A Labrador is pleased to see you. Every time, without exception, whether you'd been gone a week or five minutes to put the bins out. They planted themselves between you and the fridge, leant their full weight on your legs, and brought you something, anything, when you came through the door. That greeting is often the first thing owners miss.
The breed came from the fishing dogs of Newfoundland, which hauled nets and fetched from icy water, and was developed in Britain in the 1800s as a gundog. That's where the soft mouth, the love of water and the otter tail come from. It's also why so many Labs couldn't walk past a pond, however clean they'd been five minutes before.
Each Small Goodbyes portrait comes in oil, watercolour, charcoal, line or pastel, with a free preview before you pay, and is made to order for your Labrador. If a friend has lost their Labrador, see our dog memorial gifts.
| Kennel Club group | Gundog |
|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth, UK | 11.8 years (Royal Veterinary College, 2022) |
| Coats you see most | yellow (from cream to fox red), black and chocolate |
| Styles that suit | oil for black and chocolate; watercolour or pastel for yellow |
What owners remember
Food comes up in almost every story. The loaf off the worktop, the bin raided, the pleading look at Sunday lunch. But so does the gentleness: a Lab who let the toddler climb all over them, who carried a slipper round the house without a mark on it, who sat with their head on your knee when you'd had bad news. Most owners describe a dog who was never difficult to love for a single day.
The grey muzzle years
Labs often slow down gradually: stiffer legs, shorter walks, more time by the radiator. Many families find the photo they want is from those later years, with the grey muzzle and the patient look, and others want the young dog bounding out of the sea. Both are right. Some order one of each.
Choosing the photo
Black Labs are the hardest dogs to photograph, because a dark coat loses all its detail in strong sun or under flash. Choose a photo taken in open shade or by a window, where you can see the eyes and the shape of the head. Yellow Labs are easier, but a bright beach photo can wash them out, so pick one where the coat still has some colour.
Which style suits a Lab
Oil gives a black or chocolate coat its shine and depth. Watercolour and pastel suit yellow and fox red, and make a softer picture. For a working dog, charcoal looks good next to old field-trial photos.
If it has only just happened, the first days are covered on our dog memorial portraits page, and the Rainbow Bridge poem is there if you want it.