Introduction

Several retriever dogs are present in this world. A retriever is a type of dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage. Labrador Retriever is the most famous among them. It is amongst the most popular breeds as per the registration in U.S., U.K., Poland and many such countries. They are commonly called as "Labs".

Labrador dog is one of the most popular breed of assistance dogs which on training assists the person in a very friendly way. These dogs are very affable, intelligent, energetic, gentle and good natured. Generally, they are good companions of all the age groups from children to elder ones. Police officers and some other official bodies often use them for their detection and other working abilities. Thus, they are both excellent companions and working dogs and so in the list of best dogs they rank first.

Usually, they are available in black (a solid black color), chocolate (medium to dark brown) and yellow (anything from light cream to gold to "fox-red"). Any other color or a combination of colors is a disqualification. However, a small white spot on the chest is permissible, but not desirable. If Labrador Retrievers are left untrained, then there is a possibility that they may become violently agitated and turbulent or else they are very much fond of food and also, are fun loving dogs. If proper training is provided to them, then they are included among the most talented, dependable and multi-talented breeds in this world.

Height
Dogs: 22.5-24.5 inch (55.9-62.5 cm)
Bitches: 21.5-23.5 inch (54.5-60 cm)

Weight
Dogs: 65-80 pounds (30-36 kg). Some males can also grow to 100 pounds or more.
Bitches: 55-70 pounds (25-32 kg)

Coat

Labrador Retriever has short, straight and very dense covering of coat. It is not wiry and gives a hard feeling to the hand. The coat is a distinctive feature of the Labrador Retriever. Many of the dogs, especially Labrador Retriever show distinct whitening of the coat as they grow older; especially around the muzzle. This dog has a soft weather and water resistant coat for protection from water and cold. Thus, this dog has slightly dry, oily coat.

Life Expectancy

About 10-13 years

Origin

Labrador Retriever originated on the island of Newfoundland. This breed emerged from St. John's Water Dog. Previously, they were used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the water. The local fishermen originally used the St. John's dog to assist in bringing nets to shore; the dog would grab the floating corks on the ends of the nets and pull them to shore

History

Two breeds emerged from the St. John’s Water Dog; the larger one was used for hauling, and evolved into the large and gentle Newfoundland dog, brought to the island by the generations of Portuguese fishermen who had been fishing offshore since the 1400s and the smaller one used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the water were the forebears of the Labrador Retriever. They assisted the fisherman to bring the nets to the shore. The first and second Earls of Malmesbury, and the 5th and 6th Dukes of Buccleuch, and youngest son Lord George William Montagu-Douglas-Scott,[58] led to the establishment of the Labrador breed in nineteenth century England.

In the early period, two descriptions of Labrador Retriever were available given by two different persons. According to the report of W. E. Cormack, these dogs are admirably trained as retrievers in fowling. The smooth or short haired dog is preferred because in frosty weather the long haired kind becomes encumbered with ice on coming out of the water. Again, as per the report of Colonel Hawker, these dogs were best in shooting, generally, black, no bigger than pointer, have smooth hair and the tail is not much curled. They are experts in running, swimming, fighting and their sense of smelling is very much strong.

Labrador Retriever was originally called as St. John's dog or lesser Newfoundland. Also, other names suggested for Labradors were “lavradores” in Portuguese and "labradores," in Spanish. Many of the people say that it was named after the territory of Labrador in Canada or as the name "Newfoundland" was already taken by the larger breed.

Few most important historical landmarks regarding Labrador Retrievers are mentioned below:

• The first written reference to the breed was in 1814.
• The first painting of Labrador Retriever was painted in 1823.
• The first photograph was taken in 1856.
• During 1870, the name Labrador Retriever became common in England.
• The first yellow Labrador on record was born in 1899 and the breed was recognized by the Kennel Club in 1903. However, the chocolate Labrador emerged in the 1930s
• The first American Kennel Club registration was in 1917.
  

Know more about Labrador Retriever

General Appearances

The Labrador Retriever is characterized as strongly built, medium-sized, short-coupled dog. This dog is the most popular retrieving gun dog because of its qualities like soundness, good in athletics, and well-balanced conformation.
The body of the Labrador Retriever should be strong and muscular with a level top line. The head should be broad with a pronounced stop and slightly pronounced brow whereas the eyes should be kind and expressive. Brown and hazel are the appropriate eye colors. However, the lining around the eyes should be black. The ears should hang close to the head and are set slightly above the eyes. Labrador hair is usually fairly short and straight. The jaws should be much stronger and powerful. The muzzle should be of medium length, and should not be too tapered. The jaws should hang slightly and curve gracefully back.
Besides all this, the most distinguishing character possessed by Labrador Retriever is it’s coat which is short, dense, weather resistant coat. It also has an "otter" tail which is quite broad and strong. Since the dog is used for various purposes by the official bodies, structure and soundness of Labrador Retriever are of great importance.

Health

Labrador Retriever has 10-13 life span and a few years longer if proper medical care and feeding is provided. It is one of the healthiest breeds with relatively few health problems. Labs are more prone to following diseases:

1. Labs are somewhat prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. Hip scores are recommended before breeding.
2. There is also a risk of knee problems. A luxating patella is a common occurrence in the knee.
3. Eye problems faced by Labs are progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, corneal dystrophy and retinal dysplasia. To avoid this, dogs should be taken to a veterinary ophthalmologist.
4. They are also prone to hereditary myopathy, a rare inherited disorder that causes a deficiency in type II muscle fibre.
5. There is a small incidence of other conditions, such as autoimmune diseases and deafness in labs, either congenitally or later in life.
6. Labs are sometimes prone to ear infection. It can easily be avoided by regular checking.
7. They can also suffer from obesity. To avoid this, excess feeding should be avoided, controlled food intake is suggested. Lack of activity can also cause obesity. Thus, regular exercise is recommended.

Favorite Pastimes

Labs enjoy retrieving a ball endlessly and other forms of activity such as flyball and frisbee. They are considerably "food and fun" oriented, very trainable, and open-minded to new things, and thrive on human attention, affection and interaction, of which they find it difficult to get enough. Favorite pastimes of the Labs also includes swimming - if you have a pool, the dog will use it. They are one of the best companion dogs and are very friendly.

More Information

Sometimes, there can be two different breeds of Labrador Retriever- the English Labrador and the American Labrador. Both these breeds are widely available in U.K. and North America. The English Bred Lab comes from English bred stock and are medium-sized dogs, shorter and stockier with fuller faces and a slightly calmer nature than their American counterparts that come from American bred stock which are generally taller and lighter-built dogs. However, No distinction is made between these two breeds by the AKC.

Do you know that the breed sheds hair twice annually, or regularly throughout the year in temperate climate. This characteristic varies in individual dogs; some may shed more while others shed less. Labrador Retriever are the excellent swimmers because of the otter-like tail and webbed toes. In addition to this, they have a waterproof coat providing more assistance for swimming and the tail acts as a rudder for changing direction. If possible, Labradors need an average-sized yard or else they can also manage in an apartment, as long as they get regular walks or visits to the park. They have a very stronger ability to learn which make them ideal for search, rescue, detection and therapy work.