It is a medium-sized dog, with a robust and muscular body, neither puny nor fat, with drooping ears and dark, brown or hazel eyes.

Poil : short and dense, black, yellow or brown in color.

Size (height at the withers): 53 to 59 cm for males and 51 to 58 cm for females.

Weight : from 25 to 30 kg.

Classification FCI : N°122.

According to legend, the Labrador is the result of the union of an otter with a Newfoundland dog, somewhere on this island off the coast of the province of Labrador, Canada. He would actually have for ancestor the dog of Saint-John (capital of Newfoundland) who left at sea to assist the fishermen and did not hesitate to jump into the icy sea to bring back the fish and the material passed by. on board. Fishermen brought it back to England at the beginning of the 1903th century and immediately the English aristocracy saw in this dog qualities to be exploited for hunting. Multiple crossings were made with local hunting dogs during this century and the British Kennel club recognized the breed thus created in 1911. The founding of the French Labrador Club followed shortly in XNUMX.

His calm, friendly, loyal and energetic temperament is legendary. The Labrador is patient with humans, young and old. He is intelligent, attentive and eager to learn and to serve. These qualities make him a working dog capable of assisting disabled people (visually impaired, for example), participating in rescue operations (avalanche or rubble search) and police thanks to his highly developed sense of smell.

This breed does not present any major health problem specific to it. Labrador life expectancy measured by different studies ranges from 10 to 12 years. In a large survey of nearly 7 Labradors, the British Kennel Club recorded an average lifespan of 000 years and 10 months and a median age at death of 3 years (meaning that half of the dogs lived in – beyond this age). (11) According to the same study, two-thirds of dogs did not have any disease and their main cause of death was old age, ahead of cancer and heart disease. The most common disease was lipoma, a benign fat tumor, usually located just under the skin in the stomach and thighs, followed by osteoarthritis, elbow dysplasia, skin conditions and hip dysplasia. .

12% of Labradors in the United States suffer from hip dysplasia, which particularly affects large dog breeds, estimates theOrthopedic Foundation for Animals. Other hereditary orthopedic conditions are observed, such as elbow dysplasia and patella dislocation. (2)

The Labrador Retriever Club of Great Britain is particularly concerned about the increase in the prevalence of certain skin cancers in the breed and seeks to identify the hereditary genetic mutations involved: Mastocytomas (the most common skin tumor, including aggressiveness is very variable, from mild to very aggressive), Melanoma (rarer) and Soft tissue sarcomas (or anaplastic sarcomas). All of these tumors are treated with excisional surgery to remove the tumor. This is combined with chemotherapy / radiotherapy when total resection is not possible.

To have a Labrador in good physical and mental health, you need a (fenced) garden in which he can spend several hours a day. This dog is intelligent enough, however, to adapt to city life (his owner will then have to find a park near his home). True to its origins, the Labrador loves to swim and snort in water. This dog is very receptive to education and training.