A Lab Pointer mix, often called a Pointador or Pointerdor, is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Pointer, usually an English Pointer or a German Shorthaired Pointer. It’s a lean, athletic gun dog of about 50 to 75 lbs that needs far more exercise than most families expect.
I’ve lived with a working-line Lab for nine years, and Buck’s energy is already a full-time hobby. Add a Pointer, a breed built to cover miles of field at a run, and you get a dog that’s wonderful with an active owner and a real handful for everyone else. Here’s what to expect before you bring one home.
What is a Lab Pointer mix?
A Lab Pointer mix is a crossbreed of two sporting breeds. From the Labrador Retriever you get the soft mouth, love of water and easygoing manner. The Pointer adds speed, stamina and that famous frozen point when it smells a bird.
The mix isn’t recognized by the AKC, since it’s a crossbreed, but some designer and hybrid dog registries list it. Because both parents come from the sporting group, the result is more predictable than many mixes. You’re getting a bird dog either way.
The name covers two different crosses, and it’s worth asking which one you’re looking at:
- English Pointer crosses: often taller, leaner and faster, with a short single-layer Pointer coat in the mix
- German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) crosses: a bit stockier, with ticked or liver coats common, and very high drive
- Lab and a mixed pointing dog, which is common in rescues where nobody knows the exact parents
All three are high-energy dogs. The GSP cross, in my view, is the most intense of the bunch.
Where the Pointador comes from
The Pointador doesn’t have a long history of its own. It most likely appeared in the US in the late 20th century, often from hunting homes that kept both breeds, then gained popularity with the designer dog trend.
The parents have deep roots, though. In England, the Pointer was developed in England from the 1600s on, likely with Spanish pointing dogs in its background, as a dog that finds birds and holds still to show the hunter where they are. The German Shorthaired Pointer came later, in 19th-century Germany, as an all-round hunting dog.
The Lab’s story begins in Newfoundland, where early water dogs helped fishermen haul nets and retrieve fish before British sportsmen refined them in the 1800s. You can read the full Labrador history if you’re curious.
Put them together and you get a dog that can find the bird, point it and bring it back. Many Labs show a pointing instinct of their own, and I’ve written about why some Labradors point and what it means.
Pointador quick facts
Here’s the short version. Mixes vary, so treat these as estimates.
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Parent breeds | Labrador Retriever and Pointer (English or German Shorthaired) |
| Height | About 22 to 27 inches at the shoulder |
| Weight | About 50 to 75 lbs |
| Lifespan | About 11 to 14 years |
| Coat | Short, dense, sometimes with a Lab undercoat |
| Shedding | Moderate to heavy |
| Energy | Very high |
| Good with kids | Yes, with supervision, they’re bouncy |
| First-time owners | Only very active ones |
The energy row is the one I’d take most seriously. I’ll come back to it.
Size and appearance
Image credit: dexterthepointador / Instagram
Both parents are tall, athletic dogs, but they’re built differently. Labs are deeper and heavier for their height. Pointers are leaner and leggier. Most Pointadors land somewhere in between.
This is how the parents compare on size, using AKC figures:
| Breed | Height (in) | Weight (lbs) | Lifespan (years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | 21.5 to 24.5 | 55 to 80 | 11 to 13 |
| Pointer | 23 to 28 | 45 to 75 | 12 to 15 |
| German Shorthaired Pointer | 21 to 25 | 45 to 70 | 10 to 12 |
| Pointador (estimate) | 22 to 27 | 50 to 75 | 11 to 14 |
If you want more detail on the Lab side, my guide to how big Labs get covers growth by age.
Expect a long muzzle, ears that sit a little higher and thinner than a Lab’s, and a lean waist. Tails are usually long and tapering rather than the thick Lab “otter” tail. Many have a deep chest, which matters for bloat risk (more on that below).
Colors
Labs come in black, yellow and chocolate, which you can read about in my guide to Labrador colors. Pointers add white with liver, lemon, orange or black, and GSPs bring liver, liver and white, or ticked patterns.
So a Pointador might be:
- Solid black or chocolate, looking like a slim Lab
- White with liver or lemon patches
- Liver ticked, especially with a GSP parent
- Yellow with a few white markings on the chest and feet
White patches tend to show up on the chest, toes and muzzle. Solid colors are just as common.
Coat, shedding and grooming
Image credit: hershey.bar.the.pointador / Instagram
The Pointador’s coat is short and easy, but it isn’t low-shedding. Pointers have a short single coat, while Labs have a dense double coat, so your dog might have anything from a thin, sleek coat to a plush Lab-style undercoat. Either way, it sheds, and it isn’t a good choice for allergy sufferers.
My grooming routine for this kind of coat is simple:
- Brush with a rubber curry or bristle brush 2 to 3 times a week, daily during shedding season
- Check and clean ears weekly, especially after swimming
- Trim nails every 3 to 4 weeks, or when you hear clicking on the floor
- Bathe every 2 to 3 months, or after a roll in something awful
- Look over the feet and coat after field walks for burrs, ticks and grass seeds
That last step matters more with this mix than with most dogs. Pointadors put their nose into every hedge, and foxtails and ticks come home with them. In spring, my Lab sheds enough undercoat to fill two grocery bags in one bath-and-dryer session, so if your Pointador inherits the Lab coat, plan for the same.
Thin-coated Pointadors feel the cold. On freezing-rain mornings Buck wears a waterproof jacket for our 7:00 AM walk, and a lean Pointer cross may need one even more.
Temperament and personality
Image credit: cookie_the_pointador / Instagram
Pointadors are affectionate, people-loving and full of energy, and I’d call them two dogs in one coat. Indoors, a well-exercised one is a cuddly, couch-loving dog. Outdoors, he’s a hunter with his nose on the ground.
This comparison shows where each parent pulls the mix:
| Trait | Labrador | Pointer | The mix | My take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendliness | Very high | High | Very high | Loves everyone |
| Energy | High | Very high | Very high | Needs a job |
| Prey drive | Moderate | High | High | Watch the birds |
| Independence | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Recall takes work |
| Trainability | Very high | High | High | Smart, distractible |
The Pointer side can bring an independent streak. Pointing breeds were bred to work at a distance, out ahead of the hunter, so they’re used to making their own decisions. Brittany crosses like the Labany show the same trait.
Pointadors don’t like being alone for long. Leave one alone and bored for eight hours and you may come home to chewed furniture. I know that feeling well. At 10 months, Buck chewed through a heavy nylon leash and half a wooden patio chair leg in under 20 minutes, alone in the yard.
They’re not guard dogs. Most will bark at a knock on the door, then try to make friends with whoever’s there.
Exercise and training
Image credit: mylothepointador / Instagram
An adult Pointador needs at least 90 minutes of real exercise a day, and many need two hours. A walk around the block doesn’t count. They need to run, swim, retrieve or hunt.
From my experience with gun-dog lines, what works best:
- Off-leash running in a safely fenced field
- Swimming and retrieving, often their favorite
- Long hikes, on leash or a long line
- Scent games, hide-and-seek with treats, and nose work
- Field sports like hunt tests, if you want a real outlet for that drive
Buck is obsessed with dock bumpers, even in freezing weather, and a Pointador usually shares that drive. Use it. A tired bird dog is a calm bird dog.
Training tips
Pointadors are smart and food-motivated, but easily distracted by smells and birds. Reward-based training works best: short sessions, high-value treats and lots of repetition in new places.
Recall is the big one. Practice it daily, and use a long line in open areas until it’s rock-solid. With a strong prey drive, a squirrel or a pheasant will win over a weak recall every time. At 5 months, Buck jumped into a fast river after a floating log before he’d learned to come back. I had to sprint down the bank to get him, and I don’t want you having that day.
Start socialization early. Introduce your puppy to people, dogs, sounds and places before about 16 weeks, and keep going through adolescence.
Life with a Pointador
Kids and other pets
Pointadors are usually gentle and friendly with kids. But a 65 lb adolescent bird dog can knock over a toddler without meaning to, so supervise them together and teach kids not to run screaming around a young dog.
Most get along well with other dogs, and I’d expect yours to love a playmate. Small pets are a different story. Cats raised with them in the house are often fine, but rabbits, birds and backyard chickens trigger that prey drive.
Space
I think a house with a securely fenced yard suits them best. Apartment life is possible only if you’re committed to long daily runs and outings, and even then I’d hesitate. A bored Pointador in a small space gets loud and destructive.
Lifespan and health
Most Pointadors live about 11 to 14 years, in line with both parents. You can read more about the Labrador lifespan and what affects it.
This is the health watch list I’d keep for a Lab Pointer mix:
| Condition | Watch for | When to call the vet |
|---|---|---|
| Hip and elbow dysplasia | Limping, stiffness, trouble rising | Lameness lasting more than a day or two |
| Progressive retinal atrophy | Night blindness, bumping into things | At the first sign |
| Bloat (GDV) | Swollen belly, retching with nothing coming up | Emergency, go now |
| Ear infections | Head shaking, smell, redness | Within a few days |
| Von Willebrand’s disease (GSP lines) | Unusual bleeding, slow clotting | Before any surgery, ask about testing |
Hip and elbow dysplasia shows up in both parent breeds, and extra weight makes it worse. Buck’s own elbow arthritis showed up at 8, which is one reason I keep him lean.
Progressive retinal atrophy causes gradual blindness, and Cornell has a clear explainer on progressive retinal atrophy. A DNA test exists for the common Lab form, so I’d ask for it.
German Shorthaired Pointers can carry a bleeding disorder, covered by VCA in its guide to von Willebrand’s disease.
Bloat is serious in deep-chested dogs like this. If the belly swells and your dog retches without vomiting, call your vet or an emergency clinic now. I’d also avoid hard exercise right after a big meal.
I’m not a vet, and your vet knows your dog. Ask about hip scoring and eye checks as your Pointador grows.
Feeding a Lab Pointer mix
Image credit: remember_youre_a_mumble / Instagram
An active Pointador needs a complete, balanced food for large, active dogs, and large-breed puppy food while growing. Most adults eat somewhere around 2.5 to 4 cups a day, but it depends entirely on the food’s calories and how much your dog runs, so use the bag’s guide as a starting point.
My guide to the best dog food for Labs covers what I look for in a label. A few habits that help:
- Split food into two or three meals, which also lowers bloat risk
- Weigh or measure portions, never eyeball them
- Adjust in hunting season or busy summer months, then cut back in winter
Watch the waistline. Pointadors burn a lot, but the Lab appetite is still in there. Around age six, Buck gained weight on the same portions until I switched him to a higher-protein, lower-calorie food split into three meals, and he was back to 78 lbs in four months.
I’d steer clear of raw diets for most owners, given the bacterial risks. And talk to your vet before adding supplements like fish oil or glucosamine.
Is a Pointador right for you?
Good fit if:
- You run, hike, swim or hunt most days
- A fenced yard and open space are part of your life
- Training sounds fun to you, and you and want a dog that can do things with you
Skip it if:
- You work long hours away from home
- A calm dog for short walks is what you had in mind
- Small pets like rabbits or chickens live with you
Finding a Pointador
Based on my research, rescues are the best place to start, and that’s where I’d look first. Lab mixes and pointing breed mixes end up in shelters often, usually because a family underestimated the energy. Breed-specific rescues for Pointers, GSPs and Labs are a good place to look too. An adult dog has a known temperament and energy level, which is a big plus with a mix this lively.
If you buy a puppy, look for a breeder who:
- Shows hip, elbow and eye results for both parents
- Can explain which Pointer breed is involved
- Lets you meet the mother and see the puppies at home
- Asks you about your lifestyle and takes the dog back if things don’t work out
Be wary of very cheap puppies with no health records. A careful breeder spends real money on testing, and that’s what you’re paying for.
FAQ
How big does a Lab Pointer mix get?
Most Pointadors weigh 50 to 75 lbs and stand 22 to 27 inches tall at the shoulder. A Lab crossed with an English Pointer tends to be taller and leaner, and a GSP cross a little stockier.
Do Pointadors shed a lot?
Yes, moderately to heavily. Even though Pointers have a short single coat, the Lab side often adds an undercoat. Brush two to three times a week and expect more hair in spring and fall.
Are Pointadors good family dogs?
They can be great family dogs for active households. They’re affectionate and friendly with kids, but they need lots of exercise and can be bouncy, so supervise them around toddlers.
Can a Pointador live in an apartment?
It’s hard. They need 90 minutes or more of hard exercise a day and get restless in small spaces. It can work only if you’re committed to daily runs or field outings.
How long do Lab Pointer mixes live?
Usually about 11 to 14 years. Keeping your dog lean, active and up to date on vet care helps them reach the top of that range.
My final word
A Pointador is a joy if you love being outside with a dog, and a challenge if you don’t. I’d only bring one home if you’re ready to spend most mornings at a field, a lake or a trail. Give one a job and plenty of miles, and you’ll have a happy, sweet dog snoring at your feet by evening.
