America's Favorite Dog- Labrador Retrievers Quiz

Answer: True Statement

Labradors are not actually from Labrador but rather than from Newfoundland. Two reasons are given for why they are called Labradors despite this: one is that they were found swimming in the Labrador Sea, and the other is that the area that is now called Newfoundland was originally called Labrador.

Labradors originated in the 1500s as descendants of the St. John's dog, a breed of dog that was created when two different breeds of dogs were bred: water dogs and Newfoundland dogs. While the St. John's dog became extinct in the 1970s, the Labrador outlived it. In the 1800s, they were brought over to England by the Earl of Malmesbury who saw them when he was in Canada and took quite a liking to them. In fact, it was the earl who gave Labradors their name. It is also possible he saved them from extinction. In Newfoundland, a person could only own one dog and had to pay a tax on them, with the female being taxed higher. This resulted in a decrease of Labradors in Newfoundland but no change in England, since there was no limitation on Labradors there.

Answer: True Statement

A black Labrador named Pep was indeed sentenced to life in a Pennsylvania prison. One story goes that he killed a cat that happened belong to Cornelia Pinchot, wife of the then governor Gifford Pinchot. Another story goes that Pep wouldn't stop chewing the furniture and Governor Pinchot wanted to give him a better home by becoming the prison mascot. This later story is the one Governor Pinchot had stated was the truth.

Whatever the case may be, Pep was sentenced to life in August 1924, and he spent the remainder of his life (10 years) in Eastern State Penitentiary where he became friends with the people there. Although the exact nature of Pep's imprisonment isn't known, prison records do show that Pep was in prison.

Answer: False Statement

There are three colors of Labradors: black, brown (or chocolate), and yellow. There are many different shades of colors, but Labradors are grouped into just these three colors. If a Labrador appears white, then it is considered a yellow Labrador. The color of a Labrador, like their own traits, is determined by genetics.

There are also silver Labradors; however, the American Kennel Club does not recognize them because they are not purebred.

Answer: False Statement

Many people feel that color does influence the temperament, but this isn't the case. Temperament is determined by how the dog is raised either by their dog parents or by their owner. Color is determined by genetics. The parents that raise their dogs will raise them the same regardless of color, and it is possible for a litter to have multiple colors. A litter can consist of multiple colors of Labradors, since genetics determines colors.

Black Labradors have a dominant gene while chocolate and yellow Labradors have recessive genes. Therefore, two black Labrador could have a dominant gene and a recessive gene. The offspring could then have the two recessive genes, making it a different color from its parents.

Answer: True Statement

Due to their friendly, social nature and their keen sense of smell, Labradors make good search and rescue dogs. The first step is to have the Labrador sniff something that has a person's scent on it. Then, their sense of smell allows them to pick on a human's scent belonging to the human rather than an object and follow it to the human that needs rescuing.

Their calm nature and their eagerness to learn are two other characteristics working in their favor.

Answer: False Statement

It is actually male Labradors that are the taller and heavier Labradors on average. Males are between 22.5 inches and 24.5 inches in height whereas females are between 21.5 and 23.5 inches in height. Because of the overlap, it is possible for females to be taller than males. Males are between 65 pounds and 80 pounds whereas females are between 55 pounds and 70 pounds. Again, because of the overlap, it is possible for females to be heavier than males. Labradors, whether male or female, will reach their full height by their first birthday.

Answer: True Statement

Labradors shed their double coat twice a year: once in the spring to shed their heavy winter coat for a lighter coat and once in the autumn to shed their light summer coat for a heavier one. Some Labradors may shed year-round, but it is much more noticeable twice a year, due to the constant shedding that happens then. This is why their shedding is sometimes referred to as "blowing coat".

They are not the worst shedders, though, as there are several other breeds of dog that have a lot of hair to shed and who shed more frequently than Labradors.

Answer: True Statement

Labradors were made for the water; it's practically part of their DNA. Their tail serves as a rudder, directing their movement in the water, their feet help them swim fast, and their double coat keeps them warm even if the water is cold. In fact, it was these abilities that caused Labradors to originally be used in a fishing capacity.

It is possible for there to be a Labrador who doesn't get in the water, although that has to do with an individual Labrador rather than Labradors in general. It could be because the dog is facing the unknown or perhaps it's because a bad experience in the water. However, these are the exceptions and not the rule.

Answer: False Statement

Labradors actually make pretty poor protection dogs, because they are a friendly rather than an aggressive type of dog. Labradors will only give a warning bark or a growl, meaning it will generally make a good alarm dog.

However,, a person should not count on a Labrador to protect them. If someone is looking for a good guard dog to buy, then the Labrador is not the best choice of dog.

Answer: False Statement

Labradors have natural retrieving ability, so it is normal for Labradors to frequently want objects in their mouth. This can be a ball, bone, or even things they shouldn't have, like a shoe. The more energetic the dog, the more likely it is the Labrador will have something in its mouth.

Sometimes, the object in their mouth is a gift for their owner and other times, they want their owner to play with them using the object. It is not necessarily because they are trying to avoid biting someone.