LABRADOR RETRIEVER

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Labrador Retriever

The Labrador Retriever is commonly referred to as a Labrador or Lab. It is one of the most popular breeds in Denmark and is thus also a well-known and prominent breed on many hunts around the country. The Labrador is considered to be the most widespread breed of dog in the world, and in countries such as the US, Canada and the UK, there are a large number of Labradors.

Two types

Some have probably heard of the term Formula 1 Labrador or the old-fashioned type. You could say that there are two variants of the breed, where Formula One or Field Trial (FT) is a slightly smaller and lighter type than the heavier built labradors, which some call the old-fashioned type. Formula 1 Labradors are dogs that come from breeding lines bred with English and Irish field trials in mind, and these dogs came to Denmark in the 1970s. According to the Danish Retriever Club's website, ”… there is no marking on the pedigree indicating whether the dog is of one type or another, and if you want a Labrador puppy, you can ask the breeder which type of Labrador it is.”

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History

The breed that we now know as the Labrador was originally the dog typically owned by fishermen in Newfoundland, but was later bred on the Labrador peninsula in Canada. Here it was a Newfoundland breed dog who was the ancestor and he was crossed with local dogs with a retriever-like character. The aim was to get a slightly lighter type of dog than the Newfoundland, which still had solid working dog characteristics. This ended up with a fairly consistent breed that could work both on land and in water. From using the dogs to retrieve the fishermen's cork floats in the fishing nets, so that the fishermen could land the nets, it was discovered that the breed also had a unique ability to retrieve water-based birds.

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Physical and mental strength

When the breed came to the UK, targeted breeding took off, and dogs that were both physically and mentally strong were quickly bred. Knowledge of this incredible gun dog quickly spread from England. It soon became a favourite among bird hunters, where the dog's trainability, endurance and ability to work continuously both on land and in water - despite low water temperatures - made it very popular. It is worth noting that in the UK there was much competition among estate owners as to who had the best Labrador Retriever for bringing shot birds and other hunting prey safely and quickly back to the hunter.

OTHER RETRIEVER BREEDS

GOLDEN

Flat-coated

Chesapeake Bay

Curly-coated

Name and standard

The dogs were originally called the "St. John's Water Dog", or "St. John's Dog". This name comes from the capital of the island of Newfoundland, which was St. John. The term "Lesser Newfoundland Dog" was also used, but the name Labrador was only given to dogs after being brought to England during the 1800s. It is believed to be the Earl of Malmenbury who came up with the name Labrador. The Earl bought his first dog from a fishing boat that landed its catch in Poole harbour. It is said that he spoke about the breed as follows: "We always call our dogs Labradors...", and the name stuck. The Labrador is best described as a medium-sized dog, where the ideal size, according to their standard is 56-57 cm for males and 54-56 cm for bitches. Labradors are available in three different colour variants: black, yellow and chocolate.

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The Labrador as a gun dog

The Labrador is the most popular gun dog in Denmark and is used by both ”ordinary hunters” and in professional hunting associations where it is an indispensable helper. The biddable temperament and the changed hunting style in Denmark have both had a major impact on the progress and popularity of the breed. Equally, the requirement to have a dog with you on the hunt has certainly prompted many to buy a Labrador, as it meets most people's needs. A Labrador is a reliable retriever, it can be used as an offensive/driving dog, and is also both family-friendly and easy to train.

Good-natured with strong focus

A gun dog today also needs to be a good family dog, which requires a good-natured and harmonious temperament - and a Labrador is all of these. This makes the Labrador perfect for the tasks most hunters want a dog to do. However, it is quite clear that when it comes to retrieving, the Labrador is unique. It has a compact build and the thick short fur and good wool base makes it great for water work. Where other dogs are specialists in e.g. field work, there's nothing quite like watching a well-trained Labrador carry out a difficult retrieving task, displaying its good marking ability, allowing itself to be directed before finally carrying out the retrieval. On the hunt, the Labrador must be able to sit completely calmly - regardless of the type of hunt it is on. It must be quiet and concentrate on marking the shot game. When sent to retrieve, it must be able to quickly and precisely bring the shot game to the handler. A focused Labrador that works and is not disturbed by other live game or shoots is a pleasure to see in action. The Schweisshund Register (Bloodhounds) also includes many Labradors. They are suitable for Bloodhound tracking, where their excellent nose and calm temperament make them easy to train and great trackers. Labradors can also be seen to solve other tasks that are not hunt-related. A Labrador can be trained to carry out the tasks assigned to him, both as a blind guide dog, a drug sniffer dog and a service dog.

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