Labrador Retrievers

Labs are salt of the earth, dogs with no pretense who just want to make you happy. Their smile is constant and contagious. They’re happy to do whatever you think is fun and to do it with typical Lab gusto. They love to go hunting, hiking, swimming and be part of any outdoor fun. But they also enjoy taking it easy at home. They excel at just about anything, including being service dogs, search & rescue dogs, therapy dogs, obedience competitors, hunting companions, and a kid’s best friend. They get along with just about everyone, and can be a best friend to the entire family. They're also handsome dogs, and while they don’t come in a lot of colors, why mess with perfection?

The Lab is moderately built, square to slightly longer than tall, with large bones and big feet. This allows them to swim powerfully through rough cold water. The head is broad with wide jaws so they have the strength to carry a full-size Canada goose without having to bite down on it. The tail is very thick at the base, fairly long and carried level with the topline like an otter tail. The expression is kind and intelligent. The ears are drop and fairly short. Show Labs tend to be much stockier, and with shorter legs, compared to field Labs. Labs come in three colors: black, yellow, and chocolate. Several other non-standard colors exist, such as silver, blue, fox red, and white.

Labs are fun-loving and people loving. This large breed enjoys sharing outings and activities with their family. They are eager to please and they are generally very trainable, but at the same time can be very headstrong. They’re extremely food and ball motivated, so can be easily convinced to pay attention to your cues as long as you have one of those things in your hand. Young Labs can be very rambunctious, and do need a lot of supervision and physical exercise. They can be very destructive without enough of either. But they may mellow as they enter adulthood. Most adult Labs are steadfast companions that are trustworthy loose in the house. Labrador Retriever puppies can be oblivious to your commands, but as adults most are dependable walking in the neighborhood or hiking, but as always, this should never be taken for granted. They are among the most reliable service or assistance dogs, and regularly perform as narcotics detection dogs, therapy dogs, emotional support dogs, and search & rescue dogs. Youngsters can be overly enthusiastic and bowl over children and the elderly, but adult Labs can learn to contain that energy and are overall very gentle with everyone. They love retrieving and don’t be surprised if they shove a ball in your lap over and over. They also love swimming, and don’t even try keeping them out of your pool or any other water. They also love food!

Labs were developed to retrieve downed waterfowl in rough frigid water. Very often, they did not see the bird fall, or at least, where it ended up, so they had to rely on the hunter’s cues to go right, left, farther out, and most importantly they had to know when to quit and come back. Otherwise they could swim out to sea. Labs that failed at these tasks did not produce the next generation of hunters. The result is that Labs are extremely smart and biddable. At the same time, they are often over-eager, and approach life like the proverbial bull in a china shop. Teaching a youngster to heel can be a challenge because they are both headstrong and body-strong. It will often get better! Proof of their learning ability comes from their popularity as service dogs, and as top obedience competitors. Some dogs shut down if you tell them they did something wrong, but not Labs. They just smile and try again. Labs take direction well and maintain a happy attitude even when things aren’t going as planned. They are extremely food motivated and toy motivated—two ingredients for a top obedience dog.

Labs are in the American Kennel Club (AKC) Sporting group. The Lab’s predecessor was the St. John's Dog, also known as the “Lesser” Newfoundland. They were a medium-sized solid black dog that retrieved game and fish from icy waters, and even pulled small boats for local fishermen. They were taken to Scotland in the early 1800s, further developed as hunting retrievers for the upper class, and had a name change to Labrador Retrievers by 1870. Two males of the 1880s, Buccleuch Avon and Ned, are the ancestors of all modern Labs. A Lab was the first dog to appear on the cover of Life magazine, in 1938. This brought the breed national attention. The original Labs were black and occasionally, chocolate. The first officially recorded chocolates were born in 1892. The first officially recorded yellows were born in 1899. Yellows were initially disliked by most breeders, but gradually became accepted. They are not a short haired Golden Retriever. The Lab has held the #1 most popular dog breed in the United States, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand. Owners include Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Frank Sinatra, Kevin Costner, Sheryl Crowe, Tom Cruise, and Keith Richards. Labs have starred in the movies "Marley and Me" and "The Incredible Journey."