The best of British breeds

When it comes to developing and establishing the world’s most popular gundog breeds, Britain has a lot to be proud of, says David Tomlinson

- David Tomlinson

IT’S A CURIOUS fact that, while the labrador was developed and established as a breed in Britain, it is not generally regarded as a British breed. Perhaps it’s the name that causes the confusion, for it suggests that the founders of the breed came from Labrador, whereas most historians point to Newfoundland as the country of origin. It is known that the first dogs imported to Britain were brought here by Portuguese fishermen, and the Portuguese word for worker is trabalhador, which might well have been corrupted into ‘labrador’.

Today the labrador is the most popular breed of gundog on the planet, appearing in most countries’ top 10 breeds and usually heading the list in several, including the UK and the USA. Frustratingly, we can’t claim this as a British success, though it clearly is. However, even if we exclude the labrador, Britain can be proud of having established the majority of the world’s leading gundog breeds. Of course, most gundogs never go shooting but it is a testament to the quality of their breeding that they make such fine companions, which is why they are so popular.