When someone says the word dog, usually one of two breeds spring to the front of most people's minds. One breed is the German Shepherd and the other is inevitably a Labrador Retriever. But there are so many variations in the Labrador Retriever, the most popular purebred in North America. How do you tell one is more of a quality Labrador than another? By looking at the Labrador breed standard.

Getting a general idea of the breed standard is one of the best pieces of Labrador information that you can learn, especially if you are shopping for a show dog or for breeding stock. Fortunately, the breed standard also rewards an ideal temperament just as much as it rewards an ideal body shape. Labradors are very strong for their size, so being a friendly dog is necessary both in and out of the show ring. A Lab with behavior problems should be neutered.
A Labrador's head looks very much like a blunt version of most other dogs. On a profile, their heads look like a big oval attached to a square (the square being the muzzle). Their tongues are always pink and sometimes their noses are, too, even though the breed standard frowns on pink noses. Their eyes are shades of brown. Yellow and black eyes can appear, but are also frowned on in the show ring. They usually seem like they are smiling. They have a characteristic loving gaze upon anyone they look at. Their teeth should meet in a scissors bite.

Ideally, Labradors should range in height from the ground to the highest point of their shoulder from twenty one to twenty five inches. This makes them only medium sized dogs. It is very easy to get a fat Lab. Ideally, they should be only between fifty five to seventy five pounds. There are many purebred Labs who are too short or too tall for the show ring. They should have sturdy limbs, a level backbone and a bouncy stride. They shouldn't be knock-kneed or strut like a Hackney horse.
All Labrador information agrees that Labs are generally blocky dogs, with a square-ish head, a level backbone and strong, thick limbs. They should not have a body built like a Boxer – although this sometimes happens in purebred Labs. There is some variation Between American Labradors and English Labradors, however. The English version is a usually chunkier and shorter than the American. Their facial expression and temperament are exactly alike. It's hard to find another breed that is so reliably friendly and intelligent.

All Labradors love food – too much for their own good. In the breed standard, the ideal weight should be about fifty-five pounds for smaller Labs (around twenty two inches at the shoulder) to seventy-five pounds for the largest permitted Labs (at twenty five inches at the shoulder). Purebred Labs often exhibit some deviations from their breed standard, which is why a good show dog is so hard to find. With the right training and diet, Labradors of all shapes make excellent pets.

The Labrador Retriever is a very popular family pet. Good Labrador information can be found on the Interenet or at the library.

Tags: pet insurance, dog agility, puppy training, dog training, dog obedience training, grooming dog, , dog health, dog breeds, dog health problems