This page is the park on a good day for a walk. Move your pointer and your dog will trot after you, and break into a run if you get ahead. Choose a different dog at the bottom, and tap the notes to open them.
Labradors began in Newfoundland, hauling nets and fetching fish that slipped the hook from icy water.
The coat has two layers: a soft, warm one underneath and a short, oily one on top that sheds water.
The thick, tapering tail works as a rudder when the dog swims.
Many Labradors carry a change in a gene that stops them ever feeling full. It is easy to overfeed one.
They were bred to carry game without marking it. A well-taught Labrador can carry an egg without breaking it.
Most guide dogs are Labradors or Labrador crosses, picked for their steady temper and wish to please.
The garden lawn
Move your pointer onto the lawn and wait for your pet to arrive.
Meet them all
Gundog · from Newfoundland, Canada
A sturdy, short-coated dog with a broad head, soft drop ears and a thick tail like an otter's. Black, yellow or chocolate.
Gundog · from the Scottish Highlands
A big, gentle dog with a long, wavy coat of gold or cream, feathered legs and a plumed tail.
Herding dog · from Germany
A large, athletic dog, tan with a black saddle and a black muzzle, with big upright ears and a bushy tail.
Sheepdog · from the Scottish borders
A lean, quick dog, usually black with a white collar, chest, blaze and tail tip, and a long silky coat.
Sled dog · from north-east Siberia
A wolf-like dog with a thick grey and white coat, a white mask, upright ears, a bushy tail and often bright blue eyes.
Carriage dog · named after Dalmatia, in Croatia
A tall, lean, short-coated white dog covered in round black or liver-brown spots.
Good to know
Most large breeds need at least an hour or two of proper exercise every day, whatever the weather.
Working breeds need things to think about as well as places to run. Training and games count as exercise.
Food, insurance and vet bills all rise with the size of the dog.
A good breeder will let you see the puppy with its mother, and will ask you as many questions as you ask them.
Rescue centres are full of large dogs. Many are there through no fault of their own.
Dogs are pack animals. Most are unhappy if left alone for more than about four hours.
Dogs: 1 more group
Real photos of the pets on this page. Tap one to see it bigger.
Photos are from Wikimedia Commons and are used under free licences. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews. Open a photo to see who took it.
Every one of these was bred to work all day beside a person. They are happiest with a job to do, a long walk and someone to do it with, for the next ten years or more.
Back to the topOther kinds of pet live on their own pages: choose another.