April 2007
The Labrador Retriever
Order
Family
Genus and species
Carnivora
Canidae
Canis familiaris
The Labrador Retriever evolved as a breed in England
during the middle of the nineteenth
century. Many kennels experimented
with breeding... hoping to find a perfect hunting
dog
that was both pleasing to the eye and good at
flushing out birds and other game. These
kennels eventually came up with different varieties of the Labrador,
explaining the different
colors and temperaments of our present day Labrador Retrievers.
Labradors were introduced into this country by
English fisherman who often took their dogs
with them while at sea. Newfoundland was
the first N. American home to the Labradors
which eventually grew into a very popular breed which filtered out
into Canada and the
United States. Labrador Retrievers are
found in all 50 states as well as numerous other parts
of the world.
There are only three different types of true Labradors: 1.The
Chocolate, 2.The
Yellow, and
3. The Black.
There are many variations of these three but they
are not pureblood Labs and
should not be mistaken for one. Many disreputable
dog breeders will try to pass off mixed-
breed Labs as pureblood and buyers need
to be wary of mottled colored labs. The graphic,
located below, shows a litter of yellow Lab puppies. Often yellow
Labs are incorrectly identified
as Golden Retrievers, but Goldens are an entirely different species
of retriever.
True Labs have main characteristics consisting
of the head, tail, coat and temperament. The coat
has a double layer with the softer hair located underneath the coarser,
heavier outside coat. The
undercoat provides warmth in harsh weather
and the outer coat helps to provide protection against
rain and other elements. Heads are
broad and eyes are alert with ears that hang down flat against
the dog's head. Tails are broad towards the body, tapering towards
the end. Below is a graphic of
a Golden Retriever.
Labradors have a gentle temperament and are almost
always on their best behavior around adults
and children although no dog should be
left alone with an unattended child. Even Labs can become
agitated when their hair is pulled or when children attempt to get
on their back. This dog breed
should be enrolled in obedience school as soon
as possible after they are acquired. Although
they
have a gentle disposition, Labs that do not learn
obedience at an early age, will almost always be
nervous, prone to barking for long periods, become
unmanageable and hyper, and will tend to dig
under fences in an attempt to escape.
.
Labrador Retrievers have two different line breeds: 1.
The Field line and 2.
The Show line.
Field lines are bred and trained for use in game
hunting while the Show line Labs are
bred
for show at the numerous dog shows that are held
every year, all over the world. Both lines
are suitable as gun dogs although Labs bred for show often are not
as good at hunting as the
field line.
Labs make great pets but are fairly high-maintenence
animals. If you are not willing to properly
feed, groom, and exercise this beautiful dog breed, you may be better
off with a different pet.....
a pet rock maybe? : )
There are six retriever breeds in the world that
are officially recognized by the AKC. They
are: The Labrador, the Golden,
the Flat Coated, the Curly
Coated, the Chesapeake Bay and
the Irish Water Spaniels. The AKC
or American Kennel Club, register and recognize various
dog breeds throughout the world. Since
1991, the Labrador Retriever has been the most popular
registered dog breed in the world, edging out
the Golden Retriever.
In the above graphic, the three true Labrador
Retriever breeds are shown. From left to right.
the Chocolate, the Black and the Yellow Retriever.
Labs reach sexual maturity at around 3
years and breed all year long. They
grow to an approximate length 3-3 1/2 feet, not
counting
the tail, are around 22-24 inched tall at the
withers (shoulders) and weigh anywhere from
55 to
75 lbs for the female and 70, to as much
as 100 lbs, for the male. The gestation period for
Labs are 55-65 days with the
resulting litter being as many as 10 and as few as 2, with the normal
number being 8 pups. Labrador Retrievers
have a lifespan of 10 to 14 years.
Labrador Retrievers are in no danger of being
placed on the endangered list. Besides
being the
ideal pet, Labs
also perform many useful tasks. They
make good guide dogs
for the blind as well
as excellent drug
sniffing and explosive sniffing dogs and are
prized by law enforcement agencies
around the world.
Press play below, to hear Labrador Retriever sounds.