This breed is also known under the following names: Lab, Labrador, British Labrador, English Labrador, American Field Labrador and American Labrador Retriever.
- Exercise Needs: High, especially when young.
- Typical Health Problems: Hip and elbow dysplasia, eye problems.
- Average Life Expectancy: 10-14 years.
- Grooming Requirements: Low.
- Training Difficulty: Easy.
- Diet: Normal, but gets easily obese.
- Price and Cost: Puppy prices start at $300.
Portraits of American (left) and English Labrador Retrievers (right) (cc) Wikipedia.
Introduction
Perhaps the best known, and certainly one of the most popular dog breeds, the Labrador Retriever has captured the hearts of millions of dog owners worldwide. His friendly temperament and easy trainability make him a close to perfect companion and family dog. While Labrador puppies can be very energetic and need a lot of physical and mental exercise, the adult dogs tend to be calmer, especially when properly socialized and trained. But the Lab is not only an excellent family dog, it also excels in many other fields as a working, assistance and service dog.
History
Being such a well known breed means also that a lot of research has been done into the history of this breed. The ‘parent breed’ to the Labrador retriever was the, now extinct, St. John’s Water Dog from Newfoundland (Canada) which, in turn, goes back to, at least, the 16th century. These dogs, typically black with white tuxedo style markings, where used to help with ropes and fishing nets, including retrieving them from the water. Several St. John’s Water Dogs were exported to England during the 19th century and became the main foundation stock for a new breed, together with Setters, Spaniels and others, the Labrador Retriever. The breed was named this way, after a certain geographical area, in order to distinguish it from the, quite different, Newfoundland Dogs.
No longer used for helping fishermen with their hard work in the cold sea, they were now bred as gun and bird dogs, especially for retrieving shot waterfowl. Later these dogs were also used in many other fields of work such as seeing-eye dogs (guide dogs for the blind), search and rescue dogs and all other kind of service and police dogs.
First the breed concentrated on the black color variety while slowly decreasing the amount of white markings that were so typical for the St. John’s Water Dog (also called Lesser Newfoundland by the way). The first Yellow Lab was born at the very end of the 19th century and the first Chocolate Labs were reported pre-second World War II, in the 20th century. Both color varieties were accepted as equal to the black Labrador in the 20th century. In 1903 the whole breed, with all three Lab color varieties, was recognized by The Kennel Club (UK) and in 1917 by the American Kennel Club (AKC). A relatively new development in the ‘color department’ is the acceptance of dark yellow, silver and fox red Labradors by breeders and kennel clubs.
Appearance
The Labrador Retriever comes in two different versions, ‘conformation’ and ‘field’. The first one is sturdier and bulkier and is more common in England and Europe, while the second one is slimmer and more often found in America. Both versions are bred worldwide and have to conform to one breed standard. The difference can be explained by the different uses the dogs get. The conformation dogs are bred more towards being show dogs while the field variety is favored with people that are looking for a working and/or gun dog. But that being said, it is perfectly normal to see a Labrador with ‘conformation’ appearance retrieving waterfowl and a field Labrador being a sole show and family pet.
Labradors range in height from 21,5 to 24,5 inches (50 to 62cm) and in weight from 55 to 90lb (25 to 41kg) making them one of the medium to large sized dog breeds. A powerful body with strong muscles and bones allows them to run, and swim, effortlessly for a long time. The coat is slightly oily and the dense undercoat serves as an insulation. The drooping ears are small, compared to the broad head, and triangular in shape. Two other features are characteristic for the Labrador, the otter-like tail (thick at the base and thinner towards the tip) and the webbed feet, both of these are responsible for its superb capabilities as a swimmer and ‘water dog’.
Like mentioned above, the main coat colors, in this order, are black (Black Labrador), yellow (Yellow Labrador) and brown (Chocolate Labrador). Very light shades of yellow, called ‘cream’, as well as very dark ones (golden or even red) are also allowed by the breed standard, as are very small white markings on the chest.
Temperament
Gentle, friendly, very sociable and living to please its owner, the Lab is also very clever and able to perform difficult tasks with ease. They show no to little signs of aggressiveness, but can be also watchful, making them great watch dogs, but not so great guard or protection dogs. They drive as part of the family pack and don’t tolerate being left alone for too long very well.
Training
Labradors are very easily trained, provided that early socialization takes place. It is important to expose them from puppy-hood to as many different experiences and situations possible, all in a calm and quiet manner. This way the young dog learns that ‘all things are good’ and you improve on this lovely and genteel temperament that comes naturally with this breed. A Lab lives to please his owner and family and is eager to learn to know what they want him to do. As soon as the dog understands what is asked for with each command it will happily obey.
Labradors benefit greatly from crate training, if and only, it is executed well. The crate should be the ‘best place to be’ and not a place of punishment.
Care has to be taken around birds, as this breed was created first as a bird and gun dog and feels a great attraction towards all things with feathers, something that your local chicken farmer might not appreciate.
The ‘soft mouth’ of the Labrador enables them to retrieve waterfowl without damaging it. Also if you don’t plan to use your Labby that way, it is always a good idea to discourage play biting and similar from the first moment you have your new Labrador puppy in the house.
Exercise Needs
High when young, slightly less when mature. Labrador puppies need a lot of mental and physical exercise, but also a lot of rest. Over exercising it can lead to joint problems further down the time line. Always strive to find the right balance between exercise and rest, as the puppy will not do this on its own, they literally can run until they drop.
Grooming Requirements
Low, the short, dense coat plus its undercoat sheds either twice yearly or continuously, depending on the climate and dog. A regular brush with a pet glove plus a good swim from time to time is all that is needed. As with all dogs with hanging ears these should be controlled regularly and kept dry and clean to avoid ear infections.
Common Health Problems
Hip and elbow dysplasia are the most common problems together with eye problems and arthritis. Older dogs can easily get obese due to decreased energy levels and the fact that ‘a Labrador is always hungry’. The best prevention for a lot of Labrador health problems is feeding a high quality dog food and keeping the dog ‘on the slim side’. When you look down on your adult Labrador, the body should have the shape of an eight, with a well defined waist line between ribcage and hips. If you see a straight, or worse, outwardly curved line between hips and ribs, your Lab is too fat and suffers from dog obesity.
Price and Costs
Puppy prices for purebred Labs start at around $300 and the initial feeding costs can be high compared to other dog breeds. Many adult Labrador Retrievers are also available via dog shelters and from special Labrador rescue associations. This is a possibility that always should be considered as so many good dogs are waiting there for a new forever home.
Other Important Points to Consider
This is a high energy breed, especially when young and not well suited to stay alone for a long time. ‘Destructive like a bored lab puppy’ has become nearly a wise saying amongst dog trainers. Sufficient mental and physical exercise, plus a firm but very soft touch when correcting it, will prevent major problems from the onset on.
Summary
Labradors are as close to an ideal family dog as possible, they do well in all climates, but prefer cold over hot, and, if exercised enough, can live contently in an urban apartment. Due to the popularity of this breed it is easy to find a reputable Labrador Retriever breeder, or, even better, a local Labrador rescue with lots of great dogs that are looking for a new home.
Nicknames and common misspellings include: Labby, Choclate Lab, Labrodor, Labradore, Labradores, Labrador Retreiver and Labrador Retriver.