Labrador Retriever

Name:

The breed in now the Labrador Retriever was known as the St. John's Water dog, St. John's dog or Lesser Newfoundland. The dogs which were later brought to the England, they were named according to  the geographic area known as the Labrador or also known as  Labrador Retrievers because they retrieve in the Labrador Sea. The Labrador breed is actually from Newfoundland, the Newfoundland dog was created near the same time in Labrador.

Origins:

The first reference to the breed was in 1814 instruction to young sportsman by Peter Hawker.

The first painting of Labrador breed in 1823 which are a Labrador bitch whose name was “Cora”

by Edwin Landseer. The first photograph of Labrador breed in 1856 the name of the dog was “Nell”  described both as Labrador or a St John's dog. The name Labrador Retriever become common in England in 1870.  The first Yellow Labrador was born in 1899 and the breed was  recognised by The Kennel Club in 1903.

History of Subtypes:

Yellow and chocolate pups would  although  often culled, until finally gaining acceptance in the 20th century. The first Yellow Labrador pup Ben of Hyde ,born in 1899 and the Chocolate Labrador become in 1930. There is also a difference between show labs, which tend to be short legged and very heavy, and field labs have a more functional and athletic build. These two subtype different general feature such as facial or body types.  

Yellow and Similar Shades:

The shades of Labrador which we would now call “Yellow” were in fact a dark almost butterscotch color. The shades was which are known as Golden, Changed by the UK kennel club, on the grounds the gold was not actually a color.Over the 20th century a preference for lighter shades of yellow , Until today most yellow Labrador are of this shades. Fawn has been a common color in the yellow Lab verity. The darker shades of  gold and red fox were re-established by breeders in 1980s.   

Character:

Size

The Labrador retriever are a large breed. The Labrador Retriever  stands 57 to 62 cm for males and 55 to 60 cm for females.The weight of the Labrador must be between 29 to 36 kg for males and 25 to 32 kg for females.The life span of the Labrador  is average 12 to 13 years

 

Head

The Lab’s head should be broad with slightly pronounced eyebrows.Eyes color are brown and hazel and the lining around the eyes should be black. The ears of the labrador hang close to the head and set slightly above the eyes.

Jaws

The Lab’s jaws strong and powerful. The muzzle of the Labrador are medium length and should not be too tapered. The jaws hang slightly and curve gracefully back .

Body

The Labrador body should have a powerful and muscular build .

Coat.

Labrador  is a short hair breed with a smooth and shiny coat that lies tight to the body.  Lab’s coat are water resistance, so the dog does not get cold when taking to water in the winter. Acceptable color are Black, Chocolate and Yellow.

Temperament

Labrador are an energetic ,bright , and playful breed and to be very good with children.They are spirited with children but also protective, making them a popular choice for families.  They are strong dogs and require exercise to prevent boredom behaviour such as digging, chewing and licking. The Labrador  by nature not an aggressive breed. Lab’s can become very attached to its family.Likes any other dog it require proper socialization. Lab’s are patients with small dog and puppies. Lab’s  are generally more comfortable with human or canine form. Lab’s is the soul of honesty and is never false even in his old age. His intelligence and cleanliness his modesty make him a desirable family dog. The sense of smell allow them to home in any scent and follow the path of its origin. They stay on the scent until they find it. Military forces and police forces use them as a detection dog to track down smuggler, thieves,terrorist and black  marketers. Lab’s are very trusting and easygoing with strangers and therefore not usually suitable as guard dogs.   

Use as Working Dogs

Labrador breeds are used in water rescue . The breed is continue in that role today along with the golden retriever and newfoundland dogs, they are used for the school at canine lifeguard.

They are also used for pointing and make  excellent upland game hunting partners. Labrador

are an intelligent breed with a good work and generally good temperaments. Common working for labrador are hunting ,tracking and detection,they have a high sense of smell which helps when working these area like disabled- assistance and therapy work etc.In Canada approximaely 50% to 70% of guide dogs are Labradore retriver other common breeds are Golden Rteriver and German sheped. Military forces and police forces use them as a detection dog to track down smuggler, thieves,terrorist and black  marketers. A Labradores have also been assist their owner in removing money and credit  card  form ATM’s with proper training.

Labradores ability to work with hunters while watching for bird to fall from the sky,and then using their outstanding nose to find and retrieve the wounded bird or dead birds,has made them the king of waterfowl retrievers.

Health

The life span of the Labrador  is average 12 to 13 years. It is a healthy breed with few major problems.Notable issue related to health include:

Especially the larger dog , Labrador are prone to hip and elbow dysplasia, though not as much

as some other breeds. Hip score are recommended before breeding.  

Eyes problems are also possible in Labradors.Dogs which are to be bred examined by a   veterinary for an eye score.