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Labrador Retriever Thought to have originated in Greenland, the Labrador Retriever is instantly recognizable. A medium-sized, athletic, stockily built dog; at one time, black Labrador Retrievers were the best known, but yellow (not golden) Labs became more widely seen fifty years or more ago. Today there is quite a trend for chocolate Labs, which are also called liver. The Labrador sports a short, dense coat that is hard to the touch, entirely weatherproof and basically drip-dry. He has a clean-cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop, powerful jaws, and kind friendly eyes. Another characteristic of the Lab is his relatively short, thick-coated tail, which is known as an “otter” tail. The Labrador Retriever stands as high as 22.5 inches, which is not very tall, but he is extremely solid. The typical Labrador possesses style and quality without over refinement, and substance without lumber or cloddiness. Because the Labrador is bred primarily as a working gun dog, structure and soundness are of great importance. The Lab’s physical features and mental characteristics should display a dog bred to perform as an efficient retriever of game, with a stable temperament suitable for a variety of pursuits beyond the hunting environment. Like the Golden Retriever, the Labrador is a multi-talented dog, being much favored as a guide dog for the blind. In fact, these two breeds are regularly cross-bred to utilize their combined skills. The Labrador Retriever is also useful in drug-searching and has been used by the army as a canine mine-detector. However, the Lab’s original purpose is that of a retriever from water. Above all, a Labrador Retriever must be well balanced, enabling it to move with little or no effort. The Labrador Retriever is a loving, affectionate, lovable, patient dog, capable of taking all the knocks of a rough-and-tumble family, which is why he rates so highly as a household member. His temperament is such that he does not seem to take offense at insult. They have an excellent, reliable, temperament and are most often superb with children and equable with other dogs. Highly intelligent, loyal, willing, and high-spirited, Labs are often called the perfect family dog. They can become destructive if left too much to their own devices. Train Labradors early not to pull on the leash, as they have very strong necks. The Labrador Retriever can consume any quantity of food, so needs rationing if he is not to put on too much weight. He must have plenty of exercise and although he can live in towns surrounding, he should not be deprived of regular, lengthy walks. Size: large Grooming: easy The Sporting Group (AKC)
Although it is one factor that cannot be exactly described or standardized, the temperament of any breed should be as important to prospective owners as size or appearance. Official Kennel Club breed standards do contain basic guidelines under the heading "Temperament", but these describe the ideal only. Included on this website are observed traits that may not always conform to the ideal. AN INVITATION TO CONTRIBUTE: DOGSCAPADE is inviting you to write articles of real
value for people interested in Sporting. We want to
know everything you know about Sporting, including all about
your Sporting-related organization. Who should buy or adopt
a Sporting? Who should not? What special requirements and considerations
do Sporting require? How and why did you
get involved? We're looking for stories and first hand experiences
about Sporting rather than standard reports, although facts
and figures are fine too. So, if you have something worthwhile
to offer, we'd love to hear from you!
In exchange, we will host an EXCLUSIVE featured section on our website for your Sporting kennel, club or organization! We accept well-organized (we will help with editing), genuinely useful, informative articles related to Sporting for inclusion. While we do review all contributions, we don't guarantee acceptance. For more information and to contribute articles, please contact us at contribute@dogscapade.com. Sporting WEBSITES & SEO: We are also offering an amazing opportunity to have a very affordable, high-quality website for your Sporting kennel, club or organization — designed, hosted and optimized for search engines. This offer is available to all Sporting breeders, Sporting clubs, rescues and associations. There are some limitations involved, so please write for details at tech@dogscapade.com. |
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