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The Labrador Retriever standard was changed recently. The new standard describes the Labrador as 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 and the tail are the breed's three outstanding characteristics. However, the head, coat, tail and temperament, all worn on the correct body or frame, are what give you the complete Labrador. Though temperament is not a physical trait, it is the essence of this breed. The Labrador's kindly temperament is visible in his warm eyes as well as in his body language. If any of these things is missing, you do not have a Labrador.

The head of a Labrador Retriever is one of the breed's most distinguishing characteristics. It should not remind you of any other breed. If it reminds you of a Coonhound, a Great Dane or some kind of Terrier, then it is not a correct Labrador head. The Lab has a fairly broad back skull and a nice stop. The stop connects the skull to the muzzle, and the eyes are set into the stop. The skull and muzzle run on practically parallel planes. The head should not have big, heavy, apple cheeks or flews that are too pendulous. The head should have a neat, clean appearance unlike the sloppy or drooling look that is appropriate for a Saint Bernard. The muzzle should be strong and never snipey looking. The nose should be wide with well-developed nostrils, for that keen sense of smell.

A Labrador should have what is called a "scissors bite," where the top front teeth come down right over (actually touching) the bottom front teeth, just as the blades of a pair of scissors cross each other to cut something. A level bite, where the top and bottom meet at exactly the same place, is acceptable but not desirable. Labradors should have full dentition and should not be overshot or undershot, where there is a gap of one-eighth to one-quarter inch or more between the top and bottom jaw.

Either of these conditions or a wry mouth (crooked jaw) would make it harder for the dog to carry game. However, if your dog is a family pet, it probably will not matter if his bite is not perfect. He will probably never miss a meal.

It is important for the Labrador Retriever to be well balanced. He should not be as tall and thin as a pointer, and he should not be as short and fat as a potbellied pig. No one feature should be so prominent as to detract from the total picture. If you look at a Labrador and notice only his huge head, the dog is probably unbalanced. If you look at a Labrador and see only his big feet or a long scraggly tail, you are probably not looking at a good specimen of the breed.

The ears should be set off the side of the skull, not too high and not too low. They should be of medium size, hanging so that the bottom tips are about two inches below the eyes. The ears should not be so big or so small that they draw attention to themselves. And they should never be long or folded as they are on many hounds.

The Labrador's eyes are where we see that irresistible, sweet, kind and alert expression. Some are shaped like a rounded diamond. Although some round eyes can be attractive, they should not resemble the round eyes of a Cocker Spaniel, nor should they be too almond-shaped. A good color would be a warm brown-eye on all three colors (black, yellow or chocolate), maybe a bit darker on a yellow Lab. If the eyes are too light, the dog's expression will be ruined. There should never be a harsh or mean look about a Labrador. When you look into a Lab's eyes, you should feel instant friendliness. Usually, the moment your eyes meet, the Lab's powerful tail starts wagging automatically.

The desirable Labrador head should sit on a strong neck of medium length. If the neck is too short, the dog looks as if his head is sitting on his shoulders; if the neck is too long, the dog appears elegant, like a setter, which is not correct. There is nothing elegant about this dog. He is agile, strong, and sturdy. As you continue down the neck, past the withers, the top line (the back) should be rather level, never sway-back or sloping to the degree that a Setter's back does from the neck to the rump. The chest should be deep with well-sprung ribs like a barrel. The shoulders should be long and sloping. The correct look requires long bones that form a ninety-degree angle as you look at the dog from the side, from the withers, to the sternum, to the elbow. The front legs are well underneath the dog, allowing a prominent breastbone to show and creating the picture of a powerful chest.

All Labrador Retrievers are either a solid black, a solid yellow, or a solid chocolate. A white spot on the chest is permissible. All the colors should have the correct double coat. The thick undercoat lies under the topcoat. The topcoat should be a bit rough to the touch and does not have to lie flat. In fact, if the coat is too slick, the dog probably does not have a good undercoat and would not be useful as a retriever in cold waters.

The undercoat acts as insulation and, working in conjunction with the coat's natural oil, helps to repel water. The Labrador does not feel the cold the way a single-coated dog does. Another aspect of this coat is the special look that it gives the breed.

All four legs should have good, thick bone, the front legs coming straight down from the shoulders. The rear legs should be well bent at the knee or stifle. The hind quarters should be thick with well-muscled thighs. The hocks should not be too long and should also be well bent and well let down (not one continuous line from buttocks to the foot). Picture about a six-inch section from the foot to the hock joint and then a little jog, toward the front, and on up to the stifle. The view from behind the dog should not be narrow but rather hefty.

The tail should be set right off the back. In other words, you should see one straight line from the withers to the tip of the tail. If the tail is set too low or if the tail is set too high, the picture will be spoiled. As a Labrador moves, the tail usually wags happily from side to side. It should never be carried curled up over the back like a hound's tail. A tail that is carried too low or between the legs will give the appearance of timidity.

Timidity is a word that is not in the Labrador dictionary. This very important tail, which should not be too long (not below the hock), acts like a rudder when the dog is swimming. It is sometimes called an otter tail because it is thick at the base and tapers down to a tip, like the tail of an otter. The tail should be well covered with a very distinctive short, dense coat. The underside of the tail should never have any long feathery hair on it.


Please click on More About Labrador Retriever for a longer description.