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Dogs 101: Labrador Retriever Facts Most Popular Dog Breeds – Animal Facts

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person. Andy Rooney

According to the American Kennel Club, Labs have taken the top spot in its rankings of most popular breeds for 25 consecutive years — the longest reign of any breed in AKC history.

According to Guinness World Records, The first dog to detect diabetic episodes was a Lab named Armstrong. He was trained to smell the chemical changes of hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

The Labrador breed originates from Newfoundland. It dates back to the 1700s, with the St. John’s dog, the ancestor of today’s Lab, named after the capital city of Newfoundland.

The third Earl of Malmesbury was the first person to call the dogs Labradors and the name gained popularity in North America.

In 1981 A Lab BECAME MAYOR well — honorary mayor of Sunol, Calif. A black Labrador mix named Bosco won the election, beating out two human candidates for the job. Bosco ran as a “Re’pup’lican” and used the slogan “A bone in every dish, a cat in every tree, and a fire hydrant on every corner.”

Only 3 colors of Labradors are recognized by The American Kennel Club – Chocolate, Black & Yellow. Also, More than one color of puppy can be born in the same litter.

Their dedication to pleasing their owners is one of the main reasons why they are one of the most common breeds selected as therapy and rescue dogs.

The longest distance that a lost dog has walked to find his way home was a labrador/boxer mix named Jimpa, who turned up at his old home after wandering 3,218 km or about 2,000 miles across Australia.

Tubby, a lab from the UK has recycled over 26,000 plastic bottles over the last six years by ‘collecting them on his daily walks, crushing them, and passing them to his owner’.

Labrador retrievers were originally bred for fishing: They have water-resistant double coats that provide insulation, and short fur that keeps them warm but doesn’t drag them down when it gets wet. Also, their webbed toes facilitate speedy swimming. Fishermen used the dogs to bring in nets, pull ropes between boats, and recover escaped fish.

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