ipawprints.com Labrador Retriever

GROUP: Sporting
ORIGIN: Canada

History

The Labrador is believed to have originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Labs are likely descended from the St. John’s Water Dog, a crossbreed of native water dogs and the Newfoundland, to which the Labrador is closely related. The name Labrador was given to this dog by the Earl of Malmesbury and other breeders in England, in order to differentiate them from the Newfoundland dog. The Labrador Retriever was originally called the Lesser Newfoundland or the St. John’s dog. Other origins suggested for the name include the Spanish or Portuguese word for rural/agricultural workers (in Portuguese "lavradores" and in Spanish "labradores”), and the village of Castro Laboreiro in Portugal, whose herding and guard dogs bear a striking resemblance to Labradors.

Many fishermen originally used the Lab to assist in bringing nets to shore. The dog would grab the floating corks on the ends of the nets and pull them in.

The first known written reference to the Labrador was in 1814, in a text titled "Instructions to Young Sportsmen.” In 1823, sporting artist Edwin Landseer painted a black dog with white markings and titled the work, "Cora: A Labrador Bitch." By this time, it appears the breed was already firmly established, and several members of the nobility owned and bred them by the end of the 1900’s. The first Yellow Lab on record, named Ben of Hyde, was born in 1899.

According to the American Kennel Club, the modern Labrador Retriever is among the oldest of the modern "recognized" breeds, with pedigrees dating back to 1878. The breed was officially recognized in 1903, and the first registration of a Labrador by the AKC was in 1917. Many English dogs were imported to the United States after World War I, and these formed the foundation of the American variety.

Labradors are a well-balanced and remarkably versatile breed, able to adapt to a wide range of functions including making wonderful pets. They are easily trained and a very obedient breed. As a rule, they are not excessively prone to territorialism, pining, insecurity, aggression, destructiveness, hypersensitivity, or other difficult behaviors that manifest in many dog breeds.

Labradors are considered a very mellow breed and an excellent family dog, having a good reputation with children of all ages. Some lines, particularly those that continue to be bred specifically for their skills at working in the field rather than for their appearance, are especially fast and athletic. Their fun-loving rowdiness and lack of fear can result in mischief, and may require training and firm handling at times to ensure it does not get out of hand. Undisciplined dogs may become quite destructive if left too much on their own.

As their name suggests, they are excellent retrievers. As an extension of this, they instinctively enjoy holding objects, even hands or arms, in their mouths. They can do this with great gentleness; however, some dogs may be prone to chewing objects, a behavior usually remedied with minimal training. Most Labs enjoy retrieving a ball endlessly and other forms of activity, such as dog agility or flyball. They are "food and fun" oriented, very trainable, open-minded toward new things, and thrive on human attention and interaction, which they find difficult to get enough of. As a result of their retrieving heritage, almost every Lab loves playing in water or swimming. Their coat repels water, and they are strongly built, with an otter-like tail and a strong will to please.

Many Labs are notorious "chowhounds.” They will eat anything that is not nailed down, and are experts at manipulating soft-hearted humans into giving them treats/extra food/table scraps/etc. Lab owners often consider their pets masters of "seal puppy" eyes. Owners must carefully control their dog’s food intake to avoid obesity and its associated health problems.

The steady temperament of Labs and their ability to learn quickly makes them an ideal breed for assistance dogs, as well as for use in search and rescue, detection, and therapy work.