A medium-sized, sturdy, solid dog, square in appearance and Australia's most favoured breed, and any wonder, they are extremely companionable. The Labrador dog bonds with all family members, including children and babies. They also socialise well with other dogs and humans. Highly intelligent and trainable, it is their eagerness to bond and pleases people that makes this breed suitable as service dogs and for people with a disability.

HISTORY – Saint John's water dog was bred from the Newfoundland breed and a small water dog, dating back to at least the 1500s in Labrador, Canada. The British bred the Saint John's dogs with British hunting dogs to create the Labrador retriever around the 1830s. The breed varies somewhat in physical formation and character in different countries. But they all should have a short, dense waterproof coat, webbed paws, and their head ought to be broad, with ears close to the head. Eyes are kind and expressive.

PERSONALITY – 
Their character is known to be very even-tempered, fun-loving and playful; they can be boisterous when young. Some lines may be particularly energetic and agile, capable of competing in sports such as flyball and agility. Labradors are powerful swimmers, and they are able to tolerate very cold water; in Italy, they are used as canine lifeguards. They are not suitable as guard dogs, but many will bark or alert a household about a possible intruder. This breed is often used by police and customs as sniffer dogs for drugs, cash and just about anything or scent that they are trained to detect. My family had Labradors when I was young, one of them was a super guard dog, the other would let a person onto the property, but they were unable to leave until a family member arrived home: we found the dog had that person cornered and bluffed.

HEALTH – Like many large or solid dogs, the Labrador is prone to hip and elbow dysplasia. Keeping the dog trim and lean can help prevent this problem. Ear infections: it is important to dry the inside of their ears after swimming and inspect them from time to time. Labradors have the highest levels of obesity of all dogs, many are obsessed with food. Some of these dogs become fat because they have a deletion of a gene within their brain; the POMC gene, which is also a rare cause of childhood obesity. 

Chocolate coloured Labs are often more prone to skin diseases and ear problems, and their life span is decreased compared to black, yellow and white labs. This is because the chocolate colour is a recessive gene, so both parents need to be this colour to produce a chocolate litter. A likely reason, say, scientists, is a tightening genetic bottleneck caused by consumer demand, yet another reason why breeders need to be inspected and approved. The average lifespan of Labradors is about 12 years.

Pam Brandis, 
 Dip.Canine.Prac.