Labrador Retriever

Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Labrador Retriever, also called Labrador or Lab for short, is one of the most popular breed of dog in the North America and England. One of the oldest recognized breeds, there are more Labrador Retrievers officially registered with breed registries in the beginning of this century than any other purebred in the US or UK.

Originating on the island of Newfoundland, Canada, during the 1700s, the Labrador Retriever were brought to England in the early 1800s by English fishermen. The Labrador Retriever is the result of selective breeding between the now-extinct St. John?s Water Dog, the Newfoundland, and some native water dogs.

He was first used to jump overboard into the icy waters of the North Atlantic to retrieve large fish escaping from nets or to haul fishermen's nets to shore. There are two types of Lab, the English and the American lines. The English bred Labrador are more calm, thick and heavy, while American bred Lab mature slowly and are tall and thin.

Color

The Labrador Retriever coat colors are solid black, yellow or pale to deep chocolate, in that order of frequency and popularity and it's possible to have all three colors within a single litter.

Coat

The Labrador Retriever is a short, straight, easy-care and very dense water-resistant double coat breed, thus protecting this breed from the extensive use of the dog in all types of ground and water environments.

Personality

The highly intelligent Labrador Retriever is a loyal, affectionate, patient and high-spirited dog. They are good-natured, outgoing, and possess an extremely sociable temperament, they love everyone. They are kind to children and friendly to other dogs and animals. They may be aloof with strangers and make good watchdogs, but not guard dogs. The Labrador Retriever need human attention and to feel they are part of the family. Known as docile and reliable, these active dogs have even been put to work as service dogs for the handicapped person and numerous guide dogs for the blind in the world are Labrador Retrievers.

Care

Labrador Retrievers are a generally healthy breed with few major problems. However, they may suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, ear infections, eye disorders and skin tumors. The smooth, short-haired, double coat requires regular grooming with a firm bristle brush. Bathe only when absolutely necessary.

Training

The versatile Labrador Retrievers is easy to train and open minded to new things, some of their talents include; hunting, police work, search and rescue, watch dogging, agility, and competitive obedience. They needs fairness, firmness, consistency in training and do not respond to harsh or heavy-handed methods. The Labrador Retriever have very strong necks and must be train early not to pull on the leash.

Activity

Labrador Retrievers breed will do okay in an apartment dwelling if sufficiently exercised. They are fairly active indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard to run without a leash. They enjoy work and play (especially in water), family play sessions, swimming, retrieving a ball and fetch Frisbee.