# Where are Labrador's heading as a Breed



## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

*What is the future of Labs?*​
Lab's are retrievers and the pointing fad will die out1029.41%Lab retrievers and pointing Lab will just both exist like show and field setters1544.12%Lab retriever people will have the AKC ban pointing labs forcing them out of existence25.88%Lab retrievers and Pointing Lab will be 2 breeds with seperate stud books12.94%Labs will become a versatile dog able to run in VHDF or NAVHDA test12.94%Labs may be split multiple ways flushing, pointing, & retrieving411.76%Pointing Lab is the future of labs and demand for only a retrieveing lab will die out12.94%


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

Interesting poll if more people would vote.

I voted ''Lab retrievers and pointing Lab will just both exist like show and field setters" Closest thing to what I believe. In reality they are the same. Some apparently have the genes to point some don't. Totally different than show VS field in any given breed.

I did see one person (in the poll) chooses to believe that the pointing lab will out number the (NORMAL) retrieving lab in the future. I can say for certain this will NEVER happen...

In my mind the answer to this poll " Where is the lab going as a breed " hopefully forward, alot of the APLA people will try to say there dogs are different but if you go back most of there stock, past and present came from AKC FT lines that showed a tendency to hold or point game. They may have the pointing gene down but if they try to fade to far away from HT and FT lines they may end up with a dog that couldn't mark a white turkey at 50 yards.

JMO after hanging deer stands all day and having a couple cocktails :beer:


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## Drake Jake (Sep 25, 2007)

labs can do anything. thats my vote.


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## brianb (Dec 27, 2005)

The PL vs traditional flushing labs won't be near the split that show vs field already is.

The PL's I've seen are generally birdy, athletic dogs, just like most field bred labs. I've seen some do really well in hunt test and there are several field trial lines that throw point.

Now, the show lines can have some good hunters but the odds are against it. Absolutely there are dogs with both the show CH and the hunt test master hunter title. But, they are the exception rather than the rule.

Most show labs carry 15 lbs of fat to be in "show" condition. They are stocky without much for athleticism. They would last about 20 minutes on an upland hunt.

The best thing the lab people could do would be to have a weigh in before a show and enforce the 65-80 lbs standard for males. That would get rid of a lot of the problem.

Until show judges start putting up a more reasonable dog this split will only widen.

Now, field people will also bred a butt ugly black greyhound with a curly tail if it will bring home a blue ribbon so they aren't totally without sin.


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## TK33 (Aug 12, 2008)

there was an interesting article in gun dog a few years ago. The author was a little concerned about the pointing labs, but mainly the concern was that the field lab is becoming replaced by fussy field trial labs and the lazy overdomesticated suburban lab that is a status dog. Apparently in suburbia it is a sign of royalty to own a lab. Beats the hell out of me.

I prefer the standard field lab. A couple of my buddies have PL's and they just are not the same, they are close, but they don't have the gusto of a good field lab.


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## USAlx50 (Nov 30, 2004)

TK33 said:


> there was an interesting article in gun dog a few years ago. The author was a little concerned about the pointing labs, but mainly the concern was that the field lab is becoming replaced by fussy field trial labs and the lazy overdomesticated suburban lab that is a status dog. Apparently in suburbia it is a sign of royalty to own a lab. Beats the hell out of me.
> 
> I prefer the standard field lab. A couple of my buddies have PL's and they just are not the same, they are close, but they don't have the gusto of a good field lab.


"fussy field trial labs" :lol: what the heck does that mean.


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## TK33 (Aug 12, 2008)

I looked back through my old issues of the mag but I couldn't find it. If I remember right the author was talking about how they are so geared for competition they are losing some of their natural instincts while hunting. The author was saying that some FT labs do not do well in bad weather or wind or other factors you don't find in competition or training. I think the author was biased toward hunt test labs instead of FT labs.

My lab's mother is a FT champ, his father is master hunter,he is a little stubborn but I had no trouble with any of the training issues. I didn't all the way agree with his article, but I understood what he was getting at. My buddy has a lab with 100% FT bloodlines and she is fussy and stubborn, she also quits hunting when it is cold or slow going in the late season. There are however many things she does great.


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