[iheartlabs]

Hello everyone,
I have a question for all you labrador experts. I have a "black lab" that we got on labor day when she was 6 weeks old. She is not registered nor are her parents. When we went to pick her up the mommy was there, and she definitely looked like a purebred lab, but the dad wasn't there, so I couldn't be sure if both of her parents were labs. Her brother was chocolate, so maybe that can help determine if she is a lab. Her ears are not hanging down the way they should (like a triangle), they are hanging back and there is a "dent" in the cartilage, it looks like. If I put pressure on the dent and undent it, it she looks like a lab should, but whenever she moves her head it dents again and goes back to the wrong way. Unless I press the spot, her earss are always folded back. Here are some pictures, one of them is how they look like at rest (wrong way) and the other is after I press the dented spot (if she moves her head it goes back to wrong way). Is there any way to fix this? Will she grow out of it? Thanks for your help

[CorkyMax]

You asked for Lab experts---Well I am no expert but will give my opinion anyhow!
I do not know if a Lab can have the ears hanging back with the dent in them which you obviously don't like! She is a pretty girl---Would not bother me which way the ears are. Why is it so important to you as obviously she is not going to be a show dog? Maybe there is a trace of American Staffordshire Terrier there or even pitbull but definitely mostly lab if not all Lab. Would it make a difference in how you feel about her if she was not all Lab? What is her name?

Here is a link on some pics of Lab/American Staffie mixes. Be sure to scroll all the way down as the ads get in the middle and are misleading--thinking you are at bottom of page when you are not!--->Labrabull, Labrador Retriever American Pit Bull Terrier Hybrid, Labrabulls Looks to me like this is a good possibility noting the ears of this mix.

And here is the link to the pure lab breed. And like stated above--Be sure to scroll all the way down pages. There are 10 pages of pics to click on! I may of seen a hint of the type of ear you were concerned about--BUT who knows if some of these pics might not be pure Lab either! And if I remember right--It was some of the puppies that had the indication--Maybe your pup will grow out of it and have the ears you want--Personally I doubt it but your pup could change as it is not done growing yet.----> Labrador Retriever Information and Pictures, Labs

Something else--When your dog has reached maturity---measure for height (top of shoulder down) and get her weight. If she is way off for these statistics for a pure Lab--MAY help indicate that she is mixed with something else.

[iheartlabs]

Thank you very much for your input
She is not a show dog, but I think she looks a lot cuter with her hears hanging down like that. I looked at the links you gave me, and judging by the ears, I realized that just because she doesn't have ears hanging down, doesn't mean she is a mixed breed (several labs in the pictures had ears just like mines). Her name is Alexa. When we got her we were told she was purebred, but I just want to make sure what she is. I love her no matter what breed she is, but I am determined to find out. I read a lot about labradors last night, and it is obvious that they are supposed to have very dense hair, I couldn't find any website that explains how dense "dense hair" supposed to be. If I part her hair I can easily see her skin, and my German Shepherd's hair is a lot denser than Alexa's (but maybe it's just because the GSD is a puppy). Compared to my GSD's puppy fur, Alexa's hair is slightly sparse. Is this maybe because her adult coat hasn't come in yet? She has lost most of her baby teeth and they have been replaced by adult teeth. Are they supposed to get their "double coat" before or after their baby teeth fall out? Thanks

[CorkyMax]

I am no expert on all this but I do a lot of 'info searching' on the net using my browser which you can also do. So far found this 'tidbit'-- "Labradors don't shed, do they?

Actually, they do. Labradors have what is called a double coat. This means that they have a soft, downy undercoat and a harder guard coat. These two types of coat help keep the dog warm and dry while swimming in cold waters when retrieving ducks. Generally Labradors will shed their coat twice a year. This is called "blowing" their coat. They are moderate shedders, not enthusiastic ones such as Alaskan Malamutes or German Shepherd Dogs. There will be a certain amount of hair loss throughout the year, especially in more temperate climates. This varies individually; some Labradors shed less than others, especially if they happen to have an incorrect coat." May find more info later (trying to watch a movie) but you can search for answers--Use words Labrador Retriever when get a double coat or other appropriate words.

[DoggieVogue]

I'm not an expert or anything but I've had a black lab, as well as currently have a yellow lab and I absolutely love labs and try to learn as much as I can about them! My yellow sheds like crazy and has a very dense coat, but as a puppy is was a lot finer and easy to see her skin. It's most likely because she hasn't grown her coat in yet. I would say she probably has a little staffie in her. Just from her picture! But she is absolutely adorable. Having a little mutt in the dog can be good, as labs generally are prone to a lot of health problems as they grow old and don't have the longest lifespan. But I hope that helps at all and I also hope you are loving your new puppy!!

[iheartlabs]

Hmmm, Alexa barely sheds, I can almost say she doesn't shed at all (but of course all dogs shed). When we got her she had fine puppy hair but after a few weeks she completely replaced her coat over a period of a few days in which she was shedding profusely and we would have her hair all over us every time we held her. But since then she sheds very, very little. Her coat is slick, shiny, and water repellant like it should be, but it is not dense and she doesn't have two layers. She only has the top, harsh, layer. But she's missing the denseness and the soft, downy, undercoat. Well, we'll see, hopefully she hasn't gotten her adult coat yet but she will. Thanks to those who replied
- IHL (iheartlabs)