Labrador Retriever Standard

ORIGIN : Great Britain.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD: 08.09.2026.
UTILISATION : Gundog.
FCI CLASSIFICATION : Group 8 Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs.

Section 1: Retrievers. With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : It is popularly believed that the Labrador Retriever originated on the coast of Newfoundland where fishermen were seen using dogs of similar appearance to retrieve fish. An excellent water dog, its water‑resistant coat and characteristic otter‑like tail emphasise these traits. The Labrador is not a very old breed. The breed club was formed in 1916 and the Yellow Labrador Club was founded in 1925. It was in field trials that the Labrador found its early fame, being originally introduced to these shores in the late 1800s by Col Peter Hawker and the Earl of Malmesbury. A dog called Malmesbury Tramp, described by Lorna, Countess of Howe as one of the “roots” of the modern Labrador.

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Strongly built, short‑coupled and very active; (which precludes excessive weight and substance) broad skull, broad and deep chest and ribs; loins and hindquarters wide and strong.
TEMPERAMENT / BEHAVIOUR: Good‑tempered and very agile. Possesses excellent nose and soft mouth; very fond of water. Adaptable and devoted companion. Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kind‑natured, with no sign of aggression or undue shyness.
HEAD
CRANIAL REGION:

• Skull: Broad, clean‑cut, without fleshy cheeks.
• Stop: Defined.

FACIAL REGION:

• Nose: Wide, with well‑developed nostrils.
• Muzzle: Powerful, not snipey.
• Jaws / Teeth : Jaws of medium length; jaws and teeth strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. the upper incisors closely overlapping the lower incisors and set square to the jaws.
• Eyes: Medium size, expressing intelligence and good temperament; brown or hazel colour.
• Ears: Neither large nor heavy; hanging close to the head and set rather far back.

NECK: Clean, strong, powerful, set into well placed shoulders.
BODY:

• Back: Level.
• Loin: Wide, short and strong.
• Chest: Of good width and depth; ribs well sprung and barrel‑shaped. This effect is not produced by excessive weight.

TAIL: The tail, a characteristic feature of the breed, is very thick at the base and gradually tapers towards the tip; of medium length and free from feathering, but completely covered with short, thick, dense hair, giving it that “rounded” appearance described as “otter” tail. May be carried gaily, but not curled over the back.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS:
General appearance: Forelegs straight from elbows to ground when viewed from front or side.

• Shoulders: Long and sloping.
• Forearm: Forelegs well boned and straight.
• Feet: Round, compact, with well‑arched toes and well‑developed pads.

HINDQUARTERS:
General appearance: Well developed, not sloping to tail root.

• Stifle: Well angulated.
• Metatarsus: Hocks well let down. Cow‑hocks highly undesirable.

GAIT / MOVEMENT: Free, covering adequate ground; fore and hind legs move in straight lines parallel to the body axis.
COAT

• Hair: The coat is a distinctive feature of the breed; short and dense, without wave or feathering; giving a fairly hard feel to the touch. Has a weather‑resistant undercoat.
• Colour: Entirely black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellow ranges from light cream to fox‑red. A small white spot on the chest is permissible.
• Any other colour or combination of colours unacceptable

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
Ideal height at withers: Males: 56‑57 cm. Females: 54‑56 cm.
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, and the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS:

• Aggressive or overly shy.
• 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. Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.