Meta: Pitbull is famous for its aggressive temper, while Labrador Retriever is one of the most affectionate dogs in the world. So, are you curious about how thing will be when these two dogs are crossbred? We have this post of Pitbull Lab Mix for you!
If you want a loyal, smart, and full-of-energy pet, Pitbull Lab Mix is the perfect choice for you to make friend with. This mixed breed is one of the pet owners’ most favorite when it comes to a robust yet friendly dog. Today, we will give you an insight into this hybrid dog. Let’s get started!
Profile
Origin
A Pitbull Lab Mix is the result of crossbreeding an American Pitbull Terrier and a Labrador Retriever – very popular dogs in the US and UK. However, the exact origin of this dog is still unknown.
In addition to physical features, the playful, affectionate and active temperaments of Pitbull Lab mix are also inherited from their parents. In terms of the name, a Pitbull Lab Mix is called in different ways, such as Pitador, Labrabull, Labrador Pitbull Mix, or Pit Lab Mix. In this post, we will call them ‘Pitador’ for short.
Pedigree
A Labrador is an excellent family dog due to its friendliness with kids and other pets. Labrador dogs are well-known in Canada, US and UK with a medium size and good temper. This dog is from 21.5 to 24.5 inches in height, with the weight of 55-80 pounds, and can live 10-12 years.
American Pitbull Terrier, also known as APBT, is a thoroughbred dog recognized by American Dog Breeders Association and United Kennel Club. Pitbull dogs are active with a short coat and smooth muscle structure. A typical Pitbull weighs from 30 to 60 pounds, with the height of 17-21 inches and a lifespan of 8-15 years.
Life Expectancy
As you can see from above information, Labradors have an average lifespan among medium- and large-sized breeds. If they don’t suffer from any kind of sickness, they can live up to 10-14 years. So, on average, a Labrador lives 12.5 years, which is about the same at a Pitbull’s life expectancy.
Prominent Traits of Pitbull Lab Mix
Outer Look
As a hybrid, Pitador puppies vary widely in appearance. They can be either like one of the parents or a mixture of both. However, your Pitador does have some similarities from Pitbull and Labrador. They are both medium-sized. Pitbull has a flat head and wide muscular chest, forming an athletic frame, while Lab is taller but slimmer with a longer nose.
Size
If you know well the parents of your dog, you can guess the exact weight of your fully grown Pitbull Lab Mix from somewhere between 50 and 90 pounds. And it can be 12-24 inches in height. So, Pitador is a medium-sized dog (similar to the Labahoula – another hybrid dog of Labrador, but this time, with Catahoula).
Coat
Pitador dogs have many different colors in their silky and short coats. They can be black, yellow, brown, or white. When a puppy gets older, its coat color can be changed from solid to a mixture of gray and its original one around its eyes and muzzle.
Among all of the colors, black seems to be the most popular one for a Lab Pitbull Mix as it is from the parent - the Black Labrador Retriever.
There are many variations of a yellow Lab Pitbull Mix, which can be ranged from dark, reddish, fawn to cream color. This mix is also very popular among pet owners.
Temperament
Social
Though Pitbulls might be recognized as an aggressive dog breed, they are instead the most loving and friendly dogs ever. They will protect your family members at all cost. As long as strangers don’t threaten them, they seem to show their caring attitude towards everybody of all ages as well as other pets in the house. The reason why Pitbulls has this behavioral problem is that they have anxiety from being left home alone for a long time. If not, you’ll see they treat you with a surprisingly level of affection and love.
On the other hand, the Labrador Retriever is famous for being an even-tempered dog, having the thirsty of craving a human companion.
As a result, a Pitador can be either aggressive or hospitable, or even somewhere in between, deepening on how much it inherits from its parents.
Active
Labrador and Pitbull are famous for being very energetic and active. They can spend all time playing around and having fun. As a result, the Pitador also inherits those great characteristics like American Bulldog Pitbull Mix.
Barking
Like other dog breeds, a Labrador Pitbull Mix will bark when they hear strange sounds or see something unusual, and stop when it is sure that everything is fine. That’s why this hybrid is perfect for a house watcher position.
Protective
Although Pitbulls are not likely to bite everyone, once it happens, the damage can be truly severe. It is reported that over 200 bites in 15 years and 30 injuries were done by Pitbulls. A bite from it can be fatal. Some people accuse Pitbull along with Chihuahua and Bulldog of top 3 biting breeds.
Others
- Chewing: This dog loves chewing, so you will need to get them some toy.
- Temperature: Because of the short coat, a Pitbull like it more to be warm than be cool.
General Care for Pitbull Lab Mix
Grooming
Thanks to the short coat inherited from its parents, a Pitbull Lab Mix doesn’t need to be groomed so often. Instead, it is only brushed and bathed when necessary, about 1-2 times a week for example. However, when it comes to shedding season, you might want to groom more regularly.
When taking care of the animal, you need to brush its teeth with a doggie toothbrush and high-quality toothpaste. You also need to pay attention to your dog’s nails and ears by making sure they are clean and not infected.
Feeding
Pitador puppies grow very quickly, so they need a plenty of nutrients and a healthy diet for their taking-in-shape bones, organs, and muscles. Every Pitbull pup needs solid food since its 4th week and 4 meals a day in its 8 - 12 weeks old. When it grows up to 3-6 months old, you can feed them soft food and milk for 6 weeks. From 6 months to 1 year, the pup needs 2 meals a day until it celebrates the first birthday.
Sometimes an adult dog also needs 1-2 snacks a day. Whichever snacks you choose, always make sure they are healthy (you might want to check out the list of snacks to avoid for dogs).
There are many healthy food products on the market for your pet. Just remember that your Pit Lab Mix loves bacon, meat juices, and may need a fish diet to keep the oil in its skin. Also, never feed your dog with these kinds of food: alcohol, chocolate, coffee, tea, grapes, raisins, poultry bones, salt, onions, chives, garlic, unripe fruit, and yeast dough. For more information, you can check out the list of toxic food for dogs.
Exercise Requirement
Although Pitbull Lab Mix doesn’t have a very large body, you still need a large space for meeting its energy demands. These dogs like to run around and play in your house all day long. They are also ideal pets to take with your jogging or bicycle and other exercises. Make sure you have time to play with them. And if you have a large house, let it run freely on your backyard.
Even better, you can give your dog all the exercises it needs, with 2 times a day walking on the park and usual tug-of-war and fetch playing. If Pitador dogs can’t release their energy, anxiety will grow and they will become dangerous.
Training
Pitbull Lab Mix loves to please their owner. Thus, training may be the most interesting experience for both human and pet. Moreover, this dog is intelligent enough to learn basics in almost no time. Trainers should use positive reinforcement rather than punishment as it can ruin the trust between the dog and owner, leading to potential problems in the future.
Socialization
As mentioned above, Pitbull Lab Mix is a well-socialized dog. It can make friends with anyone and any pet despite age or gender. However, sometimes it can be aggressive and difficult to predict when its parent traits emerge. As long as the Pitador is treated with love and respect, it is the most lovely dog for children.
Common Health Problems
The Pitbull Lab Mix is not known for any specific health problem. However, if you want to breed your dog, make sure the parents are healthy in elbow and hip because joint problems are fairly common in large dogs. You should also give them an eye test with PRA no more than a year before breeding, and also make sure they didn’t have any skin problem or heart disease in the past.
How Much for a Pitbull Lab Mix?
A Pitador puppy can be anywhere between $100 and $400. Adding the cost of food, toys, insurance and healthcare, you will need about $500 for a Pitbull Lab Mix.
Conclusion
Every dog is unique in its own way, but the Pitbull Lab Mix is pretty unpredictable because of the far difference in its parents’ temperaments. But in most cases, they are friendly, even with strangers. And for families, they are one of the most affectionate pets.
Moreover, if your preference is a loyal friend – who always want to be by your side, we strongly recommend you to consider this mixed breed. The affection, enthusiasm, and love with all heart are great traits you need for a life-long companion.
