Black Labrador Retrievers: The Most Popular Dog in the World

The whole world loves black Labrador retrievers, and why not? They are gentle, affectionate, loyal, and intelligent. Labs are perfect as a child’s companion or as a working dog. There are figures to back up the claim of the Lab’s worldwide popularity. According to registered ownership, the Labrador Retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the world. This means more people own registered Labrador Retrievers than any other breed. Since 1991 Labs have been top dog in the United States and are also the most popular dog in the United Kingdom.

Labs are beautiful dogs who grow to a relatively large size. The average male Labrador weighs anywhere from 65-80 pounds and the female between 55 and 75 pounds. Although there are exceptions to the rule. In England, Labs are bred to be more of a medium size dog. Shorter and stockier than the American Labs who are bred to be taller and lighter built dogs. The black Labrador retriever has a short, dense, water-repellent coat. They usually shed twice a year, but dogs living in warmer climates tend to shed throughout the year. There are three accepted colors: black Labrador retriever, yellow Labrador retriever, and chocolate Labrador retriever. One of the distinctive features of Labradors is their “otter” tail and webbed feet that make them great swimmers.

The first black Labrador retriever came from the island of Newfoundland. Today this area is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Their early ancestors were the St. John’s Water Dog. The black Labrador retriever and the Newfoundland came from this breed. The St. John’s area was populated by English and Irish, many of whom were fishermen. They used the St. John’s dogs to pull the fishing nets into shore. Some of these dogs were brought back to England and found to be valuable sporting and waterfowl hunting dogs. Two dogs named Avon and Ned, who lived in the 1880′s, are believed to be the ancestors of all modern Labs.

Not only is the black Labrador retriever an excellent family pet, their intelligence and good temperament make them valuable as working dogs. Labs are best known for their use as hunting dogs, especially as retrievers of waterfowl. They also are excellent trackers and are trained as search and rescue dogs. The majority of guide dogs in the United States are Labrador Retrievers with Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds coming in second and third.

There are few breeds of dogs that can compare to the black Labrador retriever. With their intelligence, gentle temperament, and usefulness to humans, they are truly remarkable dogs.