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Sunday 6 December 2015

Labrador Retriever

The foundational breed of the Labrador retriever, the St. John's water dog originated in Newfoundland (not Labrador) in the 16th century. These dogs were trained to bring in the fishing nets from the icy waters for the fishermen and used by hunters to retrieve waterfowl. The breed gradually died out in Newfoundland because of a heavy dog tax and strict quarantine laws.

The first St. John's dog was said to be brought to England around 1820; They were named Labrador Retrievers because they "retrieved" in the Labrador Sea or simply Labrador to distinguish them from the larger Newfoundland breed, By 1870 the name Labrador Retriever had become common in England.


The first dog to appear on the cover of Life Magazine was a Labrador Retriever called ‘Blind of Arden’ in the December 12, 1938 issue. Blind of Arden, had won the #1 US retriever stake of the year on the previous month,  A stylish black Labrador Retriever, he had been trained for hunting ever since he could stumble into the field. He lived on the big estate of his owner, W. Averell Harriman, near Tuxedo, New York, where he practiced on live pheasants for half an hour each day with his handler, Jasper Briggs.

Led Zeppelin named their hit song "Black Dog" because a large black labrador walked into the studio during its recording.

During his time at the White House, Bill Clinton had a pet Labrador retriever, Buddy.

The English actor Rupert Everett Bought a home in Los Angeles for his dog's sake. His beloved black Labrador, Moise, was suffering from painful arthritis, so the actor relocated to the city in order for his beloved pet to heal. Everett even turned down a role on the London stage, because it meant having to have his dog quarantined for six months.

Lucky and Flo were a pair of Labrador retrievers who were trained to detect optical discs by scent as part of an initiative to combat film piracy. In March 2007 the two dogs were sent to Malaysia to help sniff out DVDs, and after a raid they were targeted by DVD pirates and a bounty was put on their heads.

Knowing that Angela Merkel is afraid of dogs, Vladimir Putin brought his black Labrador to a meeting he had with her in 2007.

The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog breed in the US, followed by the German Shepherd and Beagle.


The average labrador will weigh between four and six stone.

There are three recognized colors for the breed - yellow, black and chocolate - and more than one color of puppy can come from the same litter.

The Labrador likes water and has a unique otter-like tail, which they use like a rudder when they swim.

Source Daily Mail

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