Labrador Retriever

From ArticleWorld

The Labrador Retriever (Lab for short) is the most popular dog breed in the United Kingdom, and the United States, at least according to registered ownership. The Labrador is just one of several types of retriever dog breeds.

History

Common belief has it that the breed originated in Newfoundland, an island that is now part of a province of Canada. Their descendants are thought to be from the breed ‘’St. John’s Water Dog’’. The name Labrador was given to this breed by the Earl of Malmesbury in an effort to differentiate the breed from the Newfoundland Dog. The breed was originally used by many fishermen to help bring the fishing nets to shore. ‘’Instructions to Young Sportsmen’’ written in 1814 contains the first written reference to the breed. By the end of the 19th century the breed was well established with even some of the nobles owning and breeding them. Ben of Hyde, the first yellow lab on registry, was born in the year 1899. Pedigrees for the Labrador Retriever date back to 1878, according to the American Kennel Club, making this breed one of the oldest of the modern recognized breeds.

Characteristics

Labradors are a very subdued breed of dog and known for being gentle and affectionate. They make very good pets and get along well with children of all ages. They are not prone to destruction, aggression or separation anxiety although they do like to chew things, this can be easily removed fro their behavior with training. Labs have a somewhat water resistant coat and they do love to swim. Also, as the name suggests, they love to play fetch and will often play till their owners’ arm falls off. Lab can have a variety of colors including; black, chocolate and yellow, which can be anything from, white to fox red.