Retriever (Labrador) Breed Standard

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Retriever Labrador

The Kennel Club Picture Library - © David Dalton

General Appearance
Strongly built, short-coupled, very active; broad in skull; 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 snipy. 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
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
Ideal height at withers: dogs: 56-57 cms (22-221/2 ins); bitches: 55-56 cms (211/2-22 ins).

Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

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

Last Updated - September 2000

Glossary of Canine Terms

Health Information

The Kennel Club operates health screening schemes with other organisations.  Some are clinical veterinary screening schemes and some are DNA screening schemes, which may be relevant to this breed.

The current health screening requirements and recommendations for Kennel Club Accredited Breeders of this breed show what is required and recommended for the sire and dam of any litter of this breed bred by an Accredited Breeder.

Breed specific summary results from the Purebred Dog Health Survey in 2004 are available.  Individual summaries are only available where the breed response rate was greater than 15%.

Recommended Reading

All the below publications are available from the Online Shop.

 
Breed Standards

Kennel Club Breed Standards

Kennel Club Breed Standards are available for most breeds indicating the qualities which competition judges normally take into account and the standard or model which breeders endeavour to achieve.

The Breed Standards can be purchased by group.
 Illustrated Breed Standards

The Kennel Club Illustrated Breed Standards

Containing full descriptive standards for 192 breeds, as well as representation for the six Kennel Club recognised breeds that are currently without standards, this beautifully illustrated volume is a must for all dog enthusiasts.

This third edition has been completely revised and updated by a panel of experts and incorporates the very latest standards for breeds in each group.

Breed Clubs and Societies

 
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