Labrador breed
The Labrador Retriever, also Labrador, is a type of
retriever-gun dog. The Labrador is one of the most
popular breeds of dog in the United Kingdom and the
United States.
Life span: 10 12 years
Higher classification: Dog
Colors: Black, Yellow, Chocolate
Height: Male: 5762 cm, Female: 5560 cm
Temperament: Outgoing, Even Tempered, Gentle,
Agile, Kind, Intelligent, Trusting
Weight: Male: 2936 kg, Female: 2532 kg
They are prized as sporting and hunting dogs.
Historical landmarks:
The first written reference to the breed was in 1814.
By 1870 the name Labrador Retriever became
common in England.
The first yellow Labrador on record was born in 1899
and the breed was recognised by The Kennel Club in
1903.
The first American Kennel Club (AKC) registration was
in 1917.
The chocolate Labrador emerged in the 1930s,
although liver spotted pups were documented being
born at the Buccleuch kennels in 1892.
The first dog to appear on the cover of Life Magazine
was a black Labrador Retriever called Blind of
Arden.
Description:
The head of a Labrador should be broad with a
pronounced stop.
Appearance:
Labradors are medium-large, with males typically
weighing 65 to 80 lb (29 to 36 kg) and females 55 to
70 lb (25 to 32 kg).
Labradors weighing close to or over 100 lb (45 kg)
are considered obese or having a major fault under
American Kennel Club 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.
Breed standards:
There is a great deal of variety among Labradors. The
following characteristics are typical of the conformation
show bred (bench-bred) lines of this breed in the United
States and are based on the American Kennel Club
standard. Significant differences between UK and US
standards are noted.
Size:
Labradors are a medium-large breed. They should
be as long from the withers to the base of the tail
as they are from the floor to the withers.
Males should stand 22 to 24 inches (56 to 61 cm)
tall at the withers and weight 65 to 80 lb (29 to
36 kg).
Females should stand 22 to 24 inches (56 to
61 cm) and weigh 55 to 70 lb (25 to 32 kg).
By comparison under UK Kennel Club
standards, height should be 22 to 22 inches (56
to 56 cm) for males, and 22 to 22 inches (56 to
56 cm) for females.
Coat: The Labrador Retriever's coat should be
short and dense, but not wiry. The coat is waterresistant, so the dog does not get cold when taking
to water in the winter. That means that the dog
naturally has a slightly dry, oily coat. Acceptable
colours are black, yellow, and chocolate.
Head: The head should be broad with slightly
pronounced eyebrows. The eyes should be kind
and expressive. Appropriate eye colours are brown
and hazel. The lining around the eyes should be
black. The ears should hang close to the head and
set slightly above the eyes.
Jaws: The jaws should be strong and powerful. The
muzzle should be of medium length and should not
be too tapered. The jaws should hang slightly and
curve gracefully back.
Body: The body should have a powerful and
muscular build.
Colour:
The three primary colour varieties of the Labrador
Retriever
Labrador Retrievers are registered in three
colours:
Black (a solid black colour), yellow (considered
from cream to fox-red), and chocolate (medium to
dark brown).
Puppies of all colours can potentially occur in the
same litter.
Colour is determined primarily by three genes.
The first gene (the B locus) determines the density
of the coat's melanin pigment granules, if that
pigment is allowed: dense granules result in a
black coat, sparse ones give a chocolate coat.
The second (E) locus determines whether the
melanin is produced at all. A dog with the recessive
e allele will produce only phaeomelanin pigment
and will be yellow regardless of its genotype at the
B locus.
The genes known about previously have had their
number increased by the introduction of the K
locus, where the dominant "black" allele KB is now
known to reside.
Black or chocolate Labradors therefore must have
the KB allele.
Yellow Labradors are determined at the E locus, so
the K locus is irrelevant in determining their colour.
Nose and skin pigmentation
The most common places where pigmentation is visible
are the nose, lips, gums, and the rims of the eyes.
A black Labrador from English stock.
The intensity of black pigment on yellow Labradors
is controlled by a separate gene independent of
the fur colouring.
Yellow Labradors usually have black noses, which
may gradually turn pink with age (called "snow
nose" or "winter nose"). This is due to a reduction
in the enzyme tyrosinase which indirectly controls
the production of melanin, a dark colouring.
Temperament:
The AKC describes the Labrador's temperament as
a kind, pleasant, outgoing and tractable nature.
Labradors' sense of smell allows them to home 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 and black marketers.
Labradors instinctively 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. They are prone to chewing
objects (though they can be trained to abandon
this behavior). The Labrador Retriever's coat repels
water to some extent, thus facilitating the
extensive use of the dog in waterfowl hunting.
Labradors have a reputation as a very eventempered breed and an excellent family dog. This
includes a good reputation with children of all ages
and other animals.
Use as working dogs:
Labradors are an intelligent breed with a good
work ethic and generally good temperaments.
Common working roles for Labradors include:
hunting, tracking and detection (they have a great
sense of smell which helps when working in these
areas), disabled-assistance, carting, and therapy
work.
Labradors are powerful and indefatigable
swimmers noted for their ability to tolerate the
coldest of water for extended periods of time.
The breed is used in water rescue/lifesaving.
Disadvantages:
Although they will sometimes bark at noise,
especially noise from an unseen source ("alarm
barking"), Labradors are usually not noisy[15] or
territorial. They are often very easygoing and
trusting with strangers and therefore are not
usually suitable as guard dogs.
Labradors have a well-known reputation for
appetite, and some individuals may be highly
indiscriminate, eating digestible and non-food
objects alike.
They are persistent and persuasive in requesting
food. For this reason, the Labrador owner must
carefully control their dog's food intake to avoid
obesity and its associated health problems.
Inherited disorders:
Labradors are somewhat prone to hip and elbow
dysplasia, especially the larger dogs,
Labradors also suffer from the risk of knee
problems. A luxating patella is a common
occurrence in the knee where the knee dislocates
and goes back into place.
Eye problems are also possible in some Labradors,
particularly progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts,
corneal dystrophy, and retinal dysplasia. Dogs
which are intended to be bred should be examined
by a veterinary ophthalmologist for an eye score.
Hereditary myopathy, a rare inherited disorder that
causes a deficiency in type II muscle fibre.
Symptoms include a short stilted gait or "bunny
hopping," and in rare cases ventroflexion of the
neck accompanied by a kyphotic posture.
There is a small incidence of other conditions, such
as autoimmune diseases and deafness in
Labradors, either congenitally or later in life.
Labradors often suffer from exercise induced
collapse, a syndrome that causes hyperthermia,
weakness, collapse, and disorientation after short
bouts of exercise.
Obesity
Labradors like to eat, and without proper exercise
can become obese. Laziness is a contribution to
this. Obesity is a serious condition and can be
considered the number one nutritional problem
with dogs. Obesity can exacerbate conditions such
as hip dysplasia and joint problems, and can lead
to secondary diseases, including diabetes.
Osteoarthritis is very uncommon in older,
especially overweight, Labradors.
