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CLEAR ALLThe Labrador Retriever is a well-loved dog breed around the world. In fact, it has consistently been one of the top breeds as family pets in the United Kingdom for decades. These gentle dogs are outgoing and always keen to please their families. They are very intelligent and highly trainable, which is why they tend to thrive in environments where they can work alongside their human companion in the field.
This dog breed originated on the island of Newfoundland, off the northeastern Atlantic coast of Canada. Initially called the St. John's dog, after Newfoundland's capital city, they were bred to aid local fishermen in hauling nets, fetching ropes, and retrieving fish that had escaped their nets. These dogs generally excel in and around water because of their alertness and excellent water-resistant coats.
The affectionate and highly intelligent Labrador Retriever is America's number one breed, registered with the American Kennel Club. Bred and produced for sport, they are incredibly muscular and athletic. They also have short, easy-care coats, friendly characters, keen intelligence, and plenty of energy. Labrador Retrievers are loving, people-oriented dogs who continue to serve their families and owners. They love participating in canine sports and shine at other activities such as guide and assistant dogs.
Today, most Labrador Retrievers skip the hard labour and spend their days being spoiled and loved by their owners. However, some still serve as vital working dogs.
The Labrador Retriever is a well-loved dog breed around the world. In fact, it has consistently been one of the top breeds as family pets in the United Kingdom for decades. These gentle dogs are outgoing and always keen to please their families. They are very intelligent and highly trainable, which is why they tend to thrive in environments where they can work alongside their human companion in the field.
This dog breed originated on the island of Newfoundland, off the northeastern Atlantic coast of Canada. Initially called the St. John's dog, after Newfoundland's capital city, they were bred to aid local fishermen in hauling nets, fetching ropes, and retrieving fish that had escaped their nets. These dogs generally excel in and around water because of their alertness and excellent water-resistant coats.
The affectionate and highly intelligent Labrador Retriever is America's number one breed, registered with the American Kennel Club. Bred and produced for sport, they are incredibly muscular and athletic. They also have short, easy-care coats, friendly characters, keen intelligence, and plenty of energy. Labrador Retrievers are loving, people-oriented dogs who continue to serve their families and owners. They love participating in canine sports and shine at other activities such as guide and assistant dogs.
Today, most Labrador Retrievers skip the hard labour and spend their days being spoiled and loved by their owners. However, some still serve as vital working dogs.
The Labrador Retriever is a large breed, weighing between 55 and 80 pounds and standing between 21.5 to 24.5 inches tall. They have powerful, muscular bodies, broad heads, and strong jaws. Their two most distinct facial features are their floppy ears that hang close to their heads and their kind and expressive eyes with black lining. Labs will have either brown or hazel coloured eyes.
Another unique feature of the Labrador Retriever is its ‘otter tail’. It is thick and tapered to help them swim but is most known to owners as frequently wagging to express happiness. They are a generally healthy breed that typically lives for 12 and 14 years. They have very few breed-specific potential health issues but are somewhat prone to hip and elbow dysplasia and common eye diseases.
Labs have sleek double coats, consisting of short, thick outer hairs and a soft, dense undercoat for additional warmth. Their coats can be one of three solid colours; chocolate, black, or yellow (from cream to fox-red). Labs can shed a lot despite their short coats, so they require brushing multiple times a week. However, they rarely need a bath or trimming.
The Labrador Retriever is one of the kindest, gentlest and most sociable dog breeds. They love to please their owners, do not show aggression and have a mild temperament, making them excellent companions for children.
Labs have a ton of energy and require frequent exercise and plenty of walks. Their level of playfulness does vary depending on their personality, but all labs thrive on physical activity. Mental stimulation is just as important as these dogs are very bright. Moreover, their intelligence and eagerness to please make it easy to train this breed, so they are a good choice for those getting a dog for the first time.
Like many dogs, Labs may bark at unfamiliar noises or sights. Still, they are not a particularly noisy or territorial breed. Instead, they are very friendly and trusting towards strangers, so this dog will more likely welcome your visitors with a wagging tail rather than a bark.
Labradors love to swim, so if you have a pond, beware! If you live close to water, whether it’s the beach, a river, or a lake, your Lab will be in its element and immensely enjoy regular trips there. Lastly, like other owner-oriented dogs, Labs don’t do well independently. You’ll know if you’re leaving them alone for too long as they will start acting up by chewing things or digging.
The Lab’s high energy combined with its large size means these dogs need a home with an enclosed outdoor space like a garden. Because of this, they are not well-suited to apartments or flats. However, just because they need outdoor space to release their energy, they prefer to spend most of their time indoors with their owners. Therefore, Labs need a human that will make them the centre of the family and spend quality time with them.
Labradors are known for their excellent reputation with children, to whom they are incredibly gentle. As a result, they do well in family homes and develop strong bonds with the kids they grow up around. In addition, most Labs will get on well with other pets if socialised with them as a puppy. In fact, if you get a Labrador puppy and a kitten together, they will most likely become best friends.
Their stories
We love happy endings. Discover stories of pets who found their beloved family with the help of The Pedigree Paws <3.
Neo
Russian Blue
We had some concerns purchasing a kitten online but our experience with The Pedigree Paws was great. They connected us with Caroline, the Russian Blue breeder and we had many conversations and received multiple pictures and videos. She answered to all our questions.
The Pedigree Paws verified for us all the vaccinations and health checks to make sure our new kitten was 100% healthy.
Thank you for all your help The Pedigree Paws! Highly recommended!
Jack
Miniature Dachshund
One of the reasons I was hesitant to order a puppy from The Pedigree Paws is because I live in Spain. However they connected me with a very good FCI breeder in Barcelona.
He showed me all the health documents of both parents, their pedigree and answer to all my questions. I am so happy they helped me to find a healthy puppy as finding one by myself was very overwhelming. Contacting The Pedigree Paws was the best decision and I highly recommend them to everybody!
Stitch
Chartreux
From the kittens's selection to the arrival of our Chartreux kitten, The Pedigree Paws was there to assist us. We had great experience with them, and they breeder Alexandra from France with whom they connected us and from whom we got our kitten from. They are very prompt in answering our initial and follow-up questions while our kitten was in transit. Very reliable and trustworthy!
Thank you so much for all your help. We are very happy with our new family member. We will definitely recommend it to all our friends.
Athena
Chihuahua
It's been a few months since we decided to find a Chihuahua puppy to join our family, however we had issues finding a good breeder.
We contacted The Pedigree Paws and they connected us with a very unique breeder in Greece. Many videos and pictures were shown, the breeder shared with us the proof of vaccinations, deworming and her 5 generation pedigree. We were fortunate as George, the breeder was able to deliver the puppy to us personally. We are very pleased with our beautiful Athena. Thank you, The Pedigree Paws, for being truthful and transparent.
Thor
Abyssinian
I feel wonderful having help from The Pedigree Paws finding the dream Abyssinian kitten I was looking for. Thor is the absolute dream! The Pedigree Paws team was really patient and responsible in everything. Lovely experience! They replied to every questions, requirements, and information I ask about the kitten.
Fin
Chihuahua
Thank you for finding for me such a beautiful Chihuahua puppy! I love him so much from the minute I saw him. He changed my world.
Kate, from The Pedigree Paws assisted me through the whole process informing me about everything from health checks to arranging a Pet Nanny to transport Fin directly to my door. So thankful that the experience went so well! I love my Fin.
Emi
Ragdoll
I have always wanted a Ragdoll kitten as it was my dream cat breed, but didnt know how to find one as heard a lot about kitten farms and bad breeders. I reached out to The Pedigree Paws and they were very accommodating and transparent from the start. They offered me few kittens from their list of breeders and when I saw Emi I knew she was the one! We went through the kitten's parents DNA testing as for me that was a priority to have a kitten free from genetic disorders. We sealed the deal and now I have the best kitten I could dream of! Thank you very much for all your help
Shima
Russian Blue
I really wanted a Russian Blue kitten, but was very nervous getting one after reading horror stories about scammers on the Internet. I had my first call with Natalia, from The Pedigree Paws and with her help I was able to connect with the breeder, that I knew I could trust. I am very lucky to have now Shima, she is an absolute joy to live with.
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