Labrador Research – a guideline
A great volume of Labrador research has been done worldwide and is still done on Labradors specifically and dogs in general.
This is a non-exhaustive list of dog research publications that Labrador owners and prospective owners may find valuable.
This research relates to pure-bred Labradors, not Labrador cross-breeds who may, or may not, be subject to the same events as researched, depending on what weaknesses or strengths they inherited from which parent.
| SUBJECT | RESEARCH DESCRIPTION | LINK |
|---|---|---|
| Labrador personality | Management and Personality in Labrador Retriever dogs | Sciencedirect |
| Heritable disorders characterized by abnormalities of cartilage and bone growth | Bone dysplasias in the Labrador Retriever | Meridian |
| Age and the immune system in Labradors | The influence of age and gender on the immune system: a longitudinal study in Labrador Retriever dogs | Sciencedirect |
| Influence of genetic factors on pedigree Labradors in the UK | Dogslife: a web-based longitudinal study of Labrador Retriever health in the UK | Springer Link |
| Age-related immune changes in Labradors | Age-related alterations to immune parameters in Labrador retriever dogs | Sciencedirect |
| Absence of proteins that signal the brain to end the sensation of hunger once a dog eats a meal | A deletion in the canine POMC gene is associated with weight and appetite in obesity-prone Labrador Retriever dogs | Sciencedirect |
| Absence of a protein found in skeletal muscle results in muscular dystrophy | Dystrophin-deficient muscular dystrophy in a Labrador retriever | Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association |
| Golden coat color paling to cream in Labradors and other dog breeds | The genetics of cream coat color in dogs | Journal of Heredity |
| Dark coat color does not affect the temperature in dogs | The effect of light vs dark coat color on thermal status in Labrador Retriever dogs | BioRxiv biology reprints |
| Rare occurrence of Labradors that result from cells of two different original embryos | A case of canine chimerism diagnosed using coat color tests | Sciencedirect |
| Coat color differences | Linkage and segregation analysis of black and brindle coat color in domestic dogs | Genetics Society of America |
| Gene variant in Labradors with a yellow coat color | Identification of a premature stop codon in the melanocyte‐stimulating hormone receptor gene (MC1R) in Labrador and Golden Retrievers with yellow coat colour | Wiley Online Library |
| Alternative (high zinc) diet for long-term management of copper-induced inflammation of the liver (hepatitis) | Nutritional management of inherited copper-associated hepatitis in the Labrador retriever | Sciencedirect |
| Differences between breeds should be considered in strategies for the control of kidney stones | Comparison of urine composition of healthy Labrador Retrievers and Miniature Schnauzers | American Veterinary Medical Association |
| Gastritis in a young Labrador with diet advice to cure the problem | Severe lymphocytic-plasmacytic and atrophic gastritis, as well as, predominantly eosinophilic, severe enteritis, in a 19-month-old Labrador Retriever | National Library of Medicine |
| In Swedish Labradors bred for hip and elbow conformity, feeding patterns, diet, weight, and exercise are risk factors that have to be taken into account | Diet, exercise, and weight as risk factors in hip dysplasia and elbow arthrosis in Labrador retrievers | Journal of Nutrition |
| A web-based longitudinal study of Labrador health in the UK | Dogslife: a cohort study of Labrador retrievers in the UK | SpringerLink |
| Evaluation of the effectiveness of Slentrol in weight loss in Labradors | Evaluation of dirlotapide for sustained weight loss in overweight Labrador Retrievers | Wiley Online Library |
| Preventative measures to prevent obesity in Labrador Retrievers | Possible preventive obesity measures for consideration in Labrador Retrievers Canis lupus familiaris according to veterinarian and owner opinions | University of Plymouth |
| A fish-based diet reduces the severity of osteoarthritis in Labrador puppies | Effect of a commercially available fish-based dog food enriched with nutraceuticals on hip and elbow dysplasia in growing Labrador retrievers | Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research |
| Danish Labradors at increased risk of epilepsy compared to the general canine population | A cross‐sectional study of epilepsy in Danish Labrador Retrievers: prevalence and selected risk factors | Wiley Online Library |
| Study of dysplasia, a degenerative disease that causes a hip deformity in dogs | Bone dysplasias in the labrador retriever: a radiographic study | Journal of the American Hospital Association |
| Joint disease development in Labradors | The early development of medial coronoid disease in growing Labrador retrievers: radiographic, computed tomographic, necropsy and micro-computed tomographic | ScienceDirect |
| Selective breeding resulted in limited but positive changes in the smell ability of dogs in China | Artificial Selection Drives SNPs of Olfactory Receptor Genes into Different Working Traits in Labrador Retrievers | Hindawi |
| There is no difference in stress levels between assistance and companion dogs | Hair Cortisol in Service Dogs for Veterans with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Compared to Companion Dogs (Canis Familiaris) | Taylor and Francis Online |
| The risk of pyometra (infection in the reproductive tract) differs in different dog breeds | A breed-matched case-control study of potential risk factors for canine pyometra | ScienceDirect |
| Factors that increase the risk of heatstroke in dogs | Heatstroke in dogs: a retrospective study of 54 cases (1999–2004) and analysis of risk factors for death | Journal of Internal Veterinary Medicine |
| High antimicrobial resistance in healthy Labradors in the UK with raw meat diets having a negative effect | Antimicrobial resistance risk factors and characterisation of faecal E. coli isolated from healthy Labrador retrievers in the United Kingdom | ScienceDirect |
| Raw meat (including pet food) leads to increased anti-bacterial resistant E-coli and is transmissible to humans | Evidence that faecal carriage of resistant Escherichia coli by 16-week-old dogs in the United Kingdom is associated with raw feeding | ScienceDirect |
| Raw meat diets lead to E.coli and Salmonella contamination and pose risks to humans | UK dogs eating raw meat diets have a higher risk of Salmonella and antimicrobial‐resistant Escherichia coli faecal carriage | Wiley Online Library |
| Health-related welfare canine health improvement | Health-related welfare prioritisation of canine disorders using electronic health records in primary care practice in the UK | BMC Veterinary Research |
| Common diseases in Labradors in the UK | What is a common disease in labs? | Canine Medicine and Genetics |
| Playful activity after learning improved training performance | Playful activity post-learning improves training performance in Labrador Retriever dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) | ScienceDirect |
| Playful activity after learning improved training performance (follow-on study) | Dog–human play, but not resting post-learning improve re-training performance up to one year after initial task acquisition in Labrador Retriever dogs: a follow-on study | MDPI |
| Behavior of Labradors in suburban backyards in Australia | The behavior of Labrador Retrievers in suburban backyards: The relationships between the backyard environment and dog behavior | ScienceDirect |
| Kennel Labradors are less dependent on humans in solving “unsolvable” problems | Ontogenetic effects on gazing behaviour: a case study of kennel dogs (Labrador Retrievers) in the impossible task paradigm | Springer Link |
| Genetic variants explain the social behavior of Labradors. | Sociality genes are associated with human-directed social behaviour in golden and Labrador retriever dogs | Peer Journals |
| Labradors show some degree of potentially undesirable behaviour when separated from their owners | Aetiology of separation‐related behaviour in domestic dogs | British Veterinary Association |
| Labrador Retrievers have thicker skin than other breeds | Age, breed, sex and period effects on skin biophysical parameters for dogs fed canned dog food | Journal of Nutrition |
| The copper content in adult dog diets may exceed the upper tolerability limit for some dogs, resulting in disorder of the liver (hepatic disease) | Is it time to reconsider current guidelines for copper content in commercial dog foods? | American Veterinary Medical Association |
| 25% restriction in food intake increased the life span Labrador Retrievers | Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs | American Veterinary Medical Association |
| A hereditary form of hepatitis occurs in Labrador Retrievers and is caused by a defect in hepatic (liver) copper metabolism | Copper‐associated chronic hepatitis in Labrador Retrievers | Wiley Online Library |
| Skin diseases in Labradors associated with zinc deficiency | Skin disease in dogs associated with zinc deficiency: a report of five cases | Wiley Online Library |