Herzhund Labradors
Herzhund Labradors
Breed Information
The Labrador Retriever comes in 3 standard colours; Black, Chocolate / Liver and Yellow (ranging from light cream to fox red)
The Labrador Retriver often referred and abbreviated to simply a Labrador or Lab, belong to the Gun Dog Family
The Labrador is currently one of the most popular and recognisable dog breeds in the western world, often ranking number 1 in many countries
Males 56 - 57cm
Males 25 - 35kg
They should be strong, short coupled, very active, broad and deep through the chest and ribs, and broad and strong over the loins and hindquarters. Eyes should be medium in size and brown or hazel in colour. Ears should not be to large or heavy and should hang close to the head. They have a double coat which helps to repel water making them great water dogs
A Labrador should be intelligent, keen and adaptable, with a strong will to please. They should be kind in nature with no trace of aggression. They should be confident with no signs of any undue shyness. They should have a soft mouth, have a keen love of water and be a devoted companion
The Labrador name is misleading as they do not originate from Labrador like many presume, but Newfoundland. In the 1800s Newfoundland dogs were bred with smaller water dogs to produce the St. Johns Water Dogs. These smaller dogs looked a lot like the current Labradors we have today, however they had white muzzles and white paws. The St. Johns Water dog eventually disappeared from existence, but it served well as the ancestor to our modern day Labrador Retriever. Historically the original Labrador earnt their keep in Newfoundland as fishermans helpers and duck retrievers.
Regardless of the colour of both parents in a mating, a single litter can include all three colours yellow, black and chocolate. It is also possible to have 2 of the same colour parents yet all puppies be an entirely different colour to their mother and father . The gene that causes the pigmentation in coat colours will vary depending on which dog is mating with which and what DNA they have. If your dogs are DNA tested this is something you can as a breeder get a fairy good idea on what colour puppies will be produced in each litter, however it is never a guarantee.