LABRADOR FACTS 2022: THESE ARE 10 OF THE BEST FACTS ABOUT THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR DOG – THE LOVING LABRADOR RETRIEVER

One dog that often appears at the top of people’s canine wishlists is the Labrador Retrieve.

Here are 10 fun and interesting facts about the breed.

1. A noble ancestry

The Labrador Retriever’s ancestors were the now-extinct St John’s Water Dog. These were a common breed in the Newfoundland area of Canada, where they were used by fishermen to retrieve ropes, nets, and even fish, from the cold waters of the North Atlantic. It’s a skill that is still innate in modern Labs, who can happily spend hours collecting sticks thrown into the sea.

2. A record breaker

The average Labrador Retriever lives for 10-12 years, but some dogs have lived much longer. The oldest Lab on record was called Adjutant, who died in the UK on August 14, 1936, at the age of 27 years and 98 days. Only four dogs have ever lived longer.

3. The first Labrador

The first Labrador Retriever was born in the UK at some point in the 1830s when St John’s Water Dogs arrived in Britain on trading ships sailing between Canada and the port of Poole. Several members of the nobility, including the Earl of Malmesbury, the Duke of Buccleuch, and the Earl of Home bred them with hunting dogs to create the new breed.

4. A very good boy

Labradors are highly-intelligent, a trait exemplified by a service dog called Endal who found fame in the UK in the 2000s. Endal was able to respond to over 100 instructions and could carry out a large number of tasks for his owner – including picking items from supermarket shelves, operating buttons and switches, loading and emptying a washing machine, and withdrawing cash from an autoteller.

5. A real lifesaver

Labradors have such a sensitive sense of smell they can detect when a person’s blood sugar levels are crashing so can give early warning of a diabetic episode. The first dog to do so was called Armstrong, and he was trained to smell the chemical changes that happen when hypoglycemia occurs in 2003.

6. Cover star

The first dog to appear on the cover of Life magazine was a black Lab called ‘Blind of Arden’ in 1938. He was owned by Averell Harriman, who would become the 48th Governor of New York, and featured in the magazine after winning the title of ‘Number 1 US Retriever’ at a major American dog show.

7. Designed to swim

It’s no wonder that Labrador Retrievers are such great swimmers – they have webbed feet perfect for powering them through the water. They are also handy in cold climates as they act as snowshoes, stopping the dog’s feet from sinking into the snow.

8. Lifestyles of the rich and the famous

Celebrity Labrador owners include Drew Barrymore (Flossie), Bill Clinton (Buddy), Minnie Driver (Bubba), Mary Kate Olsen (Luca), Gwyneth Paltrow (Holden), Steve Martin (Roger), Anne Hathaway (Esmerelda) and Hulk Hogan (Rosello).

9. War heroes

A total of five Labrador Retrievers have received the PDSA’s Dickin Medal – the highest award any animal can receive whilst serving in military conflict, equivalent to the Victoria Cross. Most recently a Labrador called Sasha was posthumously awarded the medal in May 2014 for “outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty while assigned to 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, in Afghanistan 2008”.

10. Not such a good boy

A black Labrador called Pep served 10 years in jail in the US state of Pennsylvania after killing a cat belonging to Governor Gifford Pinchot’s wife.