Ten Best Dogs For Families

From The Reader's Digest Illustrated Book of Dogs

Sturdy and compact, Labradors are loved and respected world-wide for contributions as war dogs, police dogs, and guides for the blind. And with their satin-smooth coats, Labradors are as magnificent in appearance as they are courageous and hard-working.

These powerfully built dogs are also mighty swimmers and will plunge into even ice-cold water. In fact the Labrador, also known as the St John's Dog, was once a valued crew member of every Newfoundland fishing boat. These dogs were trained to jump overboard when the boats neared land, gather the ends of the fish-laden nets in their mouths, and swim ashore where other members of the fishing team emptied the catch British sportsmen who heard about these retrievers of fish wanted some as retrievers of game. So Newfoundlanders who took their catch to British ports sometimes ended up selling their dogs as well as their fish.

The Earl of Malmesbury was one of these buyers. In describing his purchases, he wrote in an 1870 letter: 'We always call them Labradors.' The name stuck.

Newfoundlanders stopped raising Labradors in the late 1800s, partly because of a stiff local dog tax and partly because British quarantine laws cut off their profitable sideline. By then, however, the breed was firmly established in Britain.

Labradors make splendid retrievers and can be trained as early as six months of age. They are as much at ease in water or marsh as they are in woods or on level ground, and they are particularly good at trailing wounded animals.

Exceptional patience, intelligence, and gentleness make Labradors prized pets the world over. Always popular in Britain, they are now much appreciated in Australia and are a favourite hunting-dog in the United States.

Practical information: This robust dog has excellent health. Its short, dense coat with very tight hair must be brushed once in a while to get rid of dust and dead hair that would otherwise form mats in the coat. The Labrador must get enough exercise, or else it gains weight. This can easily happen since the dog has a voracious appetite.

Click here for photos and additional information (external site).