Post by DogGoneGood on Sept 28, 2008 13:49:49 GMT -5
Group: 1 - Sporting
Origin: Canada
Date of Origin: 1800s
Purpose: Water Retrieval
Waterproof, water loving, affable, and gregarious - this delicious range of adjectives describes one of the world's most popular family companions. The Labrador Retriever once worked from the shores of the rocky inlets of the Newfoundland coast, retrieving the cork floats of fishing nets and swimming them ashore so that fishermen could pull in the fish-filled nets. Today, this steadfast breed is the quintessence of the agreeable canine member of the human family. Unfortunately, many individuals do not ilve up to the image they carry. Some suffer from hereditary cataracts, hip and elbow arthritis, and even wayward temperaments. Despite this, the Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the world.
General Appearance: The general appearance of the Labrador should be that of a strongly built, short-coupled, very active dog. He should be fairly wide over the loins, and strong and muscular in the hindquarters. The coat should be close, short, dense and free from feather.
Life Expectancy:
12-13 years
Size: Approximate weights of dogs and bitches in working condition: Dogs: 60-75 lb. (27-34 kg); Bitches: 55-70 lb. (25-32 kg) Height at shoulders: Dogs: 22-1/2 - 24-1/2 inches (57-62 cm); Bitches: 21-1/2 - 23-1/2 inches (54-60 cm)
Tail: The tail is a distinctive feature of the breed; it should be very thick towards the base, gradually tapering towards the tip, of medium length, should be free from any feathering, and should be clothed thickly all round with the Labrador's short, thick, dense coat, thus giving that peculiar "rounded" appearance which has been described as the ?otter? tail. The tail may be carried gaily but should not curl over the back.
Head: Skull should be wide, giving brain room; there should be a slight stop, i.e., the brow should be slightly pronounced, so that the skull is not absolutely in a straight line with the nose.
Head should be clean-cut and free from fleshy cheeks. Jaws should be long and powerful and free from snipiness.
The nose should be wide and the nostrils well developed. Teeth should be strong and regular, with a level mouth.
Eyes should be of a medium size, expressing great intelligence and good temper, and can be brown, yellow or black, but brown or black is preferred.
Ears should hang moderately close to the head rather far back, should be set somewhat low, and not be large and heavy.
Neck: The neck should be medium length, powerful and not throaty.
Forequarters: The shoulders should be long and sloping. The legs must be straight from the shoulder to ground, and the feet compact with toes well arched, and pads well developed.
Hindquarters: Stifles well turned, and the hindquarters well developed and of great power. The hocks should be well bent, and the dog must neither be cow-hocked nor be too wide behind; in fact, he must stand and move true all round on legs and feet. Legs should be of medium length, showing good bone and muscle, but not so short as to be out of balance with rest of body. In fact, a dog well balanced in all points is preferable to one with outstanding good qualities and defects.
Body: The chest must be of good width and depth, the ribs well sprung and the loins wide and strong.
Gait: Movement should be free and effortless. The forelegs should be strong, straight and true, and correctly placed. Watching a dog move towards one, there should be no signs of elbows being out in front, but neatly held to the body with legs not too close together, but moving straight forward without pacing or weaving. Upon viewing the dog from the rear, one should get the impression that the hind legs, which should be well muscled and not cow-hocked, move as nearly parallel as possible, with hocks doing their full share of work and flexing well, thus giving the appearance of power and strength.
Coat and Colour: The coat is short, straight, dense and feels hard to the touch. Labradors may be black, yellow or chocolate in colour.
They do NOT come in "White". When people refer to "White" Labrador Retrievers, what they're actually talking about is a very light coloured Yellow Labrador Retriever.
"Silver" Labradors are considered a "mismarked" coat colour. With this said, many "Silver" Labradors are actually Labs crossed with a Weimaraner.
For more information about mismarked coats visit the board topic titled "Mismarked Coat Patterns", and the wonderful page at Wood Haven Labs
Blacks All black, with a small white spot on chest permissible. Eyes to be of medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper, preferably brown or hazel, although black or yellow is permissible.
Yellows Yellow may vary in colour from fox-red to light cream with variations in the shading of the coat on ears, the underparts of the dog, or beneath the tail. A small white spot on chest is permissible. Eye colouring and expression should be the same as that of the blacks, with black or dark brown eye rims. The nose should also be black or dark brown, although ?fading? to pink in the winter weather is not serious.
Chocolates Shades ranging from light sedge to chocolate. A small white spot on chest is permissible. Eyes to be light brown to clear yellows. Nose and eye rim pigmentation dark brown or liver coloured. ?Fading? to pink in winter weather not serious.
Temperment: His gentle ways, intelligence and adaptability have done much to account for the Lab's popularity as a pet. His disposition is kindly and outgoing coupled with an eager-to-please nature and general non-aggressiveness.
Faults: Dudley nose (pink without pigmentation).
History: The Labrador descended from dogs taken to Newfoundland by explorers, fishermen and settlers and evolved by natural selection. The breed was known by several names, among them the black Water Dog, the Lesser Newfoundland and the St. John's Dog. Excellent retrievers of fish and game, they often sailed with the fishermen and in the early 1800s, English sportsmen acquired a few of the hardy dogs off the fishing boats. The British further developed the breed by crossing it with other sporting dogs, notably the Flat-coated Retriever, the Curly-coated Retriever and the Tweed Water Spaniel. It wasn't long before the Lab took over as Britain's most popular gun dog. The breed was first recognized by The Kennel Club (England) in 1903. In addition to its prowess as a gun dog, the Lab has distinguished itself as a police and war dog as well as a guide dog for the blind.
Sources:
The Labrador Retriever Club of Canada
Canada's Guide to Dogs - Labrador Retriever Breed Standards Comparison Chart
The New Encyclopedia Of the DOG by Bruce Fogle DVM Page 215
Origin: Canada
Date of Origin: 1800s
Purpose: Water Retrieval
Waterproof, water loving, affable, and gregarious - this delicious range of adjectives describes one of the world's most popular family companions. The Labrador Retriever once worked from the shores of the rocky inlets of the Newfoundland coast, retrieving the cork floats of fishing nets and swimming them ashore so that fishermen could pull in the fish-filled nets. Today, this steadfast breed is the quintessence of the agreeable canine member of the human family. Unfortunately, many individuals do not ilve up to the image they carry. Some suffer from hereditary cataracts, hip and elbow arthritis, and even wayward temperaments. Despite this, the Labrador Retriever is one of the most popular breeds in the world.
General Appearance: The general appearance of the Labrador should be that of a strongly built, short-coupled, very active dog. He should be fairly wide over the loins, and strong and muscular in the hindquarters. The coat should be close, short, dense and free from feather.
Life Expectancy:
12-13 years
Size: Approximate weights of dogs and bitches in working condition: Dogs: 60-75 lb. (27-34 kg); Bitches: 55-70 lb. (25-32 kg) Height at shoulders: Dogs: 22-1/2 - 24-1/2 inches (57-62 cm); Bitches: 21-1/2 - 23-1/2 inches (54-60 cm)
Tail: The tail is a distinctive feature of the breed; it should be very thick towards the base, gradually tapering towards the tip, of medium length, should be free from any feathering, and should be clothed thickly all round with the Labrador's short, thick, dense coat, thus giving that peculiar "rounded" appearance which has been described as the ?otter? tail. The tail may be carried gaily but should not curl over the back.
Head: Skull should be wide, giving brain room; there should be a slight stop, i.e., the brow should be slightly pronounced, so that the skull is not absolutely in a straight line with the nose.
Head should be clean-cut and free from fleshy cheeks. Jaws should be long and powerful and free from snipiness.
The nose should be wide and the nostrils well developed. Teeth should be strong and regular, with a level mouth.
Eyes should be of a medium size, expressing great intelligence and good temper, and can be brown, yellow or black, but brown or black is preferred.
Ears should hang moderately close to the head rather far back, should be set somewhat low, and not be large and heavy.
Neck: The neck should be medium length, powerful and not throaty.
Forequarters: The shoulders should be long and sloping. The legs must be straight from the shoulder to ground, and the feet compact with toes well arched, and pads well developed.
Hindquarters: Stifles well turned, and the hindquarters well developed and of great power. The hocks should be well bent, and the dog must neither be cow-hocked nor be too wide behind; in fact, he must stand and move true all round on legs and feet. Legs should be of medium length, showing good bone and muscle, but not so short as to be out of balance with rest of body. In fact, a dog well balanced in all points is preferable to one with outstanding good qualities and defects.
Body: The chest must be of good width and depth, the ribs well sprung and the loins wide and strong.
Gait: Movement should be free and effortless. The forelegs should be strong, straight and true, and correctly placed. Watching a dog move towards one, there should be no signs of elbows being out in front, but neatly held to the body with legs not too close together, but moving straight forward without pacing or weaving. Upon viewing the dog from the rear, one should get the impression that the hind legs, which should be well muscled and not cow-hocked, move as nearly parallel as possible, with hocks doing their full share of work and flexing well, thus giving the appearance of power and strength.
Coat and Colour: The coat is short, straight, dense and feels hard to the touch. Labradors may be black, yellow or chocolate in colour.
They do NOT come in "White". When people refer to "White" Labrador Retrievers, what they're actually talking about is a very light coloured Yellow Labrador Retriever.
"Silver" Labradors are considered a "mismarked" coat colour. With this said, many "Silver" Labradors are actually Labs crossed with a Weimaraner.
For more information about mismarked coats visit the board topic titled "Mismarked Coat Patterns", and the wonderful page at Wood Haven Labs
Blacks All black, with a small white spot on chest permissible. Eyes to be of medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper, preferably brown or hazel, although black or yellow is permissible.
Yellows Yellow may vary in colour from fox-red to light cream with variations in the shading of the coat on ears, the underparts of the dog, or beneath the tail. A small white spot on chest is permissible. Eye colouring and expression should be the same as that of the blacks, with black or dark brown eye rims. The nose should also be black or dark brown, although ?fading? to pink in the winter weather is not serious.
Chocolates Shades ranging from light sedge to chocolate. A small white spot on chest is permissible. Eyes to be light brown to clear yellows. Nose and eye rim pigmentation dark brown or liver coloured. ?Fading? to pink in winter weather not serious.
Temperment: His gentle ways, intelligence and adaptability have done much to account for the Lab's popularity as a pet. His disposition is kindly and outgoing coupled with an eager-to-please nature and general non-aggressiveness.
Faults: Dudley nose (pink without pigmentation).
History: The Labrador descended from dogs taken to Newfoundland by explorers, fishermen and settlers and evolved by natural selection. The breed was known by several names, among them the black Water Dog, the Lesser Newfoundland and the St. John's Dog. Excellent retrievers of fish and game, they often sailed with the fishermen and in the early 1800s, English sportsmen acquired a few of the hardy dogs off the fishing boats. The British further developed the breed by crossing it with other sporting dogs, notably the Flat-coated Retriever, the Curly-coated Retriever and the Tweed Water Spaniel. It wasn't long before the Lab took over as Britain's most popular gun dog. The breed was first recognized by The Kennel Club (England) in 1903. In addition to its prowess as a gun dog, the Lab has distinguished itself as a police and war dog as well as a guide dog for the blind.
Sources:
The Labrador Retriever Club of Canada
Canada's Guide to Dogs - Labrador Retriever Breed Standards Comparison Chart
The New Encyclopedia Of the DOG by Bruce Fogle DVM Page 215
