Labrador retriever Tudor portrait: why it's a myth

Part 1

What people mean by a labrador retriever Tudor portrait

The timeline below shows why that is impossible.

Part 2

Why labradors could not have existed in Tudor England

The Labrador retriever descends from the St. John's water dog, a working dog kept by fishermen in Newfoundland. European fishing fleets began visiting the waters off Newfoundland from around 1500, and permanent settlements grew slowly along the coast in the years after. Richard Wolters, who researched the breed's early history, described the settlers there as deserters from the British fishing fleet who brought their own dogs with them. By the time these dogs were imported to England in the early 1800s, they had roughly 300 years to develop in Newfoundland.

The name Labrador retriever did not exist yet either. British sportsmen imported the dogs in the 1830s, among them the Earl of Home and the Duke of Buccleuch, and the name Labrador Retriever had become common in England by 1870. So your dog's breed, and even its name, came along long after the Tudor period.

The St. John's water dog was not the same animal as the large, shaggy Newfoundland dog people picture today. It was smaller, with a short, dense coat, built for swimming and retrieving rather than hauling carts.

Part 3

What dogs really appear in Tudor portraits

Small lapdogs appear often in portraits of ladies and members of the court, valued as symbols of luxury and leisure. Hunting dogs appear beside aristocrats engaged in the sport, signalling the owner's skill as a hunter. Dogs also appear in portraits of rulers, standing for authority, power, and command. If you want your own dog pictured this way, these are the breeds a real Tudor portrait would have used instead of a Labrador.

Dogs in these paintings often carried symbolic meaning, not just a likeness of a pet. A hunting dog signalled nobility and skill, while a lapdog nestled in a lady's arms suggested refinement and leisure. A loyal hound at someone's feet was a common way to show devotion between the sitter and their dog.

Part 4

How the Labrador retriever breed actually developed

St. John's water dogs worked alongside fishermen, retrieving nets, lines, and fish that slipped off the hooks in freezing water. Their coats were dense and oily, which let them work in icy conditions without carrying ice. British sportsmen then imported these dogs to England to use as gun dogs for waterfowl. An early patron, the Earl of Malmesbury, bred these dogs for waterfowling, and later the Duke of Buccleuch and the Earl of Home worked together to establish the lines that became the modern Labrador. The Kennel Club recognised the Labrador Retriever as a breed in 1903.

1. Fishing fleets began visiting Newfoundland's waters from around 1500, and the ancestor dogs developed there over the following centuries.
2. British sportsmen imported St. John's water dogs to England in the 1830s to use for waterfowl hunting.
3. The name Labrador Retriever had become common in England by 1870.
4. The Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1903.

Part 5

If you want your dog pictured in a historical style

You do not need a real Tudor portrait to enjoy the idea of your dog in a historical scene. Illustrated art styles can place a photo of your dog into a chosen historical moment, labelled clearly as playful art rather than a historical claim. That way you get the fun of the image without any confusion about what dogs actually looked like, or existed, at the time. Many people enjoy this as a way to celebrate their dog without mixing it up with real history.