The Standard of the Labrador Retriever

The Standard of the Labrador
Retriever
Presented by
The Labrador
Retriever Club
Inc.
Form & Function
“We always call mine Labrador dogs, and I have
always kept the breed as pure as I could from
the first I had… the real breed may be known by
their having a close coat which turns water off
like oil, and, above all, a tail like an otter.”
~ James Howard Harris
3rd Earl of Malmesbury
The Labrador Retriever is a working dog bred to perform
retrieving tasks in any kind of weather or environment. It
possesses the physical characteristics and temperament that
allow it to adapt to many parts of the world and to a variety of
work beyond the shooting field.
History
The “Lesser” Newfoundland dog or Labrador Retriever has no
peer in his own right. On the island of Newfoundland in the
mouth of the St. Lawrence River, whose northerly tip is but nine
miles from the coast of Labrador, many of these dogs are used
by the natives in their quest for a livelihood from the deep
waters of the Atlantic Ocean. One very interesting and unusual
feat of these dogs is the fact that they can be trained to retrieve
objects from the bottom of the sea in depths of 10 to 12 feet of
water. Many stories have been told about the heroic efforts of
the great Newfoundland dog in the rescuing of lives from
shipwrecked boats along the rocky coast of Newfoundland, but
as a swimmer and retriever, the Lesser Newfoundland far excels
its noble predecessor. A line taken to a sinking boat by the
Lesser Newfoundland has saved many a life. He is a powerful
swimmer, and rough water has little effect on his ability to do
what he has been called upon to do.
The Basics
Above all, the Labrador Retriever must be well
balanced, enabling it to move in the show ring
or work in the field with little or no effort.
General Appearance  The most distinguishing
characteristics of the
Labrador Retriever are its
short, dense, weather
resistant coat
 An “otter” tail
 A clean cut head with
broad back skull and
moderate stop
 Powerful jaws
 And “kind,” “friendly” eyes
expressing character,
intelligence, and good
temperament.
What to Look for:
A medium-sized dog with balanced, correct proportions
and an unexaggerated outline.
“One cannot under value proportions and general
appearance.”
What to Avoid:
Individuals lacking the elements of breed character
as defined in the Standard; poorly conditioned
animals or those with structural faults. If an
individual Labrador is reminiscent of any other
breed, the dog lacks breed type.
Incorrect
What to Avoid:
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Size
 The height at the withers for
a dog is 22½ to 24½ inches
and weight should be
between 65 and 80 pounds
 For a bitch is 21½ to 23½
inches and weight should be
between 55 and 70 pounds
 Any variance above or
below these heights greater
than ½ of an inch is a
disqualification
 The minimum heights set
forth do not apply to dogs or
bitches under 12 months of
age
Proportion
 Short-coupled: length from the
point of the shoulder to the
point of the rump is equal to or
slightly longer than the
distance from the withers to the
ground
 Distance from the elbow to the
ground should be equal to one
half of the height at the withers
 The brisket should extend to
the elbows but not perceptively
deeper
 The body should be of
sufficient length to permit a
straight, free, efficient stride
but the dog should never
appear low and long, or tall and
leggy in outline
Substance
 Substance and bone
proportionate to overall
dog
 Light “weedy” individuals
are incorrect
 Cloddy (or lumpy),
lumbering specimens are
also incorrect
 Should be shown in
working condition, wellmuscled, and without
excess fat
What to Look for:
A medium-sized dog with enough height, substance and
strength to perform as a working gun dog with minimum
of effort in water or heavy cover.
What to Avoid:
Individuals lacking correct proportions, breed character
and balance; overweight, poorly conditioned dogs; any
deviation from the ideal prescribed in the Standard.
Head
 A clean cut head with broad back skull and
moderate stop
Head
Skull
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Wide, well developed
without exaggeration
Skull and foreface should
be parallel
Moderate stop
Brows ridges aid in
defining the stop
Clean cut, no fleshy cheeks
Chiseled beneath the eye
with no prominence in the
cheek
Occipital bone is not
prominent in mature dogs
Lips should fall away in a
curve towards the throat
Eyes
 Should be kind and friendly
imparting good temperament,
intelligence, and alertness
 Should be medium sized
 Set well apart
 Should be brown in black and
yellow dogs and brown or
hazel in chocolates
 Small eyes set together or or
round prominent eyes are not
typical of the breed
 Eye rims are black in black
and yellow dogs and brown in
chocolates
 Eye rims without
pigmentation is a
disqualification
What to Avoid:
Small eyes set too
close together
Loose eye rims
with saggy haws
Round or
protruding eyes
Nose
 Should be wide
 Nostrils should be well
developed
 Should be black on black
and yellow dogs, brown
on chocolates
 Nose color fading to a
lighter shade is not a fault
 A thoroughly pink nose or
one lacking in pigment is
a disqualification
Teeth
 Should be strong and
regular with a scissors
bite
 The lower teeth should be
just behind, but touching
the inner side of the upper
incisors
 Full definition is preferred
 Undershot, overshot, or
misaligned teeth are
serious faults
 Missing molars or premolars are serious faults
Teeth
Correct Scissor Bite
Less than Desirable
Level Bite
Incorrect
Undershot
Incorrect
Overshot
Neck
Should be of proper
length to allow the
dog to retrieve game
easily
Should be muscular
and free from
throatiness
It should rise strongly
from the shoulders
with a moderate arch
A short, thick, or a
“ewe” neck is in
correct
What to Avoid:
Topline
The back is
strong and the
topline is level
from the withers
to the croup
when standing or
moving
The loin should
show evidence of
flexibility for
athletic endeavor
Body
 The dog should be short-coupled
with good spring of ribs tapering
to a moderately wide chest
 Correct chest conformation will
result in tapering between the
front legs that allows unrestricted
forelimb movement
 Chest breadth that is either too
wide or too narrow for efficient
movement or stamina is incorrect
 Slab-sided, barrel chested, or
rotund specimens are
objectionable
 The underline is almost straight
with little or no tuck-up in mature
animals
 Loins should be short, wide, and
strong extending to well
developed hindquarters
Tail
“otter” tail
 The tail is a distinguishing feature
of the breed
 Should be very thick at the base,
gradually tapering toward the tip
 Should be of medium length
 Extending no longer than the hock
 Free from feathering and clothed
thickly all around with the same
short, dense coat
 Should have a rounded
appearance that has been
described as the “otter” tail
 Should follow topline when in
motion
 May be carried gaily but should
not curl over the back
 Extremely short, or long, thin tails
are serious faults
 Docking or otherwise altering the
length or natural carriage is a
disqualification
Forequarters - Shoulders
 Forequarters should be
muscular, well coordinated
and balanced with the
hindquarters
 Shoulders are well laid back,
long, sloping and forming an
angle with the upper arm at a
90 degree angle permitting the
dog to move his forelegs in an
easy manner with a strong
forward reach
 Ideally, the length of the
shoulder blade should be
equal to the upper arm
 Straight shoulder blades,
short upper arms, or heavily
muscled or loaded shoulders
restrict free movement and are
incorrect
Forequarters – Front Legs
 When viewed from the front the legs
should be straight with good strong
bone
 When viewed from the side the
elbows should be directly under the
withers and the front legs should be
perpendicular to the ground and well
under the body
 Elbows should be close to the ribs
without looseness
 Tied-in elbows are serious faults
 Pasterns should be strong and short
and should slope slightly from the
perpendicular line of the leg
 Feet are strong and compact with
well arched toes and well developed
pads
 Dew claws may be removed
 Splayed feet, hare feet, knuckling
over, or feet turning in or out are
serious faults
Hindquarters
 Are broad and muscular and welldeveloped from the hip to the hock with
well turned stifles and strong short hocks
 Viewed from the rear the hind legs are
straight and parallel
 Viewed from the side the angulation of the
rear legs is in balance with the front
 Legs are strongly boned and muscled with
moderate angulation at the stifle
 The stifle is strong and there is no
slippage of the patella while in motion
 The hock joints are strong and do not slip
or hyper-extend while in motion or
standing
 Angulation of hock joint and stifle is to
achieve optimal balance of drive and
traction
 When standing the rear toes are only
slightly behind the point of the rump
 Over angulation produces a sloping
topline not typical of the breed
 Cow-hocks, spread hocks, sickle hocks,
and over angulation are serious structural
defects and are to be faulted
Coat
 The coat is a distinctive
feature of the breed
 It should be short, straight,
and very dense giving a
fairly hard feeling to the
hand
 It should have a soft,
weather-resistant undercoat
 A slight wave down the back
is permissible
 Wooly, soft silky, and sparse
slick coats are not typical of
the breed and should be
severely penalized
Color
 Coat colors are Black,
Yellow, and Chocolate
 Any other color or
combination of colors is
a disqualification
 A white spot on the chest
is permissible but not
desirable
 White hairs from aging or
scarring are not to be
misinterpreted as
brindling
Color – Black
 Blacks are all black
 A black with brindle or
tan markings is a
disqualification
 When a black coat
begins to shed, a rusty
aura may appear within
the coat. This is not to
be penalized
Color – Yellow
Yellows may range
in color from fox-red
to light cream
May have variations
in shading
Color – Chocolate
Chocolates may vary
in shade from light to
dark chocolate
Brindle or tan
markings is a
disqualification
Movement
 Should be free and effortless
 When seen straight on there should be
no sign of elbows out
 The dog should move straight forward
without pacing or weaving
 The legs should form straight lines with
all parts moving on the same plane
 When seen from behind the rear legs
should give the impression that they are
moving in a parallel line with the front
legs
 The hocks should flex well giving the
impression of power and strength
 When viewed from the side, the
shoulders should move effortlessly and
the foreleg should reach forward close to
the ground with extension
 Movement faults include: short, choppy,
or high knee movement, a short silted
rear gait, waving, side-winding, crossing
over, high knee action, and paddling are
faults and should be severely penalized
Temperament
 The ideal disposition is a
kind, outgoing, tractable
nature
 Should be eager to
please and nonaggressive towards man
or animal
 Any evidence of shyness
or aggressiveness in an
adult should be severely
penalized
Disqualifications
Any deviation from the height prescribed in the
Standard
A thoroughly pink nose or one lacking in any
pigment
Eye rims without pigment
Docking or otherwise altering the length or
natural carriage of the tail
Any other color or combination of colors other
than black, yellow, or chocolate as described in
the standard