The Labrador Retriever was originally referred to as the St. John's dog & Newfoundland dog. It is speculated that the Greater Newfoundland dog and the French St. Hubert's dog contributed to the cross that brought about the original St. John's dog. The Labrador is the traditional waterdog of Newfoundland, Canada. The Earl of Malmesbury was the first to refer to a 'Labrador'. In 1887 he wrote, referring to his Labrador Dogs. The Territory of Labrador is Northwest of Newfoundland. In the 19th century people referred to the whole land mass by one designation, and to Labradors as dogs from that area. Labradors were first used as duck retrievers and fisherman’s working offsides by English fisherman who had settled in Newfoundland in the early 1500's. The breed development coincided with the advancement of the fishing vocation . The English migrant fisherman in Newfoundland used the St John's dog to retrieve fish and to drag fishing lines through the water. They were considered to be "workaholics" and enjoyed their retrieving work in the fishing environment.
Labradors would work long hours with the fisherman in the cold waters, then be brought home to play with the fisherman's children. Both chocolate and golden labradors have been identified in the original St. John's dogs from the Newfoundland.
The breed were first noticed by English aristocrats visiting Canada in the early 19th century. These gentry returned to England with fine specimens of the early labrador breed. In 1807 a ship called Canton transported some St. John's dogs intended for Poole, England, as breeding stock for the Duke of Malmesbury's Labrador Kennel. The Canton shipwrecked and two dogs, one black and one chocolate, were found and believed to have become part of the breeding program that produced the 'Chesapeake Retriever'. The recessive colors the yellow/golden and chocolate appeared in early litters from time to time. As part of the earliest breeding programs these were regarded as 'off colours' were usually culled'. English breeders standardised the breed characteristics during the 2nd half of the 19th century. The Labrador Retriever breed was first recognised by the England Kennel Club in 1903 and by the AKC in USA in 1917.
Trainability
Chocolate Labradors are very eager to please which means that they are very trainable. And their retrieving abilities make them ideal as hunting and sporting dogs. Labradors will often work beyond their physical abilities. In warm conditions, they may overheat and become exhausted.
The obvious physical and temperament breed characteristics remind us of the Labrador's original purpose. Their short thick weather-resistant coat was preferable because the coat of the longhaired retriever was iced as it was coming out of the water. In its ancestral homeland, a Labrador accompanied a fishing boat to retrieve the fish that came off the catch. The Labrador’s natural instincts as a retriever, with a coat suited to the cold waters of the North Atlantic made them the ideal working dog.
The Labrador's thick, tapering, 'otter tail' is a powerful rudder that helps them swim and turn. The otter tail is a clear breed characteristic along with their famous temperament. The chocolate labrador is energetic, outgoing with a friendly nature and very eager to please. Under normal conditions (the absence of abuse) labradors are not aggressive towards humans and other dogs or animals. The Labrador's popularity can be attributed to their temperament, intelligence and adaptability making them the ideal working dog, sport dog and family pet.
Since 1991 the labrador has had the highest number AKC registrations and has been America’s favourite breed since then. In 2019, labradors are the most popular breed of dog in Australia.
Show Labradors and Working Labradors
'Show Labradors' are referred to as 'English Labradors'. 'Working / Field’ Labradors are referred to as 'American Labradors'. The 1960s was the beginning of the popularity of the chocolate labradors, in the show ring, as working dogs, as sport dogs and as pets.
The Labrador Breed has a dense, short coat that repels water and provides great insulation to the cold and to water. Labradors come in 3 colors; black, yellow and chocolate. In Australia, the Golden Labrador is the most well known however, this colour has the most recorded breed specific problems. This may have been promoted by the long term over use of 'inbreeding' to produce 'true to type features'.
Across all 3 colours, 'Show Labradors' - (English Labradors) are more heavily built, slower and physically less agile than their ‘Working Bred’ counterparts.
English (Show) Chocolate Labradors can grow to 50kg without being fat while American (Working) Chocolate Labrador Retrievers are a lighter body weight and very agile.
American Working Chocolate Labradors have a more intense ‘retrieve and prey drive’ than the 'English' show bred variety. They are physically faster with a more athletic build. These American Chocolate Labradors are more ‘sensitive’ and responsive to training. The 'Working Chocolate Labrador' is very eager to please and more dependent upon their handlers approval. The more serious nature of the American Chocolate Labrador doesn’t necessarily mean that they are more intelligent but they are certainly less distractible, more focused and therefore easier to train.
With Chocolate Labradors, the difference in the temperament, behaviour and trainability within the American Working Labrador variety is a feature of 'blood lines' and studious breeding rather than colour.
Breeding at Pawlinglabs
At Pawling Labradors our chocolate labradors are predominately from American working lines.
Some of our Chocolate Labradors are darker than others. However the variations between individuals are small.
Of the 3 colours, Chocolate Labradors are the least likely to have degenerative joint disease or dental problems. As a breeder, I have never seen or heard of a Chocolate Labrador with any kind of skeletal problem where studious 'outcross breeding' was employed. Working labradors historically. have 'outcross breed vigour' which progressively eliminates the recessive factors that produce faults. This is true for all 3 colours if 'outcross breeding' rather than 'inbreeding' is employed.
Outcross Breeding of chocolate labrador retrievers is the practice of mating two labradors with no common ancestors for 4 generations of pedigree. The genes, including recessive genes affecting the progeny are concentrated in the first four generations.
Outcrossing brings into the specific labrador pedigree, characteristics that are not obviously present in the line. Outcrossing builds strength into the pedigree and it reduces the concentration of faults promoted by homozygous recessive genes. Outcrossing promotes vigor, disease resistance, skeletal strength and promotes fertility. Outbreeding reduces the effect of inbreeding depression (apathy), eye / retinal disease, skin, intestinal, vital organ and skeletal issues.
Outcross breeding produces labrador puppies which are genetically dominant and meet high labrador breed standards.
'Working Chocolate Labradors' are usually 'outcross bred' with the goal of promoting vigour and robustness rather the 'show dog features'.