Labrador Retriever Essentials
Labrador Retriever Care: The Owner's Guide
Twelve plain-spoken guides on raising a happy, healthy Lab, written by a family that lives with six of them.
From Tishauna Borosky, MBA, and Dr. Paul Borosky, DBA, MBA, in our Sanford, FL home.
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This is not a guide written from a desk. We are the Borosky family, and we raise AKC Labrador Retrievers in our Sanford, Florida home. English lines, American lines, and the crosses in between.
Six Labs share our house right now: Louie, Remi, Dunkin, Sadie Mae, Emmie, and Luna. They sleep underfoot, eat on a schedule we set, and train in our backyard. Everything on this page comes from that. Real feeding routines, real training sessions, real vet visits, and every mess in between.
We built this guide for the families who get a puppy from us, and for anyone trying to raise a Lab the right way. Below are twelve guides covering the whole life of your dog, from the day you carry a puppy through the door to keeping a gray-faced senior comfortable. Start anywhere.
A Few Things Worth Knowing About Labs
31 years
The Labrador was the most popular breed in America for 31 straight years. The French Bulldog passed it in 2022, and the Lab now sits at number two.
Source: American Kennel Club
1 in 4
Roughly a quarter of Labs carry a variant of the POMC gene tied to constant hunger and obesity risk. It shows up almost only in Labs and the closely related Flat-Coated Retriever. That famous appetite is partly in the DNA.
Source: University of Cambridge
34 to 59%
That share of dogs in developed countries is overweight, and Labs rank among the most affected breeds. Weight is also the single most controllable factor in how long and how well your Lab lives.
Source: Cell Metabolism, Raffan et al.
Know the Breed
Before you bring one home, understand what you are signing up for. A Lab is energy, appetite, and affection in one package.
Understanding the Breed: A Complete Guide to Labrador Retriever Characteristics
Energy, intelligence, that bottomless appetite, and what daily life with a Lab actually looks like. Start here to learn the core Labrador Retriever characteristics before you commit.
Read the guideBehavioral Traits: Understanding Your Labrador's Behavior and Temperament
Why your Lab does what it does. A closer look at Labrador temperament and behavior, from velcro affection to the occasional stubborn streak.
Read the guideBringing Your Puppy Home
The first weeks set the tone for years. Get the house ready, get the routine right, and socialize early.
Puppy Care: Essential Tips for Raising a Labrador Puppy
The first weeks decide a lot. Our hands-on guide to Labrador puppy care: feeding, vaccines, crate, sleep, and building a routine that sticks.
Read the guideLabrador-proofing Your Home
Labs chew, dig, and swallow what they should not. How to Labrador-proof your home and yard before the puppy ever arrives.
Read the guideSocialization Tips: How to Socialize Your Labrador with Other Dogs and People
A confident dog is a socialized dog. How to socialize a Labrador puppy with people, dogs, and the wider world during the window that matters most.
Read the guideEveryday Care
The daily stuff that keeps a Lab healthy: what goes in the bowl, how they burn it off, and keeping that coat in shape.
What to Feed Your Labrador, From Puppy to Senior
Labs will eat themselves sick if you let them. What to feed a Labrador at every life stage, with real amounts and the foods that can hurt them.
Read the guideExercise Needs: Keeping Your Labrador Active and Healthy
A bored Lab is a destructive Lab. How much exercise your Labrador really needs, and the activities that tire out both body and brain.
Read the guideGrooming 101: Maintaining Your Labrador's Coat and Hygiene
That short coat sheds more than you think. Labrador grooming made simple: coat, nails, ears, and teeth, on a schedule you can keep.
Read the guideTraining
Smart and eager to please, but easily distracted by, well, everything. Here is how we build manners that last.
Labrador Training Basics: How to Train Your Lab Puppy
Smart, eager, and easily distracted. Labrador puppy training that builds real manners and a real bond, with our own dogs as the examples.
Read the guideHealth and Safety
Know the risks, handle the emergencies, and travel without trouble. Always loop in your vet for anything medical.
Health Checks: Common Health Issues in Labradors and How to Prevent Them
Hips, joints, eyes, and weight. The common Labrador health problems to watch for, and the everyday habits that lower the odds.
Read the guideLabrador First Aid: What to Do When Something Goes Wrong
When seconds count. Labrador first aid for the emergencies owners actually face, plus how to know when to call the vet right now.
Read the guidePack like a Pro: Essentials for Your Labrador's Suitcase
Hitting the road? Everything you need for traveling with a Labrador, from the car ride to the hotel room to the rest stops in between.
Read the guideCommon Questions From New Owners
What is the difference between English and American Labradors?
Same breed, two builds. English Labs are stockier and calmer, with a blockier head and a heavier frame. American Labs are leaner, taller, and more driven, bred closer to the field lines. We raise both and cross them, so our puppies land somewhere along that spectrum depending on the pairing. For the full breakdown, see our guide to English white Labradors.
Are Labrador Retrievers good family dogs?
One of the best, which is a big part of why the breed held the top of the popularity list for 31 years. Labs are friendly, patient, and people-focused to a fault. Ours live in the house with our family, not out in a kennel. The catch is energy. A Lab needs exercise and attention, and a bored one finds its own entertainment. More in Understanding the Breed.
How much exercise does a Labrador need?
Plan on real daily activity, not a quick lap around the block. Most healthy adult Labs need an hour or more, split between physical exercise and mental work. Skip it and you will see the chewing, digging, and mischief that come with a bored dog. We lay out routines that actually tire them out in Exercise Needs.
Do Labradors shed a lot?
Yes. That short coat is deceiving. Labs carry a double coat and shed year round, with heavier blowouts a couple of times a year. Regular brushing keeps it manageable and off your couch. The routine we use is in Grooming 101.
How much does a Borosky Labrador puppy cost?
Our puppies run $1,500 to $3,000, depending on color, line, and demand. Price is set per puppy and confirmed once a litter is on the ground. For what is coming and how the waitlist works, see our upcoming litter page.
Thinking About a Lab of Your Own?
We raise AKC Labrador Retrievers in our home, English and American lines, in white, champagne, chocolate, and yellow. See what is coming, meet the dogs behind our program, or learn what makes our English white Labradors a little different.
References
- American Kennel Club. "Most Popular Dog Breeds." akc.org/most-popular-breeds
- University of Cambridge. "Genetic variant may help explain why Labradors are prone to obesity." cam.ac.uk
- Raffan E, et al. "A Deletion in the Canine POMC Gene Is Associated with Weight and Appetite in Obesity-Prone Labrador Retriever Dogs." Cell Metabolism, 2016. PMC4873617
- VCA Animal Hospitals. "Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) Gene Mutation." vcahospitals.com