Outdoors Question of the Week

Pointing Labs
By Aaron Hoey

Just over 25 years ago a hunter in Washington State discovered something incredible. He had taken his yellow lab pup out to hunt for the very first time. As he watched, he saw something that amazed him — his pup was a natural pointing lab. What a find, America’s most popular dog that can now point and hunt with the best. This is a story that has happened all around the world.

Normally when an animal displays characteristics of another similar animal you would think that cross-breeding has occurred. In this case, it is not the answer. Pointing genes were introduced into the lab population about 150 years ago but it has been a recessive gene that most often failed to be expressed. The gene has still remained in perhaps 10 to 15 percent of labs and only shows itself when joined with a like gene. Over the years more and more genes have been brought together and now more than ever, pointing labs are becoming a hot commodity.

Incase it is unsure of what a pointing lab actually is; they are loving and affectionate dogs that are highly intelligent and very loyal. They crave attention and will do anything for you to get it. They are still a lab which is one of the most popular breed of dogs in the United States, because they make one of the best family dogs. Their athletic and strong structure allows them to be great retrieving and hunting companions. However, labs are highly trainable and are used for more than just a family or hunting dog. They can also be trained to work as a guide for the blind and disabled. Sometimes our government even calls for them to be used as drug and crime fighting officers. Now you can get a lab that knows how to point. When they spot something interesting they stoop down low, back straight, and point their tail straight out so that they are pointing at what is catching their attention.

It is becoming ever popular now-a-days for hunters to bring a lab and a pointer with them to hunt. They use the lab to retrieve the game and the pointer to determine where they are. Little do they know that you only need one dog to fulfill both tasks. The pointing lab will be the loyal dog, the family dog, the companion dog, the do it all hunting dog. So if you are looking for an animal that will be a families best friend, will be loyal to you and everyone around you, will be an all you can imagine hunting dog, will be easy to train, will be easy to fall in love with, then the pointing lab is exactly the dog, or should I say helpful family member, you are looking for.

Information provided by:
Gun club Labradors: www.gunclub-labs.com
Outdoor Life: www.outdoorlife.com

Enjoy your pets,
Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis is the Executive Director of the Tri-County Humane Society, located in the greater St. Cloud, Minnesota area. Vicki serves the community by providing quality care and adoption services for animals in need and by offering educational programs to encourage the awareness, understanding and practice of humane principles.