Breed Standard
There are more than 200 Internationally recognised breeds of pedigreed dog.
Every breed has it's own "standard" written and fine tuned by those pioneers who
originally developed those individual breeds.
The Labrador Retriever breed standard was developed in the early 1900's.
That very same standard still exists today.
The standard governs everything we do:
It is the "blueprint" which guides us when determining the value of a particular dog.
Conformation judges study it as a guide to assessing Labradors in the show ring.
Breeders use it to ensure that their breeding programmes remain "on track".
New owners should always refer to it when considering the purchase of a new puppy.
It is all based upon the fundamental belief that
"A Labrador Should Look Like A Labrador And Nothing Else".
In Australia we have adopted the original Kennel Club of England breed standard.
In 2008 a Breed Standard Extension was written by Mrs Pat Dunstan (Strangways).
The extension was accepted by the Labrador Retriever National Breed Council
and was subsequently endorsed by the ANKC.
The Breed Extension now forms part of the "official" breed standard.
It provides a useful tool by expressing in everyday language the finer points
contained within the Breed Standard.
LABRADOR RETRIEVER BREED STANDARD & EXTENSION
UPDATED BREED STANDARD - AS AT 1ST JANUARY 2018
We invite you to visit this very useful Coat Colour Inheritance Calculator.
Permission has been granted by "Blue Knight" Labradors USA to link to this useful interactive tool.
It explains in simple terms the mode of inheritance of Yellow, Black and Chocolate Coat Colour.
And it allows the user to confidently predict the outcome of future planned matings.
URGENT WARNING
Please read an alert issued by the National Labrador Retriever Breed Council (Australia).
It deals with the emergence of so-called Silver Coat Labradors.
A Labrador Retriever with a Silver Coat is a cross bred.
It indicates a combination between a Labrador and a Weimaraner.