The Standard of the Labrador Retriever. Presented by The Labrador Retriever Club Inc.

Transcription

1 The Standard of the Labrador Retriever Presented by The Labrador Retriever Club Inc.

2 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 3 rd 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5 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.

6 What to Look for: A medium-sized dog with balanced, correct proportions and an unexaggerated outline. One cannot under value proportions and general appearance.

7 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

8 What to Avoid: = =

9 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

10 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

11 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 Substance

12 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.

13 What to Avoid: Individuals lacking correct proportions, breed character and balance; overweight, poorly conditioned dogs; any deviation from the ideal prescribed in the Standard.

14 Head A clean cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop

15 Head

16 Skull 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

17 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

18 What to Avoid: Loose eye rims with saggy haws Small eyes set too close together Round or protruding eyes

19 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

20 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

21 Teeth Correct Scissor Bite Less than Desirable Level Bite Incorrect Undershot Incorrect Overshot

22 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 Neck

23 What to Avoid:

24 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 Topline

25 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 Body

26 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 Tail otter tail

27 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

28 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

29 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

30 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 Coat 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

31 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

32 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

33 Color Yellow Yellows may range in color from fox-red to light cream May have variations in shading

34 Color Chocolate Chocolates may vary in shade from light to dark chocolate Brindle or tan markings is a disqualification

35 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

36 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 Temperament

37 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

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