The average Labrador Retriever lifespan is 12 to 12.5 years. Although a recent study suggests that chocolate Labs live shorter lives averaging 10.7 years, so significantly less than black and yellow Labradors. There are many factors that influence lifespan in Labs. These include diet, healthcare and management, and inherited diseases. We are going to take a look at these factors, and how you can influence them to help your dog live longer.
So we’ve answered how long do labs live on average. But this isn’t a guaranteed Labrador lifespan for every dog. Some Labradors live a good deal longer than twelve. But some unfortunately don’t even make it to ten. So what controls how long your Labrador will live? And how can you influence your dog’s life span so you can spend the best and happiest years together?
What Controls Labrador Retriever Lifespan?
There are two key categories of factors that influence your Labrador’s life expectancy. And the life span of any dog.
- One is the genetic information you dog has inherited from his parents.
- The other is the events that happen to your dog during the course of his life. Through puppy hood to old age. Things like accidents, injury, and disease.
But there is some good news. There is evidence that the Labrador lifespan might be increasing. One recent study, although it only looked at 39 dogs, suggested that the average could be getting closer to 14 years. So maybe our original answer to the question “how long do Labradors live?” is changing!