Sunday, May 26, 2013

The Features Of Silver Labradors

By Audrey McGuire


The Labrador Retriever, which may also be known as the Labrador or simply Lab, is a dog breed. It is one of several kinds of retriever and is considered a gun dog. The dogs may have yellow or pale cream, black or chocolate coats. There are even Silver Labradors that have a grayish coat. However, these are a bit controversial as there are some who do not believe they are purebred.

The breed is considered well-behaved and tempered. They are playful and athletic dogs that get along well with kids and elderly people. Labs are the most favored breed in New Zealand, America, Australia, United Kingdom and Canada.

This is a preferred and favorite breed for assistance dogs in many countries. In fact, Labs are often trained to be therapy dogs, aiding those who are blind or autistic. Official agencies may use the dogs in order to perform detection and screening work for law enforcement.

The ancestors of the modern Labradors of today originated from Newfoundland. The founding breed for Labs was the St. Johns Water Dog. These water dogs were transported to England and later renamed as the Labrador because of their location. Then change in name was done to help distinguish these dogs from those left in Newfoundland. The first written recording of this breed was during the early half of the 1800s.

Generally, these animals are large in size. The males typically weigh between 60 and 90 pounds. Females are a bit smaller at an average weight between 50 and 70 pounds. Dogs in this breed that exceed 100 pounds are considered obese. Most of the characteristics of these dogs are a result of breeding to create working retrievers, except for their color. The main classifications for this animal: Conformation, Field. Conformation typically refers to bench, show or English types, while Field includes American or working kinds.

Generally speaking, there are not many differences between Labs when it comes to appearance. They have tails that are broad and strong. The webbed toes of the Lab allow them to swim better and serve as snowshoes in regions that are cold. The breed has a dense, straight and short coat that typically sheds two times per year or more often in climates that are temperate.

The coat is a mixture between partially dry and oily. Most of the dogs have broad heads with ears that sit close to the head, and hazel or brown colored eyes that have a black lining. Chocolate, yellow and black are the official colors for the dogs. Although not widely accepted under this classification, there are some dogs that are gray or silver and known as Silver Labradors. This term is not accepted by some dog organizations and therefore dogs of this color may be classified as chocolate instead.

On a global level, Labradors are an extremely popular dog breed. The animals are energetic, even-tempered, kind and playful. They are ideal pets for families and behave well with old and young people. These dogs may be registered under three colors: yellow, black and chocolate. There are Silver Labradors that have a coat that is comparable to gray or silver. This color categorization is not accepted by all, as some people still question whether dogs of this shade are purebred.




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