From the Wikipedia entry:
The AKC describes the Labrador's temperament as a kind, pleasant, outgoing and tractable nature. Labradors' sense of smell allows them to home in on almost any scent and follow the path of its origin. They generally stay on the scent until they find it...
Labradors instinctively enjoy holding objects and even hands or arms in their mouths, which they can do with great gentleness (a Labrador can carry an egg in its mouth without breaking it).They are known to have a very soft feel to the mouth, as a result of being bred to retrieve game such as waterfowl. They are prone to chewing objects...
Labradors often enjoy retrieving a ball endlessly (often obsessively)... Labradors have a well-known reputation for appetite, and some individuals may be highly indiscriminate, eating digestible and non-food objects alike. They are persistent and persuasive in requesting food...
They are a very intelligent breed. They are ranked # 7 in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs... Labradors as a breed are curious, exploratory and love company, following both people and interesting scents for food, attention and novelty value. In this way, they can often "vanish" or otherwise become separated from their owners with little fanfare.
I was raised with Labs and I'll testify to all of the described behaviors except the "obsessive" thing.
ReplyDeleteYou can't know obsessive until you've met an Australian shepherd.