Mixed Breed vs Labrador Retriever
The check that settles it
Black or yellow medium-large short-coated dogs are labelled Labrador constantly. A Labrador has a thick otter tail and a dense water-resistant double coat.
Confirming a mixed breed
- No consistent set of breed characters — features from several types, or none in particular.
- Frequently medium-sized, short-coated and drop-eared, which is where mixed ancestry tends to land.
- Documented pedigree absent, which is what a breed actually is.
- Generally fewer of the concentrated health problems that come with closed breeding populations.
Confirming 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.
- Webbed feet.
- A broad head with a moderate stop and a wide muzzle.