View Full Version : English vs American type Labs.....
Amstaffer
02-26-2007, 08:27 PM
Doing some research for my brother....He has me researching Lab breeders for him. He prefers the look of the English Lab (stockier) but I have been doing some reading and it seems like American type (more slender style) are longer lived.
What do you Lab folks know about this? Reality or not? What other differences to you guys see?
Not sure about lifespan, but I prefer the american-style labs by far in terms of drive and athleticism.
ravennr
02-26-2007, 08:48 PM
By more slender, are you going for the lanky field Labs? They seem like they'd be the best choice...but in reality, they are not what the Lab was intended to be.
Labs are supposed to be a little stocky. A good english bred Lab is a nice dog to have, but the American field-bred Labs are more like Weimaraners than anything, regarding build.
I prefer a stockier dog. I've also noticed a lot of lanky field Labs, that I've seen, don't have the typical coat.
A field bred Lab with the right stock is an awesome dog if it has the right drive. As far as life expectancy...I don't know about that. Perhaps it is coincidence, but I've had both types, neither necessarily had an easier life than the other, and they both lived past typical Lab expectancy.
Red_ACD_for_me
02-26-2007, 08:48 PM
I prefer the stalkier English labs :) Especially the chocolates they look like little ol' bears with those big mugs! I guess it's all a matter of preference in what you want/like ;) . Here is a website describing the two types :D
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/english-american.html
Amstaffer
02-26-2007, 09:14 PM
Great website..very informative.
ravennr
02-26-2007, 09:48 PM
The last two Labs on that site are about perfect to what I invision in a good Labrador. :)
agilityretrievers
02-26-2007, 10:06 PM
It seems like the lighter dogs would, in general and all other things being equal, have fewer joint problems simply because they're lighter. Our old Lab mix who had arthritis, HD, a stroke at 14, etc and the vet said (no I'm not normally the "the vet said this so it must be true" type, but this was true :P) that a big part of his being able to live with it for so long was that he was of lighter build and in good condition.
ravennr
02-26-2007, 10:15 PM
My english-bred Labrador lived to over 15, and he was rather heavy-boned. I wouldn't take it with much more than a grain of salt that lighter means long life span, though. Maybe in some individuals, but not in general.
Personally, the lanky field Labs I have seen only did field work, never water work. Even in the south, they didn't do well in the cold water. Their bodies were not built for it, and their coats lacked the sufficient insulation.
tessa_s212
02-26-2007, 10:17 PM
I like the labs that actually look like they can work. I don't like show bred labs for the most part. And I hate the head they are now breeding into the labs. They might as well be mismarked, poorly bred Rotties.
Laurelin
02-27-2007, 01:04 PM
I like field bred labs better, but it's just personal taste. I can't stand the really heavy look of many show labs, but a moderate show lab is okay. I can't say much about lifespan as our field lab died young in an accident. :( He was gorgeous though, and a really great gundog.
I can't help but wonder if the labs they list on that website as "field" Labs are actually BYB dogs. So many people will excuse the breeding of poor quality dogs by saying they're breeding hunting dogs, yet none of their dogs hunt. Just sayin' . . .
The field-bred Labs I've seen have been a lot like the first Lab on that page, but with more tuck to their belly and a less exaggerated "square" head.
My pup looks like a cross between the two...he has the lank of the field labs (already 24 inches at 6 1/2 months and definitely not done growing in height) with the head/heavier bone of the show lab (64 pounds and a big square head). He is, of course, the product of a BYB before I knew better. :( That aside, I think he's beautiful now, but at 2 years he will probably be a monster.
I've heard that the field labs being bred now are EXTREMELY high energy dogs and require more than the average lab owner can provide in terms of exercise. Maybe your brother might want to keep that in mind as well. From what I've heard, the energy levels are very different between the two lines.
Laurelin
02-27-2007, 03:55 PM
Yes, that's one of my pet peeves too. Breeding 'working' dogs that don't work but using it as an excuse to breed out of standard dogs. Pete was lankier than show labs, that's for sure, but he was not as thin as the labs on that page. He had a squarer head and thicker body and tail. I wish I had a picture of him on me. He looked the most like the last dog on the page, only black...