Judging the Labrador Retriever

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, September 2015 issue.

Judging the Labrador Retriever

I have been asked to say something about Labrador confirmation as if I were speaking to a Judge. I will comment on some things that to me need attention. A good judge for Labradors will judge the dog as a whole. A judge that knows and cares about the breed will have read the standard and be true to it. Labradors are not dramatic like a pointer or setter. The drama in a finely bred Labrador is in the subtle yet definite beauty as the entire dog fills your eye. Power without bulk. Seemingly effortless movement. A Labrador should move freely and effortlessly. They are not a big mover like the pointing breeds or the setters.

They also are not lumbering. A clean free gait that covers moderate ground. They should not be compared to the big movers of the group. They should be compared to their standard only. Labradors that are straight in the front and over-angulated in the rear tend to have a big go around. This is not right for the breed. What I would like to stress is the importance of balance and moderation in the Labrador. A Labrador should be close to the same standing still and in motion. If they have straight legs and are properly constructed, they should have a free clean gait. Going easy as the legs swing forward to reach the ground. The rear foot should step into but not in front of where the front foot just left. Oncoming and going, they should be clean with straight legs, somewhat converging on the center line. The legs should not be making circles or the feet flipping about. The foot, front or rear, should plant itself nicely. Show power in the lift-off. Drive or reach cleanly to the next planting.

Feet should be forward-facing, not toed in or out. The head should have even planes when viewed from profile. A moderate but definite stop is present, not like a Rottweiler and not sloping. The eyebrow should be noticed but not protruding. The muzzle should match the length of the head and be strong with clean flews. The ears are triangular, setting just off the side of the back skull, laying forward towards the eye. The leather should be impressively thick, not thin and drooping, but able to hold its own form. When viewed from the front, you should see a kind expression, a keen eye that denotes neither fear nor aggression, but friendly, joyful, intelligent, and ready. The eye should be almond-shaped with close-fitting lids. The lids should not be droopy or loose-fitting, as this could collect debris while hunting.

Equally objectionable would be round protruding eyes. The muzzle flows into the cheek with good fill under the eyes. The back of the ear helps form the shape of the head. The back of the ear is away from the head while the front of the ear is close fitting to the cheek. The top skull of a Labrador should be level without wrinkling. The ear set should not interfere with the level broad back skull. The head is on a powerful neck with good reach. The neck should be a sufficient length for the dog to be able to easily carry a goose without it touching the ground. Enough length to not have a bird impede its swimming movements while in the water. Enough to effortlessly reach the ground while quartering a field. I would like to stress that this dog is a working retriever.

His weight is of importance. They should not be over or under weight. They are a thick stocky dog. Not fat, not thin. Well muscled. Bones should not be visible but easy to find. The coat should be closed on itself. A good coat will follow the contour of the dog’s body. The length of the coat is somewhat debatable. I prefer a dog with a coat 1 to 1½ inches in length and very dense. It is very important that the coat lay close and tight to the body, rendering it weather resistant. If the coat is sticking up and you can see it open anywhere, you will know it cannot be weather resistant. You should be able to pour a bottle of water on a Labrador and every bit of it should run off as if running off a duck’s back. I have done this to my own dogs. The outer coat should not be soft. It should have a coarse, but not wiry feel. The undercoat should be soft and dense.

There should be no fringing, especially on the tail. The tail should not only be thickly coated but have a complete wrap. That means there is no fringing, no flagging—the standard says otter tail. The hair grows almost in a circular pattern from the top side of the tail, closing on itself when it meets on the underside, which can form a twist or twizzle at the tip of the tail. The tail should also be straight, continuing the line of the topline. The tail should not be curled or sabre-like. The feet should be tight and round, with well-arched toes akin to a cat foot. The toes should be tight together with no space between them. They should have webbed feet. They should not be down in the pasterns. The pasterns will have a slight flex when moving but not so much as to be noticeable. Leg to body ratio can be a confusing issue to some. Labradors are a somewhat-square breed.

They should be slightly longer than tall. A 48-52 ratio describes it best. They should be equal height front to rear standing or moving. They should not appear to be running downhill on the go-around. Balance and moderation are key to the Labrador. I would also like to address the height issue. I know it has been an issue at least since just before I started in Labradors. It is my understanding that Labradors were getting to be springer-sized and being advertised as apartment-sized dogs. So the parent club stepped in after it was noticed by several judges that this breed had a definite problem. The standard now allows for a three-inch variance in height for dogs and bitches. To me this is tremendous. Some breeders have a huge problem with height being a disqualification.

I don’t understand that, especially given the three-inch variance that is allowed. Again I stress that balance and moderation are (at least to me) key when judging a Labrador. I know there is no perfect dog. I also know that my own dogs have their shortcomings, even some that I have talked about. I want to also say something about temperament. No Labrador should be slinking around the ring, jumping at shadows, or afraid of really anything. They are a sound, balanced working hunter. Also, they should not be aggressive in any manner. To me, a Labrador has nothing to prove.

Here are two great ideas for judging the Labrador:

1. Read the standard as many times as you need to for it to sink in.
2. Stay true to the standard.

A Labrador is not a long-distance runner or a bodybuilder but a stocky, lean hunter that has the temperament to be set to any task and easily and happily accomplish it. This is only my opinion.