Newfoundland Labrador Dog Breed

The Newfoundland-Labrador mix, as a hybrid, is not an official member of any breed group. Neither does any info exist about this mixed breed's exact origin; while a Newfoundland mixed with Lab has probably existed naturally for a long time, no breeder or breed club has claimed its creation. These big, friendly, hard-working dogs will be great companions to active families, especially those with children.

A few Lab-Newfoundland mix facts: they're large- to giant-sized, averaging 25 inches at the shoulders in height and 100 pounds in weight; they have thick, double-layered coats that are usually medium in length--and the coats will shed heavily; and they're highly intelligent and respond very well to training.

Some advantages and drawbacks to owning a New Labralound:

The Newfoundland and Labrador mix is the offspring of two breeds that are quite large, both in physical size and in mental capability. The New Labralound may be big--but this hybrid's heart is even more enormous than its body.

The Newfie-Lab mix comes from two breeds that both have histories as hard workers. But in recent decades, the Newfie and the Lab have become even more cherished as family pets--which makes a Newfoundland-Lab mix a great pet as well. These hybrids are best suited to families that have a lot of room, both indoors and out. The New Labralound is just too big to live comfortably in an apartment; homes are best, especially if they have large yards that will give the dog plenty of room to run. Friendly, people-oriented Newfie-Lab mixes will also prefer living indoors with their people--but they shed regularly (and often drool some too), so owners will need to be prepared for these unfortunate habits. Regardless, the New Labralound is an enthusiastic teddy bear of a dog that will bring happiness to any family.

Newfie-Lab mixes will also have moderate energy levels, and will need consistent exercise to keep them happy and healthy.

Affectionate, highly intelligent, hard-working, willing to please, and very sensitive, the Newfoundland-Lab mix temperament is one of patience and love. These hybrids will be sweet and loving with family members (and often even strangers as well); they may be highly energetic or pretty calm, depending on whether they're more like the Lab or the Newfie. They'll get along famously well with kids, and usually socialize well with other household pets--but in any case, it's best if these hybrids are raised alongside any children or pets so they grow up familiar with each other. Overall, Newfie-Lab mixes are very well-behaved, but some early training and socialization to help them learn proper behavior won't hurt.

In regards to training: Newfie-Lab mixes are extremely intelligent, and will respond very well to it. They'll be able to learn tasks, tricks, and commands with surprisingly few repetitions. As with any dog, firm, consistent, reward-based training methods are best.

And a Newfoundland-Labrador mix can be a good watchdog, but their lack of aggression means they won't be very protective. They're alert and curious, so they might bark at unknown sights or sounds--but don't expect a Newfie-Lab mix to protect your house or property.

A New Labralound, due to hybrid vigor (in which a crossbred dog inherits the healthiest traits from its parent breeds), is usually pretty healthy--but in general, larger dogs like this one are prone to more health issues than smaller dogs. The Newfie-Lab mix may suffer ailments common to the parent breeds including hip and elbow dysplasia, various eye issues (the most serious of which is Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or PRA), heart problems, and gastric torsion (or bloat). Potential owners are advised to ask breeders for health screenings for the dog and/or its parents, or they can have their own veterinarians do the screenings.

Life expectancy for these dogs is relatively short, at 9-11 years.