Sodalitas Labrador Retrievers

HISTORY
Labradors originated in Newfoundland, off the coast of Canada, and were taken to England on fishing boats in the early 19th century. In England they were bred and developed as a hunting dog, and used for retrieving game in rugged landscapes and icy waters. They were popular as a tough, strong dog with excellent scenting powers and a strong desire to please. Even today, the Labrador is the most popular breed with shooters, and Labradors also work as police dogs, customs dogs and guide dogs for the blind.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Mature Labradors are fairly large and heavy dogs, who may weigh 25-35kgs and stand 52- 57 cm tall. They are whole-coloured, and may be black, chocolate or yellow. "Yellow" ranges from cream through gold to a deep fox-red. A Labrador is a broad and strong dog; distinctive features are a kind expression, a dense waterproof coat and a thick "otter" tail.

TEMPERAMENT
The Labrador is an intelligent, active, fun-loving dog, eager to please and extremely sociable. They want to be everybody's friend, and are not "one-person dogs". They are good with children, and make good watch dogs, as they will bark at intruders with a big, deep bark.

HOUSING
A Labrador will need a large, draught proof kennel, raised several centimetres off the ground. In summer he/she will need plenty of shade.

ENVIRONMENT
In many suburbs it is now illegal to have a dog off-leash in a public place, and a Labrador will need some free running. A small backyard may not be suitable.

EXERCISE
Like all dogs, Labradors are happiest if kept fit. An adult will require a minimum of a half hour daily walks; pups will need overall periods of play.

SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The Labrador is a sociable dog who really needs to be part of a family. A Labrador who spends all his/her time alone in a backyard may be miserable and get up to all sorts of mischief, or take to persistent barking which will annoy the neighbours. Labradors can easily be trained to be well-behaved indoors, however they can shed quite a lot of hair at certain times of the year, and some people are allergic to the fine hairs of the undercoat They can be exuberant and boisterous as youngsters, and difficult for the very young or elderly to manage. They can also be great diggers and chewers as puppies, and it is a good idea to fence off an area for the dog if you are attached to your garden. Labradors do have a tendency to put on weight, and their diet needs to be carefully restricted as they mature; obesity predisposes them to diabetes, heart disease and arthritis.

INHERITED DISEASES IN THE BREED
Like most large, heavy breeds, the Labrador has a problem with Hip Dysplasia (HD). "Dysplasia" means "abnormal growth"; HD is a developmental defect of the hip joint There are inherited and environmental causes. Selective breeding over the last thirty years has reduced the incidence, and the risk of HD can be minimised by breeding only from stock with good hips (on x-ray) and by avoidance of over exercising and over feeding growing pups.
Some sixteen inherited eye diseases have been documented world wide in the Labrador, but fortunately most of these are very rare. Conscientious breeders have their dogs' eyes tested annually by a veterinary ophthalmologist to detect any diseases in the earliest stages, and do not breed from affected animals.

GENERAL APPEARANCE - Strongly built, short coupled, very active; broad in skull; broad and deep through chest and ribs; broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.

CHARACTERISTICS - Good tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth; keen love of water. Adaptable, devoted companion.

TEMPERAMENT - Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness.

HEAD AND SKULL - Skull broad with defined stop; clean cut without fleshy cheeks. Jaws of medium length, powerful not snipey. Nose wide, nostrils well-developed.

EYES - Medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper; brown or hazel.

EARS - Not large or heavy, hanging close to head and set rather far back.

MOUTH - Jaws and teeth strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. Upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

NECK - Clean, strong, powerful, set into well-placed shoulders.

FOREQUARTERS - Shoulders long and sloping. Forelegs well-boned and straight from elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.

BODY - Chest of good width and depth, with well sprung barrel ribs. Level topline. Loins wide, short coupled and strong.

HINDQUARTERS - Well-developed not sloping to tail; well turned stifle. Hocks well let down, cowhocks highly undesirable.

FEET - Round, compact; well-arched toes and well-developed pads.

TAIL - Distinctive feature, very thick towards base, gradually tapering towards tip, medium length, free from feathering, but clothed thickly all round with short, thick, dense coat, thus giving 'rounded' appearance described as 'Otter' tail. May be carried gaily but should not curl over back.

GAIT/MOVEMENT - Free, covering adequate ground; straight and true in front and rear.

COAT - Distinctive feature, short dense without wave or feathering, giving fairly hard feel to the touch; weather resistant undercoat.

COLOUR - Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellows range from light cream to red fox. Small white spot on chest permissible.

SIZE -
Height: Dogs 56 - 57 cms (22-22&1/2; ins) at withers
Bitches 54.5 - 56 cms (21&1/2; - 22 ins) at withers

FAULTS - Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

NOTE - Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.