Labrador retrievers

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Labrador Retrievers

General Appearance

Labrador retrievers are black, chocolate, and yellow. They were originally black, but yellow and chocolate labs are also getting popular. Males usually weigh 65-80 pounds, and are 22-25 inches tall. Females weigh 55-70 pounds and are 21-24 inches tall. The coat of a Lab is smooth and oily with fur. Labs also have otter tails and webbed feet to help them swim.

Temperament

Labs are very friendly. Some even make friends with cats. They are great for many jobs because of this and they are also intelligent. They shouldn't be guard dogs because they trust everyone. Labrador retrievers are usually athletic as well. Just like other large dogs, they require long walks. However, not all Labs are friendly.

Fun Facts

Labrador retrievers were registered by the American Kennel Club in 1917.
The first Labrador retriever was found in Newfoundland, not Labrador.
A yellow Lab and a black Lab's offspring is a chocolate Lab.
Labrador retrievers are the most popular dog breed in the United States despite how they originated from Canada.
Labradors are one of the top swimmers of dog breeds because of their webbed feet.
Labrador is also the word for Labrador in Spanish. This word only differs in these languages by plural form.
The English Kennel Club recognized the Labrador retriever in 1903.
The Labrador retriever is in the Sporting Group.
The Labrador retriever is the most popular breed in America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BlackLab.jpg

History

Labrador retrievers came form Newfoundland, an island now in the Newfoundland and Labrador province of Canada. The Newfoundland, a dog breed closely related to the Labrador, bred with a type of water dog to create the St. John's Water Dog. As time went by, the St. John's Water Dog evolved to the Labrador retriever. Both the St. John's Water Dog and Labrador retriever are ancestors of the Newfoundland dog. Today's Labrador retrievers' correct pedigrees go back in time to 1878. The English Kennel Club recognized this breed in 1903, and the American Kennel Club accepted registration of Labs in 1917, 14 years after the English Kennel Club recognized these dogs. Once the 1920's started, British dogs had a great influx, a flowing and/or streaming in, and formed the Lab's backbone in America.

Jobs Suitable for Labs

Labrador retrievers are excellent at work. Ninety-one and a half percent of Labrador retrievers passed taking the American Temperament Test. Labs often hunt, track and detect, assist the disabled, cart, and be therapy dogs for work. Most guide dogs in the United States are Labradors, at 60-70%. They also do other work. For example, Labs could be security dogs.

Health and Well-Being

Labrador retriever puppies can't be separated from their mother until the puppies are seven to ten weeks old. The majority of Labs live twelve to thirteen years, or maybe longer if they get good medical care and proper feeding. Labs are a very healthy breed, but could get some major problems, too. They could get disorders and/or obesity. Some examples of their common disorders are hip and elbow dysplasia, which is common with large dogs, ear infection, due to their floppy ears trapping warm humid air, and they also suffer risk of knee problems, like a luxing patella. Some more common health problems are with their eyes, such as progressive retinal atrophy and/or dysplasia, cataracts, and corneal dystrophy.

Crossbreeding

Labrador retrievers mainly crossbreed with Poodles (Giant or Standard), Pit Bulls, and other kinds of retrievers. The name for a Lab-Poodle mix is "Labradoodle". It is popular right now to crossbreed and make Labradoodles. One type of crossbreeding with another Retriever is the Golden Labrador Retriever. It is a mix of a Golden retriever and Labrador retriever. However, the name for a Pit Bull-Lab mix is unknown. All of these crossbreeds are popular, but the most common crossbreeding for Labrador retrievers is the Labradoodle.