In the early 1800s this dog captured the interest of dog breeders in England. It seems that commercial fishermen brought them home on a trip back from Newfoundland. An Earl of Malmesbury was a pioneering breeder of this dog, and in n1887 he refers to them as “Labradors” even though he seems aware of their true place of origin. It’s uncertain why they are called Labradors.

They are related to the Newfoundland and at least one other breed, which is probably the flat-coated retriever. There’s a good chance that there are several other breeds that contributed to the Labrador’s lineage.

One of the more common jobs for the modern Labrador is that of seeing-eye dog. I’ve seen many seeing- eye dogs in training, puppies really, with the distinctive blue “jacket” warning good intentioned people from petting them. They are working dogs and busily being trained to negotiate swinging doors, escalators and the like. They are not to be distracted from their jobs! I’ve caught myself many a time just about to reach down to give them a pet.

It’s amazing how intelligent they are. They can safely lead a blind person around a busy city with grace and aplomb.

For those lab appreciators out there, these gold Labrador earrings are for you!

 

I have a 14k gold dog breed earrings home where you'll discover many nice pairs such as the fancy Maltese gold earrings.