The Labrador is a fairly well-balanced and very well-rounded breed, suitable for many functions as well as a good pet. They are easy to train and are a highly obedient breed. Labradors are faithful companions who deserve to share your love. They are very friendly dogs, especially with small children. Usually they do not possess the troublesome characteristics found in other dogs, such as: territorial, insecure, aggressive, destructive, irregularly sensitive, etc.
They are excellent retrievers. In addition to this, they instinctively prefer to hold things in their mouths in a fairly tame and gentle manner, and even nibble their owners‘ palms and arms while playing with. They like to chew things (of course they can be trained not to). The Labrador Retriever's fur is somewhat waterproof, so they can be widely used for hunting waterfowl.
Labrador Retrievers are known as mature breeds and excellent family companion dogs (they get along well with young children of all ages), but some bloodlines (especially those breeds that have been bred for their special skills) are characterized by a particularly fast speed and a very strong physique. Their very playful and fearless nature can sometimes lead to injuries, which may require training and a firm tug to ensure they don't break free from people's control.
Most Labrador Retrievers enjoy constant fetching of balls and other forms of activity (like dog agility or flyball), they are largely food and entertainment-oriented, they are fairly easy to train, and they used to be unbiased towards new things. Their energy is highly focused on noticing and responding to people. Influenced by the pedigree of the retriever, almost every Labrador likes to swim or play in the water.
