Originally breed to help fisherman around the dock and on the boat, there is no need to ask the question” do Labrador retrievers make good hunting dogs?” Whilst labs were once used solely for hunting and helping fishermen, these days they tend to combine their working roles with being a much-loved family pet.
Despite their advanced ability to track, flush and retrieve birds, such as duck and geese, labs still make wonderful family dogs. Plenty of lab owners don’t put their dogs to work but their natural hunting abilities can be seen when you throw their favorite toy across the park or when they flush out scraps of food from the bottom of the bin!
If you’re looking for Labrador puppies because you want a working dog, you may find it best to go to a specific working Labrador breeder. Although all labs have natural hunting abilities, lab puppies which have been bred from other working dogs may be most suited to hunting because they are selectively bred from the best working parent lineage.
Are Labs only good at retrieving?
Given their name, it’s no surprise that labs are known for their retrieval skills! Historically, Labrador Retrievers were used to retrieve game which had been successfully shot by a hunter. Once a bird has been shot down, it’s not always clear where it’s fallen and it wouldn’t be efficient for a hunter to walk around trying to find fallen game. By training a dog to sniff out and retrieve the fallen bird, however, hunters can operate more swiftly.
Given their natural tendencies, labs were quickly identified as excellent retrievers and much of their work was specialized in this area. However, hunters routinely used a number of different dogs when hunting and certain breeds specialized in different areas. Setters and Pointers may have been used to identify the game, for example, whilst a Spaniel may have been used to flush the prey out of its hiding place and into the hunter’s line of fire before a lab is sent off to retrieve the goods.
These days, however, most hunters don’t have a whole pack of hunting dogs to rely on. Instead of using a separate dog or breed for pointing, flushing and retrieving, hunters will have just one or two dogs they rely on in order to perform all of these functions.
As labs are trainable, biddable and clever, they can point and flush prey, as well as retrieving it, and this makes them excellent all-round hunting dogs. Although they may be known for their retrieving abilities, labs can be trained to identify prey and signal to the hunter, known as pointer, and to flush out the prey once the hunter is ready to take a shot.
As a result, labs are world-class working dogs and are often the top choice for hunters who want a reliable all-round companion on their shoots.
Is it safe to have a working dog as a pet?
Certainly! A working dog is highly trained and can make an excellent family pet. In fact, working dogs are usually trained to be more obedient than dogs who are solely pets, so you should be able to rely on a working dog to remember their manners when they’re in the house!
Labrador Retrievers are keen to please and this makes them relatively easy to train. Whether you’re teaching lab puppies to pick up fallen game and bring it back to you, fetch your favorite pair of slippers or to bring you the mail, their desire to please you will keep them focused until they’ve got it.
As working dogs get plenty of exercise, they tend to spend their downtime relaxing which is great for families. Without a decent amount of exercise, labs can be bouncy, excitable and bored. Hunting with a lab encourages them to use their innate talents and it also provides them with mental and physical stimulation. When your working lab comes home from a hunt, you’ll probably have the most relaxed and well-behaved pet on the street!
What color Lab makes the best hunting companion?
Historically, it was always a black lab which used for retrieving prey on a hunt. Believed to have exceptional retrieval skills, black labs were the most coveted labs and all working labs tended to be black in color.
However, yellow labs quickly became known for their intelligence and eagerness to please. As a result, they were identified as highly trainable and were sometimes used as hunting dogs. Similarly, the rise in chocolate labs has also resulted in them being a common sight on a hunt. The black lab’s initial popularity came about simply because there were more black labs than any other color lab.
In fact, the color of your lab doesn’t necessarily indicate whether they have a natural predisposition to being a good working dog. In fact, it’s your dog’s lineage which will affect their working ability. Whilst all labs tend to have good retrieval skills, you should try and secure a lab puppy from a line of working dogs if you want to have the best chance of rearing an efficient pointer, flusher or retriever.
Will a working Lab chase everything?
Not at all! When your working Lab is taking a break, you’ll still be able to take them to the park to run around and play. Any dog can become distracted and some dogs perform better off-leash than others so training your dog to obey recall commands is vital for their safety.
However, working Labs are extremely well-trained and their recall should already be exemplary, so you shouldn’t have any problems when it comes to obedience.
Of course, it makes sense to avoid areas in which their prey is likely to be present. If your dog regularly hunts geese, for example, you won’t necessarily want to take them for a walk to your local park if there are ponds filled with ducks and geese!
With the right training, however, a working Labrador Retriever can be an efficient hunting companion and a lovable, reliable and friendly family pet. Whether you plan to work your dog every day or take it out hunting sporadically, your Lab will combine their talents for work with their innate desire to please you. Known for their friendliness and affectionate nature, a working Lab or pet will love being part of your family.
