Greyhound Lab Mix – Your Complete Guide To The Greyador

Greyhound Lab Mix Appearance

Many fans of the Greyhound Lab mix seek a dog that combines the Lab’s sturdiness with the Greyhound’s refinement. But there is no guaranteed Greyador appearance. Mixed breed dogs can inherit the physical characteristics of either parent breed. Some Greyhound Lab mixes can look more like Labs and some more like Greyhounds. The most accurate way to predict is to look at the two parent dogs. And, make sure you’re happy with any combination of their characteristics.

Greyador Size

How big is the average Greyhound Lab cross? Greyhound males weigh between 60-75 pounds. Females are 60-65 pounds. The average male Labrador Retriever is 65-80 pounds; female Labs are 55-70 pounds. Expect your full grown Greyador to weigh between 60-80 pounds for males and 55-75 pounds for females.

While Labs weigh more than Greyhounds, the Greyhound is generally taller than the Lab. An adult male Greyhound can be 30 inches in height at the withers, while the tallest Lab tends to be under 25 inches in height. The average Greyhound Lab mix dog’s height can vary from 21-27 inches.

Size ranges for the Greyador are broad, which is typical for mixed breed dogs. Your dog can inherit features from either breed.

General Appearance

The general appearance of a Greyador will be an unpredictable mix of the two parent breeds. The Greyhound’s aerodynamic body was built for speed. From the long, slim head to the deep chest and narrow waist of a long-distance runner. But, Labs can look stockier, with a general strong and athletic appearance. Compared to the Greyhound, Labs have broad features, including their heads and tails.

Coat Type and Colors

Many potential owners of Greyhound Lab mix pups are interested in learning about the possible coat colors and textures of this mixed breed, including the amount of shedding to expect.

Labs have a double coat consisting of a short dense top coat and a soft thick undercoat. The undercoat sheds in warm weather. Greyhounds have a smooth, short coat. The Greyhound’s coat is relatively low maintenance and sheds as much as the average dog. The Lab’s double coat makes it a more profuse seasonal shedder, They generally need more frequent grooming than a Greyhound. The Greyador coat is usually dense, smooth, and short in length. It’s safe to expect a similar amount of shedding and grooming to the Lab, given that your dog can inherit the Lab double coat.

What About Coat Color?

Many potential owners are interested in specific colors like the black Lab Greyhound mix, yellow Lab Greyhound mix, or chocolate Lab Greyhound mix.

Solid black, yellow, and chocolate are the only officially recognized Lab colors. The Greyhound has a much wider range of accepted colors and markings. They can be many different colors, both solid and brindle. A lot of Greyhounds are white with colored markings (parti-colored).

Greyhound Lab mixes have more variety in color than Labs, because the Greyhound is so varied in color. Your Greyhound Lab mix can be solid or brindle, or parti-colored as well. Possible Greyador colors include silver, blue, grey, brown, black, red, and fawn. When browsing pictures of Greyhound Lab mix pups online, you will notice a lot of black or mostly black dogs. The black Lab and Greyhound mix is an especially popular cross breed, but many colors and markings are possible.

Greyhound Lab Mix Temperament

Just like their appearance, the temperament of all mixed breed dogs can be any combination of the traits of either parent breed. Every dog is an individual, and training and socialization play a larger role than breeding in giving you the kind of dog you want.

While Greyhounds tend to be somewhat quiet, sensitive, and gentle, Labs have a reputation for being active and friendly. Labs are always eager to please and ready to play. The lovable Lab personality is legendary. The Greyhound’s and Labrador’s fundamental personality differences are due in large part to what each breed was developed to do. Sighthounds like the Greyhound are generally calm and independent dogs. While some Sighthound breeds have aloof personalities to match their noble looks, Greyhounds are famously sweet-tempered and affectionate.

Natural Instincts

One important personality trait to be aware of in Greyhounds and Greyhound mixes is their strong prey drive. They were bred to hunt small game using sight and speed. So all Greyhounds should be tested for prey drive before being introduced into homes with small animals like cats. Retriever breeds like Labs are part of the Sporting dog breed group, along with other active and amicable breeds like Spaniels, Setters, and Pointers.

The Greyhound Lab mix could have an appealing combination of the Lab’s enthusiasm tempered by the Greyhound’s calm. Although it could equally have one or the other extreme. You can generally expect a friendly and non-aggressive dog, especially with proper training from an early age. Make sure you take the prey drive of your dog’s Greyhound ancestors into account when introducing one into a household with other pets.

Your dog’s Greyhound blood may also make it a bit more sensitive around boisterous young children than its easy going, rough and tumble Lab ancestors. Be sure to supervise your dog around children.

Greyhound Lab Mix Socialization

Because of these natural instincts, it’s important to socialize a Greyador puppy well. From the time you bring your puppy home until the age of 16 weeks, you should introduce them to as many new things as possible. This includes people, places, animals, vehicles, and more. Anything that your dog may interact with as an adult.

For Greyador puppies, there should be a particular emphasis on small animals and very young children. Socializing puppies can reduce aggression and fearfulness in adult dogs of any breed.

Training and Exercising your Greyador

Both Labrador parents and Greyhound parent breeds are intelligent and athletic dogs. So, they will benefit from regular exercise and training. Labs and Greyhounds have histories as sporting and working dogs. Their mixed puppies will need plenty of exercise each day, including time to run off leash. Because of the risk of a strong prey instinct, you will need to find a safe, enclosed area to allow this or have a rock solid recall.

Training can offer a small amount of exercise, as well as some much needed mental stimulation. But, be sure you don’t over-exercise your dog when they are a puppy to protect their joints.

Greyhound Lab Mix Health and Care

Potential Greyhound Lab mix owners should educate themselves about the health problems of both Labs and Greyhounds. The Lab parent must have good hip and elbow scores, be PRA clear and have an up to date eye test. As a minimum the Greyhound parent should be PRA clear and have no family history of polyneuropathy.

Your mixed breed dog is not necessarily healthier than purebred dogs if the dog is bred from two purebred lines with known health problems. Knowledge of the health history of your dog’s parents, including written certifications and genetic test results, is key to making sure your Greyador is healthy. There are tests available for many common genetic conditions. Reputable breeders will share this important health information with clients.

Greyador Life Expectancy

Life expectancy for Greyhound Lab mix puppies will vary depending on their lifestyle, general care, and inherited health issues. To get a general idea, you can look at the average life expectancy of the two parent breeds. According to a 2013 study by O’Neill (et al), the average lifespan of Labrador Retrievers is 12.5 years, but the average lifespan of the Greyhound is only 10.8 years.

These are only averages. So, the parent breeds can live much longer than this. But, it’s a good general idea of how long a Labrador Greyhound mix will be in your family.

Do Greyadors Make Good Family Pets?

The Lab Greyhound mix can be a great pet for anyone interested in a loyal and affectionate canine companion. Both parent breeds of the Greyador have appealing personality traits. But it’s important to remember that your dog can inherit any combination of the Lab and Greyhound temperaments. The best way to ensure that your dog is well socialized and well behaved is to start the training process as soon as you get your new Greyhound Lab mix puppy.

Before you fall in love with an individual puppy, make sure you understand all the possible health conditions associated with both the Labrador Retriever and Greyhound breeds. A chase instinct is highly possible in this mixed breed. So, it may not be the best option for homes with other small pets. Owners must have the time to socialize and train them well from a young age.

Shelter Dogs

Is it possible to adopt a Greyador from an animal shelter or rescue organization? Most Greyhound rescue organizations work with purebred retired racing Greyhounds. There are many Lab rescue groups around the country, and it’s a good idea to talk to local Lab rescue groups and let them know you are interested in a Lab Greyhound mix.

You also may be able to find a Greyhound Lab mix that has been surrendered to an animal shelter. Most shelter pet search websites allow you to search available dogs by breed. Shelters do their best to identify the mixed breed dogs in their care, but you can also confirm a dog’s ancestry through genetic testing.

Your Greyhound Lab Puppy

Greyhound Lab Mix puppies are not as common as some other Lab mixes like the Labradoodle, so be patient and take your time researching reputable breeders. Reputable breeders are concerned about the overall health of the breeds of dog they work with and would not knowingly sell puppies afflicted with a serious medical condition.

Getting a dog is a lifetime commitment, so be sure your new Greyhound Lab mix is as healthy as possible. The result of any cross breeding is never 100% guaranteed, something new owners need to remember. The sturdy Lab and elegant Greyhound can combine into a beautiful medium sized dog with a short coat that can come in a variety of colors and patterns.

Less experienced dog owners can benefit from formal training classes like puppy kindergarten so that their dogs get a good foundation from an early age. Labs are highly trainable, and Greyhounds are generally calm, all of which can be very helpful for new Lab Greyhound mix owners.

Greyador Breeders

Interested in acquiring your Greyhound Labrador mix puppy from a breeder? Here are a few common-sense tips to keep in mind as you begin your search. Be cautious of online ads for Greyadors or any designer mixed breed dog. Large scale, for profit breeding operations (often referred to as puppy mills) should be avoided. Since both Greyhounds and Labs are known to have some significant genetic health conditions, the best way to ensure that your puppy will be healthy is to work with a reputable breeder who will share health information with you.

Remember that an unusually inexpensive puppy bought sight unseen may cost you much more in long term veterinary expenses than a pricier dog from a known breeder. It’s a good idea to choose a local breeder who welcomes potential buyers to their home, so you can see the environment where your puppy is raised. Be sure to meet your puppy’s parents and observe all your puppy’s littermates.

Health Testing

Labradors can be screened by x-ray for hip and elbow dysplasia. There are genetic tests available for certain heart and eye conditions, as well as centronuclear myopathy and exercise induced collapse. Greyhounds can also be tested for some of the serious genetic health conditions that are common in the breed. Experts recommend that, at a minimum, your dog’s Greyhound lines should be tested for polyneuropathy and thyroid, heart, and eye diseases.

Genetic tests can tell breeders which of their dogs are unaffected, which are carriers of a disease, and which are affected by the disease.