Labrador Retriever
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| Labrador Retriever | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Country of origin | ||
| Canada (Newfoundland) | ||
| Common nicknames | ||
| Lab, Labrador | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| FCI: | Group 8 Section 1 #122 | Stds |
| AKC: | Sporting | Stds |
| ANKC: | Group 3 (Gundogs) | Stds |
| CKC: | Group 1 - Sporting Dogs | Stds |
| KC (UK): | Gundog | Stds |
| NZKC: | Gundog | Stds |
| UKC: | Gun Dog | Stds |
The Labrador Retriever ("Labrador" or "Lab" for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and is the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The breed is exceptionally friendly, intelligent, energetic and good natured, making them excellent companions and working dogs. Labrador Retrievers are known to be one of the fastest-learning breeds of dog and respond well to praise and positive attention. They are also well known as enjoying water, since historically, they were selectively bred for retrieving in water environments as 'gun dogs' and as companions in duck hunting.
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[edit] Appearance
As with most breeds, the appearance can be described both in general terms, and also by reference to standard criteria used in dog shows. Different countries will have different lines of Labrador, which will differ in appearance.
[edit] Overview of appearance
Labradors are relatively large with males typically weighing 27 to 36 kg (60 to 80 lb) and females 23 to 32 kg (45 to 70 lb). They are energetic, outgoing dogs. Their coats are short and smooth, and can be black, yellow, or brown (called "chocolate") in color, in that order of frequency. Puppies of all colors can potentially occur in the same litter. The majority of the characteristics of this breed with the exception of color are the result of breeding to produce a working retriever. The color is determined primarily by two genes. The first gene (the B locus) determines the density of the coat's pigment granules: dense granules result in a black coat, sparse ones give a chocolate coat. The second (E) locus determines whether the pigment is produced at all. A dog with the recessive e allele will produce little pigment and will be yellow regardless of its genotype at the B locus[1]. Variations in numerous other genes control the subtler details of the coat's coloration, which in yellow labs varies from white to light gold to a fox red. Yellow labs can have black or pink noses; chocolate and black labs's noses match the coat color. A very light color sometimes called 'silver' is not officially recognized, but is sought by some owners and therefore unusually light colored yellow and chocolate labs may be described this way by unscrupulous breeders.
As with some other breeds, the English and the American lines differ slightly. Labs are bred in England as a medium size dog, shorter and stockier with fuller faces than their American counterparts which are bred as a larger dog. No distinction is made by the AKC, but the two classifications come from different breeding. Australian stock also exists; though not seen in the west, they are common in Asia.
The breed tends to shed hair regularly throughout the year. Lab hair is usually fairly short and straight, and the tail quite broad and strong. The otter-like tail and webbed toes of the Labrador Retriever make them excellent swimmers. Their interwoven coat is also relatively waterproof, providing more assistance for swimming. The tail acts as a rudder for changing directions.
Many people unfamiliar with retrievers find that the Lab is quite similar to the Golden Retriever in size, general shape, and general color, especially when young and especially to those Goldens with lighter coats. Their personalities are also quite similar, with both breeds being intelligent, friendly, receptive to praise and easy to train. The most obvious difference is the short straight coat of the Labrador Retriever (the Golden has long wavy fur) and the Lab's thick, otter-like tail compared to the Golden's plumed tail.
[edit] Color
There are three recognized colors for labs:[2] black (a solid black color), yellow (anything from light cream to gold to fox-red), and chocolate (medium-dark brown). Yellow labradors have the greatest variation in shading of the three recognized colors; the so-called "golden" and "white" labradors are more correctly described as shades of yellow. A separate shade, so-called 'silver', is not recognised by any of the well-known labrador breed standards and is often considered dubious.
 The Lab's head is broad and clean-cut, with ears that hang close to the head. |
 In yellow Labradors, the nose can be black, brown or pinkish (known as "snow nose"). |
 Yellow Labradors, unlike the other color variants, have a wide variety in the phenotypical outcome; ranging from cream to fox red. |
 This Lab is chocolate, which wasn't always recognized as an acceptable coat color, although it can now be shown alongside other colors. |
[edit] Show standards
Please note that, like any animal, there is a great deal of variety among labs. These characteristics are typical of the show-bred or bench-bred lines of this breed in the United States.
- Size: Labs are a medium-large but compact breed. They should have an appearance of proportionality. They should be as long from the shoulders back as they are from the floor to the withers.Dogs should stand 22 1/2 to 24 1/2 inches tall at the withers and weigh 65 to 80 pounds. Bitches should stand 21 1/2 to 23 1/2 inches and weigh 55 to 70 pounds. (By comparison under UK Kennel Club standards, height should be 22 to 22.5 inches for males, and 21.5 to 22 inches for females)
- Coat: The lab's coat should be short and dense, but not wiry. Acceptable colors are chocolate, black, and yellow. There is much variance within yellow labs
- Head: The head should be broad with a pronounced stop and slightly pronounced brow. The eyes should be kind and expressive. Appropriate eye colors are brown and hazel. The lining around the eyes should be black. The ears should hang close to the head and are set slightly above the eyes.
- Jaws: The jaws should be strong and powerful. The muzzle should be of medium length, and should not be too tapered. The jowls should hang slightly and curve gracefully back.
UK Kennel Club standard states of the Labrador's temperament and other characteristics:
- "Good-tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth; keen love of water. Adaptable, devoted companion. Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness."
[edit] History
The Labrador is believed to have originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is thought to have descended from the St. John's Water Dog (no longer in existence), a crossbreed of native water dogs and the Newfoundland to which the Labrador is closely related. The name Labrador was given to this dog by the Earl of Malmesbury and other breeders in England in order to differentiate them from the Newfoundland dog. The Labrador Retriever was originally called the lesser Newfoundland or the St. John's dog. Other origins suggested for the name include the Spanish or Portuguese word for rural/agricultural workers, Portuguese "lavradores" or Spanish "labradores", and the village of Castro Laboreiro in Portugal whose herding and guard dogs bear a "striking resemblance" to Labradors [2].
Many fishermen originally used the Lab to assist in bringing nets to shore; the dog would grab the floating corks on the ends of the nets and pull them to shore.
The first known written reference to the Labrador is in 1814 in "Instructions to Young Sportsmen". In 1823 sporting artist Edwin Landseer painted a black dog with white markings titled "Cora. A Labrador Bitch," by which time it appears the breed was already firmly established, with several of the nobility either owning or breeding them by the end of that century. The first Yellow Lab on record, named Ben of Hyde, was born in 1899.
The modern Labrador Retriever is among the oldest of the modern "recognized" breeds; according to the American Kennel Club, pedigrees exist back to 1878. The Kennel Club recognized the Lab in 1903. The first registration of Labradors by the AKC was in 1917; many English dogs were imported post World War I and these formed the foundation of the American variety.
[edit] Temperament and activities
Labradors are a well-balanced and remarkably versatile breed, adaptable to a wide range of functions as well as making very good pets. They are easily trained and are a very obedient breed. As a rule they are not excessively prone to territorialism, pining, insecurity, aggression, destructiveness, hypersensitivity, or other difficult traits which manifest in a variety of breeds, and as the name suggests, they are excellent retrievers. As an extension of this, they instinctively enjoy holding objects and even hands or arms in their mouths, which they can do with great gentleness. They are also known to have a very soft 'feel' to the mouth, as a result of being bred to retrieve game such as waterfowl. They are prone to chewing objects (though some can easily be trained out of this behavior). The Labrador Retriever's coat repels water to some extent, thus facilitating the extensive use of the dog in waterfowl hunting.
Labradors have a reputation as a very mellow breed and an excellent family dog (including a good reputation with children of all ages), but some lines (particularly those that have continued to be bred specifically for their skills at working in the field rather than for their appearance) are particularly fast and athletic. Their fun-loving boisterousness and lack of fear can result in mischief, and may require training and firm handling at times to ensure it does not get out of hand. Most Labs enjoy retrieving a ball endlessly and other forms of activity (such as dog agility or flyball), are considerably "food and fun" oriented, very trainable, and open-minded to new things, and thrive on human attention and interaction, of which they find it difficult to get enough. Reflecting their retrieving bloodlines, almost every Lab loves playing in water or swimming.
Labradors have a reputation for appetite, and individuals have been described as willing to eat "anything that isn't nailed down".[3] They are also persuasive and persistent in requesting food. For this reason, the Lab owner must carefully control his/her dog's food intake to avoid obesity and its associated health problems (see below).
The steady temperament of Labs and their ability to learn quickly make them an ideal breed for search and rescue, detection, and therapy work. Their primary working role continues to be that of a hunting retriever.
[edit] Health and wellbeing
Labrador life expectancy is generally 12 to 13 years[4], and it is a healthy breed with relatively few major problems. Common Lab health issues are:
- Labs are somewhat prone to hip dysplasia, especially the larger dogs, though not as much as some other breeds. Hip scores are recommended before breeding.
- Labs are sometimes prone to ear infection, because their floppy ears trap warm moist air. This is easy to control, but needs regular checking to ensure that a problem is not building up unseen. A healthy Lab ear should look clean and light pink (almost white) inside. Darker pink (or inflamed red), or brownish deposits, are a symptom of ear infection. The usual treatment is regular cleaning daily or twice daily (being careful not to force dirt into the sensitive inner ear) and sometimes medication (ear drops) for major cases. As a preventative measure, some owners clip the hair carefully around the ear and under the flap, to encourage better air flow.
- Labs are often overfed and are allowed to become overweight, due to their blatant enjoyment of treats, hearty appetites, and endearing behavior towards people. A healthy Lab should keep a very slight hourglass waist and be fit and lithe, rather than fat or heavy-set. Excessive weight is strongly implicated as a risk factor in the later development of hip dysplasia and diabetes, and also can contribute to general reduced health when older. Arthritis is commonplace in older, overweight labs.
- A Labrador that undertakes significant swimming without building up can develop a swelling or apparent kink known as swimtail. This can be easily treated by a veterinary clinic and tail rest.
- Labs also suffer from the risk of knee problems. A luxating patella is a common occurrence in the knee where the leg is often bow shaped.
- It is also worth noting that Labradors as a breed are curious, exploratory and love company, following both people and interesting scents for food, attention and novelty value. In this way, they can often "vanish" or otherwise become separated from their owners with little fanfare. They are also popular dogs if found. Because of this it is good practice that labradors are microchipped with the owners name and address on their collar and tags.
[edit] Labrador variants
Although kennel clubs and registries recognize the Labrador in variations of only three colors—black, yellow, and chocolate—some breeders sell light-colored yellow Labrador puppies as a "white" labrador, the dark yellow Labrador puppies as "fox red," or chocolates possessing the dilution factor as "silver Labradors". The "silver" color is nonstandard and would disqualify them as show dogs. The AKC currently registers "silver" labs as chocolates.
It is the belief, of some non-silver breeders, that the "silver" labrador is a result of cross-breeding chocolate labradors with the weimaraner. Kennels often charge greater fees for "silver" labradors, despite their disqualifying color and the LRC's condemnation of the non-standard labrador genetic trait. [citation needed] Another disqualifying factor for chocolate labs is any deviation from a hazel or brown eye color. However, Silver labs, just like all chocolate labs, have hazel eyes as adults. It should be noted that not all "silver" labradors are a result of initial interbreeding (an F1 hybrid) to maintain the color and recessive gene traits.
The earliest advertisements for "blue" or "gray" labradors date back to the 1950s in the western United States. Silver labs have also appeared in other countries prior to their appearance in the US, most notably, the UK. The US-based kennel where "silver" labradors first appeared was investigated thouroughly by the AKC, and the AKC has verified the bloodlines of the Silver Labs as pure Labrador retriever, and that the breeder in question did not have any links to any other breed of dogs (weimaraner) in his kennel. Despite the claims made by some non-silver labrador breeders, there is currently no genetic test to disprove that "silver" labradors are purebred.
The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.'s position on "silver" labradors:
There is no genetic basis for the silver gene in Labradors. The silver color is a disqualification under the Standard for the breed. The LRC does not recognize, accept or condone the sale or advertising of any Labrador as a silver Labrador. The Club opposes the practice of registering silver as chocolate.
- The "fox red" and so-called "white" labs (more properly referred to as "cream" by the AKC) are perfectly acceptable shades for a Yellow lab in the show ring. However, note that these shades are registered as "Yellow" by the AKC, despite the misleading claim of "AKC White Labradors" advertised by some breeders. See the AKC website for a more complete discussion of Yellow Labradors.
- Black labs have dominated the field trial and hunt test scene (Fergus, 2002). Because the lighter variants are a recessive trait, breeding for a litter of yellow or chocolate pups requires mating two dogs with those traits. This means that dogs from these litters were selected for traits other than nose, biddability, intelligence, and hunting desire (Fergus, 2002). Because even a pairing of black labs may produce chocolate or yellow offspring, this rule does not hold 100% of the time. Even so, many serious field trialers and hunters prefer black labradors over the other variants to increase the odds of solid hunting genes (Fergus, 2002).
- In addition to color variations, differences in the physical build of the dog have arisen as a result of specialized breeding. Distinct lines are bred for specific purposes. Dogs bred for field trials tend to be lighter in limb and often lack the very large, square head, shorter legs, and heavier bodies seen in the show ring.[3] Differences tend to occur as dogs bred for hunting and field-trial work are selected first for working ability, whereas dogs bred to compete for show championships are selected for what judges look for in the show ring. In fact, breeders and owners sometimes distinguish the "working" Labrador from the "show" Labrador, given the marked differences in their physical characteristics. The majority of dogs bred are generally somewhere between what is displayed in the "show" Labrador and what is seen in the "working" and Reteriing lab
- The Labradoodle is a common mixed-breed dog that combines a Labrador with a Poodle. These dogs are popular for their potential hypoallergenic qualities.
- Labrador-German Shepherd and Labrador-Border Collie crosses are also rather popular, at least for their intelligence and working qualities.
[edit] Famous Labs
- Zanjeer, a police sniffer dog who detected arms and ammunition used in 1993 Mumbai (Bombay) serial explosions. Zanjeer was born on January 7, 1992, and was inducted into the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad on December 29, 1992. He was trained at the Dog Training Centre of the Criminal Investigation Department in Pune. During his service, his haul was excellent. He helped recover 57 country-made bombs, 175 petrol bombs, 11 military bombs, 242 grenades and 600 detonators. His biggest contribution to the police force and the city was the detection of 3,329 kg of RDX. He also helped detect 18 AK-56 rifles and five 9mm pistols. He died at a veterinary hospital in Parel. Final salute to Zanjeer: http://images4.pictiger.com/thumbs/9c/c9cacd457f2cd7d38d06b647efd1e69c.th.jpg
- Buddy, U.S. President Bill Clinton's Labrador
- Seamus, Clinton's other Labrador, received for Father's Day
- Koni, Russian President Vladimir Putin's Labrador Retriever
- Old Yeller, from the fictional book of the same name
- Vincent, from Lost, played by the famous dog Madison
- Marley, "The World's Worst Dog", featured in journalist John Grogan's book Marley & Me
- Bouncer, from Neighbours
- Ubu Roi, of UBU Productions
- Zeke the Wonder Dog (1&2), mascot and frisbee fanatic for the Michigan State Spartans
- Jet (formerly Boots), adopted by the fictional detective Nero Wolfe who claims labradors have "the largest brain pans" and are therefore the most intelligent breed
- The Andrex Puppy, featured primarily in UK television spots for the Andrex brand of toilet paper, known in elsewhere as Scott or Cottonelle, also featuring the puppy mascot.
- Luath, from The Incredible Journey
[edit] References
- ^ B/b, E/e, and Beyond: A Detailed Examination of Coat Color Genetics in the Labrador Retriever, retrieved November 12, 2005.
- ^ The American Kennel Club, Labrador Retriever Breed Standard: "The Labrador Retriever coat colors are black, yellow and chocolate. Any other color or a combination of colors is a disqualification. A small white spot on the chest is permissible, but not desirable. White hairs from aging or scarring are not to be misinterpreted as brindling. Black:-Blacks are all black. A black with brindle markings or a black with tan markings is a disqualification. Yellow:-Yellows may range in color from fox-red to light cream, with variations in shading on the ears, back, and underparts of the dog. Chocolate:-Chocolates can vary in shade from light to dark chocolate. Chocolate with brindle or tan markings is a disqualification."
- ^ Marley and Me forum thread, multiple contributors: "My 12 yr old lab in the course of his life has consumed everything and anything" ... "my lab went through a phase of rock chewing when he was much younger" ... "His current fav is Playdoe dropped by ny little girl. To be honest I cant think of much he hasnt eaten" ... "I have 3 labs at home. A black lab 11yrs, a yellow thats 2 1/2 and another yellow that is 14 months. And I think I have seen them eat just about anything that is not nailed down or behind closed doors" [1]
- ^ Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
- Other sources
- Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 0-7525-8276-3.
- Fergus, Charles (2002). Gun Dog Breeds, a Guide to Spaniels, Retrievers, and Pointing Dogs. Guilford, CT: Lyons Press. ISBN 1-58574-618-5.
[edit] External links
- Clubs, associations, and societies
- The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.
- The American Kennel Club's Labrador standards
- National Retriever Club of Canada
- Labrador Retriever Club of Canada
- Estonian Retrievers Society
- Spanish Labradors Society
- Information
