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Colorado Working Dog Pages |
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Labrador Retrievers |
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The Labrador Retriever is a very popular and versatile
breed. The Labrador can be seen hunting, as drug dogs, bomb
detection dogs, service dogs, and competing in field trials, hunting
tests, agility, obedience, tracking, flyball, and conformation.
Labradors truly excel in field trial and hunting test competitions.
Almost every National Champion, National Amateur Champion, high point
derby dog, high point amateur dog, and high point open dog is a lab.
Watching a top lab in the field is similar to watching an intense border
collie herd sheep - truly amazing!
Over the years, labs have drifted into two general types - show and field. Show labs are bred for conformation and tend to be heavier boned, broader in the head, and heavier bodied. Field labs are bred for performance and are generally more athletic appearing. This doesn't mean that show labs can't compete in performance events and it doesn't mean that all field labs are ugly. But, if your goal is to compete successfully in conformation competitions, you won't be happy with a field lab. Similarly, if you want to compete in field trials and high level hunting test competitions, most show labs won't fit the bill. Labs can have several health issues, primarily: hip
dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy (eyes), retinal
folds (eyes), hypothyroidism, epilepsy, and dwarfism. You can reduce
your chances of buying a dog with health issues if you buy from
responsible breeders who have their dogs screened by OFA (hips & elbows)
and CERF (eyes). Both OFA and CERF have online databases where you
can verify certification by dogs' names or registration numbers. |
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