Want to know which is America’s number one dog breed registered with the American Kennel Club? It’s none other than our beloved Labrador Retriever. If you don’t have a Labrador, chances are you know one! Yes… even non-dog people can recognize a Lab. Such is their personality! They are companionable housemates who bond with the whole family and can give you serious friendship goals. Here are some more important and interesting facts about a Labrador, which you would like to know…
Physical Attributes
Labrador is a muscular and athletic dog standing 21.5–24.5 inches (55 to 62 cm) tall at the withers and weighing 25–36 kg. They have a thick, tapering otter tail depicting their innate eagerness. They have a short, dense, and easy-to-care coat that comes in yellow, black, and a luscious chocolate colour. These famously friendly dogs have glimmery eyes with a wide head and naturally floppy ears. They are more solidly built as compared to the other retrievers and have shorter legs. Due to their strong physical attributes, they have even been used in military and police work, as a rescue dog, and as a guide dog for the blind.
Personality Traits
Labs are even tempered, outgoing, cheerful, loyal, and high spirited dogs with keen intelligence and plenty of energy. Their friendly and eager-to-please demeanor wins everybody’s heart. They love to play games, especially fetch, and have an above-average trainability when positive reinforcement training methods are used. They believe in co-existence and gel quickly with kids and other pets in the house.
However, as it is said that no dog is perfect, so Labradors also have some features to take special care of – they tend to be rambunctious and rowdy when young; they may exhibit signs of separation anxiety if left alone for a long time; they are a bit mouthy and like to carry and chew stuff; they can easily get bored if not given something to do, which leads to barking and chewing.
Historical Background
The Labrador Retriever is the traditional waterdog of Newfoundland, long employed as a duck retriever and fisherman’s mate. They were originally called St. John’s dogs, after the capital city of Newfoundland. The breed became supremely popular in early 1800s, when they were spotted by English nobles visiting Canada. And guess what next? These nobles took a few of them back to England, where in 1903 Kennel Club recognized them as a distinct breed called ‘Labrador Retreiver.’ The American Kennel Club followed suit in 1917, and in the ’20s and ’30s, British Labs were imported to establish the breed in the U.S.
Labrador Retriever At A Glance
WEIGHT:
Male: 65–80 lbs
Female: 55–70 lbs
HEIGHT AT WITHERS:
Male: 23 in.
Female: 22 in.
COAT: Short, Flat, double coat, dense.
COLOURS: Black, yellow, chocolate.
OVERALL GROOMING NEEDS: Low
EXERCISE REQUIREMENTS: 40 minutes/day
ENERGY LEVEL: Average
LONGEVITY RANGE: 10-12 yrs
TENDENCY TO DROOL: Low
TENDENCY TO SNORE: Low
TENDENCY TO BARK: Low
TENDENCY TO DIG: Low
SOCIAL/ATTENTION NEEDS: Medium
CLUB RECOGNITION:
AKC Classification: Sporting
UKC Classification: Gun Dog
Prevalence: Common
