Labrador Retriever

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History/Origin
Largely considered to have made its mark on Newfoundland island and Labrador provinces in Canada, the Labrador Retriever, or simply Labrador, was thought to be direct descendants of St. John's Water Dog. The so-called ancestor is unfortunately now extinct. The Earl of Malmesbury named the dog Labrador so that it can be distinguished from its ancestor. Prior to this, the dog breed was called St. John's Dog.

Another account said that the term Labrador was of Spanish origin, to refer to agricultural or rural workers, the word Labrador literally interpreted to mean "worker" and also to refer to the Portuguese town of Castro Laboreiro where the native herd dogs show close resemblance to the dog breed.

Description
One striking feature of the Labrador is the fact that its ears are usually floppy. In line with the aforementioned facet, it also sports an impressive coat, which is usually only of three general types, namely, black, chocolate, and yellow. When a Labrador comes out as having yellow coat, most likely, every inch of its body covering will be yellow. Ditto for the other Labrador colors, although there may be slight variations. Chocolate, for instance, may come anywhere from dark to light chocolate.

The chest, however, may sometimes show a white spot, although this is usually not large enough to cause any major disruption in a given coat color. In any case, Labrador has water-repellent coats, making the breed good candidates for swimming tutorials.

Temperament
Labrador Retriever makes very a good house dog as it is famous for being very mellow and gentle. It generally gets along well with children, regardless of the age. Unlike other breeds, Labrador Retrievers do not show too much authoritarianism, aggression, insecurity, hypersensitivity, destructiveness, and other difficult behavior.

Other good qualities thatthe Labrador is famous for include being teachable and always wanting to please its master. However, it may also exhibit inclination to athletic activities, especially if it is bred to work in farms. Typically, the Labrador is a good retriever (hence the name) and has been used extensively in many search and detection works -- credentials that prove just how good and effective the breed is in performing tasks that can help man in his day-to-day activities.