Labrador retriever history dates back to the 16th century, The modern day Labrador's ancestors originated on the island of Newfoundland, currently part of the province Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada.
The founding breed of the labrador retriever was the St.John's dog which first made its appearance in the 1500's as a breed. This breed was most likely a result of random breeding by the locals of English, Irish and Portuguese working dogs. Two breeds emerged from this general area, The Newfoundland, which was most likely a cross between a St.John's dog and a mastiff (brought to the island by Portuguese fishermen active in the area at the time) known then as the Greater Newfoundland and the St.John's dog known as the lesser Newfoundland. photo St.John's water dog 1856 Labrador retriever history is only really concerned with the St.John's dog. The St.John's dog was used by the mainly English and Irish Fishermen who had settled there, to carry ropes between boats, towing dories and helping to retrieve fishing nets in the water. The loyalty and hard working traits of these dogs were highly prized by these fishermen. A number of these dogs were brought back to England in around 1820. There is a story that the Earl of Malmesbury saw a St. John's Dog on a fishing boat and immediately made arrangements with traders to have some of these dogs exported to England. These ancestors of the first labradors so impressed the Earl with their skill and ability for retrieving anything within the water and on shore that he devoted his entire kennel to developing and stabilizing the breed. Photo-A surviving picture of Buccleuch Avon (b.1885), a foundational dog of many modern Labrador lineages. The first and second Earls of Malmesbury, who bred for duck shooting on his estate. And the 5th and 6th Dukes of Buccleuch, and youngest son Lord George William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, were instrumental in developing and establishing the modern Labrador breed in 19th century England. The dogs Avon ("Buccleuch Avon") and Ned given by Malmesbury to assist the Duke of Buccleuch's breeding program in the 1880s are considered by labrador retriever history as the ancestors of all modern Labradors. labrador retriever history gives us a number of early descriptions of St.John's dogs. In 1822, explorer W.E. Cormack crossed the island of Newfoundland on foot. In his journal he wrote "The dogs are admirably trained as retrievers in fowling, and are otherwise useful.....The smooth or short haired dog is preferred because in frosty weather the long haired kind become encumbered with ice on coming out of the water." Another early report by a Colonel Hawker described the dog as "by far the best for any kind of shooting. He is generally black and no bigger than a Pointer, very fine in legs, with short, smooth hair and does not carry his tail so much curled as the other; is extremely quick, running, swimming and fighting....and their sense of smell is hardly to be credited...." Photo-Ben of Hyde (b.1899), the first recognized yellow Labrador. When the St.John's dog or lesser newfoundland was brought to England it was renamed The Labrador or just Labrador after the area that it came from to distinguish it from the Newfoundland. The last photo of St.John's dogs was one taken of two very old dogs in 1981. There are no known living members of the breed left. The first written reference to the breed was in 1814 ("instructions to Young Sportsmen" by Colonel Peter Hawker), the first painting in 1823 ("Cora. A Labrador Bitch" by Edwin Landseer), and the first photograph in 1856 (the Earl of Home'sdog "Nell", described both as a Labrador and a St. Johns dog. Photo-The last two known St. John's Dogs, photographed in rural Newfoundland, ca. 1981 By the year 1870 the name Labrador Retriever was in common use. The first yellow lab recorded was in 1899 (Ben of Hyde, kennels of Major C.J. Radclyffe) and the breed was recognised by The Kennel Club in 1903. The first American Kennel Club (AKC) registration was in 1917. Dog taxes eventually caused the St.John's dog to lose popularity in Newfoundland. And the quarantine laws of England due to rabies, prohibited anymore from being imported. |