The breed standard of the Labrador Retriever is not based on any actual dog. It is a theoretical ideal that no dog will likely ever reach. This breed standard is used to not only help dog show judges pick a winner in the ring, but can help you identify a Lab or Labrador cross breed in your local animal shelter. Labrador genes tend to be dominant when they mix with nearly every other breed. Knowing your rescue dog is a Labrador or part Lab can help you take care of him better.

Labradors are generally blocky dogs with floppy ears, a friendly face and a short coat. Their tails are thick, straight and never docked. Although there are a few official colors (black, chocolate, yellow and silver), purebred Labs have been known to come in white, brindle and black and tan. They are disqualified from the ring, but can still make wonderful pets.
A Labrador’s head looks very much like a blunt version of most other dogs. On a profile, their heads look like a big oval attached to a square (the square being the muzzle). Their tongues are always pink and sometimes their noses are, too, even though the breed standard frowns on pink noses. Their eyes are shades of brown. Yellow and black eyes can appear, but are also frowned on in the show ring. They usually seem like they are smiling. They have a characteristic loving gaze upon anyone they look at. Their teeth should meet in a scissors bite.

Ideally, Labradors should range in height from the ground to the highest point of their shoulder from twenty one to twenty five inches. This makes them only medium sized dogs. It is very easy to get a fat Lab. Ideally, they should be only between fifty five to seventy five pounds. There are many purebred Labs who are too short or too tall for the show ring. They should have sturdy limbs, a level backbone and a bouncy stride. They shouldn’t be knock-kneed or strut like a Hackney horse.
All Labrador information agrees that Labs are generally blocky dogs, with a square-ish head, a level backbone and strong, thick limbs. They should not have a body built like a Boxer – although this sometimes happens in purebred Labs. There is some variation Between American Labradors and English Labradors, however. The English version is a usually chunkier and shorter than the American. Their facial expression and temperament are exactly alike. It’s hard to find another breed that is so reliably friendly and intelligent.

All Labradors love food – too much for their own good. In the breed standard, the ideal weight should be about fifty-five pounds for smaller Labs (around twenty two inches at the shoulder) to seventy-five pounds for the largest permitted Labs (at twenty five inches at the shoulder). Purebred Labs often exhibit some deviations from their breed standard, which is why a good show dog is so hard to find. With the right training and diet, Labradors of all shapes make excellent pets.

The Labrador Retriever has an amiable personality and easy going temperament. There would be a lot fewer abandoned Labs if people took the time to learn basic Labrador information before they got a puppy.

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