Labrador Retriever
Also called lab.
The most registered breed in North America for three decades. The otter tail is the character to look for — thick at the base, round in cross-section, covered in short dense hair, with no feathering.
- Group
- Sporting
- Weight
- 25–36 kg
- Coat
- double
- Ears
- drop
- Muzzle
- medium
- Build
- Sturdy
- Origin
- Canada
What it looks like
Strongly built and balanced, with a short dense double coat, a broad head, kind eyes, and a thick tapering 'otter' tail carried level. Black, yellow or chocolate.
The characters that confirm it
- An otter tail: thick, round, tapering, densely coated, carried level and never curled.
- A short dense double coat that is water-resistant and sheds constantly.
- Webbed feet.
- A broad head with a moderate stop and a wide muzzle.
Temperament
Outgoing, food-motivated, tolerant, and slow to mature. High exercise needs through the first three years.
Health
Hip and elbow dysplasia are common and both are screened by scoring schemes. Exercise-induced collapse and progressive retinal atrophy have genetic tests. Obesity is the most common practical problem — a variant in the POMC gene affecting appetite is unusually frequent in the breed.
Confused with
Goldens have a longer feathered coat and a feathered tail. A Labrador's coat is short throughout and the tail has no fringe.
Most black medium-large dogs get called Labradors. Without the otter tail and the dense double coat, it is a guess.
Questions about this breed
How do you recognise a Labrador Retriever?
An otter tail: thick, round, tapering, densely coated, carried level and never curled. A short dense double coat that is water-resistant and sheds constantly.
What is a Labrador Retriever like to live with?
Outgoing, food-motivated, tolerant, and slow to mature. High exercise needs through the first three years.
What health problems do Labrador Retrievers have?
Hip and elbow dysplasia are common and both are screened by scoring schemes. Exercise-induced collapse and progressive retinal atrophy have genetic tests. Obesity is the most common practical problem — a variant in the POMC gene affecting appetite is unusually frequent in the breed.