English Or American?

English Or American?

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the history of the Labrador.  Have a watch of the video and come back to us!

Many people ask us, “What’s the difference between the “English” and the “American” or field labs? There is such a big difference that the AKC has considered splitting the breed in the past. There is a significant difference in build, as well as temperament.  If you are looking for strictly a “field” dog for field trial competition, you will more than likely want to go for the American field dog type of Labrador. They are athletic, tall, lanky, thin, but have more hyper, high-strung personalities.

At Dawson Labradors, we do our best to breed a lab that is not lazy, but also has an off switch.  We want them to do well in the field, but at the same time to be able to come into the house and be the family pet.  There are some field and American lines that are so hyper and have so much energy they don’t often make great family pets.

We prefer the “all-purpose lab” if there were such a thing! But that is our goal.

On the other hand, the English labs are very blocky, stocky, shorter in their build. Very sweet, quiet, mellow, lovely dogs. They still maintain their natural instinct to retrieve and use their noses , but will be much more controllable in the field, and will also be your family companion at your fireside after a day of hunting.

One of the reasons at Dawson Labradors stresses, the “all-purpose” lab is because we strive to develop ALL the best qualities of the Labrador, and we do not sacrifice one trait in order to emphasize another.

If anything, we major on temperament, because a dog can be beautiful in conformation, and have a lovely pedigree but we don’t want to send puppies home or breed Labradors here that don’t have a great temperament.

The Labrador was originally bred to be able to navigate and swim in the icy waters off of Newfoundland. They have a thick undercoat which shields them from the extremes of both cold and heat.

Labs first appeared in English maritime towns that were engaged in the fishing industry. Today, the lab is the most popular breed in the U.S. due to their versatility, sporting ability, and their roles as loyal companions. It has the substance and soundness to hunt waterfowl and upland game. The lab has a short, dense, weather-resistant coat, and “otter” tail, a clean- cut head with a broad back skull and moderate stop, and kind, expressive eyes that communicate intelligence and good temperament. Labs have few health problems if bred by a reputable breeder who is selective and screens for defects in their breeding stock.

Below are some examples of the visible Differences.

American Labs

Whereas the American Hunting Labrador or sometimes referred to as Field lab may have the same basic colors but often loads more energy!