Eight interesting Facts about Labrador Retrievers

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The Labrador Retriever is America’s favorite dog, topping the most popular breeds list for a whopping 28 years in a row, and it’s easy to see why. These easygoing, affectionate, energetic dogs are family-friendly all-rounders, equally at home on the couch or in the field. Their name is misleading, though, as they don’t hail from Labrador but from Newfoundland, where they worked as duck retrievers and fisherman’s mates until English nobles brought the breed to the UK in the nineteenth century, and set about refining and standardizing it.

Here’s everything else you need to know about Labrador Retrievers:
1. Labs love the water.
In fact, they were made for it! Their thick tail (sometimes called an “otter tail”) is used as a powerful rudder, their webbed feet help them swim fast, and their thick, waterproof coats keep them happy even in cold water, like the icy Newfoundland waters where they were first bred. All of these traits make Labs great competitors in Dock Diving trials.

2. They are purpose-bred hunting dogs.
Labs started out as duck retrievers, and after they were brought back to England in the 1800s, the British bred them as game-hunting companions. Today, they’re excellent retrievers who can work in a variety of settings, including waterfowl hunting and game hunting, often for many hours at a time. You’ll find Labs excelling in Retriever Field Trials and Retriever Hunting Tests.

3. Among the dog world’s most versatile workers, Labs can do almost anything.
Thanks to their intelligence, eagerness to please, and willingness to work hard, Labradors are invaluable workers in a variety of fields. They’re among the most popular choices for service dog work, as well as search and rescue, bomb and drug detection, and therapy dog work.

4. Be prepared for endless energy.
Though they’re famously laid-back, Labs were made to run, swim, and work. Labs that don’t receive ample exercise, including at least one long, brisk walk per day, might end up displaying destructive behaviors like chewing on objects around the house or escaping the yard.

5. Puppy training and obedience classes are highly recommended.
These bold, bouncy dogs are so strong and full of energy, so proper training and socialization are essential. Luckily, with their eager-to-please, intelligent demeanors, training classes can be a joy for dogs and owners alike.

6. Labrador Retrievers come in three conformation colors: yellow, black, and chocolate.
All three colors of Labrador Retrievers are shown in the same ring during confirmation dog shows.

7. They make for incredibly versatile sporting dogs.
With their characteristic intelligence, obedience, and eagerness to please, Labradors excel at a variety of dog sports. Besides dock diving and hunting trials, they tend to perform very well in Agility, Rally, and Obedience.

8. Color is not an indication of character.
Some claim that yellow Labs are the laziest of the breed, while black Labs are the best hunters, but none of these claims are supported by science. Like people, each dog is different, and some breeders develop their stock for its skills in the field, while others are concerned more with conformation to the breed standard. However, none of these differences directly depend on the dog’s color.