Labrador Retriever Puppies Blog

When the term “pet dog” is mentioned, the Labrador Retriever usually is the first breed that comes to mind. This cannot be helped because the Lab has established its name worldwide, being owned by numerous families in the United States. Some people may think (especially Lab owners) that they know a lot about this breed but let us see if you know any of these facts about the beloved Labrador Retriever.

• Despite being associated with a typical American family, it is surprising to learn that Labrador Retrievers originally are from Newfoundland, Canada. They were then exported to England before eventually making their way to the U.S.

• In the 1920’s, the American Kennel Club (AKC) recorded that there were only 23 registered Labradors in the country. However, following an article entitled “Meet the Labrador Retriever” in the American Kennel Gazette, the breed started to gain popularity.

• The Labrador Retriever was bred for, obviously, retrieving. Asides from catching and bringing back waterfowl and fish, they were also used to retrieve fishing nets of fishermen.

• Labs came from another breed of dogs called Lesser Newfoundland or St. John’s Water dog. Little is known how the breed came to be but was believed to be a mix of random working breeds. During the turn of the century, the number of St. John’s dog started to decline and was declared extinct by the early 1980’s.

• Aside from their waterproof coat and webbed toes in their paws, the Labrador Retriever are excellent swimmers because of their “otter” tail. Similar to an otter, the thick tail acts like a rudder for better control while in the water.

• In England, a Labrador Retriever cannot be a show champion if it does not have a working certificate proving that it can perform field work.

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