News and Views About Canine Breeds

Northern Advocate, 25 January 1939, Page 2

News and Views About Canine Breeds

(By “THE KENNELMAN”)

The origin of the Labrador Retrie* v.ers first introduction into England seems to be generally LABRADOR attributed to fishing STANARD boats from Newfoundland plying their trade at ports in Dorsetshire, and the fishers bringing over with them dogs so powerful and strong in swimming that they attracted the notice of English sportsmen. No doubt a good deal of crossing with other breeds has taken place in the past. The original Labrador appears to have been 'a much more thickset dog than the modern Labrador, and though quality may have been gained by this crossing, there is an imminent danger of character and type being lost. Golden Labradors are coming into greater favour, and it is undoubtedly true that one finds more of those characteristic points, the otter tail and the dense coat, in this colour than the blacks.

Recently I was asked a series ot questions about the standard of the Labrador, and although no standard of points is issued the description as set down by the Labrador Retriever Club (England) is as follows: “General Appearance.—The general appearance of the Labrador should be that of a strohgly-built, short coupled.

, . . The More I Love My

very active dog/ Compared with the wavy or flat-coated retriever, he should be wider in the head, wider through the chest and ribs, wider, and stronger over the loins and hindquarters. The coat should be,close, short, dense and free from feather, ... “Head.— I The skull should be wide, giving brain room. There should be a slight stop, i.e., the brow should be slightly pronounced, so that the skull is not absolutely in a straight line with the nose. The head should be cleancut and free from fleshy cheeks. The jaws should be long and powerful, and quite free from snipiness or exaggeration in length. The nose should be wide and the nostrils well developed.

“The ears should hang moderately should be set somewhat low and not be large and heavy. The eyes should be of a medium size, expressing great intelligence and good temper, and can be brown, yellow or black.

“Neck and Chest—The neck should be long and powerful, and the shoulders long and sloping.

“The chest must bo of a good width and depth, the ribs well sprung and the loins wide and strong, stifles well turned, and the hind quarters well developed and of great power."