Puppies aren’t the only Labrador Retrievers we sell.
According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Labrador Retriever is in the class of Sporting dogs. They are considered a flushing dog that will retrieve downed game for their hunter master. The Labrador Retriever graduates from Twin Lakes Kennel and their owners have proven our training methods on waterfowl and upland birds from South America to Alaska.
According to the AKC rankings, Labs have come to be one of the favorite family house pets in America today, ranking Nunber One for the past decade. They are intelligent, energetic, gentle, loyal and playful. If properly socialized, which we begin immediately, they can easily live along side other pets around the house.
The history of the Labrador Retriever can accurately be traced back to the late 1700’s. The Labrador Retriever did not come from Labrador. They originated in Newfoundland. There were two common breeds known as the Greater Newfoundland and the Lesser Newfoundland. The Lesser Newfoundland was a smooth coated black dog unrivaled for hardiness and stamina. The area was populated with a small water dog, which, when bred with the Newfoundland breeds, produced a new breed called the St. John’s Water Dog.
The Lesser Newfoundlands were the constant companions of fishermen of the Labrador Sea, catching fish that came loose from the lines and trained to jump into the icy waters to help pull in the nets. The Lesser Newfoundland developed a wide-spread reputation for its hunting and retrieving abilities. Early in the 19th century, the Earl of Malmesbury reputedly saw one of the dogs of this type and had it imported. In Great Britain, it became very popular on the large estates, and breeding programs by the estate owners were put into place. Virtually all of those dogs came from the kennels of the Dukes of Buccleuch and the Earls of Malmesbury, who must be credited with preserving the integrity of the new breed of hunting retriever.
The temperament of the St John’s Water Dog is documented back to the early days in England and had made them ideal family pets as well as accomplished sporting dogs. In 1830, British sportsman Colonel Hawker, the celebrated wildfowler and one of the foremost shooters of his time, referred to the breed as “by far the best for any kind of shooting, he is generally black and no bigger than a pointer, very fine in legs, with short smooth hair and does not carry his tail so much curled as the other; is extremely quick running, swimming and fighting … chiefly used on the native coast by fishermen, Their sense of smell is hardly to be credited; in finding wounded game there is not a living equal in the canine race.
In general, these Labrador retrievers are a bit younger than the Finished retrievers. They are reasonably steady and they will deliver the bird to hand. These Labrador retrievers are at a point at which they can begin the remote handling program.
The dogs were not known as Labradors until the Earl of Malmesbury admitted that he “always called [his] Labrador dogs.” In 1887, the third Earl of Malmesbury wrote to a friend, “We always called mine Labrador dogs, and I have kept the breed as pure as I could from the first I had from Poole (Harbour), at that time carrying on a brisk trade with Newfoundland. The real breed may be known by their having a close coat which turns the water off like oil, above all, a tail like an otter.”
The Territory of Labrador, now the easternmost province of Canada, is just northwest of Newfoundland Island, geographically. Richard Wolters in his book, The Labrador Retriever, writes that the 19th century Brits lumped that area together as the same land mass, so the name Labrador could have referred to dogs from that general area.
During the 1880’s trade with Newfoundland broke down and the Quarantine Act of 1885 stopped the importation of the Lesser Newfoundland dog into England. During the same period, all the districts in Newfoundland banned the keeping of all dogs. The breed was virtually destroyed in the Island, but a few of the old breed were found in remote areas during the 1930’s. Many Labradors were interbred with other types of retrievers, but luckily, the breed prevailed and fanciers drew up a definitive standard.
Neither the Buccleuch dogs nor the Malmesbury dogs ever appeared in competition. It is, however, from the careful and dedicated importation and breeding by these kennels, including the Radclyffe family, in the earliest days of the breed’s history, that the bloodlines of the pure bred Labrador became established in England. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these men and others like them, for their diligence in protecting and preserving the bloodlines of the Labrador we love and enjoy, today.
Limited litters available – reserve your future hunting partner or family friend today!
Accurate pedigrees of today’s Labrador Retrievers can be traced back to1878. The Labrador retriever was finally recognized as a distinct breed by the English Kennel Club in 1903. The first registration of Labradors by the American Kennel Club was in 1917. During the 1920s and ‘30s, there was a great influx of British dogs that formed the backbone of the breed in this country. The Labrador Retriever Club recognizes the importance of keeping the Lab true to its original purpose and requires that before the Club will recognize a conformation championship, the Lab must also have a Working Certificate, to prove that it meets minimum standards of field work.
Twin Lakes Kennel, and its owners, Woody and Judi Thurman, are members of the American Kennel Club, the Labrador Retrievers Club and Ducks Unlimited. They continue in the rich tradition of preserving the integrity of the bloodlines of the American Labrador Retriever. For the past 35 years, they have searched for the most dominant American field bloodlines and bred for natural hunting instinct and tractability. They have produced more than eight thousand world-class Labrador Retrievers during this time.
Online Sources: American Kennel Club, PetWave.com, BarkBytes.com and DogBreedInfo.com
“I have known Woody and Judy for over 20 years. There are no finer folks. They have my total trust with any dog sent to Twin Lakes for training. The dogs that go to Twin Lakes are worked in drills. Don't expect your dog to come home fat. Working dogs need to be in top physical condition. The most powerful thing about Woody is that his dog work to their...
-Nat lambeth
For more than three decades, Woody and Judi Thurman of Twin Lakes Kennel have built a reputation for producing some of the finest Labrador Retrievers in the country. Their focus has always been on breeding Labs with a balance of natural hunting instinct, intelligence, and an easygoing temperament that makes them both remarkable working dogs and trusted family companions.
With over 8,000 Labradors bred and trained, Twin Lakes Kennel has become a name synonymous with excellence. Woody has titled more than 200 AKC Master Hunter Labradors and qualified 47 for the prestigious AKC Master Nationals. His accomplishments include winning the Ducks Unlimited Open Championship twice, and his Labs Drake and Rondy—both born and trained at Twin Lakes—are proudly enshrined in the Master National Hall of Fame.
The training and development of each puppy begins early. From structured litter box routines to introductions to birds at six weeks, every step is designed to bring out the Labrador’s natural talents. All parents are health tested and certified for hips and eyes, ensuring every puppy comes from sound genetics. Each one carries a full guarantee against hereditary defects and is expected to display strong retrieving instinct.
At Twin Lakes Kennel, the goal is simple but unwavering: to provide Labradors that perform at the highest level in the field while remaining loyal, gentle, and dependable at home.
