There is more than one legend about the appearance of Labradors. According to one of them, they called the breed because of the black color, which the locals associated with the rock labradorite. Adherents of another version claim that these dogs appeared on the Labrador Peninsula, from which they got their name. There is one more - the language version. These dogs are famous for their hard work, and in Portuguese the word "hard worker" is consonant with "labrador".
Appearance story
The breed Labrador Retriever is relatively young. In the nineteenth century, such dogs began to appear on the island of Newfoundland. By the way, on the same island, a breed of dogs of the same name was bred. These dogs are similar in nature to a Labrador.
They gained popularity in a fairly short time due to their special character. They were used when hunting waterfowl, but in addition they were and remain unsurpassed professionals in saving people, and as guides for the blind.
According to some reports, this breed was first mentioned in 1593. In the Newfoundland press of the sixties and seventies of the nineteenth century, in various publications there are references to "low smooth-haired dogs, 45-60 cm at the withers", which are called Labradors. Along with the descriptions there are laudations in favor of the special character of the Labradors, their mind and complaisance.
Dr. Woods, the breeder of these dogs, relying on archaeologists, believes that similar dogs were brought to Newfoundland by the Vikings. But, as it turned out later, similar individuals in abundance were found in the northern part of Portugal. They have been working gloriously there to this day.
For the first time these dogs were brought to the islands of Great Britain from Newfoundland. The British carefully led the line. In the thirties of the nineteenth century, the breed gained popularity. The central point of their distribution was the port city of Poole.
When Newfoundland breeders arrived at the International Dog Show half a century later, they were pleasantly surprised that the Labradors bred in England were no different from their pets.
Prosperous aristocrats kept separate nurseries, where they continued their breeding work, strengthening the line of hunting labradors. It was they who raised this breed to cult as magnificent retrievers (dogs that bring black game), which made the setters and pointers more crowded in popularity. Thanks to the English, the “retriever” prefix appeared at the Labrador in order to emphasize their purely hunting orientation.
A large number of nurseries appeared in the twenties of the last century. The Golden Age of Labradors is considered to be the thirties. It was during these years that the breed reached the peak of its popularity and universal love of the British. The greatest fame was achieved by Countess Loria Hove's kennel, thanks to her dog Bolo - champion in exterior and working qualities.
Labradors gradually ceased to be a privilege of noble families, and only a hunting dog. The happy owners of Labradors became not only hunters, but also people of different lifestyles. For its special character, the breed gained popularity in all countries with developed dog breeding. And today, these wonderful dogs continue to captivate the hearts of people around the globe.
Disastrous popularity
However, it is worth noting that excessive popularity has never had a positive effect on any dog breed. Not all owners of bitches were sympathetic to the importance of preserving the approved character traits of labradors, exterior and working qualities. Pursuing only the financial benefits of selling puppies, many home-grown dog breeders did not pay attention to all this. Therefore, many individuals appeared with inherited diseases and vices.
Before you buy a puppy, if you intend to get a real representative of the breed, and not a mestizo-Labrador, the nature of which can be very different, you need to carefully study its pedigree.
Breed description
Labrador Retriever is a working dog with a balanced, friendly character. It has a strong skeleton, powerful build, wide head, voluminous chest and strong limbs.
Males reach 56-57 cm at the withers, bitches are slightly lower - 54-56 cm. The breed standard allows a slight deviation in growth, which is not considered a vice.
The chest is wide, with well-ribs, not barrel-shaped. The back is straight, turning into a strong and short lower back. One of the features of the breed is the tail. It is always wide at the base and smoothly passes into a narrow tip. Some notice that the tail of these dogs seems to live a separate life, but for some reason is forced to be on an animal. The hind limbs are well developed, very strong and strong, with low hock joints. The shape of the paws is round, with well-defined pads. Move sweeping.
A powerful head, but not thick and not round, without increased bryl. A pronounced transition from the forehead to the muzzle. On a wide nose, pronounced nostrils. The teeth are of medium size, are closed in a scissor-like manner, that is, the lower and upper teeth fit snugly together. Hazel eyes with a smart and friendly expression. Labrador ears are an additional indicator of their mood - they are always mobile. The auricles set far on the head are not too large and hanging.
The coat is short and thick, with a waterproof undercoat, which also determines their love of boat trips. Tactile coat seems stiff. Seasonal molting is moderate.
Color
Labradors have historically been black. Other colors were considered a vice. But later this framework expanded. Now there are three colors: black, yellow (fawn) and chocolate. The main condition is that they should all be smooth, without tanning.
Golden character
Unprecedented popularity, in addition to external data, the Labrador Retriever owes its character. Together with working capacity, he makes him a universal dog, unless, of course, the person decides to take him to protect the estate or apartment.
So what is the peculiarity of the character of the Labradors? What should a true bearer of breed qualities be like? Of course, good nature, cheerfulness and playfulness - every descendant of Newfoundland dogs should have these character traits. They are affectionate and faithful, energetic healthy girls. Sharing a shelter with the family, they create an atmosphere of family comfort and warmth. It is not for nothing that on most billboards with goods for the family this dog is often present surrounded by happy and smiling people.
All sources describing the character of the dog Labrador repeat about his restlessness. The energy of these dogs is in full swing, and they are happy to share it with others. Therefore, the dog requires physical exertion. Representatives of the breed will not wait until they are given the opportunity to throw out strength. If you do not give them a discharge in time, then they will find where to put their energy, without waiting for the owner. These dogs are very dedicated and require attention, regardless of the gender of the dog. The character of the Labrador-girl in this respect manifests itself identically to the dog. Therefore, it is difficult for them to be alone for a long time. They are even able to escape from home, if only not to sit face to face with themselves. Already in puppies of Labrador, the character manifests itself very clearly. This should be taken into account by future owners.
In all sources, breeders when describing the nature of labradors indicate that this is a dog for the whole family. And this is not for the sake of a red word or sales of puppies. They really get along well with both children and other pets, they don’t even rush at the postman. It is believed that bitches are more tender with children. But this is not always true, and the character of the Labrador-boy is not inferior in terms of friendliness and care for the master's children. The only exception may be a bird. Still, the Labrador is a hunter who must bring black game, and to a greater extent they are birds. And at the same time, many examples were recorded when dogs became best friends with ducks and chickens - a direct answer to the question of what character the Labrador has.
Training
For their intelligence and quick wit, representatives of this breed occupy 7th place in the ten most intelligent dog breeds. They are easily amenable to training, fulfilling commands with joy, trying to please the owner. You just need to learn how to hold their attention, which is the main difficulty in training them.
It has been experimentally verified that the memory of labradors is capable of holding up to three hundred human phrases. Although they don’t sit at the top of the pyramid of the smartest dogs, their desire to please the owner facilitates the training process. He can be taught a lot. From the minimum “to me”, “near”, “sitting”, “lying”, “place” to opening the doors to the owner and turning off the lights on command.
You can achieve successful execution of commands with a Labrador at any age, but it is still better to start from the first days a puppy appears in the house.
To train the young individual as comfortably as possible, you need to follow simple rules:
- Completed the task - received a reward, and not always a treat.
- The dog receives the award only if the task is completed correctly and completely.
- Do not start new teams until the old ones are fixed.
- The place where the first classes will be held is important. There should be no distractions.
- The main thing in training is not to overdo it. It is necessary to give the dog a rest.
- Training should be carried out before feeding.
These simple tips will help you succeed in training a pet.
First teams
The main thing that the puppy owner must achieve is the owner-dog contact. Tricking and hacking during training is one of the characteristics of the character of a Labrador. They are often distracted.
And yet, the Labrador is affectionate and friendly and requires the same attitude to himself. It is impossible to punish him for nothing. If the puppy wrote in the house, he will not be punished, and even a grown dog in the case when the paddock was not provided on time. They also do not scold for gnawed shoes - it is not his fault that they did not spend enough time on a walk.
Start training the puppy with remembering the nickname. You need to take a treat and call the baby by name. As soon as he runs up to immediately give goodies, praise in a gentle enthusiastic tone, stroke. During encouraging stroking, you need to repeat the nickname.
No matter how commonplace, but especially in the early days, the puppy should be treated with special tenderness. Do not scold him, you need, on the contrary, caress and play with him more, give goodies according to the diet by age. So he will quickly get used to the new family.
The following is a call training. When the puppy answered the call and ran up, they said “to me”, they did not spare the praise, reinforcing it with a treat. When the pet learns this command, the next step is to learn to follow the owner. For the first few months, the puppy will run after it, but as it grows up, this attachment can cool down a bit. And the world around is so interesting. So, you need to prove to him that the owner is better. You should play and talk with him more often. Yes, dogs do not understand the whole speech, but perfectly perceive intonation. The simplest hide and seek game teaches a young dog to keep the owner in sight, because at the beginning of life puppies are instinctively afraid to be alone.
For further life in society, especially in an urban environment, the dog must be trained on a leash. First they put on a collar and praise if his attention is not focused on the ammunition. If he still tries to pull the collar off with his paws, you need to distract the game. Similarly, you should behave in a situation with a muzzle. Dressed - gave a treat, then removed. And gradually we increase the time spent in the muzzle. It is easier to accustom to a leash if to fasten it just before going out for a walk, then the puppy will get a “leash-street” relationship.
Errors in training a Labrador
With the wrong approach to care and training, the nature of the Labrador Retriever can show its worst side. Dog breeders often make the following mistakes:
- Excessive enthusiasm for aporting, which leads to overexcitation, and after the dog becomes bored.
- Active constrictions lead to malocclusion and the habit of grabbing objects too much, which is unacceptable for a retriever.
- Freestyle swimming. It is difficult to drag a Labrador back to shore if he is already in the water. He may not listen to the owner while swimming. It is necessary to control the time spent in the pond.
- Trying to catch a dog if it does not fit the call. And also the punishment when she nevertheless came up.
- Repeating a command many times in a row.
- Serving goodies without proper team execution.
The last point creates two problems at once: the dog overeats and does not perceive the commands properly.
Labrador Care
The rules for caring for a Labrador are not very complicated. However, there are features to which you should pay attention. Hanging ears can become inflamed from dirt from walks or parasites. Therefore, they need to be regularly inspected and cleaned. A feature of the breed is its coat with an almost waterproof undercoat. It does not need to be washed unless absolutely necessary. It is enough to comb once a week.
Labrador feeding is another separate dog care item. These animals love to eat and very often, especially if there are children in the family, they become sweet tooth. It is necessary to correctly calculate the rate of feeding for each day according to weight, height and physical activity. Hence the need for long and active walking with a certain degree of load. Just a walk in the park on a leash will not satisfy the Labrador’s need for movement. That is why he is the best friend for everyone who loves outdoor activities, hiking in the forest, to a river or the sea, where he can swim and frolic in plenty.
Behavior in the apartment
Can I keep a Labrador in the apartment? Yes, but with certain conditions. The owner must walk for a long time and often with a dog. That is, either family members allocate time, who walks it and when, or the owner should have enough free time from work. Based on the description of the nature of the breed, in the apartment the Labrador, if the owner does not fulfill his duties, can chew on furniture, tear wallpaper, tear things. To prevent this from happening, the owner must walk the pet for a long time and often, arrange games for him. At least two hours a day.
As mentioned earlier, representatives of this breed are very attached to their owner. For too long, the dog cannot be separated from him, for her it is painful. Even if a person went out for half an hour shopping at the nearest store, not to mention an eight-hour working day.
Breed Reviews
Many happy owners of the breed describe in their reviews the character of the Labrador exclusively in a positive way, they emphasize that he met their expectations. There are complaints about a predisposition to feed allergies.
Many are upset by the fact that the breed has become a mass cult, and when choosing a dog, they became "one of many." But already in the process of communication, raising a puppy, and later an adult dog, the owners forget about it. They are convinced that the popularity of these dogs is deserved. They really study well, they learn a new team in two or three days, despite their restlessness.