These dogs originated in the region of Canada that’s now the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Local fishermen perfected a breed they called the St. John’s water dog, which were prodigious swimmers who would jump in the water and haul fishing nets back to shore.
In the early 19th century the Earl of Malmesbury began bringing the dogs to his English estate and trained them to retrieve the ducks he hunted. The Earl referred to his pack of pooches as his “Labrador dogs” in reference to their home region, and the name stuck as their popularity grew.