Edie MacKenzie

Edie MacKenzie is a published author, traveler, dog lover, and tortoise enthusiast. Passionate about what she does, her books provide peopel a firm grounding in the dog breed and their unique characteristics with a nice touch of humor.

Why a Labrador Retriever Is a Great Search-And-Rescue Dog

January 31, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

The Labrador Retriever is often found working in airports, on street patrol, and in other public locations, as it has been found that they have the concentration capacity and staying power to maintain scent work in large, populated areas.

The Labrador Retriever is becoming more popular in this job and have been known for their ability to work among civilians without creating anxiety which is often known to occur when the more traditional police dogs such as German Shepherds and Dobermans are used.

Following in the path of the Saint Bernard, the Labrador Retriever has become a vital part of rescue teams. The Labrador’s superior scenting ability has made him one of the top Disaster Dogs. Because of their keen sense of smell, Labradors are being trained to find people buried by the debris of earthquakes or similar disasters.

The work is arduous and requires great concentration in dangerous surroundings; The dog must go to his task in the rubble of collapsed buildings, surrounded by the clamor of emergency vehicles, and often fire.

In these crisis situations, the air is usually choked with dust, smoke, and gas escaping from broken gas lines. A Labrador Retriever is able to focus on the human scent and locate trapped victims. Upon making a find, the Disaster Dog is trained to indicate this to his handler by barking and scratching gently at the spot.

The intensity of the bark generally indicates whether the victim is dead or alive. The handler calls in another team to verify and then notifies the rescue officials, who do the removal.

The Labrador Retriever works efficiently, in a calm, gentle manner, rather than the aggressive, almost attacking method exhibited by breeds that have been tried but eliminated from the program. Each Disaster Dog has undergone extensive training and must be fully reliable to work individually off-lead and be fully responsive to his handler.

Despite his desire to continue searching, a Disaster Dog must withdraw immediately upon command, as the handler may spot a danger that the dog is unaware of.

The Disaster Dog program is run by unpaid volunteers who teach the dog to master all obedience skills as well special techniques.

A Disaster Dog must be trained to climb over difficult obstacles, such as ladders, thin walk ways, rocks, and downed trees, and avoid broken glass, collapsing surface and other life-threatening situations. He must also be able to climb on through small windows or crevices where people may be trapped.

This type of work requires a superlative dog like the Labrador Retriever that is dedicated to saving lives, putting his own on the line without fear.

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Clamor, Collapsed Buildings, Crisis Situations, Disaster Dogs, Dobermans, Emergency Vehicles, Extensive Training, Gentle Manner, German Shepherds, Human Scent, Keen Sense, Labrador Retriever, Labrador Retrievers, Labradors, Police Dogs, Rescue Officials, Saint Bernard, Search And Rescue, Sense Of Smell, Staying Power, Traditional Police, why a labrador

Common Hereditary Issues In A Labrador Retriever

January 17, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

A responsible Labrador Retriever breeder should realize that certain matters of health are his responsibility.  Such a Labrador Retriever breeder should do everything possible through his breeding to keep certain known inherited serious faults from becoming widespread in Labrador Retrievers.

He should also try his best to understand what to do about inherited faults detrimental to the breed that have already become widespread within the breed.

There seems to be two extremes among persons interested in breeding dogs. There are those who are over-cautious and others who will breed anything to anything and trust to luck. The more intelligent approach is to investigate and leave the final decision to the weighing of various aspects of each particular problem.  Elimination from the breeding program of every dog falling the slightest bit below perfection is not the intelligent approach.

Various breeds of dogs have their own particular inherited problems, some of which are a matter of physical beauty, such as eye-color.  Light eyes in Labradors are frowned upon, but since there is no basis in fact that the color of eyes in a dog has anything to do with his vision, color becomes an aesthetic choice.  Dark eyes are dominant in inheritance in most breeds; if a breeder prefers not to have that color, he should take care never to breed to a yellow-eyed dog or he will develop “carriers” for light eyes in his strain, if not light eyes themselves.  This fault of appearance is not widespread in the Labrador breed and is a far lesser fault than progressive retinal atrophy (PRA).

Progressive retinal atrophy leads to complete blindness and is widespread in many breeds, including Labradors in England.  It is not a serious problem at the present time in this country but any signs of it becoming on the increase should be watched for by breeders.

The danger of it becoming widespread is the fact that blindness develops slowly and a Labrador cannot be declared free of affliction until he is four years of age.  This age factor varies with different breeds.  Any case of blindness should be diagnosed by a qualified doctor or veterinarian.

Kennel owners should obtain the services of an expert in eye diseases and have all dogs checked.  Temporary certificates are issued for those dogs proved clear under four years of age and permanent certificates after that age.  The British Kennel Club lists all dogs holding such types of certificates in their monthly official magazine. They also do this for their hip dysplasia program.

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Effort is being made to bring progressive retinal atrophy under control, but it will be difficult since many Labrador Retriever will be bred from under four years of age without knowledge of whether or not they are passing on the genes of inheritance for this blindness.

Filed Under: Dog Health Tagged With: Blindness, Breeding Dogs, Breeds Of Dogs, Color Of Eyes, Dark Eyes, Extremes, Eye Color, Faults, Final Decision, Intelligent Approach, Labrador Breed, Labrador Breeder, Labrador Retriever, Labrador Retriever Breeder, Labrador Retrievers, Labradors, Light Eyes, Physical Beauty, Present Time, Progressive Retinal Atrophy

Labrador Retriever – The Beloved Companion and Therapy Dog

January 12, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

By far the most common use of today’s Labrador Retriever is as a home companion, a role at which he excels. Surprisingly, the Labrador Retriever was rarely kept strictly as a house pet until several decades after the breed’s introduction to the united States. The initial fanciers of the breed became acquainted with him through knowledge of the shooting game.

When the breed was well established as a sporting companion, his docile, brainy nature won his way out of the kennel and into the home.

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The Labrador Retriever’s ability to quickly adapt and respond to instruction made the transition quite easy. Today, puppies raised in the home actually become so entwined in the lives of their owners that they often suffer when relegated to the kennel life. (If you are planning to keep a kennel of Labradors, select puppies that are properly socialized but still familiar with kennel life.)

As a companion, the Labrador Retriever is good-natured and gentle enough to accept the roughhousing of youngsters without returning it. If properly socialized while young, a Labrador will share his “home with another dog, providing there is enough affection for all. It is more common for a Labrador to misbehave out of jealousy than out of dislike for another animal.

Labrador Retrievers are long on self-control and loyalty, but they do not make the most avid watchdogs. As a rule, they are not overly suspicious of strangers or highly protective of loved ones, and when natural instincts are not stimulated they can be inattentive to such a task. Always keen for a scent or sound, a Labrador Retriever would certainly give voice at the approach of an intruder, but he might be won over by a friendly gesture or a luscious piece of sirloin.

If left on duty, a Labrador Retriever may wander off in search of a scent that has caught his attention. In short, he is a people-dog. If you really need a watchdog, get your Labrador a German Shepherd friend!

The value of companionship with this breed should not be underestimated. In recent years, obedience-trained Labradors as well as other breeds are being used as Therapy Dogs to enrich the lives of nursing home residents and even emotionally disturbed children.

The process is simple: a group of experienced dog handlers, such as those trained by Therapy Dogs International, bring their dogs to visit, perhaps put on an obedience performance for the audience, and then let animals and humans mingle, if conditions permit. The dogs are all obedience trained and have proven themselves to be extremely gentle and outgoing.

Their job is to make people feel wanted, and it works wonders for alleviating the loneliness and depression that often burden such lives. The Labrador Retriever loves people and the few hours Therapy Dogs share with others enrich both dog and man.

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: Affection, Beloved Companion, Dislike, Free Dog Training, Gesture, Home Companion, Intruder, Jealousy, Kennel Life, Labrador Retriever, Labrador Retrievers, Loyalty, Natural Instincts, Puppies, Roughhousing, Self Control, Shooting Game, Sirloin, Watchdogs, Youngsters

The Labrador Retriever: An Intelligent Working Dog

January 11, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

As the breed name clearly points out, the Labrador Retriever was bred originally to assist in the hunt by retrieving downed game. However, as years passed, their roles did not change but rather expanded to include numerous tasks and services.

No service rendered by a dog can surpass the role of Guide Dog. Through the work of these highly skilled animals, a blind individual is able to move in the mainstream of life, guided by the “eyes at the end of the lead.” Such a human-dog bond reaffirms the valued place canines have assumed in our modern world. A Guide Dog and his owner share a special relationship, a dog that lives to serve and an owner who is able to live life to his fullest aided by the service of a life-long companion and friend.

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The Guide Dog program originated in Switzerland in the 1920s under the leadership of Mrs. Dorothy Eustis. The original Guide Dogs were strictly German Shepherd females, bred by Mrs. Eustis at her Fonunate Field Kennels. Over the years, Labradors as well as Golden Retrievers were also recruited into the program. In Great Britain, approximately 70% of the Guide Dogs are the Labrador Retriever, and Australia uses only Labradors for this task.

In the United States, The Seeing Eye was the driving force of the Guide Dog movement. This organization started in 1929 by Mrs. Eustis and is currently headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey.

It has maintained its own breeding kennel since 1941, producing 327 puppies in 1986, 117 of which were Labradors. Of a breeding stock of 40 adults, there are 15 female Labradors and four male Labrador dogs. Only the very finest dogs are selected for this special breeding kennel. They must have successfully completed the rigorous training program designed by The Seeing Eye and exhibited stellar qualities in temperament and conformation. Labradors are commended as easy breeders producing large litters.

The Labrador Retriever excels as a Guide Dog primarily because of his size, working ability, well-rounded temperament, and ability to get along so well with people. The Labrador also has a small streak of stubbornness that the people at The Seeing Eye find useful.

While this makes the Labrador Retriever slightly tougher to train, this quality sets the breed apart from most in that a Labrador can take charge and refuse a command when confronted with an emergency situation—such as when a blind owner commands the Labrador Retriever to move forward and a hazard apparent only to the dog lies in the way.

Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: 1920s, 1941, Dogs Australia, Dogs Labrador, Driving Force, Free Dog Training, German Shepherd Females, Golden Retrievers, Guide Dog, Guide Dogs, Labrador Dog, Labrador Dogs, Labrador Retriever, Labrador Retrievers, Morristown New Jersey, Original Guide, Puppies, Seeing Eye, Special Relationship, Started In 1929, Working Dog

A History Recording Of The Labrador Retriever

January 9, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

In the 1920’s the Labrador Retriever began gaining popularity with American sportsmen. Although a few “English retrievers,” as Labradors were called in 19th century America, had made their way to our shores, few could be located in American shooting kennels prior to the 1920s, as setters and pointers were the dogs of choice in those days. In 1917, the first Labrador Retriever registered by the American Kennel Club was imported from Scotland. Her name was Brocklehirst Floss.

The style of shooting in United States at that time was different from that practiced abroad. A group of wealthy enthusiasts on the East coast with ties to Britain began developing the Labrador Retriever among themselves in order to carry on the style of pass shooting to which they were most accustomed and partial. To aid in this, they not only imported fine dogs but also lured noted Scottish trainers to America.

In 1931 the Labrador Retriever Club of America was founded and sponsored its first field trial in December of that year. The competition was held in Chester, New York, with a total of 16 entries – all but one of which were imports. The winner was Carl of Boghurst, a yellow owned by Mrs. Marshall Field. This annual event would spur popularity in the sport to the point where today there are more than 150 trials a year held for Labrador retrievers!

It was not until May 18, 1933, that the first specialty show for bench competition was held by the Labrador Club of America. From an entry of 34, Boli of Black was chosen as best. Boli, owned by Franklin P. Lord and purchased from the British breeder, Lady Howe, was the first American bench-champion Labrador retriever.

The Arden kennels of W. A. Harriman became the driving force in the field, claiming the first American field champion in Blind of Arden and the first female American field champion in Decoy of Arden who were litter mates. Mr. Harriman’s talent for breeding top-quality Labradors from his stock earned him the recognition of having developed the finest American kennel to date.

His credits include four dual champions, five field champions, eight bench champions, and scores of champions that descend from this line. The shining star among the Arden Labradors was Shed of Arden, owned by Paul Bakewell. He embodied all that a Labrador should: talent in the field, beauty and intelligence, and the ability to produce quality offspring.

A mating of Mr. Harriman’s Decoy with Dr. Milbank’s Ch. Kaffles of Earlsmoor produced a litter from which Earlsmoor Moor of Arden emerged. Moor went on to win the Labrador Club of America Annual Specialty in 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, and 1943.

Winning a national specialty five times for a Labrador Retriever is an astounding accomplishment that may never be repeated again by any dog of any breed.

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Filed Under: Dog Information Tagged With: 19th Century America, American Kennel Club, American Sportsmen, Arden, Boli, Chester New York, Decoy, Field Champion, Field Trial, Harriman, Labrador Club, Labrador Kennels, Labrador Retriever, Labrador Retriever Club, Labrador Retriever Club Of America, Labrador Retrievers, Litter Mates, Marshall Field, Quality Labradors, Specialty Show

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