Thread: Fat Labs

Originally Posted by kawhia

the division between a working lab and a show example is best explained by talking about two standards, rather than just the one.
both types are more than capable enough to suit the average kiwi duck shooter, picking up a few dozen ducks a year and pushing out the odd rooster, quail or rabbit is not rocket science in canine terms.... up the working environment, like driven shoots 2-3 times a week and you will see why the split is there, putting a show title on any dog is a sport in it's own right, and there are many breeders with a foot in both camps.

You are correct, but to me there should not be 2 standards, both camps ( Show and Hunting) need to up their game and breed to as close as possible to the one standard, I guess it is also a question of what you want from your dogs, do you want a dog that never stops, never has much down time is always ready for action 12 months of the year full on 100% of the time, one that would go completely insane if left in a kennel for a couple of days ( not that I am advocating this) because of work commitments etc etc etc, or do you want one that will retrieve all the birds you shoot, track a deer/pig etc not use the kids as skittles, is quite happy to go hunting as often as you want to go but is equally just as happy to spend time with the family if unable to get out for a hunt, one is much easier to live with, having said all that most of my pups go to hunters, god forbid some are even trialing. As for driven hunts our son used his dog on these hunts completely show bred, again my argument ( if you call it that) is while his dog could work these hunt's every week he would have been equally at home in the show ring, this to me is the mark of a true Labrador .