Back in 1977 as a young man, I fell in love with the Labrador Retriever. It was the Labrador Retriever’s wonderful personality, beauty and inborn purpose that I found so easy to respect and admire.
As a novice I began training my first Labrador Retriever, a chocolate named ‘Sage’ for waterfowling and upland bird hunting. The romance was on. I got so much pleasure from my new hobby that I jumped off the ledge and joined a field trial club, trained intensively and began competing.
To make a long story short, I became disheartened and disappointed about what I saw happening to the Labrador Retriever as a breed in the United States. No longer were they being bred for their original desirable traits.
Breeders in the hunting/field trial circuit were breeding for results that created a high-strung, hard charging, almost completely uncontrollable specimen that looked more like a greyhound being shot out of a cannon than a traditional Lab.
Well I got fed up, burned out and walked away from what I saw. I couldn’t let myself be a part of it. For several years I pondered and searched for the answer to what I personally believed the Labrador Retriever should be and could be. And then one day in my research, I ran across an article about the “British Labrador Retriever.” But first, let me give you some background.
In America, when we run across an undesirable trait in a dog such as unsteadiness, hard-mouth or even strong will the American approach is to force train this out of the dog. Consequently, these undesirable traits are manifested in their genetics and continue from generation to generation.
The British method is quite different. A dog exhibiting an undesirable trait is simply but selectively ‘culled’ from gene pool. This has been practiced for many , many years. The British breeding process set’s the standard for Labrador Retrievers with flawless calm temperament, the unwavering need to please their master, uncanny hunting instincts, and a driven spirit that is easy to train. And Oh yes, by the way, they make the best companions I’ve ever seen.
We at Huntfield use only the best breeding stock from British bloodlines, so as to mirror the British standards here in the United States. If your looking for a Lab that is truly different and a joy to own, try Huntfield Labs. You won’t regret it.
Whether you’re flushing quail in the field, shooting mallards in the snow and ice or just relaxing on your front porch, a Huntfield Labrador Retriever is the companion of a lifetime.