| (The FCI is an
organization whose membership is made up of Kennel Clubs from
different countries. All major countries in the world, except
the United States of America, are part of this organization, Russia
being the newest member. All member clubs use the FCI Standards
for their Breed Standards.)
Labrador Retriever
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Strongly
built, short coupled, very active; broad in skull; broad and deep
through chest and ribs; broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.
CHARACTERISTICS: Good tempered, very agile. Excellent
nose, soft; keen lover of water. Adaptable, devoted companion.
TEMPERAMENT: Intelligent, keen
and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with
no trace of aggression or undue shyness.
HEAD & SKULL: Skull broad with defined stop; clean cut
without fleshy cheeks. Jaws of medium length, powerful 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 head and set rather
far back.
MOUTH: Jaws and teeth strong with a perfect, regular and
complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping
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 elbow to ground when viewed from either
front or side.
BODY: Chest of good width 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 let down, cowhocks 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
thickly all round with short, thick, dense coat, thus giving
"rounded" appearance described as "Otter" tail.
May be carried gaily, but should not curl over back.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Free, covering adequate ground; straight and true
in front and rear.
COAT: Distinctive feature, short dense without wave or
feathering, giving fairly hard feel to the touch; weather
resistant undercoat.
COLOUR: Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellows
range from light cream to red fox. Small white spot on chest
permissible.
SIZE: Ideal height at withers; dogs 56 - 57 cms (22 - 221/2
ins);bitches 54 - 56 cms (21 1/2 ins).
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.
NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles
fully descended into the scrotum.
Approved by the General Assembly on the 23rd and 24th June 1987 in
Jerusalem.
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