A black Lab Australian Shepherd mix is a hybrid designer dog. Your puppy will have one purebred Australian Shepherd parent and one pedigree Labrador Retriever parent. The Aussie can be any shade or pattern, but the Labrador parent will be entirely black. Many breeders pair these two dogs in the hopes of getting a black puppy. But, there’s no guarantee that the genetics will play out that way. A black Lab Australian Shepherd mix puppy may have a fully black coat, a black and white coat, or a tri colored coat!
Contents
- What color will your black Lab Australian Shepherd mix be?
- Typical behaviors, exercise and training requirements.
- Health and care.
- Adopting a puppy or rescuing a shelter dog?
In the right home, this mix is a great family dog. However, your dog will needsplenty of mental and physical stimulation every single day. So, if you are an active family that has a lot of time to dedicate to training, and want a dog to take out on your regular hikes, this could be an ideal breed for you. But without enough exercise or mental stimulation, your pooch will easily become bored, stressed, destructive or depressed.
Both parent breeds are prone to a number of hereditary health problems, but you can up your chances of avoiding these by choosing a breeder that fully health tests.
Potential Appearances
Some black Lab Aussie Shepherd mix dogs will have black coats. But, many will have a mix of colors, such as a white patch on their chest. Their coloring is decided by the genes that they inherit from their parents.
Labs come in three colors – black, yellow, and chocolate. Black Labs may carry the genes for yellow or chocolate coloring alongside the genes for their black coat. Australian Shepherds have a much wider color spectrum. They can be any of the following:
- Black
- Red
- Blue Merle
- Red Merle
And, over any of those base colors, they could have white markings and tan points. A black Lab Australian Shepherd mix could inherit any of these colors too. So, they might not look much like their black Lab parent at all!
Black Lab Australian Shepherd Mix Temperament
Just like appearance, this mix can have quite a varied temperament. But, luckily, the Labrador and Australian Shepherd breeds do share some wonderful traits. In general, this mix will be very energetic and very intelligent, taking to new skills well.
They will love spending lots of time outside exercising with you, and will love to spend plenty of time around their families, forming a strong bond. However, they must be socialized well to ensure the friendliest and most confident personality. This will help to minimise any potential for aggression towards humans and other animals.
Bear in mind that puppies may also inherit the Australian Shepherd’s natural herding instinct. This can involve chasing and nipping at the heels of kids and small animals. So, this mix’s temperament is sometimes better suited to a family with older children.
Training and Exercise
Your smart and athletic dog needs a family that can dedicate plenty of time to both training and exercise. Whether this is a hike, agility, a swim, or some fast-paced retrieving games.
Generally, these dogs are happiest in a home that has a yard for them to explore and play in outside of their formal exercise hours. If their exercise needs aren’t met, they may become destructive, bored, stressed, and more. Your pet won’t suit sedentary apartment life. And, their minds need just as much action as the rest of their bodies. Positive training is a great way to keep your mix occupied and to build on the strong bond between you.
Black Lab and Australian Shepherd Health
The black Lab Australian Shepherd mix has a healthy conformation. But, this mix has the potential to inherit some hereditary problems from their two parent breeds. Here are some of the most common issues to watch out for:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Canine bloat/gastric dilatation-volvulus
- Exercise Induced Collapse
- Centronuclear Myopathy
- Heart problems
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Autoimmune thyroiditis
- Collie Eye Anomaly
- Multiple drug sensitivity
Many of these problems can be detected through health testing. So, it’s important to choose a reputable breeder that screens their dogs before breeding. A black Lab Australian Shepherd mix can live into their teens with proper care. But, their chances of living this long increase massively if they are bred from dogs with no hereditary health issues.
Black Lab Australian Shepherd Mix Puppies
The Australian Shepherd Labrador mix is growing in popularity. But, if you’re hoping to get one with a black Lab parent, you’ll need to check the specific Lab being used.
The price of these puppies will vary depending on where you live, the quality of parents, puppy coat color, and popularity of the mix.
What About Shelter Dogs?
Another option, if you’re struggling to find healthy puppies, is to look for a rescue dog. Often, they are slightly older, and may be a little harder to find! But, if you have a specific appearance in mind, you’ll get a better idea of this than you would from a puppy.
Some rescue dogs will also have basic obedience training. Just remember that some may also not suit certain homes, like those with other pets. So, speak to rescue center staff to ensure the dog you’ve chosen will suit your home.
And, bear in mind that some dogs in rescue centers will have an unknown ancestry. Staff may be able to predict that you’re getting a black Lab Australian Shepherd mix, but it isn’t always guaranteed unless your pup comes with paperwork!
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
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We had one of these dogs before they became popular. It was an accidental mating and the Aussie owner brought them to our town, perhaps to hide the litter. We paid $50 and that included the crate. Best dog ever. Loving and easy to train. Lived to nearly 14 and we still miss her.
Hi Judy: We lost our 13 yo lab hound in Nov 21. Today we had an opportunity to adopt a rescued black lab Aussie ….Since you had one of these type dogs for a long while, could you tell me a bit about your dog and what worked with training. /The rescue we might adopt is 2 yrs old, came from a pound, and was being returned due to high maintenance and the prior adopter had two small children and did not realize the dog had high energy requirements. My husband and I are retired but I spend lots of time with obedience training as well as trick and retriever training and feel this dog will be a good fit for us. What do you think?