Labrador Retrievers originated on the Canadian island of Newfoundland.
Flat-Coated Retrievers were first bred for retrieving game (mainly fowl) which had been shot by the owner.
Poodles were bred to be retrievers for hunters. They are water dogs. Water retrievers.
Golden Retrievers were bred because hunters needed something to retrieve the duck after they shot it to the ground. Sometimes this meant swimming through freezing waters and fetching it before it sunk in the lake. They were bred from Newfoundlands and Labrador retrievers.
Labradoodles are cross bred from Labrador Retrievers and Poodles.
So they can swim.
Labrador Retrievers were created when Newfoundland's were bred with water dogs. Eventually, that breed was mated with retrievers, creating the Labrador Retrievers that are seen today.
The labrador retriever was first bred in Labrador (Newfoundland, Canada) some time around the end of the 16th century.
Labrador retrievers were bred to pull large fishing nets to shore, some were also trained to retrieve (bring) shot game birds. They were bred in Newfoundland.
Golden Retrievers were bred from a number of dogs including Irish Setters, Tweed Water Spaniels (extinct), Bloodhounds, Springer Spaniels, Newfoundlands, St. John's Water Dogs, Labrador Retrievers, and other various retrievers and spaniels in Britain in the 19th century.
Yes they were bred to be, that's why they are called the Labrador Retriever it's in their instinct.
They were actually bred for retrieving, not hunting. Once the hunter has killed a waterfowl a poodle can swim out and retrieve the game.
Golden retrievers are purebred dogs. They were originally bred as dogs to assist with hunting. They are built to retrieve ducks and other water fowl both on land and in the water.