How does the Labrador Retriever work in the field?
The Labrador is the all-round retriever of British shooting. It sits at the peg, marks falling birds, picks up wounded and lost game after a drive, and retrieves from water with a soft mouth.
The Labrador is the dog most British shoots are built around. On a driven day it sits at the peg, marks what falls and waits to be sent; in the picking-up team behind the line it works wide, hunting for wounded and lost birds long after the drive has ended. It will also work in the beating line, though without a spaniel's pace in thick cover. Its real strength is retrieving: a soft mouth, a good memory for where birds fell, and the willingness to face cold water in January. Working-bred Labradors, often called field trial lines, are usually described as lighter and quicker than show-bred dogs. If you want a dog to work, buy from working parents, ask to see them do it, and read our guide to buying a working gundog before you visit.
What is the Labrador Retriever like to live and work with?
Biddable, sociable and keen to work with its handler, which is why so many first-time gundog owners choose one. Working lines bring extra energy and need a job to do.
Labradors are biddable: they want to work with their handler, which is why so many first-time gundog owners start with one. Working lines add energy to that. A young working Labrador left with nothing to do will find something, usually something you would rather it did not. In the field the quality that matters most is steadiness: sitting quietly while birds fall and other dogs work, and going only when sent. That is partly breeding and partly training, so ask how steady the parents are on a shoot day, not just in the garden.
Which health tests matter for the Labrador Retriever?
Both parents should have hip and elbow scores under the BVA/KC schemes and a recent BVA/KC/ISDS eye certificate. The Royal Kennel Club's minimum DNA tests are CNM, EIC, MCD, prcd-PRA, SD2 and STGD, with HNPK as best practice.
Ask for both parents' results under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme and Elbow Dysplasia Scheme. Hip scores run from 0 to 106, lower being better; compare them with the breed median the BVA publishes. Elbows are graded 0 to 3, and 0 is what you want. Both parents should also have an eye certificate under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme. The BVA scheme pages set no expiry date, so check when the dogs were last examined. The Royal Kennel Club's minimum recommendations (checked October 2026) also include DNA tests for centronuclear myopathy (CNM), exercise-induced collapse (EIC), macular corneal dystrophy (MCD), progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA), skeletal dysplasia (SD2) and Stargardt disease (STGD). It lists hereditary nasal parakeratosis (HNPK) as best practice. For simple recessive conditions, a puppy is not expected to be affected by the tested variant when at least one parent has a reliable clear result. Ask to see the certificates rather than taking 'health tested' on trust.
How much training and exercise does the Labrador Retriever need?
Expect foundations from eight weeks, more structured training from roughly six months depending on the puppy, and at least an hour of exercise a day as an adult.
Good habits start the day a puppy comes home: recall, sitting for its food, walking calmly on a lead. Many trainers begin more structured sessions at roughly six months, once the individual puppy can concentrate for a few minutes at a time. The foundations are steadiness, delivery to hand and stopping on the whistle; handling at a distance and blind retrieves come later. Some owners send a young dog to a professional trainer for a few months; if you are buying a part-trained or trained dog, ask who trained it and what it can already do. An adult working Labrador needs a good hour or more of exercise a day, ideally with some training in it, and puts on weight easily if it gets less.
How long does it take to train the Labrador Retriever?
For the Labrador Retriever, readiness for the intended role matters more than a birthday. Check demonstrated foundations, physical suitability and the support needed for the next stage.
Build recall, comfortable carrying and delivery, a stop cue and a reliable wait before adding more demanding retrieves. Longer marks, blind retrieves, handling and a first meeting with game usually follow, at whatever pace the dog is ready for. If you would rather start further on, look at the part-trained Labradors for sale. Use the training progression guide to discuss readiness with a reward-based trainer. Ask your vet about physical demands, and plan game, water and gunfire introductions with competent help.