Labrador retriever is a strongly built, short-coupled, very active; broad in skull; broad and deep through chest and ribs; broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.
FCI-Standard N° 122 / 29. 01. 1999 / GB
LABRADOR RETRIEVER
ORIGIN : Great Britain.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 24.06.1987.
UTILIZATION : Retriever.
CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 8 Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs.
Section 1 Retrievers.
With working trial.
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.
BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Good-tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth; keen lover of water. Adaptable, devoted companion. Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION :
Skull : Broad. Clean-cut without fleshy cheeks.
Stop : Defined.
FACIAL REGION :
Nose : Wide, nostrils well developed.
Muzzle : Powerful, not snipey.
Jaws/Teeth : Jaws of medium length, 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.
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.
NECK : Clean, strong, powerful, set into well placed shoulders.
BODY :
Back : Level topline.
Loins : Wide, short-coupled and strong.
Chest : Of good width and depth, with well sprung barrel ribs.
TAIL : Distinctive feature, very thick towards the 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.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS : Forelegs well boned and straight from elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.
Shoulders : Long and sloping.
HINDQUARTERS : Well developed, not sloping to tail.
Stifle : Well turned.
Hocks : well let down. Cowhocks highly undesirable.
FEET : Round, compact; well-arched toes and well developed pads.
GAIT / MOVEMENT : Free, covering adequate ground; straight and true in front and rear.
COAT
HAIR : 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 cm ( 22 - 22,5 ins);
bitches 54-56 cm ( 21,5 - 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.
Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
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