Bred for pursuits such as duck and waterfowl hunting, Labradors are water dogs, and their double-layered coat is thick and oily, both to protect against cold, and to repel water away from their skin.
In many ways, this makes Labs almost self-cleaning, and means they don’t need regular baths with dog shampoo, which can strip away the natural protective oils on their coats. Most Labs only need a shampoo bath two or three times a year.
