring a severe health problem - obesity. While obesity is not life-threatening, it can cause a series of other lifespan-affecting diseases and health issues like a chain reaction. Hip dysplasia, arthritis, diabetes, and bloating, in Labradors, stem out from obesity.Around 5.5% of the Labrador population suffers from hip dysplasia, which is a form of degenerative disease in a dog’s joints. It is sourced in labs from an existing hip joint deformity, which worsens with age and overfeeding. Lack of proper diet also puts your Labrador at an increased risk of arthritis, with the additional weight creating more pressure on the joint.If your Labrador has the condition from the start, consult your vet about caring for its hip joint. The best way to avoid dysplasia is to control your lab’s weight, giving enough exercise, and proper foot care from the very beginning.As just said, arthritis is one of the most common aging problems among dogs, just like human beings. It causes painful inflammation in any or all of the joints in your dog’s body, making the smooth cartilage within a dog’s joints rougher with time. Apart from hip dysplasia, this osteoarthritis can be caused prominently due to being overweight, lack of exercise, and even excessive exercise!In younger labs, it can be caused by accidental injury or immunity problems. Once diagnosed, it can be a tricky condition to manage, as adequate exercise will be needed for the health of the joints, but your dog will likely be in some pain during those movements. So, prevention is always better than cure!Diabetes in Labradors, as well as in any dog breed, can occur in two ways. It can be an inherited disease, but it is not very common for puppies to be born with this condition. Developing a disease like diabetes at an early stage is also a sporadic case. As humans, it is generally an aging condition, which comes down to glucose and insulin balance in the blood. It occurs when your dog’s body develops an abnormal response to insulin, makes too little insulin, or completely stops producing it.Prolonged high blood sugar can cause infections and gradual blindness in your dog. Luckily, your Labrador is not more prone to develop the health condition specifically, as diabetes is pretty common in a wide variety of dogs during their older age. Proper treatment, diet, and exercise can manage the health condition successfully.Gastric dilatation-volvulus is a disease commonly known as bloating, which can also cause a flipped stomach. It would be best to be cautious for this one, as this is a severe possibility for Labrador Retrievers in particular. This disease is also caused by the labs’ love for their food! While overeating too quickly, the air within the food pipe becomes stuck in the stomach, gradually causing it to bloat and twist.This swollen stomach then further creates pressure on blood vessels, blocking blood circulation and oxygen flow within the body, which may cause an instant collapse. If not operated on an urgent basis, this painful GDV condition can be fatal for your dog within just hours.Yes, dogs can have cancer too. Sharing the same environment as us makes our pets exposed to toxic substances and cancer-causing environmental factors. Labradors are particularly prone to be affected by this specific type of cancer, which is a major life-threatening cause - lymphoma is a blanket medical term used to describe a group of cancers affecting the body’s white blood cells. These white blood cells generally concentrate in organs like the spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes, playing vital roles in the immune system. While any organ of the body can be affected by lymphoma or cancer, these tend to be the most prone ones.The most effective treatment for canine lymphoma or cancer is chemotherapy. Your vet can suggest the best suitable type of chemotherapy for your ailed lab based upon the type of cancer. The prognosis of survival rate among labs suffering from lymphoma depends on the diagnosed stage of cancer and the type and duration of treatment. Unfortunately, this is an eventual fatal disease.If reading about all these diseases and health problems seems depressing, stop worrying! There are several ways to improve the quality of life of your loving lab, helping them live a long healthy life.Choose a trusted breeder: Choosing the right breeder doesn’t mean any discrimination towards dogs. A proper breeder can tell you about the correct background information of the dog you are adopting and guide you through possible risk factors, including any potential inherited disease. Knowing about all this will enable you to make informed decisions in the future, supporting your dog’s healthy and long life.Spay or neuter your Labrador: Spaying (a female) or neutering (a male Labrador) reduces several health risks, including certain types of cancer. Also, it helps get your Labrador rid of unwanted pregnancies, especially at a young age, which can otherwise cause acute stress leading to inflammation.Walk your dog: This is more or less the ground rule for every pet dog. Regular exercise is essential for your Labrador, but be careful not to overdo it. Too much exercise can cause additional pressure, finally harming the leg and hip joints, causing dysplasia or arthritis. Make a proper exercise routine for your Labrador retriever, depending on their body weight and age.Feed your Labrador carefully: A lab’s diet is the key to its health. And, in the case of labs, less is more! So, ignore the continuous, adorable puppy-eyed begging, and restrain yourself from overfeeding your lab to maintain your lab’s ideal weight. As food-loving labs are prone to overeating, they develop early obesity and related health problems.As discussed earlier, dysplasia and arthritis often come hand in hand with obesity in the case of dogs. And the common source behind this gaining weight is due to improper diet and overeating. So, talk to your vet and prepare a proper diet chart for your Labrador with enough supplements to the dog food, maintaining the nutritional balance without overfeeding.Labrador Lifespan Compared To Similar Breeds As studies state, labs are among the longest-living healthy dog breeds in the world. Now, as you have learned about how long do labs live, let’s look into the average life expectancy of a few similar dog breeds to get a proper comparison of breeds that lives longer.Chesapeake Bay Retriever- 10-13 yrs.Curly-Coated Retriever (the oldest breed among retrievers)- 8-12 yrs.Flat-Coated Retriever- 10-13 yrs.Golden Retriever (the most common and popular one)- 10-13 yrs.Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever- 11-13 yrs.Which one would you choose?Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how long do labs live, then why not take a look at how long do Pugs live or Labrador Retriever Facts.
According to American Kennel Club, Labrador Retrievers are highly-favored dogs for their intelligent, trusting, and gentle disposition.
