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Article: Form and Function in Labrador Retrievers
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- July 21, 1994
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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The controversy about Labrador retriever physical standards
{front page, July 6} is about more than economics or tradition. It
is about preserving a breed of dog for the purpose for which it was
originally developed.
The Labrador has been bred true as a hunting retriever for more
than 400 years. All working Labs have been genetically engineered to
work with and respond to humans. The English Lab evolved as a
blocky, compact animal that could crash hedgerows and beet fields
searching for downed pheasants and grouse. In America the Lab is,
foremost, a water dog. Its longer, leaner conformation supports this
function. It's a swimmer, not a wrestler.
Yes, that's right. Form is driven by ...