What is a British Lab?

We know that different people mean different things when they talk about a "British" (or an "English" or even a "UK") Labrador Retriever as opposed to an "American" one. We have seen so many puzzling, and sometimes downright hilarious, descriptions of the differences. Unfortunately, we do not have a perfect definition ourselves. But our working answer is that a British Lab is one whose pedigree is generally based in the United Kingdom, whether Great Britain or Ireland, or even in other parts of Europe where the same values guide their breeding practices. Why does this pedigree matter to us so much? Because the Brits know how to breed the best Labs! We prefer their philosophy of breeding which has produced pedigree lines characterized by a serious demeanor, confident temperament, easiness to train, impeccable looks, smaller yet blockier stature, desire to please, driven hunting instincts, and life-long faithful companionship. This, of course, is not to say that there aren't exceptions to this. Some American Labs, for instance, can have these characteristics too. But the American philosophy of Lab breeding has tended to favor high-strung, tenacious, and physically large dogs that are always "on." Our dogs, however, have an uncanny ability to turn themselves "off" at home and "on" in the field. This makes them not only a lot of fun on the hunt, but the absolute best Lab in the house too, even if hunting is not your thing. We are convinced that British Labradors are the best dogs ever produced.