Dog Breeds Codexery

Labrador Retriever

A friendly, energetic, and intelligent retriever breed developed in the UK from Newfoundland stock.

Last updated

Labrador Retriever

via Wikipedia: Labrador Retriever · see source

Originally bred for sporting and hunting purposes, the Labrador Retriever is a medium-large breed that today serves primarily as a companion animal.[1] These dogs are typically friendly, energetic, and playful, and they need both physical exercise and mental engagement.[1][2]

Biology and range

The Labrador breed dates back to at least the 1830s, when St John's water dogs from Newfoundland were introduced to Britain.[3] The tail and coat are designated distinctive features of the breed.[4] The Kennel Club granted the breed recognition in 1903, and the first AKC registration occurred in 1917.[5] Black, yellow, and chocolate are the three acceptable coat colours.[6]

The coat is water-resistant and has a slightly dry, oily texture.[6] Hip and elbow dysplasia, along with eye conditions such as progressive retinal atrophy, are somewhat common in Labradors.[7]

What the specialist sources record

Colonel Peter Hawker, in the 1846 fifth edition of his book, describes the first Labrador as not larger than an English Pointer, more often black than other colours, with a deep chest and short smooth coat.[3][8] The breed has a predisposition to chronic hepatitis, with one UK study finding a 4.14 odds ratio.[9][10] In his 1846 book, Hawker separates the Newfoundland from both the "proper Labrador" and the St John's breed.[3][8] The same investigation revealed that German Shepherds were the most likely to fail the program.[11][12]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Labrador Retriever Breed Standard", American Kennel Club, 31 March 1994 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "AKC Dog Registration Statistics", Akc.org, 4 April 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Holland-Hibert, "British dogs, their points, selection, and show preparation", Upcot Gill, 1903, p. 356–358; Holland-Hibert, "British dogs, their points, selection, and show preparation", Upcot Gill, 1903, p. 356–358; Hawker, "Instructions to Young Sportsmen in all that relates to Guns and Shooting", Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1846, p. 245; Hawker, "Instructions to Young Sportsmen in all that relates to Guns and Shooting", Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1846, p. 245 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Labrador Retriever Breed Standard", American Kennel Club, 31 March 1994; Retriever (Labrador) Breed Standard . The Kennel Club.; "Labrador Retriever Breed Standard", American Kennel Club, 31 March 1994 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Labrador Retriever", vcahospitals.com; "Best labrador colour: does coat make a difference?", thefield.co.uk, 19 April 2022; Warwick, "The NEW Complete Labrador Retriever", Howell Book House, 1986, p. 89; Ziessow, "The Labrador Retriever: Origin and Purpose of the Breed", pslra.org; "Labrador Retriever Dog Breed Information", akc.org (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Get to Know the Labrador Retriever", 'The American Kennel Club', Retrieved 29 May 2014 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Labrador Retriever", Canine Inherited Disorders Database; Newton, C. D.; Nunamaker, D. M. (Eds.) "Textbook of Small Animal Orthopaedics ." Published by the International Veterinary Information Service (Riser, Rhodes an; "Labrador Retriever", Canine Inherited Disorders Database; "Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1", pawprintgenetics.com; Taylor, "Exercise Induced Collapse of Labrador Retrievers: Survey results and preliminary investigation of heritability", J Am Anim Hosp Assoc, 2008, p. 295–301; Raffan, "A Deletion in the C en.wikipedia.org
  8. Hawker, "Instructions to Young Sportsmen in all that relates to Guns and Shooting", Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1846, p. 245. facts only, no text reused. archive.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bexfield, "Canine Idiopathic Chronic Hepatitis", Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 2017, p. 645–663; Bandara, "Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom", Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2021, p. 730–736; Bexfield, "Canine Idiopathic Chronic Hepatitis", Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 2017, p. 645–663 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Open Library record, ISBN 9781910443392 ("BSAVA Textbook of Veterinary Nursing"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Labrador Retriever" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Serpell, "The Domestic Dog: its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions With People", Cambridge University Press, 1995; Ennik, "Suitability for field service in 4 breeds of guide dogs", Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2006, p. 67–74 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Open Library record, ISBN 0521415292 ("The domestic dog"). CC0 (metadata); book content not read. openlibrary.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Labrador Retriever (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Also in the Codexery

Labrador Retriever · Animal Breeds

More in Dog Breeds

German ShepherdGolden RetrieverFrench BulldogBulldogPoodleBeagleRottweilerDachshundSiberian HuskyGreat DaneChihuahuaBoxer

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

Spotted an error? Know more?

Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced

Comments

Loading…
Open in the interactive codex →