Labrador Retriever

For good reason, the Labrador Retriever is known as the friendly dog. It serves humans in hunting as well as being a guide dog for the blind or a companion dog for the disabled. It performs astonishingly as a rescue dog in avalanches, in rubble, during area searches, and for police and customs as a drug and explosives detector. It is an enthusiastic partner in dog sports as well as a family companion without specific tasks, impressing everywhere with its reliability, loyalty, and desire to please its owner.

What you need to know as an owner, breeder, or puppy buyer about this versatile dog can be found in this comprehensive breed portrait. It guides you step by step through all life stages of the Labrador Retriever—from the magic of puppyhood through the adolescent phase and golden years to old age. It provides detailed information on:

• the breed's history, particularly the development from the original dual purpose into the two breeding directions of show and work
• the breed standard
• breeding and inheritance
• birth, upbringing, socialization, imprinting, and character development
• buying a dog and integrating it into the family
• care and training
• nutrition and (hereditary) health
• fun and play, indoors and outdoors
• areas of service to humans
• showing, hunting, and dog sports.