Labrador Retrievers: The AKC Breed Standard
Naturally active and alert, the Labrador Retriever belongs to the AKC Sporting Group. Sporting dogs make friendly, well-rounded companions. But if you want your Labrador Retriever to participate in conformation shows, it must match the AKC breed standard. So, just what is the AKC breed standard for Labrador Retrievers, anyway?
Appearance standards
The AKC standard specifies that a Lab has to be clean-cut with a strong and athletic look. Labs are medium-sized dog with warm, friendly eyes and a well-balanced body. They need to look hardy enough to hunt for long hours under difficult conditions, yet have the personality of a family pet.
The ideal Lab demonstrates the suggested neck, topline, and back of the breed standard.
If you plan on showing your Lab, check with the AKC for more information and to see if your Lab qualifies. The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a nonprofit organization that's devoted to the advancement of purebred dogs. The AKC maintains a record of all registered dogs; sponsors a variety of dog, such as shows and agility competitions; and establishes the ideal standards for each recognized breed.
Of course, the standard does much more than offer a big-picture description of what a Lab should look like. The breed standard places far more emphasis on exactly how specific parts of the Lab's body should appear.
Size: Labs should be relatively short from shoulder to hip, but not so short that it interferes with their able to run and walk easily.
Head: A Lab's skull should be wide but balanced. The top should be parallel to the muzzle and both parts roughly the same length.
The head should also be clean-cut with strong jaws.
The ears should hang next to the head, relatively far back and low. When pulled forward they should reach the inside of the eye.
The nose should be wide and black on black and yellow Labs or brown on chocolate Labs.
The eyes should be alert and intelligent. Eyes should be brown with black rims on black and yellow Labs and brown or hazel with brown rims on chocolate Labs.
The teeth should be strong and have an even bite, with the bottom teeth just behind the top teeth with the mouth is closed.
Neck: The neck should be strong without loose skin and long enough to make retrieving easy.
Body: The topline should be straight and level between the shoulder blade and the hips, and the body should have a nicely tapered rib cage (not too flat or too barrel-chested).
Tail: The Lab tail should be an otter tail that is very thick at the base and then tapers off. The Lab should continue the flow of a line from the top of the head to the tail tip.
Forequarters: The forequarters should be muscular and balanced with the hindquarters so that shoulders and hips are in proportion, as are front and back legs.
Additionally,
Front legs should be straight, and when viewed from the side, the dog's elbows should be directly beneath the top point of the shoulder blade.
Feet should be strong and compact with arched toes and well-developed paws.
Hindquarters:The hindquarters should be muscular and balanced with the forequarters.
Additionally,
Rear legs should have strong bones and defined thighs with steady knees. Viewed from the side, they should mirror the angle of the front legs.
Feet should be strong and compact, with arched toes and well-developed pads.
The rear toes should stand just behind the top of the rump when standing still.
Coat: Labs should have a double coat with a thick, dense, hard, weather-resistant top layer and a soft, downy undercoat for insulation.
Color: Labs come in three colors: black, yellow (from fox red to light cream), and chocolate (light to dark).
Appearance defects
The standard also discusses how judges should rate the less-than-perfect Labrador Retriever. If your dog has any of the following characteristics, he will be disqualified from show competition:
Shorter or taller than the height described in the standard (the margin is 1/2 inch)
A pink nose or one lacking in color
Eye rims that don't have any pigment
A docked or altered tail
Any other color or a combination of colors other than black, yellow or chocolate
Few, if any, Labrador Retrievers meet all the standard's criteria for perfection. Some deficiencies are no big deal in the show ring, while others are considered so serious that the dog can't be shown. Still, disqualification from the conformation show ring certainly doesn't mean that the affected Labrador Retriever won't be a wonderful, healthy pet or participant in other dog activities and competitions, such as agility.
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A method of feeding dogs as closely as possible what they would eat in the wild: raw flesh and bones, along with vegetable matter from the stomachs of their prey. The acronym stands for either Bones and Raw Food or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
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blow out
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blue slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
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breeder
A person who raises, sells, and often shows dogs of a specific breed. Reputable breeders screen parent dogs in an effort to produce healthy dogs that conform to breed standards.
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castrate
The removal of a male dog’s testicles to render him infertile.
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dead ring
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double coat
Two layers of fur — a top coat of stiff guard hairs and an undercoat that serves as insulation.
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dropped ears
The term for hanging or drooping dog ears.
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Elizabethan collar
A wide, cone-shaped plastic or cardboard collar that prevents a dog from being able to scratch her head. Used to prevent further injury or hasten healing.
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euthanize; put to sleep
To kill an animal to relieve suffering.
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fall
Hair that extends over a dog’s eyes.
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feathering
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The period when a female dog is fertile.
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A localized area of skin infection. It’s usually round, red, and warm to the touch.
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live ring
The floating ring of a training collar. Attach a leash to this ring for training purposes.
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neuter
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pantaloons
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pinch collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
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praise
A verbal reward for a dog , such as an enthusiastic “good dog!”
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prong collar
A training collar with interlocking prongs that pinch a dog’s neck when tugged on. Some veterinarians recommend them above all other collars for training purposes.
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registration slip
An application to register a purebred puppy.
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reward
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shed
A twice-yearly process of casting off the undercoat in a double-coated dog.
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A single layer of hairs that comprises a dog’s fur.
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spay
To remove of both the uterus and the ovaries of a dog to render her infertile.
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stripping
Plucking the dead hairs from a dog’s coat.
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titer tests
Tests that check a dog’s immunity levels to determine exactly which vaccinations are needed.
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top coat
The top layer of a double-coated dog composed of stiff guard hairs that tend to be naturally water-repellant. The top coat protects the dog’s skin and undercoat.
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training collar
A collar that enables you to guide your dog and to check her as necessary — a brief, sharp tug tightens the collar around the dog’s neck.
Dogs Glossary
treat cup
A plastic container filled with small treats or dog food. Shake it and give treats from it as a reward as you train a dog.
Dogs Glossary
undercoat
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