Heard about English and American Labrador retriever ? Seen these dog in various colors ? Well , a breed expert is ready to set the platter straight person .

TheLabrador retriever — a Canadian indigene — has beenAmerica ’s most popular dogfor more than 30 years . With the different head and body human body and colors we see across the stock , are there multiple types of Labradors ?

While technically there ’s only one character of Lab , some breeders want these devoted pooches to accomplish different tasks ( like hunting and think or just active companions ) , so they might be a tad dissimilar — but not by much . We asked Ron Morelos , a breeder and possessor ofStonewall Labradors , to explain .

yellow and black lab laying together in the grass; English Labrador vs American Labrador

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" There ’s only one Labrador retriever . It ’s a misnomer to call them ' American ' or ' English'—no such thing , " he says . But why is there some confusion about this stock ? permit ’s take a closer look .

The History of Labradors

According to theLabrador Retriever Club(LRC ) , the genuine origin of Labradors is a bit of a mystery story . First observe in the northeast Canadian responsibility of Newfoundland ( not nearby Labrador , as the name suggests ) , there ’s little recorded chronicle of just when these H2O - bonk dogs appeared . The Kennel Clubin the U.K. indicate they were in the area as far back as the 1500s , dedicated to sour aboard and survive with fishers and explorers active in the trade routes between Europe and Canada . These sporting pup helped recover nets in the sea and wild secret plan on land .

They had various names in the former years , includingSt . John ’s wienerwurst , Little Newfoundler , opprobrious water wienerwurst , and Lesser Newfoundland ( as to not be confused with that openhanded boi , theNewfoundland ) .

English noblemen visiting Canada consider the science laboratory ’s recovery skills a great benefit and repay to their motherland with devoted eye tooth they hope would become exceptional in the field . Specifically , Colonel Peter Hawker and the Earl of Malmesbury go to breed Labs into gun dogs in the mid 1800s . The Kennel Club later recognized the Labrador retriever as an functionary stock in 1903 .

Black, Yellow, and Chocolate Labrador Retrievers together on grass in front of a grove of trees

Liudmila Chernetska / Getty

English Lab vs. American Lab: What’s the Difference?

So are there dissimilar types of Labrador retrievers ? Not precisely , since the New dogs are all considered descendants of the same Newfoundland strain line , and most Lab breeder conform to theofficial strain standardrecognized by The Kennel Club as well as the American Kennel Club ( AKC ) , which first register the laboratory in the U.S. in 1917 .

However , other breedersfollow the Labrador retriever standard establish by theFederation Cynologique Internationale(FCI ) , which differ slightly from the U.S. version , which is why there ’s a little confusedness as to the types of Labradors available and what they look like .

" The language of’American ' or ' English’typically refers to the style of Labrador , " says Morelos , who ’s also director of the LRC . " When people touch to ' American , ' they ’re talking about a lighter - deboned , less bodied style , which you see more commonly infield result . When people refer to ' English ' , they ’re typically refer to a more powerful body and broader head . This style you ’ll see in mostconformation events[dog shows ] . "

slender, taller American Labrador retriever standing on a wooded path; English Labrador vs American Labrador

Purple Collar Pet Photography / Getty

So while there are venial difference between the two styles , here ’s what you might notice .

American Lab

Morelos allege this style is sometimes a small more high - energy . She might be a bit lanky , too , yet slightly big . According toPheasants Forever , she ’ll be more likely to have the athleticism to dive into the water " to call up a barb bird " and " solve all day hunt dove in the heat . "

English Lab

Often more heavyset , unagitated companions on major fowl hunt lasting several twenty-four hour period , their disposition has to remain see with all the topsy-turvyness buy the farm on around them before they ’re sent to recall downed game .

Here ’s what the two types have in usual :

Which Type of Lab Is Best For You?

Whether you ’re in indigence of askilled chick dogor simply require a loving and participating four - legged crime syndicate member , you ca n’t go wrong with a Labrador retriever . If you do n’t have any intentions of hunting with your research lab , invalidate working lines , as these dogs have been bred to cultivate and wo n’t be well-chosen without a job to do .

Morelos notes that whatever type of Lab you ’d wish , take care to choose a creditworthy breeder . Labs are commonly affected byelbowandhip dysplasiaandeye problem , so ask the breeder if they do health screenings on their dogs , and bespeak health certificates free of heraldic bearing . Any reputable breeder will be more than felicitous to share the wellness selective information of their dogs .

stockier, shorter English Labrador laying in front of ocean waters; English Labrador vs American Labrador

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