Labrador vs Labrador Retriever
Labrador is one breed of dogs; in fact, a short name for Labrador Retriever. Some refer to this breed as lab and talk of dogs of this breed as labs. This is one breed of dogs very popular in different parts of the world. This breed is believed to be native to Newfoundland in Canada and brought to England and then US. There have been differences in English Retrievers and US Retrievers with English breed being shorter and thicker while American breed of Labradors is taller and lighter.
Retriever is a word that got associated with Labradors because of their ability to retrieve game and thus help their owners. Labrador dogs were specially bred to have this ability as they fetched game for the hunters on land as well as from under water. Basically, there are three colors of Retrievers, but cream or white is the most prominent among the owners of this breed of dogs. This is also called golden retriever with black and chocolate being the other two common colors of this breed of dog. Golden Retriever, however, is commonly mistaken as a Labrador Retriever, whereas originally it is a dog breed from Scotland that was developed for the same purpose of retrieving game for hunters. They were also called gundogs as they ran to catch ducks or fowls upon hearing the gun sound.
Coming back to Labradors, this breed is very good at swimming (to retrieve nets and fish and even ducks and fowls). Another unique feature is its coat; there is an inner soft coat, to keep dogs dry and warm during winters, and an outer coat designed to repel water. These are a happy breed of dogs that are extremely friendly and full of energy all the time. They appear to be playful and do not have the attitude like some other breeds. They are happy to be in the company of their masters and kids at home and lick hands and feet to show their love. They are retrievers and will bring anything that falls around the house back. They need love and affection too, and brushing their hair with a brush is a good way to stimulate them and to keep shedding under control. Labradors are not aggressive but do get excited in the company of new people. Hence they need training from the owners as to how to remain in control when they meet new people.
Summary
Labrador and Labrador retriever is the same breed of dogs, and there is no difference between them. People get confused by another bred called Golden Retriever that has its origins in Scotland and has golden coat. Labradors have white, black and chocolate coats and are full of energy all the time. They are very loving and excited dogs that were developed to retrieve game for their owners while hunting. People, instead of taking the full name Labrador Retriever, call the dog Labrador or just Labs with no difference between Labrador and Labrador Retriever.