Labrador History

F nom Newfoundland Island. the Labrador was bred to help fishermen collect fish that fell out of the fishnets. The Labrador was first brought to England in the early 19th century on a ship carrying salted codfish. With its strong sense of smell, the Labrador proved to be an excellent military dog and first served as a mine detector during the war, then as a guide dog and police dog. A strongly built, short coupled dog standing on good legs and feet, the modem Labrador is active and has great powers of endurance. In type he is very different from the Rat-coated Retriever, his head being broader, chest wider, ribs more sprung and stronger over loins and hind quarters. The coat is also short, dense, free from wave, with a weather resisting undercoat, and all together distinctive. The wide skull offers plenty of room for the brain. There is a slight stop, and the head is clean cut without any fleshiness of cheeks. The jaws are long, powerful, and devoid of either snippiness or of exaggeration in length. The eye maybe brown or hazel. Neck long and powerful. Shoulders long and sloping. Chest should be of good width and depth. The tail is very characteristic, having a peculiar rounded appearance, from which it is known as an "otter" tail. Thick towards the base it gradually tapers to the tip, is of medium length, and has practically no feathering, but is clothed thickly all round with a short, dense coat. The height should be between 21.5 and 22.5 inches.