Labrador Retriever

From Pet Encyclopedia

Labrador Retriever

Labrador Puppy, aged 5 - 7 weeks old

Origin of Breed

Newfoundland

Breed Nick Names

Labrador Lab

[edit] Introduction

The Labrador Retriever dog breed is a very popular breed of retriever. Infact, it is widely considered to be the most popular dog breed in the world. It is very popular in the United Kingdom and United States.

In the UK Kennel Club, the Labrador Retriever breed is categorised in the Gundog Dog Group.

[edit] Origin and History

Labrador Retrievers belong to the Gundog family. They were first recognised as a KC Breed in England in 1903 and by the AKC in 1917. Labradors were originally called a St. John's Dog or lesser Newfoundland dog. The breed was in Newfoundland in the 1700's and imported to England beginning the early 1800's. The Labrador's exact origin are unknown but some speculate the Greater Newfoundland dog or the French St. Hubert's dog is part of the cross that made the St. John's dog. (Find out More about the history of the labrador

Labradors do make good family pets, but many people underestimate the amount of work involved in rearing a new pup, and quite often, in the early days, give up through exasperation. Do your research beforehand, they can become fabulous family pets, but you get out what you put in, and in the early days, that is a LOT of hard work.

[edit] Appearance

Labradors come in three colours, Black, Yellow (shades ranging from pale cream to Fox Red) and Chocolate/Liver. They have intelligent, expressionful eyes which should be brown or hazel in colouring with a broad skull with ears close to head and set rather far back.

Their increasing popularity as a family pet has seen breeding numbers increase exponentially. They now account for over 1/5th of all dogs registered with the Kennel Club annually.

Labradors come in all shapes and sizes; working bred dogs will typically have less bone, whereas showbred dogs will usually have more bone and be slighly chunkier than their working bred counterparts

There are no weight recommendations within the UK Labrador Breed standard, dogs should ideally be around 56-57 cms (22 to 22-1/2 ins) at the withers and bitches: 55-56 cms (21-1/2 to 22 ins)

The American KC Breed standard does specifiy an approximate weight range of for dogs and bitches in working condition of dogs 65 to 80 pounds (29.5-36kg) and bitches 55 to 70 pounds (25-32kg).

Labradors typically have a double coat which allows them to cope with cold temperatures. They moult heavily twice a year, and yellows and blacks tend to shed lightly the rest of the year. A good vacuum cleaner is essential.

Labradors are keen swimmers and have webbed toes to enable them to swim with ease, their tail is often referred too as an otter tail and helps steer them as they swim, the tail should be thick at the base and gently taper to the end.

[edit] Temperament

In my experience having two female Labs the breed in general are loving , biddable , easy to train , willing to learn & playful . They make excellent family dogs being good with children and other dogs . They are sociable creatures and love greeting people into the home .

[edit] Health

The most common health issue with Labs is hip displasia and arthritis, being large dogs and active this is going to be one to watch for; signs of severe hip displasia usually occur within the first 12 months. There are many effective treatments available for hip problems.

The best way to minimise the risk of joint problems in your labrador Retriever puppy is to only but from breeders who, as a minimum, hipscore and obtain annual clear eye certificates for dogs used in breeding, temperament is equally important, and you should always see the puppy with mum; information on dad should be readily available.

Other health tests often undertaken before breeding include elbow scoring, and DNA testing for PRA and CNM.

Other health issues are weight , these dogs love their food and if given half a chance will eat you out of house and home . You must feed a good quality feed that is lower in fat content and be sure never to give in to those willing eyes , an over weight lab will be less energetic , will possibly have arthritic joints earlier in age , can suffer with diabetes , bloat, and general lack of condition.

Generally a lab will be in fine condition if fed well and exercised properly. Exercise should be moderated in the first 12 months to help protect growing joints.

It is advisable to take out a good insurance policy when you get your pup to cover the cost of any unexpected treatments.

[edit] External Links

Labrador Breed Information

Labrador Dogs for Sale

Responsible Labrador Breeding

The history of the Labrador

[edit] References

What health tests should the parents of my labrador puppy have?