Labrador Retriever
It comes from Newfoundland rather than Labrador, and the thick tail works as a rudder. The most registered breed in the English speaking world for decades.
Overview
The Labrador came from Newfoundland rather than Labrador, where St John's water dogs helped fishermen haul nets and retrieve fish, and English gentry developed them into the retriever from the 1830s. It has been the most popular breed in much of the world for decades.
UK data gives a life expectancy at birth of 11.77 years. Working and show lines differ substantially: field bred Labradors are lighter, faster and higher drive than show bred ones.
Temperament
Friendly, biddable and enthusiastic about everything, particularly food. Labradors are outstanding with children, sociable with strangers and other dogs, and among the easiest breeds to train.
They are slow to mature and boisterous for two or three years. They are also mouthy, carrying things constantly, which is the retrieving instinct rather than a fault. They are poor guard dogs and they dislike being alone.
Care and grooming
A short dense double coat that needs weekly brushing and daily attention during the heavy moults. They shed a great deal for a short coated dog.
Hip and elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, exercise induced collapse and centronuclear myopathy all have tests. A variant in the POMC gene affects appetite regulation in this breed, which is a genuine physiological reason Labradors are prone to obesity rather than a joke.
Living and exercise
Ninety minutes to two hours a day with swimming and retrieving.
Weight control is the single biggest health lever for the breed, and a study of lean fed Labradors found they lived around two years longer than their overweight littermates. Measured feeding from day one is the whole intervention.
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