Labrador Retriever Puppies for Sale

Adult Labrador Retrievers weigh 55–80 lb and stand 21.5–24.5 in at the shoulder. Under the AKC standard, males weigh 65–80 lb and stand 22.5–24.5 in, while females weigh 55–70 lb and stand 21.5–23.5 in.

Parents of Pawrade Labrador Retrievers typically weigh 65–100 lb (fathers) and 50–85 lb (mothers).

They are dilute shades of chocolate, black and yellow, and they are outside the AKC breed standard. The dilute gene is recessive, so both parents must carry it.

A nose that fades to a lighter shade, often with the seasons ('snow nose'), is allowed under the breed standards. Yellow Labs that carry two copies of the chocolate gene have brown noses and paw pads.

Labs are kindly, outgoing and eager to please, and they are friendly with strangers and other dogs. They are patient and playful with children, and a young Lab can be boisterous.

Labs are a high-energy breed that needs at least one long, brisk walk a day plus retrieving, swimming or training games. A well-exercised Lab can be a calm housedog, and field-bred Labs are usually the more active type.

Not really, because Labs are alert but friendly toward strangers, and their guarding instinct is weak.

Labs have a strong urge to retrieve and carry objects. Without training, a Lab will pick up and sometimes destroy household items, so channel the urge into fetch and retrieving games.

Labs are patient and playful with children. A young Lab can be boisterous, so supervise play with small children. Among Pawrade Labrador Retriever buyers, about a third have children at home.

Labs are generally friendly with other dogs and non-aggressive. Most Lab litters on Pawrade meet larger dogs before going home, and about a third of Pawrade Lab buyers already have a dog.

An adult Lab needs at least one long, brisk walk a day, plus retrieving, swimming or training games. Field-bred Labs need more, and a well-exercised Lab is a calmer housedog.

A puppy needs far less than an adult: about 5 minutes per month of age, with no forced running or stairs in the early months. Build up to longer walks gradually, and hold off jogging until after the first year.

Labs handle cold well and heat only moderately. The dense, weather-resistant coat helps in the cold, and on hot days it is best to exercise in the cooler hours.

Labs shed moderately to heavily, all year round and most in season. They are not hypoallergenic, and no dog is truly hypoallergenic. A short coat does not mean little shedding.

A Lab needs little grooming. Brush weekly, more often during shedding season, and bathe only occasionally. Add regular nail trims, tooth care and ear checks.

The coat is short, straight and very dense, over a soft, weather-resistant undercoat. A slight wave down the back is allowed.

Labs are eager to please, and they learn well with food or a retrieve as the reward. Keep sessions fun and varied.

A common rule of thumb is that a puppy can hold its bladder for about as many hours as its age in months. A 3-month-old, for example, can usually wait about 3 hours. The rule works up to about 9 months to 1 year, and every puppy is different. Take your puppy out first thing in the morning, after naps and last thing at night. Keep the crate close enough at night to hear a whimper.

Start on the first day with frequent trips outside, especially right after waking, and reward your puppy each time it goes outdoors. Labs are quick, food-motivated learners, so food rewards work well.

Use a crate or puppy pen for naps, nights and whenever no adult can supervise, and keep it where the family spends time. Breeders on Pawrade report whether they have started crate training, so ask how far your puppy has got.

Teach loose-leash walking early, because Labs are strong dogs that tend to pull. Reward-based sessions kept fun and varied work best.

Your Lab is most likely in adolescence, a normal phase when dogs test boundaries and may seem to forget their training. Adolescence runs from about 6–8 months to about 2 years. Keep training consistent and patient, with plenty of physical and mental exercise. Labs learn best with food or a retrieve as the reward, in short sessions kept fun and varied.

Labs compete in AKC obedience, rally, agility, tracking and dock diving, and in scent work at the parent club's national specialty.

Labrador Retriever breeders on Pawrade report a typical litter of 7 puppies, usually between 4 and 10.

Most Labrador Retriever litters on Pawrade meet young children and larger dogs before the puppies go home. Breeders report socializing 90% of litters with young children and 94% with large-breed dogs. They also report getting litters used to loud music or TV (67%), pots and pans (63%) and car rides (57%). These figures come from what breeders reported for 483 litters.

Secure food, counters and trash, and put shoes, socks and toys out of reach, because a Lab puppy will raid and carry almost anything. Set up a crate or puppy pen in a room where the family spends time, and stock a large-breed puppy food. Book a first vet visit that covers the heart and how your puppy walks.

Start right away, because the first 3 months are the most important time for socialization. Puppy classes can begin as early as 7–8 weeks, with healthy classmates and clean floors, as your vet advises. Introduce people, friendly dogs, places and everyday things a little at a time.

Most puppies finish teething by about 6 months, when the adult teeth are in. Baby teeth start to fall out from about 12 weeks, and chewing is strongest in between. Offer a few safe chew toys at a time and rotate them, supervise chewing, and keep shoes and socks out of reach.

Most puppies finish their core vaccine series at about 16 weeks, as your vet advises. Until your vet says the series is complete, skip dog parks and other places where unknown dogs gather. A puppy class with healthy classmates and clean floors is fine before then.

Most Labs reach adult size between 12 and 18 months, and the growth plates may not close until 18 months or later. Dogs are usually fully grown and settled into adulthood at around 2 years.

Feed a large-breed puppy food, so growth stays moderate. Measure every meal and keep treats small, because Labs are food-motivated and gain weight easily. You can ask what your puppy is eating now before it comes home.

The Veterinary Health Report is the record of your Labrador Retriever puppy's exam before it goes home. The breeder's licensed vet gives the puppy itself a full hands-on exam to PetPay's exam standards and writes down what they find. It gives you and your own vet a clear starting point for your puppy's care.

The breeder's licensed veterinarian examines every puppy before it goes home, to PetPay's exam standards. The results are recorded in the puppy's Veterinary Health Report, and a copy travels with your puppy for your records.

The breeder's licensed vet examines the whole puppy and pays close attention to a few things that matter in Labs. The vet listens to the heart, since some Labs are born with a valve defect called tricuspid valve dysplasia. The vet also checks weight gain, the eyes, the bite and, in males, the testicles.

Before travel, every puppy follows PetPay's vaccination and deworming schedule as far as its age allows: deworming at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, and the distemper, parvo, adenovirus and parainfluenza combination shot at 6–8, 9–11 and 12–14 weeks. Bordetella and corona are given at the vet's discretion, and no vaccine is given within 3 days of travel. Rabies is given by a licensed vet on the schedule your state requires. Your own vet completes the series. Your puppy's vaccination and deworming records are separate documents that travel with your puppy. Bring them, with the Veterinary Health Report, to your first visit so your vet starts from the same record.

If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved. Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first. Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.

Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no single exam can find everything. Hips and elbows, for example, are X-rayed later in growth. The report is a strong early look at your puppy, and your own vet builds on it at every checkup.

Every puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.

Labrador Retriever buyers rate their Pawrade experience 4.7 out of 5 on average, from 491 reviews, and about 84% of those reviews give 5 stars.