The
Labrador Retriever ('Labrador' or 'Lab'for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, and are the world's most popular
breed , German Shorthaired Pointer of
dog. , Fish Feeding and Digestion They are exceptionally friendly,
intelligent, , Mangalarga and good natured, and makes an excellent companion, or service
dog. , Japanese Chin
Appearance
Labradors are large with males typically weighing 60 to 80 lb (27 to 36 kg) and females , Gerbils 50 to 70 lb (23 to 32 kg). They are energetic outgoing dogs, , Fell Pony and Dales Pony and are 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 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, , Dog Body Language sparse ones give a chocolate coat. , Fell Pony and Dales Pony The second (E) locus determines whether the pigment is produced at all.
A dog , Norwegian Forest Cat 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 , Papillon color. Lab hair is usually fairly short and straight, and the tail , Arabian Horse quite broad and strong. The otter-like tail , Green Aracari and webbed toes of the Labrador Retriever make them excellent swimmers. Their interwoven coat , Chilean Horse is also relatively waterproof, providing more assistance for swimming. The tail , English Foxhound acts as a rudder for changing directions.
In yellow Labradors, the nose can be black or pinkish.In black and chocolate varieties, the nose color closely matches the color of their coat. , Konik The coat , Savannah Cat color of yellow Labradors, unlike the other colored varieties, can be quite varied in the phenotypical outcome; the displayed colors ranging from white to fox red.
As with some other breeds, , Clydesdale the English and the American lines differ slightly. Labs are bred in England as a medium size dog, , Fell Pony and Dales Pony shorter and stockier with fuller faces than their American counterparts which are bred as a larger dog. , English Foxhound No distinction is made by the AKC, but the two classification come from different breeding. Australian stock also exists; though not seen in the west, they are common in Asia.
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. , Pekingese The most obvious difference is the short straight coat , Pyrenean Mountain Dog - Great Pyrenees of the Labrador Retriever (the Golden has long wavy fur) and the Lab's thick, otter-like tail , Dog Body Language compared to the Golden's plumed tail. , Green Aracari To confuse the two breeds , Barb Horse would be a serious faux pas to a fancier of either, of course.
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 , Chinook (no longer in existence), a crossbreed of native water dogs , Pekingese and the Newfoundland to which the Labrador is closely related. The name Labrador was given to this dog , Goffin's Cockatoo by the Earl of Malmesbury and other breeders , Mangalarga in England in order to differentiate them from the Newfoundland dog. , Goffin's Cockatoo The Labrador Retriever was originally called the lesser Newfoundland or the St. John's dog. , Parrotlets Other origins suggested for the name include the Spanish or Portuguese word for workers, "labradores", and the village of Castro Laboreiro in Portugal whose herding and guard dogs , Puppy Care bear a "striking resemblence" to Labradors [2].
Many fishermen originally used the Lab to assist in bringing nets to shore; the dog , Papillon 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 , Puli with white markings titled "Cora. A Labrador Bitch," by which time it appears the breed , Puli 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 , Barb Horse 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 , Keeshond were imported post World War I and these formed the foundation of the American variety.
Temperament and activities
Labradors are a well-balanced and remarkably versatile breed, , Komondor adaptable to a wide range of functions as well as making very good pets. 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, , German Shorthaired Pointer 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, however, prone to chew objects (though they can easily be trained out of this behavior). The Labrador Retriever's coat , Dartmoor and Exmoor Ponies repels water , Puppy Care to some extent, thus facilitating the extensive use of the dog , Saarlooswolfhond in waterfowl hunting. , Soft Bills
Labradors are often used as guide dogsLabradors have a reputation as a very mellow breed , Dartmoor and Exmoor Ponies and an excellent family dog , German Shorthaired Pointer (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 boistrousness and lack of fear can result in mischief, and may require training , Skye Terrier and firm handling at times to ensure it does not get out of hand. Anecdotally, between the different subtypes, black Labs may have a tendency to be slightly more dominant, and yellow to be slightly less so (more mellow). Most Labs enjoy retrieving a ball endlessly and other forms of activity (such as dog , Norwegian Forest Cat agility or flyball), are considerably "food and fun" oriented, very trainable and open minded to new things, and thrive on human attention and interaction, which they find hard to get enough of.
The steady temperament of Labs and their ability to learn quickly make them an ideal breed , Rhodesian Ridgeback for assistance dogs. , Savannah Cat
Health
Some lines of Labs are fast and athletic, as demonstrated by this Lab doing the weave poles in dog , Arabian Horse agility.Labradors typically live into their teens and are a healthy breed , Pekingese with relatively few major problems. Common Lab health issues are:
Labs are somewhat prone to hip dysplasia, especially the larger dogs, , Clydesdale though not as much as some other breeds. , Bar-shouldered Dove Hip scores are recommended before breeding.
Labs are sometimes prone to ear , German Shorthaired Pointer infection, because their floppy ears , Clydesdale 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 , Dog Body Language should look clean and light pink (almost white) inside. Darker pink (or inflamed red), or brownish deposits, are a symptom of ear , Green Aracari 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 , Holsteiner 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.
