THE LABRADOR BREED STANDARD
Characteristics
Good tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth, keen love of water. Adaptable, devoted companion.
Temperament
Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness.
Head and Skull
Skull broad with defined stop; clean cut without fleshy cheeks. Jaws of medium length, powerful, not snipey. Nose wide, nostrils well developed.
Eyes
Medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper, brown or hazel.
Ears
Not large or heavy, hanging close to head and set rather far back.
Mouth
Jaws and teeth strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck
Clean, strong, powerful, set into well placed shoulder.
Body
Chest of good width and depth, with well sprung barrel ribs. Level topline, loins wide, short coupled and strong.
Hindquarters
Well developed, not sloping to tail; well turned stifle. Hocks well let down, cow hocks highly undesirable.
Forequarters
Shoulders long and sloping. Forelegs well boned and straight from elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.
Feet
Round, compact; well arched toes and well developed pads.
Tail
Distinctive feature, very thick towards base, gradually tapering towards tip, medium length, free from feathering, but clothed thickly all round with short, thick, dense coat, thus giving ’rounded’ appearance as described as ‘otter’ tail. May be carried gaily but should not curl over back.
Gait/Movement
Free, covering adequate ground; straight and true in front and rear.
Coat
Distinctive feature, short, dense, without wave or feathering, giving fairly hard feel to the touch; weather resistant coat.
Colour
Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellows range from light cream to red fox. Small white spot on chest permissable.
Size
Height at withers: Dogs 56-57cms; Bitches 54-56cms.
NOTE:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.The above breed standard was taken from ‘The Labrador Retriever Club Year Book 2002′.