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| Labrador Retriever |
General
Labs
are very active, strongly built dogs with good bone and substance. Their heads
are broad with soft, intelligent eyes. They have a double coat: the undercoat
being weather-resistant and the outer coat being short and dense with no
feathering. Their tails are totally unique being 'otter' like and their
movement is straight and true both front and back, covering the ground freely.
Origin :
The breed originated not in
Labrador, but on the coast of Newfoundland in the 17th century. They were
trained to bring in the fishing-nets through the icy waters for the fishermen
and, in the early 19th century, were brought to Poole Harbour in Great Britain.
These dogs were short-limbed, sturdy swimmers with short dense coats and an
otter-like tail. They were so attractive that the fishermen had umpteen offers
from Englishmen to buy them. The breed was instantly successful as a gundog.
The Earl of Malmesbury was fascinated by these dogs, known at that time as
Saint John's breed of water dogs and he started breeding them, calling them
Labrador dogs. A heavy dog tax in Canada and the new quarantine laws in Great
Britain caused a great reduction in the breed, limiting further breeding to be
done without any more imports. Thankfully the ones already in Britain were of
excellent quality and in the hands of serious breeders. The Kennel Club of
Great Britain first recognised the breed in 1903
Colour
: Labs come in solid black, yellow and
chocolate brown/liver.
Coat
Length : Short/Medium
Age
Expectancy : Labs usually live for 12 to 14
years.
Weight/Height
Range : Bitches measure 54 to 56cms at the
withers, dogs between 56 to 57cms. Bitches weigh around 28kgs and dogs around
30kgs
Breed
Classification : Labradors belong to the gundog
group and are used as companions, in field trials, assistance dogs (hearing and
sight), gundogs and seen in the show-ring
Personality : This breed is definitely in the top three when it comes to
choosing a family pet! They are friendly, good-natured dogs who are
affectionate with everyone. They are adaptable dogs and are naturally social
animals. They bond well with children, being patient and forgiving. Other
household animals are not at risk. They are extremely loyal and love to be
included in all aspects of family life. They will bark to draw your attention
to strangers but will welcome them with open arms.
Intelligence :Intelligent
dogs, Labradors are easily trained, making them ideal for use in field sports,
obedience competitions, as search dogs, as guide dogs and as hearing dogs.
These dogs take a great pleasure in any of these activities.
Energy
: High
Tendency
to bark : Medium
Overall Exercise Requirement : These dogs will adapt quite readily to the amount of time
you can allocate for their exercise but do remember they should be given quite
a reasonable amount. They love fairly long walks with a chance to run and play
off the lead. They adore retrieving and water, so do take care when near the
latter to ensure their safety. They will adapt to town living but come into
their own in rural surroundings.
Litter size :
5–10
Suitability
as a guard dog : Low
Ease
of Transportation :
High
Level
of Aggression : Low
Other
animal compatibility : High
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