Labrador Retrievers

History and origin: The Labrador Retriever came to Britain with fishermen from Newfoundland in the 1930's.  His job was to land the nets of fishermen.  He is also a popular gundog in his early years.  Nowadays, he is mostly enjoyed as a family pet in many parts of the world.

Description: The Labrador Retriever stands 21 to 24.5 inches at the shoulder, some bred slightly shorter, and weighs between 50 and 80 pounds.  He has a strong, muscular, sturdy body of medium size and a short, smooth, water-resistant shedding coat that is low-maintenance and only requires periodic brushing.  The color may be black, chocolate, or yellow.  The Labrador Retriever has webbed feet to aid in swimming.

About the breed: This breed is gentle, intelligent, easy to train, great with children, an excellent gundog, a first-class show dog, and a wonderful family pet.  He is also highly recommended as a seeing eye dog for the blind.  He is an athletic, active dog with boundless stamina and energy. This breed is a natural retriever and loves the water.  He is gregarious and often shows great affection for children, adults, and even strangers.  Because of this, he may not be extremely loyal and may go off with anyone who flashes a smile.  He has a "love me, touch me" attitude and loves to be around humans.

This breed may try to control you with affection and with his high level of activity; the challenge in training him is to direct their energy into positive activity.  There are slight difference in temperament among the three color variations.  The blacks seem to be the most active and need the most exercise.  The yellows tend to be the least thoughtful and confident and may show the most aggression.  The chocolates tend to be calmer and more thoughtful.  Though cases of aggression is rare, when a Lab does become aggressive, it is nearly impossible to turn him around.

Feeding:  Recommended feeding for this breed is 1 ½ – 2 ½ cans (13.3oz) of high-quality meaty product with biscuit added in equal part or 5 cupfuls of a complete, dry dog food.

Ideal home: The Labrador Retriever needs a house with a fenced yard and plenty of space for him to run around.  The ideal Lab owner is an active, sociable person who likes plenty of interaction with the dog.  Do not get a Lab if you like space and need plenty of time to yourself.  You will not get it with this breed.   Early obedience training is essential with such an energetic, athletic dog.