Skip to main content

Is Your Lab Becoming Less Loyal and More Lonesome?

Any reputable dog breeder will tell you: great retrievers come from great genes. That's why they don't haphazardly mix dogs and pray the litter produces fine hunters.

Instead, through rigorous hunt tests, trials, field prowess and health clearances, a breeder will meticulously pair a male and female to create the next generation of bird-crazed duck dogs.

At least, that's the idea.

labs-are-family-dogs

On paper, genetics are simple, but it's not that cut-and-dried. There are no guarantees. Breeders know that by pairing the best of the best, they have the greatest chance of creating puppies that express the same desirable traits exhibited by their parents — color, size, biddability, nose and drive, for instance — while also eliminating the possibility of suffering from genetic ailments such as hip dysplasia, and eye or thyroid problems.

However, as they juggle all these aspects, invariably something can slip through the cracks. In the case of hard-charging, high-horsepower field-trial Labs, it's one trait that may be the most desirable among owners: a loving disposition.

I've heard more than one breeder say, "you can't have it all." There's no such thing as the perfect retriever, and if you're looking to gain in one area, you'll likely lose in another. If the goal is to win ribbons or pass tests, and if speed, stamina, and the ability to win are the only things put into context, it's not unlikely that other qualities may be inadvertently brushed aside.

Researcher Linda Van Den Berg investigated aggression among golden retrievers — yeah, those dogs that pretty much epitomize "man's best friend."

Her goal was to discover whether impulsive aggressive behavior was inherited in those few goldens who exhibit it and if so, isolate the gene responsible. Van Den Berg found impulsive aggression is easily passed on, although she was unsuccessful in isolating the exact gene responsible.

Yes, aggression can be bred, even by accident. It's easy to forget that the loving, obedient dog by your side was, many, many generations ago, a wild canine. Through selective breeding, humans have molded companions that run the gamut of functionality and form.

And while we continue to perfect upon these biological marvels, it's not unlikely that those natural, wild instincts we've tried to beat into submission won't come crawling back into dominance if left unchecked.

It's ironic, really, that one of the most revered qualities of Labradors might be getting bypassed and even overshadowed; it's the opposite for breeds with aggressive reputations, such as Chesapeake Bay retrievers and German wirehaired pointers.

Recommended


Reputable Chessie and wirehair breeders are well aware of their ingrained dispositions, and go above and beyond to assure temperament is at the forefront when pairing for prospective litters.

The truth is, aggressiveness can be a factor in any breed. It's up to breeders, and especially dog owners, to research and pick the dogs that best fit their family and hunting styles. After all, even with a few months of waterfowl season, a retriever is a family dog first.




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Fiocchi's New Duck Busters

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Migration Strike

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Enhancing the Hunt: Skip Knowles and Tetra Hearing's Game-Changing Products

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

The Goose Factory

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Heyday Outdoor - HydroFoam Diver Duck Decoys Review & Field Test

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Learn

Why You Suck at Shooting….and How to Fix Your Faults

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Remington Gun Club Cure Shotshells

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

B&P Ammunition

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Browning Maxus 2 Wicked Wing

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Gear

Why You Should Be Using Confidence Decoys for Duck Hunting

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Learn

Exercise-Induced Heat-Related Illness

Adding honker floaters in your duck decoy spread can greatly add to your success.
Learn

Using Goose Floaters for Duck Hunting

Wildfowl Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Buy Single Digital Issue on the Wildfowl App

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top Wildfowl stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All Wildfowl subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top Wildfowl stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use