The Labrador Retriever Hound mix, also very commonly referred to as the Labloodhound, is a designer dog breed that comes to life when one Labrador Retriever parent is cross bred with one Bloodhound parent.
Even though this canine is not officially recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) since it’s not purebred, this cross breed is officially recognized as a mixed dog breed by the following organizations: The American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC), the Designer Dogs Kennel Club (DDKC), the Dog Registry of America (DRA) and the International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR).
Physical Appearance
Size, Height & Weight
On average, this breed stands at a height of anywhere between 22 inches to 28 inches tall and weighs anywhere between 70 lbs to 110 lbs, two physical characteristics that put this dog under the large breed category.
Body
Upon taking a first look at this dog, you’re going to immediately notice how muscular it is and how much of an athletic build it has to its body.
The Lab Hound Mix has a deep and broad chest to it, as well as broad and round shoulders, both of which are staples of an athletic build and strong canine.
Coat Color
The following is a list that states that some of the most common coat colors that the Labloodhound is known to be available in.
– Black
– White
– Brown
– Brown and white
– Yellow (Golden)
* The black Lab Hound Mix is the most common.
Temperament
Even though you can never tell what the exact temperament of a Labhound will be like, simply due to the fact that there are so many factors that come into play to determine this (just as the case is with us humans and the way we’re raised ourselves), there are some common traits that this cross breed has been observed to have across a wide range of dogs.
Training
The Hound Lab Mix is not considered to be among the easiest cross breeds when it comes to training, but it certainly isn’t considered to be the hardest either.
Training difficulty for them lies somewhere in between these two extremities, meaning training difficulty is average.
As long as you stick to the usual principles that work, such as positive reinforcement training, praise, rewards (in limitation, ofcourse) and consistency, you will notice improvement with time.
It’s just that this dog tends to require a little bit more time for results to come by in comparison with other cross breeds out there that are faster learners.
Exercise & Physical Activity
This dog’s exercise and physical activity needs are considered to be fairly high, so be prepared to supply it with these necessary outlets if you’re planning on adding a Labloodhound to your household.
If you consider yourself to be a fit person that gets a high level of exercise under their belt done on a regular basis, then you’ll absolutely love spending time with them, as you can make them a big part of that quality time where you both end up getting the exercise you need to get done for the day together.
Don’t forget that large breed dogs like this must be given the necessary amounts of exercise and physical activity they need on a day to day basis in order to avoid getting overweight and even possibly obese, which definitely will happen if they eat the humongous amounts of food they’re known to eat every day with very little exercise under their belt.
General Health
Supposing that you’re able to supply Hound Labs with everything they need to live a healthy, happy and problem-free life, they are known to have a lifespan that lasts anywhere between 10 to 12 years.
Of course, and just as the case is with any other purebreds or cross breeds out there, many factors come into play here, most important of which are potential health problems that show themselves later on in life due to genetic dispositions.
However, 10 to 12 years seems to be the average lifespan for them.
One possible health complication that they may face down the line is skin allergies in different forms, something this canine takes from its Labrador Retriever parent.
Living Conditions
Apartment Compared To House
For those of you thinking about adding a very large sized dog like this to an apartment and having it live there, forget about it, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Not only is an apartment way too small and limited in size for a canine as large in size as the Labloodhound to feel comfortable in moving around, there’s just not enough space for them to realistically get the physical activity they need in a day’s time.
So, the best candidates for having this dog at home are people that can supply it with something like a large backyard where it can roam around in all it wants and get all the physical activity it feels like getting in a day’s time.
Fenced Yard
Speaking about the necessity of having a yard at home where they can roam around, feel free and get all the physical activity they need to get in a day’s time, it’s also extremely important that you properly fence the yard you give them access to.
This is because they are extremely curious and tend to wander off and follow anything and everything that gets their attention, especially as puppies.
Kids At Home?
Unfortunately, and because this dog is often considered to be under the category of giant breeds, it isn’t a very good idea to have it present in a household where young kids reside.
Even though it has a loyal, sweet, playful and loving personality to it, this dog is just way too big in size and powerful to be interacting and playing with young children, as it can easily cause physical injuries to them without actually meaning to.
Other Pets At Home
Just like it’s not very recommended that you get this animal if you have young children at home, it’s also not very recommended that you get one if you have other pets at home.
The reasoning is the same, Hound Labs so huge in size that just with the least bit of foul play here or there, another pet you may have at home that happens to be much smaller in size may get severely injured.
So, unless the pets you have at home are similar in size to the Labloodhound and unless all of them have been properly socialized and know exactly how to play and interact with one another within boundaries, avoid adding one to households that already has other pets in it.
If you do want to bring another large dog into your house, watch this video to learn how to introduce the dogs to each other!
Temperature
Because of the fact that they have a fairly dense coat, Hound Lab Mixes do not thrive in climates where temperatures tend to get a bit too high, as the risk of overheating is there.
Its dense coat does, however, keep it warm and cozy in climates where temperatures tend to get a bit cold, although not too cold.
In an ideal case, they thrive best in moderate temperature areas.
Care
Grooming
Generally speaking, this dog is considered to be a moderate shedder, which means you’ll have to follow a consistent brushing and grooming schedule in order to properly maintain its coat condition.
Brushing this dog’s coat once a day, 5 to 6 times a week seems to work just fine for most Hound Lab owners.
