Labmaraner (Labrador & Weimaraner Mix) Info, Pics, Puppies, Facts

If you’re looking for a large and loveable dog with plenty of personality and energy, then the Labmaraner could just be the perfect breed for you. These pups are a hybrid breed created from crossing the popular Labrador Retriever with the ghostly grey Weimaraner.

While this breed combines stunning good looks with an incredible personality, they’re not the right breed for everyone. Their large size means they’re better suited to homes with plenty of indoor and outdoor space for them to explore. They also need a great deal of exercise! So, if you can’t dedicate at least an hour a day to heading outdoors with one of these pups, then they’ll soon get bored and start looking for trouble.

As a hybrid breed that hasn’t yet hit the big time, you might not know too much about the stunning Labmaraner. Our guide is designed to tell you everything you need to know so you can figure out if this awesome dog might be the perfect match for you and your family.

Labmaraner Puppies

Labmaraners are extremely cute puppies, so you might find it hard to visit a litter without coming home with a puppy or two. But as they grow up, they’re going to require plenty of time and money, as well as a home environment where they can thrive.

This breed is extremely energetic and intelligent, so they need a great deal of exercise and mental stimulation. A bored Labmaraner who’s missed their daily walk is going to try and find ways to entertain themselves. Digging up your backyard, starting up an endless volley of barking, or chewing the leg of your coffee table are just a few ways that these dogs might choose to entertain themselves.

Before taking on the responsibility of a Labmaraner puppy who will grow up to be a large and powerful dog, make sure you can provide what they need.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Labmaraner

1. They’re recognized by several breed registries

Because the Labmaraner is a hybrid breed, they will never be eligible for registration with the American Kennel Club, as they only deal with purebred dogs. But that doesn’t mean the Labmaraner can’t be registered elsewhere.

This breed is recognized by the International Designer Canine Registry, the American Canine Hybrid Club, the Designer Breed Registry, the Dog Registry of America, and the Designer Dogs Kennel Club.

2. They come in a range of coat colors

While the Weimaraner is famous for its grey coat, there are three colors accepted within the breed standard: blue, gray, and silver gray. Labradors also come in three accepted colors: chocolate, black, and yellow. Both breeds can have small white markings on the chest.

The color of Labmaraner puppies will depend on the color of each of the parent dogs, and it’s not unusual for a whole litter of pups to be the same color or varying shades of the same color.

3. They combine the best bits of both parent breeds

As with many hybrid breeds, the Labmaraner combines some of the best aspects of both parent breeds. The Labrador is well-known for its loyalty, friendliness, and intelligence. The Weimaraner is prized for its bravery, energy, and bravery.

Your Labmaraner will inherit a few of these traits from their parents, but it’s hard to know exactly how your puppy will turn out. Because hybrid puppies inherit a wider variety of genes from parent dogs of two different breeds, it can be harder to predict what they’ll be like in terms of appearance and temperament.

One puppy in a litter might resemble their Labrador Retriever parent in temperament but look more like a Weimaraner, another puppy might be the exact opposite, while another is a perfect mixture of the two breeds. You never know exactly what you’re going to get, and for many owners, that’s the appeal of a hybrid breed.

One thing’s for certain: All Labmaraner puppies are seriously adorable!

Temperament & Intelligence of the Labmaraner 🧠

These dogs are loyal and loving and will shower everyone they meet with affection. They can be a little wary of strangers, but that will depend partly on their personality and partly on how much socialization they get when they’re a puppy.

Labmaraners have serious smarts, so your training will need to be on point if you don’t want to find yourself outsmarted. They have no trouble picking up new commands and will enjoy nothing more than a rewarding training session with their owners.

They’re also supremely energetic, so it might take a family effort to make sure these pups get enough exercise. That’s not a bad thing, though, as they make wonderful family dogs who enjoy playing and cuddling with all family members, young and old. They won’t enjoy being left alone for long periods, though, as they can suffer from separation anxiety.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡 

The Labmaraner is a wonderful choice for families. They combine a loving nature with a loyal streak, which means they’ll also enjoy keeping an eye on the kids playing in the backyard. Their large size and bouncy nature do mean you’ll need to keep their energy levels under control around very young and old members of the family, so no one gets knocked flying!

The Labmaraner can soak up as much exercise as you can throw at them, so if someone wants to take them on a run in the morning and another family is heading out to the lake and thinks that your dog might like a swimming session, the answer is always going to be yes!

Does This Breed Get Along With Other Pets? 🐶 😽 

Labmaraners enjoy life as part of a multi-pet household and usually get along well with other dogs of either sex. If you’re adding a Labmaraner puppy to a household with an older dog, then the puppy will most likely slot in without any worry at all.

If you plan on getting another puppy when your Labmaraner is a little older, then you’ll need to make sure you introduce them slowly, as by this point, your Labmaraner will have staked their claim in terms of loyalty and family affection. Keep the first few introductions short, and make sure each dog has a separate part of the house where they can retreat to if they want space.

Regarding cats and other small pets, Labmaraners can be trained to accept these with minimum fuss. As a hunting breed, the Weimaraner does have a high prey drive, and your puppy may inherit this trait. In this case, you’ll have to carefully monitor things to check your dog doesn’t start chasing the other animals. The good thing about this breed is that they’re trainable and conscientious, so it’s usually easy to train your Labmaraner to accept living with other small pets. Even so, it’s probably best to leave them in separate areas of the house when you have to go out.

Things to Know When Owning a Labmaraner

Becoming the proud owner of a Labmaraner is going to require a significant investment of time, energy, and money. So, before you make up your mind, here are a few more things to consider.

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴 

As a large and energetic breed, a Labmaraner is going to need a high-quality dog food with a good percentage of protein to help them develop and maintain all that lean muscle required for long walks.

It’s best to start with a mix designed specifically for puppies and then switch to an adult dog blend once your pup is fully mature. Puppies have different energy requirements than adult dogs, so it’s vital to make sure your Labmaraner puppy receives adequate nutrition.

While they might be an active breed, they certainly do love to eat! So, make sure you don’t overfeed them, as extra weight can put additional strain on their joints. It’s also a good idea to make sure your dog (and human!) food is kept well secured, as these pups aren’t above investigating the pantry to see if anything “accidentally” falls off the shelf.

Whether you choose to feed your dog just wet food, wet food, and kibble, just kibble, or a raw food diet will depend on both your preferences and those of your dog. Your veterinarian will be able to help you figure out what’s best for your individual dog.

Exercise 🐕

How much exercise does a Labmaraner need? Once fully fit, these active dogs will happily take as much exercise as you can give them. At the minimum, you’ll need to dedicate at least 1 hour a day to some form of exercise. But if you want to go out for a day hike and take your pup, then they will easily cope with that and still have energy at the end of the day.

A sedate walk around the edge of the park won’t be enough for a Labmaraner either. They need to run to work off steam, so make sure they can indulge in plenty of opportunities to stretch their legs. Dock diving, games of fetch, fly ball and agility are all excellent activities that a Labmaraner will love.

If your dog has excellent recall and a relatively low prey drive, then you should be okay to let them off-leash when out and about. You’ll need to use your own judgment, though, because your Labmaraner happened to inherit a higher prey drive and isn’t that great at recall, then we wouldn’t recommend going off-leash in wide-open spaces.

The best method with this smart breed is to combine both physical and mental activities every day.

Training 🦮 

A Labmaraner can learn almost anything you want to teach them. Often, they will also learn things you didn’t plan on teaching them!

Having an intelligent dog can be a wonderful thing, but it can also be frustrating when they teach themselves a new trick, like opening a door that was meant to stay shut or realizing that they can jump on a chair to investigate leftovers on the table.

Consistent training methods are best with this breed, so finding yourself a puppy trainer who can help you implement a training program is a great idea. They’ll be able to help you refine your methods and point out moments when your intelligent dog is starting to switch off.

Some Labmaraners can be a little stubborn, and if your puppy ends up inheriting this trait, then you’ll soon know about it! Luckily, they also love food, so positive reinforcement using plenty of treats usually turns even the most stubborn Labmaraner into a willing student.

Grooming ✂️

Labmaraners usually have a short and sleek coat like their parent breeds. Sometimes this will shed frequently, like a Labrador, and other times, it will be much lower shedding and similar to a Weimaraner. The amount of time that you’ll need to groom their coats will depend on how much it sheds, but as a general rule, a weekly brushing session should be enough.

Labmaraners can have quick-growing nails that can become uncomfortable if allowed to grow too long. If you exercise on hard surfaces often, then these will probably wear themselves down, but if you’re usually exercising or training on soft surfaces, then make sure you get into the habit of regularly checking your dog’s nails and giving them a trim if necessary.

While you’re there, check their ears for infections or redness and that their teeth and gums are nice and clean.

Health Conditions ❤️

As with many other hybrid breeds, the Labmaraner doesn’t suffer from as many health problems as the pedigree breeds used to create it. This is due to something called “hybrid vigor.” By increasing the variety of genes available to hybrid puppies, the incidence of breed-specific health problems is reduced.

That’s not to say there aren’t any health conditions that can affect the Labmaraner, however. We’ve listed the most common serious and minor conditions below.

Male vs. Female

Have you decided that the loyal and energetic Labmaraner is the perfect breed for you? Maybe you’re now excitedly looking up breeders and discussing with your family whether you’d prefer a male or a female puppy.

Before you make your mind up, we always recommend waiting to meet the litter of puppies that you’re interested in first. A puppy’s personality won’t be dependent on their sex, so it’s always better to wait and see which puppy appeals to you on a personal level rather than choose a different puppy just because it’s a male, even though its personality isn’t as appealing as the female next to it.

One thing to bear in mind is that male Labmaraners can mature into large, powerful dogs that can weigh up to 100 pounds. Females will be slightly smaller, so that’s something to consider.

Other than that, any hormonal behaviors will be reduced once you choose to have your puppy spayed or neutered at the age recommended by your veterinarian.

Final Thoughts

Combining stunning good looks with an energetic nature and friendly personality, this breed is a wonderful choice for active families looking for a large dog to accompany them on all sorts of adventures.

You will need to make sure you can meet the demands of this breed in terms of both exercise and training. These supremely intelligent dogs won’t be satisfied with a sedate walk around the block once a day. To be a happy and content member of your family, Labmaraners need mental challenges and the chance to truly stretch their legs for a fast run every single day.

If you can provide what a Labmaraner needs, you’ll have a loyal companion who will follow you wherever you and your family choose to go. Their playful nature will make you laugh in the process.

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Featured Image Credit: Gualberto Becerra, Shutterstock