History of the Labrador
History of the Labradors Retriever
They came from Newfoundland Canada and came from the well Newfoundland. During the 1800's people were using newfoundlands as fishing dogs but they were so large and furry they simply bred a smaller version of the Newfoundland and they used the Labrador more. Unfortunally the Labrador was dying out and was shipped out to great Brittan. There they were used still for fishing dogs but not as much back in Canada they were used more as hunting dogs for small or medium sized birds. Before the 1900s people discovered the friendly and playful side of this breed and they quickly became very, very popular.
And more than a hundred years later they are now recognized as the most affectionate and popular breed. today there job as fishing dogs is possibly extinct and are now used for companionship, watch dog, police dogs, and still used for hunting dogs.
The Labrador Retriever (also Labrador, or Lab for short) is one of several kinds of retriever, a type of gun dog. A breed characteristic is webbed paws for swimming, useful for the breed's original purpose of retrieving fishing nets. This and their subsequent use as hunting companions, gave them the name retriever. The dogs of this breed are very loving, kind and compassionate to their masters. The Labrador is the most popular breed of dog (by registered ownership) in the world, and is, by a large margin, the most popular breed by registration in Canada, the United States (since 1991), and the United Kingdom. It is also the most popular breed of assistance dog in Canada, the United States, Australia, United Kingdom and many other countries, as well as being widely used by police and other official bodies for their detection and working abilities. Typically, Labradors are athletic, and love to swim, play catch and retrieve games, and are good with young children.
Historical landmarks
The first written reference to the breed was in 1814 ("Instructions to Young Sportsmen" by Colonel Peter Hawker), the first painting in 1823 ("Cora. A Labrador Bitch" by Edwin Landseer), and the first photograph in 1856 (the Earl of Home's dog "Nell", described both as a Labrador and a St. Johns Water dog). By 1870 the name Labrador Retriever became common in England. The first yellow Labrador on record was born in 1899 (Ben of Hyde, kennels of Major C.J. Radclyffe), and the breed was recognised by the Kennel Club in 1903. The first American Kennel Club (AKC) registration was in 1917. The chocolate Labrador emerged in the 1930s, although liver spotted pups were documented being born at the Buccleuch kennels in 1892. The St. John's Water dog survived until the early 1980s, the last two individuals being photographed in old age around 1981.
History of subtypes
By the 1880s a limited breeding programme was underway in Britain. All Labradors were black until 1892 when the Duke of Buccleuch bred the first liver coloured Labs though the first real chocolate’s wouldn’t appear in any number until the 1930s. The first yellow Lab, the legendary Ben of Hyde, was born in 1899. I suppose the history of the Labrador Retriever officially began in 1903 when the breed was recognised by English Kennel Club with the American Kennel Club following suit in 1917.
Yellow and chocolate pups, would occasionally appear (although often culled), until finally gaining acceptance in the 20th century.
The first recognised yellow Labrador was Ben of Hyde, born 1899, and chocolate labs became more established in the 1930s.
Ben of Hyde (b.1899), the first recognized yellow Labrador.
Yellow (and related shades)
In the early years of the breed through to the mid-20th century, Labradors of a shade we would now call "yellow" were in fact a dark, almost butterscotch, colour (visible in early yellow Labrador photographs). The shade was known as "Golden" until required to be changed by the UK Kennel Club, on the grounds that "Gold" was not actually a colour. Over the 20th century a preference for far lighter shades of yellow through to cream prevailed, until today most yellow labs are of this shade.
Interest in the darker shades of gold and fox red were re-established by English breeders in the 1980s, and three dogs were instrumental in this change: Balrion King Frost (black, born approx. 1976) who consistently sired "very dark yellow" offspring and is credited as having "the biggest influence in the re-development of the fox red shade", and his great-grandson, the likewise famous Wynfaul Tabasco (b.1986), described as "the father of the modern fox red Labrador", and the only modern fox red Show Champion in the UK. Other dogs, such as Red Alert and Scrimshaw Placido Flamingo, are also credited with passing on the genes into more than one renowned bloodline.
Chocolate labradors
Jack Vanderwyk traces the origins of all Chocolate labradors listed on the Labrador Net database (some 34,000 Labrador dogs of all shades) to eight original bloodlines. However, the shade was not seen as a distinct colour until the 20th century; before then according to Vanderwyk, such dogs can be traced but were not registered. A degree of crossbreeding with Flat coat or Chesapeake Bay retrievers was also documented in the early 20th century, prior to recognition. Chocolate labradors were also well established in the early 20th century at the kennels of the Earl of Feversham, and Lady Ward of Chiltonfoliat.
The bloodlines as traced by Vanderwyk each lead back to three black Labradors in the 1880s—Buccleuch Avon (m), and his sire and dam, Malmesbury Tramp, and Malmesbury June. Morningtown Tobla is also named as an important intermediary, and according to the studbook of Buccleuch Kennels, the chocolates in that kennel came through FTW Peter of Faskally (1908).
Use as working dogs
Labradors are a very popular selection for use as guide dogs.
Labradors are an intelligent breed with a good work ethic and generally good temperaments (breed statistics show that 91.5% of Labradors who were tested passed the American Temperament Test.) Common working roles for Labradors include: hunting, tracking and detection (they have a great sense of smell which helps when working in these areas), disabled-assistance, carting, and therapy work. Approximately 60–70% of all guide dogs in Canada are Labradors; other common breeds are Golden Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs.
The high intelligence, initiative and self-direction of Labradors in working roles is exemplified by dogs such as Endal, who during a 2001 emergency placed an unconscious human being in the recovery position, retrieved his mobile phone from beneath the car, fetched a blanket and covered him, barked at nearby dwellings for assistance, and then ran to a nearby hotel to obtain help. A number of Labradors have also been taught to assist their owner in removing money and credit cards from ATMs with prior training.
Photos of the first Labrador's can be found if you type in http://www.labrador-retriever-guide.com /historyofthelabradorretriever.html Nell was the earlist ever photo of a Labrador in 1856. HE HAD WHITE FEET AND MUZZLE.
Ben of Hide was the first yellow Labrador in1899.
I got this info from a site on Google, if you would like to reed more on the history of the Labrador just type this into Google.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever#Early_descriptions
Contact Details
Amanda SmithDubbo / Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Phone : 0428949110
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