The Labrador Retriever is a beautiful dog that has a long history. It is believed to have its roots in the island of Newfoundland. Although not native to Newfoundland, many believe it evolved from the St. John¡¯s Water Dogs. The Labrador retriever is a close cousin of the Newfoundland dogs which share the same ability in the water. They were named Labradors by several breeders in the United Kingdom. There are some who believe that these dogs may have actually originated from Portugal and was later spread out to Newfoundland by cross breeding with several other breeds of dogs to make them what they are today.
Standards of the Breed
The two kinds of Labrador Retrievers are classified as English Labradors and American Labradors. The English Labradors were bred from English Labrador dogs. These dogs are consistently more stocky and heavier than their American cousins. The American Labradors are slimmer and taller but not so much that you might say they are two completely different breeds.
Overall, the Labrador Retriever is a well built muscular dog that is at home in the water and out of it. Their coat is water resistant comes in basically three solid colors. The colors are black, yellow and chocolate. There are variations to these colors in a way that some Labrador dogs may have lighter or darker colors but of the same shade. Other colors than these may result in a disqualification from the show for show dogs.
NEWS FLASH - 2012-02-10Dog Kidney Failure
The last thing that any dog owner wants to hear is that their dog has kidney failure. Most people don't even want to think about the possibility that it can happen to them, but the truth of the matter is that nine out of 1,000 dogs suffer from this unfortunate chronic renal disease.
Types of Terriers Safe For Small Children
A lot of children these days have quite the affinity for pet dogs. They would like to play around with them, hold them and generally pet them around. To little ones, these are their first best friends. Yet, it isn't all the time that the feeling is returned. At times, what would be a kind gesture or show of affection for us can be taken in a different way by our dogs. At worst, this would result in tragic results. Needless to say, any dog can be trained and raised to become your most devoted companion, but you have to understand that not all dog breeds are actually safe for youngsters.
Golden Retriever Puppies: What You Need to Know Before Adding a Golden Retriever Puppy to the Family
Golden Retriever puppies are commonly looked for because of their friendly personality. Besides being well-tempered, Golden Retriever puppies are also extremely intelligent and make amazing hunting dogs. In the mid-eighteen hundreds, a Tweed Water Spaniel (a now extinct dog breed) and a yellow Retriever were bred together to create the Golden Retriever as we know it today.
The head of the Labrador is broad with a pronounced stop. The nose is thick while its hazel or brown eyes are very kind and expressive. The neck is also broad and powerful and it has hanging pendant ears that lie close to the head a little above the eye line. The most distinguishable feature of the Labrador is its tail. The tail is fairly plump and of medium length, tapering towards the end. It lies just above the hocks when it is down and acts as the dogs¡¯ rudder when it swims in the water.
Temperament of the Labrador
The Labrador is a sweet tempered dog that is basically stable and eager to please. It has the intelligence to enable training for it to be a working dog. These dogs love to be with people and often bonds well with its human family. They are very dependable when it comes to children and often bear with the rough and tumble of the kids and other animals.
