Labradors are easy to educate, very sweet
and affectionate dogs. They like company,
therefore they are excellent companions
for the whole family and for those who
enjoy the constant company of a dog. They
love walking and swimming and adapt to
living in both town and countryside.
Labradors are dogs which do not require
particular care; special attention must
only be given to feeding, in fact they
love eating, therefore they must follow
a strict diet and keep active to avoid
putting on weight.
Standard
General appearance
Strong and compact build, very active.
Wide skull. Chest and ribs are wide and
deep. Loins and hindquarters are wide and
powerful. Coat is short and dense, giving
a fairly hard feeling to the hand, undercoat
is resistant and waterproof.
Character and temperament Good character and very agile, excellent
sense of smell, soft mouth. Great passion
for water. Loyal companion, adaptable
to any circumstance. Intelligent, exuberant
and tractable, it only wants to please.
Friendly nature, absolutely non-aggressive;
yet it must not be shy.
Head and skull Wide skull, well marked stop. Clean-cut
head, free from fleshy cheeks. Powerful,
medium length jaws. Wide nose, well-developed
nostrils.
Eyes
Medium size, imparting intelligence
and good character. Colour, brown
or hazelnut.
Ears Neither large nor heavy, hanging
close to the head and set rather
back.
Mouth Jaws and teeth are strong with
perfect scissor bite, regular
and complete,
that means that the upper incisors
cover the
lower ones with close contact.
Neck
Clear-cut silhouette, powerful and solid,
rising from stocky shoulders.
Forequarters Long and sloping shoulders. Forelegs
with good strong bone and straight from elbow
to ground, both viewed from the side and
from the front.
Body Wide and well tapering with well
centred ribs. Topline is horizontal. Wide,
short
and powerful loins.
Hind legs Well-developed without inclinations
towards tail. Good angulation of stifles.
Well-developed,
perpendicular to ground hock joints.
Feet Round and compact, well-arched toes
and extremely developed pads.
Tail Distinguishing feature of the breed:
very thick at the base, progressively tapering
towards the tip. Medium length, free from
feathering but clothed thickly with short,
thick, dense coat which gives it the so-called “otter
tail” look. It can be carried gaily
but it must not curl back towards the back.
Gait and movement Free gait with long loping stride. Fore
and hind legs move along a plane axis
parallel to the body axis.
Standard
