Labrador retriever Written by Rutaksha Rawat

2. Labrador retriever-Written by Rutaksha Rawat

3. India is its tolerance of children, earning it the nickname of the 'perfect family companion'. Whether it be its smiling face, its cuddly appearance, its good natured disposition, or its loyalty and zest for life, this breed has won the hearts of people across India. Ranked the 7th most intelligent dog breed in the world, the Lab is easily trained, giving little trouble to its owners in its ‘grown up’ years. It is this ‘beauty with brains’ combination that makes this breed irresistible to Indians.

4. The Labrador Retriever is one of several kinds of Retriever, a type of gun dog. A distinct characteristic of the breed is its webbed paws, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. Besides being the most popular dog breed in India, the Labrador is also the most popular breed of dog by registered ownership in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is also one of the most popular assistance dog breeds in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States and many other countries, as well as, being widely used by police and other official bodies for its detection and working abilities. Typically, Labradors are athletic, love to swim, and are good with young children, as well as the elderly. They are also used as guide dogs for the blind.

5. History • The modern Labrador's ancestors originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The founding breed of the Labrador was the St John's Water Dog, a breed that emerged through ad hoc breeding by early settlers of the island in the 16th century. The forebears of the St John's Dog are not known, but were likely a random-bred mix of English, Irish, and Portuguese working breeds. The Newfoundland (known then as the Greater Newfoundland) is likely a result of the St John's Dog breeding, with Mastiffs brought to the island by the generations of Portuguese fishermen, who had been fishing offshore since the 16th century.

6. Appearance • Labradors are relatively large, with males weighing 29 to 41 kg and females, 25 to 32 kg. Labradors weighing close to 45 kg are considered obese or having a major fault under American Kennel Club (AKC) standards, although some Labradors weigh significantly more. The majority of the characteristics of this breed, with the exception of colour, are the result of breeding to produce a working Retriever. • The Lab's coat is short and dense but not wiry. The coat is described as 'water resistant’ or 'water repellent', so that the dog does not get cold when taking to water in the winter. Acceptable colours are black, yellow and chocolate. The head is broad, with a pronounced stop and slightly pronounced brow.

7. English & American Labs • One of the most common divisions in kinds of Labs is by breeding origin. These are generally referred to as English Lab Retrievers and American Lab Retrievers. • While all Labs are originally from North America, via their origins in the St John's Dog, they've been bred in the UK for long enough that there are now some differences. English Labs have a solid coat, just like American dogs, and come in the same range of colours (chocolate, yellow and black) but they're not really shaped the same, and have slight differences in temperament.

8. English Labrador Retrievers are more solidly built than their American cousins, with wide heads and muzzles, blocky bodies and a solid shape. They also have a more docile personality and are less excitable. These dogs have shorter bodies, too, and have been show- and pet-dogs longer. They're also called Bench, Conformation or Show Labs. • American Lab Retrievers are taller and usually more lightly built than English Labrador Retrievers. They're often called Field Labradors or Working Labs. For much of their history, these dogs have been hunting animals. They have narrower heads and longer noses, as well as, more lively personalities. However, they're just as friendly and easy going as English Labs.

9. Temperament • The Labrador's temperament is kind, pleasant, outgoing and tractable. The Labradors' sense of smell allows it to hone in on almost any scent and follow the path of its origin. They generally stay on the scent until they find it. Navies, military forces and police forces use them as detection dogs to track down smugglers, thieves, terrorists, black marketers, etc. • Labradors enjoy holding objects and even hands or arms in their mouths, which they can do with great gentleness (a Labrador can carry an egg in its mouth without breaking it). They are known to have a very soft feel to the mouth, as a result of being bred to retrieve game such as waterfowl.

10. Health • The Labrador’s life expectancy is generally 10 to 12 years, and it is a healthy breed with relatively few major problems. Notable issues related to health and well being include hip and elbow dysplasia, luxating patella, progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, corneal dystrophy, retinal dysplasia, Labradors like to eat, and without adequate exercise, can become obese hereditary myopathy, and autoimmune diseases. • Labradors like to eat, and without adequate exercise, can become obese. Laziness and a penchant for sleeping contribute to this. Obesity can exacerbate conditions such as hip dysplasia and joint problems, and can lead to secondary diseases, including diabetes. Therefore, Labradors must be properly exercised and stimulated. They should be walked twice a day for at least half an hour.

11. Global Recognition • Outside North America and Western Europe, the Labrador arrived later. The Russian Retriever Club traces the arrival of Labradors to the late 1960s, as household pets of diplomats and others in the foreign ministry. The establishment of the breed in the Commonwealth of Independent States (former USSR) was initially hindered by the relatively small numbers of Labradors and great distances involved, leading to difficulty in establishing breedings and bloodlines. At the start of the 1980s, home-born dogs were still regularly supplemented by further imports from overseas. Such difficulties initially led to Labradors being tacitly cross-bred to other types of Retrievers. In the 1990s, easier access to overseas shows and bloodlines is said to have helped this situation become regularized.

12. Labrador Hybrids • The Labradoodle is a 'designer dog' that is a cross-bred Labrador and Poodle. A concept that originated in Australia, the intent of breeding this cross was to try and create a service dog suitable for allergy sufferers. However, there is no guarantee such a cross will inherit the hypo-allergenic Poodle coat. Some assistance dog groups use Golden Retriever-Labrador hybrids because they believe this cross produces dogs with excellent temperaments.

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