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 About Outside Labrador Retrievers

We started our Labrador Retriever breeding program in 2020, and stand on the shoulders of the amazing breeders that came before us. We honor the many years of responsible breeding that brought us our foundation bitch Earthsea Downtown Alberta Cinema “Bertie.” Bertie was bred by Cathy Montgomery of Earthsea Labradors of Chestertown, New York, in the Adirondacks of upstate New York.  As fans of genealogy, we had fun tracing Bertie's ancestral lines which include dogs with many show and field titles, and a long line of ancestors from many long-established kennels.  It was also fun to follow the lines back to Buccleuch Avon and Buccleuch Ned who are believed to be the foundational ancestors of all modern Labradors in England and the U.S.  Bertie's grandfather is AKC Grand Champion, Shalimar's The Animator "Cyrus," 2016 Westminster Best of Breed, and her father Earthsea The Illustrator, "Art," is on his way to his AKC Champion show title.  

We responsibly and ethically breed AKC-registered Labrador Retrievers that conform to the breed standard with its "short, dense, weather-resistant coat; an “otter” tail; a clean-cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop; powerful jaws; and its “kind” friendly eyes, expressing character, intelligence, and good temperament."  Our number one focus is temperament.  The English Lab temperament is calm, intelligent, sweet, and teachable. We are working to breed intelligent "all-purpose" English-type Labs, Labs that are as equally suited for family life as they are for conformation, agility, obedience, or the field.  Our breeding program follows the guidelines of the National Labrador Retriever Club's Code of Ethics.  We want our dogs to be excellent representatives of the breed in both temperament and health.  Our breeding pairs have extensive health clearances and are genetically tested. Our puppies are family-raised and socialized in our home from day one and are genetically tested through Embark, a research partner of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.  To further ensure that we send well-balanced, and adaptable puppies home with new families, we follow Puppy Culture protocols for socialization and early training foundations.

Bertie encompasses the most distinguishing characteristics of the breed, has proven to be extremely easy to train, and is a friend to all dogs and humans.  Her easy-going nature and temperament are equally evident in her puppies. She enjoys hiking the trails of New York State with us but is just as happy to lay at my feet while I work.  By choosing us for your next Lab, you can be confident in the kind of dog you are getting, based on many generations of the same excellent breed representation and temperament.  

We carefully select studs that complement and improve the important qualities we wish to preserve in our breed.  We ensure that our breeding partners are just as careful in their testing and breeding requirements as we are.  Several of our puppies have budding careers in conformation, agility, and hunting. Others have completed families as companion dogs in the most perfect ways.  All are a true testament to the versatility of the dogs who come from Outside Labradors.

We are excited for the future, proud to be part of the history of this excellent breed, and pleased that you are interested in joining us.  

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The origins of the Labrador Retriever

In the 1830s English noblemen, the Earl and Duke of Malmesbury,  imported St. John's Dogs, the ancestors of Labrador Retrievers, from Newfoundland to England to use as gun dogs and began calling them their  "Labrador Dogs."  The dogs were recognized for their quick-drying coats, excellent swimming abilities, agility and responsiveness in hunting, and overall useful size.  The dukes of Buccleuch and Home in Scotland also imported some of the St. John's Dogs.  However, stiff taxes on non-herding dogs in Newfoundland in the 1800s almost caused their extinction.

Fortunately, in the 1880s a chance meeting of a duke of Buccleuch and an Earl of Malmesbury led to a discussion of their dogs' shared bloodlines, and the third Earl of Malmesbury sent two dogs – Ned and Avon – to Buccleuch in Scotland, helping to create the foundation of the modern breed. By 1903 they were recognized by the English Kennel Club.  As the breed grew in popularity, hunters and farmers in the US learned of the breed's work ethic and adaptability.  By 1917 the American Kennel Club recognized the Labrador Retriever.  It remains one of the most popular breeds in the US and UK.

Why do people say English Labs or American Labs?

First, know that there is only one Labrador Retriever breed.  As the breed became more widespread, decades of specialized breeding created a sort of split into these two physical and behavioral subtypes.  Some Labs were selectively bred for looks and temperament and to adhere to the AKC or UK Kennel Club breed standards, and some Labs were more exclusively bred for working skills.  The result is that English-type labs retain more of the traditional appearance of the breed and tend to be stockier and shorter, with barrel chests and "blocky" heads.  American-type labs are generally taller, with more athletic-looking frames, thinner, longer tails, slightly longer noses, and slimmer heads.  Further, English-type labs are typically calmer, more docile, and highly trainable.  American-type labs are considered to be more high-energy and require more exercise.  

We do not pass judgment on which is better - each can be an asset depending on one's requirements in a dog.  However, we breed the classic, English-type Labrador Retriever, as is accepted by the current standard of the English and American Kennel Clubs, and believe them to be suitable for any situation - hunting, show, agility, obedience, or the family companion.

Buccleuch Labs are still bred today and you can read more about them and their history at their website.

(And if you are a hunter, please check out this article from Delta Waterfowl to dive deeper into which type might be right for you.)

 The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. is the only organization officially recognized by the American Kennel Club as the national parent club of the Labrador Retriever, a 'Dog for All Reasons.'   To see more about the history and "standard" of Labrador Retrievers read here: https://www.thelabradorclub.com/assets/docs/Illustrated_standard.pdf