The British Breed Standard for the Labrador Retriever (1986)

Background/Purpose:
The origins of the Labrador Retriever are not clearly defined.   There are several theories around.  It is however certain that the breed came to England from the Newfoundland and St John Island area, in the beginning of the early nineteenth century.  Some crossings with other dogs were made, but the Labrador Retriever of today was finally recognized by the British Kennel Club in 1903.  The breed main purpose was that of a retrieving gundog.  It is used mainly at bird and small game hunts.  A strong will to please, strength and physical fitness combined with a strong adaptability makes it well suited for its purpose.

General Appearance:
Strongly built, short coupled, very active, broad in skull, broad and deep through the chest and ribs, broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.

Characteristics:
Good tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth, keen love of water. Adaptable, devoted companion.

Temperament:
Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please.  Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or shyness.

Head and Skull:
Skull broad with definite stop, clean-cut without fleshy cheeks.  Jaws of medium length, power, not snipey.  Nose wide, nostrils well developed.

Eyes:
Medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper, brown or hazel.

Ears:
Not large or heavy, hanging close to the head and set rather far back.

Mouth:
Jaws and teeth strong, with perfect, regular and complete scissors bite.  i.e. the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck:
Clean, strong, powerful, set into well-placed shoulders.

Forequarters:
Shoulders long and sloping.  Forelegs well-boned and straight from the elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.

Body:
Chest of good with and depth, with well sprung barrel ribs.  Level topline. Loins wide, short-coupled and strong.

Hindquarters:
Well developed not sloping to tail, well turned stifle.  Hocks well let down, cow hocks highly undesirable.

Feet:
Round compact, well-arched toes and well developed pads.

Tail:
Distinctive feature, very thick towards base, gradually tapering towards tip, medium length, free from feathering, but clothed tightly around with short, thick, dense coat, thus giving "rounded" appearance described as "otter" tail.  May be carried gayly, but should not curl over back.

Gait/Movement:
Free, covering adequate ground, straight and true front and rear.

Coat:
Distinctive feature, short dense without wave or feathering, giving fairly hard feeling to the tough, weather resistant undercoat.

Colour:
Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate.  Yellows range from light cream to red fox.   Small white spot on the chest is permissible.

Size:
Ideal size at the withers:
    Dogs 56-57 cm (22 in-22.5 in)
    Bitches 54-56 cm (21.5 in-22 in)

Faults:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered as a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum