Wick's Silver Labs
About Labrador Retrievers
Other Names — Labrador, Lab
Dog Group Kennel Club — Gundog
Breed Classification — Labradors belong to the gundog group and are used as companions, in field trials, assistance dogs (hearing and sight), gundogs and seen in the show-ring.
Average Food Cost — $12 to $17 per week
Feeding Requirements — Labradors are not fussy eaters and, as such, need not be expensive to feed. They are greedy dogs and therefore care must be taken to ensure they do not get the chance to raid the rubbish bin! Careful watch over their diet is a must as they are prone to obesity.
Lifespan — 9 - 15 years. Labs usually live for 12 to 14 years.
Average Litter Size — Litters can vary from 4 to 14 puppies, the average being 8.
General Physical Description — Labs are very active, strongly built dogs with good bone and substance. Their heads are broad with soft, intelligent eyes. They have a double coat: the undercoat being weather-resistant and the outer coat being short and dense with no feathering. Their tails are totally unique being 'otter' like and their movement is straight and true both front and back, covering the ground freely.
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Size Category — Medium
Weight Height Range — Bitches measure 21 to 22 inches at the withers, dogs about 22 inches. Bitches weigh around 62 pounds and dogs around 66 pounds.
History — The breed originated not in Labrador, but on the coast of Newfoundland in the 17th century. They were trained to bring in the fishing-nets through the icy waters for the fishermen and, in the early 19th century, were brought to Poole Harbour in Great Britain. These dogs were short-limbed, sturdy swimmers with short dense coats and an otter-like tail. They were so attractive that the fishermen had umpteen offers from Englishmen to buy them. The breed was instantly successful as a gundog. The Earl of Malmesbury was fascinated by these dogs, known at that time as Saint John's breed of water dogs and he started breeding them, calling them Labrador dogs. A heavy dog tax in Canada and the new quarantine laws in Great Britain caused a great reduction in the breed, limiting further breeding to be done without any more imports. Thankfully the ones already in Britain were of excellent quality and in the hands of serious breeders. The Kennel Club of Great Britain first recognised the breed in 1907
Intelligence — Intelligent dogs, Labradors are easily trained, making them ideal for use in field sports, obedience competitions, as search dogs, as guide dogs and as hearing dogs. These dogs take a great pleasure in any of these activities.
Show Characteristics — The skull should be wide with a defined stop with powerful jaws and a wide nose. The teeth should also be strong with a complete scissor bite. Medium-sized eyes should express intelligence and good temper in either brown or hazel colouration. The ears should not be heavy or large and hang close to the head. The neck should be clean, strong and powerful set into well-placed, long and sloping shoulders. The chest should be a good width and depth with a level topline. The forelegs should be well-boned and straight and the hindquarters well-developed. The feet should be round and compact with well developed pads and well-arched toes. The tail is the distinctive feature, being very thick towards the base, amply covered in short and dense coat with no feathering.
Energy — High
Overall Exercise — Adult Dogs less than 2 hours per day. Labs will adapt quite readily to the amount of time you can allocate for their exercise but do remember they should be given quite a reasonable amount. They love fairly long walks with a chance to run and play off the lead. They adore retrieving and water, so do take care when near the latter to ensure their safety. They will adapt to town living but come into their own in rural surroundings.Labrador Puppies should be exercised with care
Distress Caused If Left Alone — Medium
Personal Protection — Low
Suitablility As A Guard Dog — Low
Tendency To Bark — Medium
Ease Of Transportation — High
Level Of Aggression — Low
Compatibility With Other Animals — High
Suitability For Children — High
General Characteristic And Temperament — This breed is definitely in the top three when it comes to choosing a family pet! They are friendly, good-natured dogs who are affectionate with everyone. They are adaptable dogs and are naturally social animals. They bond well with children, being patient and forgiving. Other household animals are not at risk. They are extremely loyal and love to be included in all aspects of family life. They will bark to draw your attention to strangers but will welcome them with open arms.
Coat Length — Short/Medium
Grooming Requirement — Once a week. Their coats are easy to maintain. The coat is thick and dense with a weather-resistant undercoat. Brush them once a week with more attention during moulting.
Silver labs are registered as chocolate labs. Following is the AKC stand on registration of silver labradors:
Response of Jack Norton of the AKC on 1/24/00 giving AKC official position on the issue of Silver Labs.
"The registry of the American Kennel Club is based on parentage and not the coat color of a member of any breed.
In 1987 the AKC, in corporation with the Labrador Retriever Club of America, conducted an inquiry into the breeding of litters that contained members that were registered as silver. An AKC representative was sent to observe these dogs. The report and color photographs of these dogs were reviewed by AKC staff and representatives of the Labrador Retriever Club of America. Both Parties were satisfied that there was no reason to doubt that the dogs were purebred Labrador Retrievers, however they felt that the dogs were incorrectly registered as silver. Since the breed standard at the time described chocolate as ranging in shade form sedge to chocolate, it was felt that the dogs could more accurately be described as chocolate rather than silver. This remains the current policy of the American Kennel Club."
Jack Norton
Special Services Dept