Explore the page to learn about Labradors' surprising talents, such as their role as guide dogs and their extraordinary ability to detect cancer. Uncover amusing tales from the breed's past, including the legendary Labrador who found himself behind bars!
Labrador retrievers are known for their ability to sprint. They can hit 12 miles per hour in just three seconds.
After killing the cat belonging to Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot’s wife, a black Labrador retriever named Pep was sentenced to life without parole. The pooch was admitted to the Eastern State Penitentiary on August 12, 1924. He did about 10 years of hard time, during the course of which he became good friends with the warden. Although it sounds like an urban legend, prison records support the story. (Pinchot, for his part, said the dog was sent there to be the prisoners' mascot.)
The Guide Dogs of America breeds a lot of Labrador retrievers, as well as Lab mixes. Labs are found to be the best breed for the job, thanks to their strong desire to please. They’re also the right size, easily adaptable, and easily trained.
Thanks to their powerful noses, Labrador retrievers have been trained to sniff out and identify early stages of cancer. Through work with cancer cell samples, dogs can learn to smell the disease. They can make a diagnosis by smelling a patient’s breath, blood, or stool. One of the most successful ways to screen for early stages of ovarian cancer is by letting a lab sniff the patient. Scientists believe the labs sniff out changes in volatile organic compounds that suggest cancer.