 The AKC describes the Labrador 's temperament as a kind , pleasant , outgoing and tractable nature . Labradors ' sense of smell allows them to home in on almost any scent and follow the path of its origin . They generally stay on the scent until they find it . Navies , military forces and police forces use them as detection dogs to track down smugglers , thieves , terrorists and black marketers . Labradors instinctively enjoy holding objects and even hands or arms in their mouths , which they can do with great gentleness ( a Labrador can carry an egg in its mouth without breaking it ) . They are known to have a very soft feel to the mouth , as a result of being bred to retrieve game such as waterfowl . They are prone to chewing objects ( though they can be trained to abandon this behavior ) . The Labrador Retriever 's coat repels water to some extent , thus facilitating the extensive use of the dog in waterfowl hunting . 
