THE ENGLISH LABRADOR

What was the English Lab bred to do, and how does that behavior express itself in the modern home?

English Labradors were originally bred to be retrievers on fishing boats. They were bred to have a stunted predatory sequence. The standard predatory sequence is: orient, eye, stalk, chase, grab-bite, kill-bite, dissect, consume. In the English Labrador, kill-bite, dissect, and consume were selected against, producing dogs that would carry a net without consuming its contents.

They retrieved fishing nets, waterfowl, fallen tools, and even overboard fishermen from the water, and therefore were needed to be explosively athletic in short bursts. They initially lived in the fishing colonies of Newfoundland with a changing cast of workers from season to season, so they learned to trust humans easily and work flexibly with whoever was around. In the winters, their role was therapeutic in addition to their manual labor; they provided much-needed companionship to workers through the frigid, dark winters.

These breed qualities fit nicely into the modern American home. The typical English Labrador is generally easy to train and is interested in working closely with her humans. She understands the relationship between pleasing people and having her needs met, so she is interested in being around people and she tolerates their quirks charitably. She flexibly accepts the instructions of many people, making her a wonderful dog for families and in workplaces. She does not guard her toys or food; on the contrary, her working history as a retriever teaches her to release objects easily.

She can show beautiful athletic talent in short bursts but she is not tireless. She plays traditional dog games like “fetch” and she enjoys the water. However, she never strays too far from her trusted humans. Between exercise sessions, she rests quietly and waits for the next adventure. She fits nicely into the role of “companion animal” that we prize today.

Predictable Challenges

Given the English Labrador’s selection history, there are a few undesirable behaviors that we can anticipate:

English labs love to carry things in their mouths. Without training, this will predictably lead to them “steal” and chew or eat shoes, clothing items, food from the counter top, etc.
English labs adore people and are easily reinforced by our attention. If not managed carefully, this can lead to pulling on leash toward strangers and jumping on people.
English labs are outdoorsy dogs with a modest but un-ignorable appetite for exercise. If not exercised adequately, they can have a hard time settling down.

In addition to these behaviors, all dogs predictably go through multiple developmental stages in the first year of life. The dog’s environment and treatment during these stages will shape their temperament for years to come. Some notable examples:

Critical Socialization Window

During this period, puppies learn what is “safe” and “normal” in their environment and what is not. Puppies who are not adequately socialized during this period may become fearful of unfamiliar things (this is especially a concern for puppies living in cities, doing public service work, etc.)

Bathroom Solidification

Ethologists have found that the 10 week mark is when the puppy generally develops a preference for where to use the bathroom. Puppies that are kept primarily indoors or are not taken outside very frequently may develop a preference for using the bathroom indoors.

Teeth Shedding

During this period, the puppy’s baby teeth are pushed out of their mouth by their descending adult teeth. They become extremely “mouthy” – they want to bite and hold onto anything, especially human hands and arms.

While a lack of careful management in the early months can lead to a number of unwanted behaviors, carefully managing the puppy during this time increases the chances that the puppy glides through these difficult developmental stages easily and emerges as a happy, behaviorally healthy adult dog. This is our goal – to deliver a puppy to you that has an excellent start in training.

Our Dog Care Values