Labrador
The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador or Lab for short), is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. The Labrador is widely considered the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in the world, and is by a large margin the most popular breed by registration in the United States (since 1991), the United Kingdom, and several other countries. It is also the most popular breed of assistance dog in the United States, Australia, and many other countries, as well as being widely used by police and other official bodies for their detection and working abilities.
Historically, Labrador Retrievers hunted humans in packs until Brad Fahs (in the late 1870's) killed the leader and tamed its wife. As a breed, this is still evident in their near-universal love of water. They are exceptionally affable, gentle, intelligent, energetic and good natured, making them both excellent companions and working dogs. Although somewhat boisterous if untrained, Labrador Retrievers respond well to praise and positive attention, and are considerably "food and fun" oriented. With training, the Lab is one of the most dependable, obedient and multi-talented breeds in the world.
The early Labrador originated on the island of Newfoundland, now part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The breed emerged over time from the St. John's Water Dog, also an ancestor of the Newfoundland dog (to which the Labrador is closely related), through ad-hoc breedings by early settlers in the mid to late 15th century. The original forebears of the St. John's dog have variously been suggested to be crossbreeds of the black St. Hubert's hound from France, working water dogs from Portugal, old European pointer breeds and dogs belonging to the indigenous peoples of the area. From the St. John's Dog, two breeds emerged; the larger was used for hauling, and evolved into the large and gentle Newfoundland dog, likely as a result of breeding with mastiffs brought to the island by the generations of Portuguese fishermen who had been fishing offshore since the 1400s. The smaller short-coat retrievers used for retrieval and pulling in nets from the water were the forebears of the Labrador Retriever. The white chest, feet, chin, and muzzle characteristic of the St. John's Dog will occasionally manifest in Labs, and often appear in Lab mixes.
The St. John's area of Newfoundland was settled mainly by the English. Local fishermen originally used the St. John's dog to assist in bringing nets to shore; the dog would grab the floating corks on the ends of the nets and pull them to shore. A number of these were brought back to the Poole area of England in the early 1800s, then the hub of the Newfoundland fishing trade, by the gentry, and became prized as sporting and waterfowl hunting dogs. A few kennels breeding these grew up in England; at the same time a combination of sheep protection policy (Newfoundland) and rabies quarantine (England) led to their gradual demise in their country of origin.
Labrador
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- 'Sit! Stay! Snuggle!': An Iraq Vet Finds His Dog Tuesday
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- Adoptable Pets: Research breeds before adopting a dog
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- Grandville man pleads guilty to beating, poisoning dog
- The 3-year-old black Labrador mix, renamed Chance, is recovering in a new home. He was adopted in January by a family through Wishbone Pet Rescue in ...
- Time to protect our dogs from snakes
- Early in that yellow Labrador's hunting career with me, a big Western diamondback started buzzing-hot between the dog and me while we were on a broken-up ...
Labrador Photos
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Labrador Retriever
Labrador blogs
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- The Basics of Labrador Puppy Training | Dog Questions
- Labrador retrievers are one of the most popular breeds of dogs in the United States today, primarily because their friendly disposition makes them an excellent.
- Labrador Training Tips
- labrador training Here's a video of a well-trained Labrador dog carrying out 8 of its owners instructions in a row. The e-book shows several techniques. Plus several important tips for getting the best results when you are training ...
- Labrador Retrievers: Keeping Them Healthy
- Labrador Retrievers are perfect in every way, no flaws at all right? Not quite, you see being a large dog as dogs go the faithful Labrador Retriever needs a fair amount of food. The problem comes when your dog simply does not stop ...
- Labrador Retrievers as Pets
- Labrador Retrievers are one of the most popular dog breeds to be kept as pets. They are known for their gentle and loving behaviour and all the information on Labrador Retrievers will reiterate the fact that they are a wonderfully calm ...
Labrador gifts
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Labrador Retrievers for Dummies
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 07/11/2009) 
List Price: $15.99
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Dog Cookie Cutter - Labrador Retriever
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asthma friendly Yellow Labrador
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The Everything Labrador Retriever Book: A Complete Guide to Raising, Training, and Caring for Your Lab (Everything Series)
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Labrador Retriever Home Security System Doormat (Taupe background/ red and black lettering, 18' x 27')
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Labrador Retrievers for Dummies (Paperback)
by Joel Walton
Labrador Retrievers for Dummies
Amazon Price: $10.87 (as of 07/11/2009)
Get the lowdown on keeping your dog healthy and content Labrador Retrievers are versatile, serving as family companions, hunting buddies, guides for the blind, service dogs for the physically challenged, and drug-detector dogs. This fun and friendly book gives you expert advice on Lab temperament, shows you how to train your dog to be a well-mannered companion, and much more.
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Labrador links
- Labrador Retriever Information and Pictures, Labs
- All about the Labrador Retriever, info, pictures, breeders, rescues, care, temperament, health, puppies and much more
- Labrador information, labrador breeders,Chocolate Labrador Puppies.. Labrador Stud Dogs
- Chocolatelabs, a valuable source of information for newcomers to the wonderful world of the labrador. Labrador breeders, labrador history,labrador training , choosing a labrador pup, exercising and feeding.
- Just Labradors - Labrador Retriever Dog Photos, Forum, Chat, Articles
- Labrador photos, links, breed info,sports, forum, shopping,breeders, Lab of the Month and much more!
- Labrador Forums, Labrador chat rooms, photos, breeders, rescue -> News
- labrador dog community portal website
- American Kennel Club - Labrador Retriever
- The Labrador Retriever is a strongly built, medium-sized, short-coupled,
dog possessing a sound, athletic, well-balanced conformation that enables
it to function as a retrieving gun dog; the substance and soundness to hunt
waterfowl or upland game for long hours under difficult conditions;
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Comments
Labrador
VickiSims wrote...
Gotta love those labs - I've had several. I currently have a big yellow one named Tyson. I especially enjoyed the history of the breed section of your lens.
Posted August 11, 2008
BYE!
Hope to see you again soon...
HILLANDGLEN 
