Labrador Mix Breeds

As one of the most popular and beloved dogs in the world, the Labrador Retriever has been used as the basis for many other breeds and mixes.  Beyond his popularity, the Labrador Retriever also has many great qualities to contribute:  intelligence, a gentle disposition, skills as a retriever and hunting dog, natural ability in the water, and many other traits that make him a wonderful companion.  For all of these reasons the Lab has been bred with other breeds.

Labrador Breeds

Many of the recognized retriever breeds around the world owe something to the Labrador Retriever.  Here are a few of the breeds which owe something to the Labrador or which share common roots with him:

• Curly-Coated Retriever

The Curly is pleasant, loyal and eager to please.  They are very intelligent dogs and easy to train.  They share much in common with the Lab in terms of temperament.  The Curly is one of the oldest of the retrieving breeds, known in England from around the late 18th century.  They are said to be descended from the English Water Spaniel, the St. John’s Water Dog, Setters, Poodles, the Irish Water Spaniel and the Labrador.

• Flat-Coated Retriever

The Flat-Coat is another gentle retriever breed, also originating in England at the same time as the Curly-Coated Retriever.  They are believed to be descended from the St. John’s Water Dog.  Collies and Setters may also be ancestors.  The breed dates from between 1860 and 1880.

• Golden Retriever

The Golden Retriever was originally produced from a cross of a yellow retriever and the Tweed Water Spaniel in Scotland.  The later breeding program included the Irish Setter, the Bloodhound, the St. John’s Water Dog and wavy-coated black retrievers.  Whether or not there were any Labradors is debatable, but Goldens are related to Labs through their shared ancestry with the St. John’s Water Dog.

• Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

A small red-gold retriever used to entire and lure waterfowl to the shore for the hunter to shoot.  The dogs frolic and play to get the birds to come closer.  They were bred from local water dogs in Nova Scotia along with Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers and possibly some Irish Setters.  These dogs are probably related to the Labrador by means of the St. John’s Water Dog and other local retrievers.

Labrador Mixes and Hybrids

Most people have heard of the term “hybrid dogs.”  One of the most popular of all hybrids is the Labradoodle which was one of the first intentional hybrid dog crosses.  The Labradoodle is the cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Poodle.  However, many people don’t know much about hybrid dogs in general.

Hybrid dogs aren’t necessarily better pets than purebred dogs or your average mixed breed dog.  A hybrid dog is simply a cross between two purebred dogs, such as the Labrador and the Poodle.  Many people think that hybrids are healthier than purebreds or simple mixed breed dogs but that’s not necessarily true. For instance, if both parents have hip dysplasia, it’s a good bet that the puppies will also grow up to have hip problems when they’re adults, despite the fact that the parents aren’t related at all. The same is true for other health problems.

photo credit: Ian Wedlock

Puppies from hybrid litters are also very unpredictable.  For instance, breeders often breed Labradoodles to try to produce a “hypoallergenic” dog — a dog with a coat that’s good for allergy-sufferers.  Labrador Retrievers are great dogs but they can shed a lot.  By breeding them with Poodles breeders hope to produce puppies that are smart, easy to train, gentle and which have coats which won’t shed much, like the Poodle’s coat.

The problem is that in Labradoodle litters three coat types are possible:  straight or hair-like coats, wavy, and curly.  Some puppies even have wooly coats.  Only some of these coats are good for people with allergies.  Some of the coats will shed just like the Labrador Retriever.

Hybrid dogs also don’t “breed true.”  This means that even when you keep breeding hybrids together for several generations they won’t produce a new breed.  You will continue to get puppies that look like Labrador Retrievers or Poodles, for example, instead of producing the traits you are seeking.

If you are interested in getting a hybrid dog, such as a Labradoodle, make sure that you ask plenty of questions, see pictures or visit the puppies in person so you will know what your puppy will look like, especially if you need a puppy that’s good for allergies.  Spend time with the puppy if possible so you’ll know if the puppy will trigger your allergies.

Labrador Hybrids

There’s really no limit to the crosses which can be made with the Labrador Retriever and claimed as hybrids.  However, the following hybrids have been recognized by the American Canine Hybrid Club in the United States:

• American Bullador — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the American Bulldog.

• Labmaraner — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Weimaraner

• Lab-Pointer — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Pointer.

• Labradoodle — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Poodle.  The original “doodle” hybrid, created in Australia to be a service dog.

• Labralas — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Vizsla

• Labrottie — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Rottweiler.

• Mastador — a cross between the Labrador Retriever and the Mastiff.

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