IT’S A CURIOUS fact that, while the labrador was developed and established as a breed in Britain, it is not generally regarded as a British breed. Perhaps it’s the name that causes the confusion, for it suggests that the founders of the breed came from Labrador, whereas most historians point to Newfoundland as the country of origin. It is known that the first dogs imported to Britain were brought here by Portuguese fishermen, and the Portuguese word for worker is trabalhador, which might well have been corrupted into ‘labrador’.
Today the labrador is the most popular breed of gundog onof having established the majority of the world’s leading gundog breeds. Of course, most gundogs never go shooting but it is a testament to the quality of their breeding that they make such fine companions, which is why they are so popular.
