Dog Breed Guide
Labrador Retriever
Profile
- Size
- Large
- Country of origin
- United Kingdom
- Origin
- 19th century
- Bred for
- Retrieving, Guide dog, Assistance dog
- Height
- male 57 - 62cm (22 - 24in), female 55 - 60cm (22 - 24in)
- Weight
- male 29 - 36kg (64 - 79lb), female 25 - 32kg (55 - 71lb)
- Life span
- 11 - 13 years
A solidly built dog with a short, dense, water-resistant coat and a thick "otter tail" that tapers from a broad base. The tail acts as a rudder when swimming. It comes in three colors, black, yellow and chocolate, and has webbing between its toes.
The Labrador is cheerful and friendly and loves doing things with people. It is intelligent and eager for praise, so it learns quickly, and it works in a wide range of jobs, from guide and assistance dog to search and rescue and drug detection. In many countries most guide dogs are Labradors or Labrador and Golden Retriever crosses.
Labradors love to eat and put on weight easily, so careful portion control and plenty of daily exercise are essential. They are excellent swimmers and enjoy water games and fetch more than anything.
Good to know
There is a scientific reason why Labradors are such gluttons. In 2016 a research team at the University of Cambridge found that about one in four Labradors carries a gene variant that makes it harder to feel full. The variant is even more common in guide and assistance dogs, and researchers think the trait of working hard for food rewards may be part of what makes them so easy to train.
The breed's ancestor was the St. John's water dog of Newfoundland, an island in eastern Canada, which plunged into the icy sea to retrieve fish that slipped out of fishermen's nets. In the 19th century British aristocrats brought these dogs home and developed them into retrievers for bird shooting.
On the American Kennel Club's list of most popular breeds, the Labrador holds the unmatched record of 31 straight years at number one, from 1991 to 2021. It handed the top spot to the French Bulldog in 2022 but remains one of the most popular dogs in the country.