Labrador Retriever Breed Profile

Labrador Retriever

Breed Spotlight

Origins

Like the Flat, Golden, and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers and the Newfoundland and Landseer breeds, the Labrador Retriever, or Lab, is a descendant of the now-extinct Canadian landrace, St. John’s Water Dogs. The St. John’s Water Dogs ranged from medium to large in size and were powerful, stocky dogs that roughly resembled the modern-day Labrador Retriever. The coats ranged from the smooth coat seen on Labs today to the longer, thicker coats seen on modern-day Newfies and Flat-Coated Retrievers. Many of the St. John’s Water Dogs had white markings in a tuxedo pattern or, more extreme white markings no longer found in any of the descendent breeds except the Landseer.

Records going as far back as 1662 describe medium-sized, smooth-coated St. John’s Dogs aiding fishermen and retrieving game. They were known to be well-trained, good-natured, and even-tempered dogs that accompanied their owners in their dories. These dogs were believed to be descendants of Irish, English, French, and Portuguese working dogs brought to the area by immigrants, fishermen, and other wayfarers. Given the task of swimming out to fishing nets and retrieving birds for their hunting and fishing owners, they were renowned for their resiliency, intelligence, power, endurance, and trainability. They were known interchangeably as St. John’s Dog, Newfoundland, and Lesser Newfoundlands. This landrace peaked in the 17th century, after which their numbers dwindled. Many people favored the shorter-coated dogs, as the coat would retain less ice when the dogs emerged from the frigid water.

During the 19th century, the second Earl of Malmesbury brought these dogs from Newfoundland to England. There, these dogs impressed the English with their retrieving ability and intelligence. Motivated by the English countrymen’s awe of the breed, the second Earl of Malmesbury founded the first breeding kennel for the breed. Having noticed the St. Johns water dogs hunting and swimming ability and their good disposition, English sportsmen began using retrievers to replace pointers and setters. Those imported from Newfoundland were considered the superior retriever type. The St. John’s Water Dog was also considered, by far, the best for any kind of shooting. These dogs remained a family favorite of the house of Malmesbury, with the third Earl of Malmesbury penning a letter to the sixth Duke of Buccleuch in 1887, which read, “We always call mine Labrador dogs, and I have kept the breed as pure as I could from the first I had from Poole. …The real breed may be known by their having a close coat which turns the water off like oil, about all, a tail like an otter.” Since then, breeders, recognizing their excellent qualities, crossed Labradors with other retriever strains—with the Labrador type nearly always being dominant. Their descendants were almost always called Labradors.

By the end of the 19th century, the St. John’s Waterdog had all but disappeared, and the Labrador dogs were becoming less prominent in their native Canada due to heavy taxation. Then, to prevent the spread of nonnative diseases such as rabies, the Quarantine Act of 1895 prohibited unlicensed dogs from being imported into Britain and required a six-month quarantine. English Lab aficionados had no choice but to use the stock that they had from that point on. It was from this stock that the modern-day Labrador Retriever (as well as Flat, Golden, and Curly Coated Retrievers) was born.

Labrador Retrievers first appeared in British kennel clubs during the latter part of the 19th century. Retriever categories included the Smooth, Flat, and Curly varieties. Retrievers were eligible to compete with the variety they most resembled. By 1903, the Labrador had been established as a separate breeding strain and was granted a separate registration status. The first recorded yellow Labrador appeared in a litter in 1899. It is suspected that yellow Labradors resulted from interbreeding with dogs in the hound group, but since yellows existed when Labradors became recognized purebred dogs, the British Kennel Club recognized them. There is older documentation of liver (chocolate) St. John’s Water Dogs arriving from the breed’s country of origin when they were first imported to England. It wasn’t until World War I that the Labrador finally made its way to the United States.

Today, Labrador Retrievers are an iconic, all-around family and working dog. Their good nature, even temperament, and eagerness to learn make them ideal companions for almost any task. The breed was among the canine heroes that joined in the search for survivors and casualties of 9/11. They are everyday heroes to many people as they perform therapy work or greet their best friends at the door after a hard day of work. They are equally at home in a duck blind, riding in a farm truck, playing with children, or visiting patients in an elderly care facility or the pediatric unit of a hospital. The eyes of the Labrador Retriever have also become a dependable alternative to those without sight. Utilization as service dogs, companion dogs, and guide dogs has become commonplace for Labrador Retrievers. From its early beginning as a lesser Newfoundland or a lesser St. John’s Water Dog to its current popularity, the Labrador Retriever has inspired an incredible loyalty to the breed.