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"His hair, his size, his mouth, his
lugs
Shew’s he was nane o’ Scotland’s dogs
But whelpet some place far abroad,
Where sailors gang to fish for cod."
Robert Burns
Roughly translated, this description by the renowned
Scottish poet says that the hair, size, mouth and ears of the
Labrador show that it was not a Scottish breed but originated abroad
as a fisherman’s dog.
Once a Labrador gets hold of your heart
it will not let you escape.
 The
origins of the Labrador are rather obscure but two types of dog
were known in Newfoundland - a large heavy dog used to pull boats
into land and a lighter, smoother coated variety used by fisherman
to retrieve game and fish. They were both known as Newfoundland
dogs and it was not until 1812 that the larger breed was known as
Newfoundlands, and the smaller as the lesser Newfoundland or
Labrador. In 1814 Labradors were taken to England where, in a book
"Instructions to Young Sportsmen", the breed was described as "by
far the best for every kind of shooting" and in fact all who came
into contact with him sang his praises.
Very quick to learn, eager to please and a manageable
size with an easy care coat, today the Labrador is one of the most
popular breeds throughout the world and it is said that once a
Labrador gets hold of your heart it will not let you escape.
An adaptable and devoted companion with a kindly
nature Labradors easily adopt the role of children’s playmate or
elderly persons pet.
The keenness to learn and willingness to please make
the Labrador an ideal choice as a guide dog for the blind. The
puppies are placed with a family for the first twelve months of
their life and then return to the Guide Dog School for an intensive
training course. After graduation the dog is matched with a
compatible owner and devotes itself to the safety of its owner. When
working the dogs wear a harness which allows them to communicate
their movements to their handler. When wearing the harness the dog
assumes a responsible and serious attitude but when the harness is
removed he behaves as any other well trained family pet. The guide
dog learns to respond to commands to take its owner to various
venues, such as the bank, or to train stations or bus stops where
they will safely guide the owner on to the vehicle and then
unobtrusively curl up under the seat for the journey. Guide dogs are
permitted access to all public transport, including taxis, and also
to shops and restaurants.
The excellent sense of smell possessed by Labradors,
coupled with their eagerness and agility, makes them suitable as
bomb detection or drug sniffer dogs. These dogs are trained to
detect certain substances and, by their behaviour, alert their
handlers. To the dog it is all one big game of "hide and seek",
although in the case of bomb detection dogs they save many lives.
Although the Labrador is commonly referred to as the
"golden" Labrador, the colour is officially called "yellow" and
ranges from light cream through to a red fox shade. Other
permissible colours are black, liver or chocolate. A small white
spot on the chest is allowed. The coat is a distinctive feature -
short, dense without wave or feathering and with a fairly hard feel
and a weather resistant undercoat. The tail is very thick at the
base, of medium length and gradually tapering to the tip, densely
coated with short, thick hair giving a characteristic "otter" tail.
The head is broad with medium sized brown eyes expressing
intelligence and good temper and ears hanging close to the head.
A strongly built dog with a broad and deep chest ,the
ideal height is 56 -57 cms for males, 54 -56 cms for females.
Source:
www.petnet.com.au |
