WHAT IS A LABRADOR RETRIEVER?

The Labrador should be a medium-sized dog, giving the appearance of a dog that is strong, muscular and active. The head, which includes a very specific kind and friendly expression, the coat, tail and marvellous temperament, all on the correct frame, are what makes a complete Labrador.

Labradors are the number one breed used as guide dogs in Australia, the United States and many other countries. Their ability to locate drugs, contraband goods and people is well documented.

They are easy to train, totally trustworthy, willing to please, and gifted with multiple talents which enable them to excel as companion, guide dog, sniffer dog, working dog, gun dog, guard dog, and children’s pet.

Their popularity as a companion is easy to understand when one realises that they are easy to groom, willing to please and not easy to intimidate. They are loyal, obedient, great fun to be with and they enjoy family life and the companionship of man Labradors are extremely popular in the United Kingdom as well as Australia. Queen Elizabeth II keeps and breeds Labradors under the Sandringham prefix as did her father, King George VI. In fact, The Queen is the patron of the Labrador Retriever Club in UK.

There are many theories about the origins of the breed known today as the Labrador Retriever. One point on which all historians seem to agree is that the Labrador originally came to the United Kingdom from Newfoundland rather than Labrador. They were known by several names such as the St. John’s Water Dog, the Little Newfoundlander and the Black Water Dog, before officially being the Labrador Retriever.

Colonel Hawker, in his book “Advice to Young Sportsmen” (London 1814) describes the Labrador …… ”by far the best for every kind of shooting, is oftener black than any other colour…pretty deep in chest…has short or smooth hair, does not carry his tail so much curled…and is extremely quick and active in running, swimming…Their sense of smell is scarcely to be credited. The dogs were used by the fishermen…to haul in the winter’s wood and to retrieve fish that had become unhooked. It seems that the fish which were taken at great depth often became unhooked near the surface and the dogs were sent overboard to retrieve them.”

History also tells us that they carried the heavy hawsers from trawler to trawler in the North Atlantic and they retrieved the large ocean salmon, which spilled over the nets. Enterprising fisherman sold their dogs as well as their fish to the gentry at English and Scottish Ports.

Labrador Retriever Breed Standard

General Appearance :

Strongly built, short coupled, very active; broad in skill; broad and deep through chest and ribs; broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.

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. Upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck :

Neck : Clean, strong, powerful, set into well-placed shoulders.

Forequarters :

Shoulders long and sloping. Forelegs well-boned and straight from elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.

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, cowhocks highly undesirable.

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 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 undercoat.

Colour :

Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellows range from light cream to red fox. Small white spot on chest permissible.

Size :

Height: Dogs 56 - 57 cms (22 - 22½ inches) at withers, Bitches 54½ - 56cms (21½ - 22 inches) at withers

Faults :

Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded in exact proportion to its degree.

Note :

Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.