At what age do labs usually mature? And what are the recognizeable characteristics once they have done so?

I suggest you get a decent labrador book and read it through something you would hopefully have done before buying one :(

You're very snippy, you know that? I have done exactly that and was merely looking for more opinions. The whole points of this board, I thought.
No need to get personal.

It seems to me that you are asking some questions that if you had checked out your breed facts before buying the dog you would know very well,labs grow fast but mature fairly slowly,I would recommend anyone at all interested enough in their breed to buy at least one decent book on them before buying a pup,I think the post you made re: leaving the dog in the cage put peoples backs up well it did mine,especially when you read below what the dog is bred for.
but now you are asking questions which should blatantly obvious to anyone who buys a dog as surely the characteristics of the dog is what made you want to buy one in the first place

Labrador:
Characteristics: Good tempered,very agile,excellent nose,soft mouth,keen love of water,devoted companion.
Temperament:Intellligent,keen & biddable,with strong will to please,kind nature,with no trace of aggression or undue shyness.

Just wanted to hear some lab stories.
Relax.

Mattie

Maybe being in that cage all day long is stunting the poor little thing's growth eh ???????? :( :(

Count to ten and try not to get upset by it

Beth

the owner or the dog ;)

I think approx age 10 upwards if ever, and the signs might be:- not going totally crazy when they haven't seen you for at least five minutes, not running round in circles playing with other dogs, not raiding the biscuit tin. On second thoughts I think immaturity is something labs possess for life, but it is controllable with training. I have one warming my feet as I sit here typing this.
Lorna

Dudley I take it thats never then????? :) :) :)
Christine, Spain.

From several books I've looked through it says labs begin to mature from 3 years old!

Good luck on your search

Lorna you also forgot, not having to present you with a gift everytime you walk back in the room, tea towel, dishcloth etc, paying attention and being extremely obedient at all times not just when food is around, losing the ability to contract their body immediately before having a 5 min fit dashing round the house/garden like their bum is on fire, recognising that all other dogs might not appreciate being bounced on and the final thing that convinced me Fry (female choc lab) is maturing, either that or getting smart, only trying to climb in the dishwasher when you are loading it, no point when you are unloading as everything is clean with nothing to lick. On second thoughts I don't think she is maturing, just learning to stay one step ahead :)

Sorry, labs never really grow up. Mine are now 6,5 and 9mths and t he "senior" dog is as daft as the pup.
The chocolate I lost last year (at 13) was still inisitent on a full body cuddle every time we stopped moving for more than a few minutes.
I reckon The only real sign of maturing is learning to miss you when they take a flying leap onto the bed.

Hello...

After reading the above posts on the crazy things that labs do...I just wanted to add that I love Labradors...

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Francy

PS...I've been told that they mentally should be mature by 18 months...

I've heard that they can mature at 18 months, 3 years, or never! Our lab has matured considerably (he's 15 months now), but he's still got a little ways to go.

My Lab, Buster is 3 in March. I would say that for the last year his matureness has improved, but he has always been a calm, mature-like dog. He is quite calm when we have visitors (apart from my mother in law who dotes on him and he takes advantage of that!), and if he gets excited he has his little spirt of fun, but then soon calms down. He still has puppy flash-backs and goes absolutely stupid, but I think most Labs may do that! I think they are an adorable breed and are brilliant in every aspect. I personally think that Labs matureness may vary quite a lot, as I know other Lab owners whose Labs have never matured! It also depends on how you interpret matureness yourself!

Our black lab x (mostly lab tho') is 12 and as daft as ever! She crawls along the floor like a commando, somehow seems to dislocate the back hips as her hind legs are outstretched, and she is a flat to the floor as could be, in order to creep up on you when your not watching, then she quickly rolls over for a tummy tickle. How daft is that.
Jaffa