The Labrador Retrievers, called Lab or Labrador in short is a kind of gun dog but they are very gentle and family oriented and so make ideal pets. They are tough, hardy, easy to train and generally obedient. They enjoy running in open space and being gun dogs love to retrieve or bring things back.
Labradors love to swim even in cold water as their coats protect them. They also have webbing between the toes on their feet and a tail similar to an otter’s which help them to be strong swimmers.
Labradors coats are yellow, black or brown and these lovable dogs need a lot of attention and love. They are very active and needs exercise on a daily basis.
The ancestors of Labradors are descend from dogs bred on the island of Newfoundland, in Canada. The Lab’s ancestor is the St. John's water dog, a breed that developed through breeding by early settlers of the island in the 16th century. They were trained to retrieve fishing nets from the icy water. In the early 19th century, St. John’s water dogs were brought to Poole in Great Britain. These dogs which had short strong legs and were good swimmers were instantly popular with the British people.
An English nobleman, the Earl of Malmesbury was fascinated by these dogs and he started breeding them. He bred them for duck shooting on his estate.
He established the new breed of retrievers, which he named Labrador.
Labrador Retrie-vers are categorised in two ways as English labs or American labs. The differences are mainly in their behaviour, though there are differences in appearance as well. When it comes to behaviour, English labs tend to be more easily trainable, and are often considered better as household pets or hunting companions. American labs tend to be more energetic and having been bred to compete in field trials, are better suited for professional owners. With more experience and time to devote to training. English labs tend to have the 'blocky' heads for which Labrador Retrievers are known, whereas American labs tend to be leaner and longer-legged.