The Dog Centre - for professional dog trainers in the UK

Retriever (Labrador)

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.

  Below Average Above Key
Likelihood to wander   Medium    
Protectiveness   Medium    
Destructiveness   Medium    
Quietness Low      
Good with children Low      
Affinity to other dogs Low      
Size     High  
Lifespan   Medium   Below: < 10 years
Average: > 10 years
Above: > 15 years
Location   Medium   Below: Town only
Average: Town and Country
Above: Country only

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

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).

Excercise Requirements

Considerable

Grooming Needs

Light

Notes

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




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