Mary Allen
Shoulder height: 54 – 57 cm
Weight: 25 – 34 kg
Age: 12 – 14 years
Colour: black, yellow chocolate brown
Use: hunting dog, working dog, companion dog, the family dog
The Labrador Retriever belongs to the retriever breed group (Group 8) and originates from Great Britain. He is considered good-natured, balanced, and friendly. Aggression, sharpness, or shyness towards people and other dogs are alien to him. Despite his calm nature, the Labrador Retriever requires a lot of mental and physical activity.
Origin and history
The ancestors of the Labrador Retriever come from Newfoundland in Canada. The breed is named after the Labrador Peninsula. It was also in Newfoundland that the Labrador Retriever developed its resilience and love of water. He was the favorite dog of fishermen because he caught the fish that jumped out of the fishermen’s nets with his mouth. During the 19th century, fishermen brought him to England. British breeders crossed the Labrador with the Pointer, making its body slightly narrower, and trained it for hunting. In 1903 the Labrador Retriever was recognized as a separate breed.
Appearance
The Labrador Retriever is a powerfully built, medium-sized dog with a broad head. Typical of the breed is the otter tail, which is covered with short and very dense fur, which begins thickly at the base and tapers towards the tip. The Labrador Retriever’s coat is short, tight, and smooth with a dense undercoat. The Labrador is bred in the colors black, yellow, and brown. All three colors can also occur in a litter.
Nature
The Labrador is a friendly, trusting, and affectionate dog. It gets along very well with people and other animals. Its love for children is particularly pronounced. Therefore, it is the perfect family dog. Aggression and sharp behavior are completely alien to him, so the Labrador is not suitable as a protection or guard dog.
Also typical of the Labrador is its love of water: it is a true water rat and will always find a puddle or pond to jump into, no matter how muddy it is. So if you tend to excessively cleanliness up the apartment, problems are inevitable.
Despite its calm nature, the Labrador Retriever needs a lot of mental and physical exercise. Anyone who can spend enough time with it will find him a loyal partner who will never leave its side. Therefore, it is also very well suited as a “first dog”. It needs intensive contact with its people, it cannot stand being alone for long periods.