Labernard Dog Breed

For the most part, this crossbreed is a working dog with capabilities in sport, hunting, herding, guarding and farm duties. Depending on how much of which breed is in any given Labernard, any given puppy may or may not be grow into being good for farm or hunting work. While they are great as companions, for families, and among kids, they are not good for people looking for their first dog or even those who are not experienced with canines.

Here is a list of characteristics and traits about this hybrid dog:

The Labernard is a mixed breed dog that offers the best of the two parent breeds' more appealing traits. These are big dogs that are well-suited for a variety of tasks but may not be as good at any one of them as their parents. That's not a bad thing, however, as their parent breeds have specific tasks and less versatility elsewhere.

Still, these dogs are intelligent even if they are a bit bullheaded. They may be difficult to train for those who are not experienced, patient, and confident. It will take a lot of patience on your part as well as perhaps a couple years to fully and properly train the average Labrador St. Bernard mix.

The playfulness of the Lab and the wanderlust of the St. Bernard will mix to prompt the Labernard to be all about fun. They will be loyal, and they will work, but they would prefer to explore and romp in a way that may not exhibit the typical type of loyalty and work of most dogs.

The ways this hybrid dog will exhibit his appreciation is less through obedience than via playfulness and a desire to explore. They will also like to be a bit "lazy" if allowed to be, as they will want to both reserve their energy (like A St. Bernard does) as well as be by your side when they are inside (like a Lab).

While hybrid vigor will help, the Labernard comes from two breeds with a lot of serious health conditions that can occur. They tend to be very large dogs, which itself presents lots of problems. Skeletal issues are also possible, especially if these dogs are allowed to over-exert themselves while they are still puppies. (It takes nearly two years for the St.Bernard Lab cross to fully mature.)

Here is a list of the more common health problems that Labernards are prone to have:

• Bloat
• Hip dysplasia
• Bone problems
• Elbow dysplasia
• Luxating patellar
• Other joint issues

Kept healthy, happy and properly active, the Labernard should have a longer average lifespan than most huge dogs, and tends to be anywhere from 8 to 12 years.