How old do Labradors get??

[Spirit2010]

Well, my boy Hershey, is going to turn 6 years old November 6. Wow is he fat, and getting old! lol. I think when he gets to his senior years, he will probably have hip problems, from the way he walks. But I was curious to see how long Labradors live? He has learned a lot in his lifetime, and still to learn a lot more. Thank you for reading! I am curious to know!

 

[Toller_08]

The average I think is about 8-12. The oldest one I know is 14 and still going strong though. Being old is no excuse for being over weight though, it'd be a lot easier on him if you got him to lose the excess weight.

 

[Zoom]

I know of one 12-13 year old that is still doing pretty well.

 

[MyGirlsMom]

Labs can live to be 13 - 15 years old, and even older.

You can extend the life of your furbaby by getting his weight down, and increasing his exercise. Keeping the weight down is especially important if you think he might hip/joint problems.

Labs love to eat ... and thus, act like they are always hungry. It's up to you to regulate how much your boy gets. I have a lab on the small side -- she 55 lbs. and gets lots of exercise w/ me. She only gets 2 1/2 cups of (high quality) food a day. She'd be happy to eat 10 times that amount.

 

[LabBreeder]

I agree with the 13-15 year age range. Getting the weight down is a must, as well as exercising and regulating his food.
We have 2 Labs (black and a chocolate). Our female, Tira, is a little over 2 years old and weighs 70 lbs. Our male, Gunner, is a little over 7 months and is about her size. When he was 4 months old he weighed 54 lbs. None of it was fat, he's just a very big boy. You should see the size of his feet and head!
Tira gets 4 - 5 cups of food and Gunner gets 5-7 cups. He'd eat all day long if you let him and Tira will usually stop eating after 4 1/2 cups. Both would eat any human food you give them or any dog treats.

However, you have to be the one to regulate your dogs food intake, exercise and weight. Even a dog with good hips could get a limp if it's overweight. I'd say you have another 4-6 years with your Lab...as long as he's kept in good health.

 

[RD]

Buster lived to be 13-14, everyone told us that he was pretty old for a Lab/Golden mix.

We had friends with a Lab that lived to be 18, but his last 2 years of life were spent in the tiled bathroom due to his incontinence. His hips eventually gave out and by age 17 he was a total vegetable but they didn't have him PTS. He died on his own a few months before his 19th birthday.

 

[MomOf7]

Depends on thier lifestyle really.
anywhere from 10-13 is about average. 15 is above average.
I know our oldest labs sire lived strong untill he was 15 so did many other dogs in his pedigree.
I would seriously consider a diet for your boy. 5-9 is thier prime..5 comming into prime and 9 going out of prime if they lead healthy lives. Having your boy overwieght will have major downsides as his age progresses. Hip problems is only one of many issues that can arise having a overwieght lab.
Plenty of exercise and have his thyroid tested and a full blood panel work up to see if there are any underlying issues that may be contributing to his being overwieght.
The best exercise if you are already worried about his hips is swimming. Yes labs love to swim even if its cold! Thats what they were bred to do. Keep the exercise in short sessions. Start out with 10 min and slowly work up to 15-20. I wouldnt advise anymore than that in really cold water. Do this daily and you will have a happy healthy boy!!
THis lab is 8 and still winning trials.
http://www.creekrobber.com/

This lab is 12 and still going strong.

This lab is one of mine who is 8 almost 9 He still hunts all day.

 

[Pookah]

I basically adopted my neighbors lab when i built my house and I was with her the day she passed and she was 16 going on 17..she had slowed down some but was just as active as when i first met her and she was 10..the main thing was she was overweight and I got her weight down if not I dont think she would have lasted as long as she did