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Judging Labrador Retrievers In todays UKC Conformation Ring

A continuing dialog between the club and the judges In partnership for the breed www.ulra.net

UKC Conformation Labradors at the Crossroads

Which will it be???

The functional dog of OUR UKC Standard

OR

Something else ?

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Judging Todays Labradors

TO THE STANDARD Avoid EXTREMES too little OR too much It must look like a labrador
Know and Judge Mary Roslin Williams, Mansergh Labradors

Type
Every breed seems to go thru evolution and extremes We must use & reward true type or it will be lost to us Many breeders are looking to UKC to lead the way

TYPE: Put an IDEAL in your minds eye

TYPE: Put and IDEAL in your minds eye

Labs in History

Buccleuch Avon, 1885

Early Buccleuch Female, c. 1890

Early breed type was extremely consistent from 1880 2000 with some refinements along the way

Labs in History
Labs from 1820 1900 were exclusively owned in a few select kennels of Lords & a Duke. The Gamekeepers on these estates managed the dogs, and kept extensive records. Breed type was set during these decades.

Munden Sentry, 1900

Eng FTCH Peter of Faskally, 1910

Labs in History
Eng DCH Banchory Bolo, 1915. Breeds 1st DCH

From about 1900, ownership trickled out to lesser nobility and monied middle class fanciers, some retired military field officers. 1st standard written in 1916. TKC decides NOT to split the breed into 2 separate breeds by color yellow & black in 1926.

Labs in History: 3 great modern sires found in our pedigrees today

Eng CH Sandylands Mark, 1965 Eng CH Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt, 1958 Tweed

Eng CH Ballyduff Hollybranch of Keithray, 1962 Ben

Labradors in History also in

pedigrees today

Eng/Am CH Sam of Blaircourt 1962

for many years Sam illustrated the standard

Eng CH Charway Ballywillwill 1980

Influential Labrador Sires in Britain in 1990 2000

Eng CH Kupros Master Mariner

Cannonridge Jackdaw

TKC Interbred Labradors, c. 1900 1916 Living memory of the interbred dogs was almost totally erased on paper by TKC and most breed historians . MRW & RE have been
honest with us in this regard

But the genetic evidence has been quietly passed along. Gamekeepers crossed these [original] imports with various breeds of gun dogs, always striving to improve the breed's hunting and retrieving instincts
. All verbatim from UKC Standard appears in red.

Since c. 2000, some North American breeders have RADICALLY changed type

By choosing dogs with exaggerated characteristics and doubling up on those exaggerated traits [the more is better philosophy] By choosing characteristics of those old Interbreds & crosses because they find them appealing and hope the judges will, too De Facto ignoring what the Standard describes

Result is

way too many variations of type in the conformation ring exhibitors will bring [or send] any dog into the ring they think might win

Avoiding Extremes
what OUR standard says General Appearance : The Labrador Retriever is a dog WITHOUT EXAGGERATION, so light, weedy dogs; tall, leggy dogs; long, lowstationed dogs; and cloddy, lumbering dogs are to be equally penalized. The Labrador Retriever should be evaluated as a working gun dog

This is all the guidance and justification we need to avoid extremes in type. AND to reward dogs in working condition.

Remember
Light, weedy = NO Tall, leggy = NO Long, low-stationed = NO Cloddy, lumbering = NO
BUT . All heights within the standard ARE EQUAL Give no preference to the bottom or top of the height range.

Known Outcrosses in History

remember! English Breeds c. 1900 - 1920

Hound/harrier reported more into YELLOW than into black bloodlines Incorrect things: Round Bone Gay Tail Upright Shoulders good things: Nice Neck Length Good tight feet

Known Outcrosses in History

English Pointer: nothing good came from the Pointer

Incorrect tail set for a labrador, thin tail

dish face, flews

single coat

Probable origin of our mismarks

Known Outcrosses in History

Newfoundland Flat Coated Retriever

Muzzle too short, overabundance of coat, thick neck, too much substance

Feathering of coat, wrong coat, lighter substance. Believed to be origin of our chocolate/liver gene.

Known Outcrosses in History

Dome Head

Whippet & Greyhound Sighthound body type for speed, Light bone, tuck up, wrong head, wrong tail, wrong temperament but yes! they can run fast

Chow & Elkhound Double Coat but also Open Coat

Pointer dish face gene

Compare stop !

Correct on the black lab

Whippet body style & head influence

Where did this gene come from ???

Black & Tan puppies DO occur from time to time .. In some bloodlines that and The presence of a bully or rottie head within the breed suggests something else was also introduced, doesnt it?

Function = Standard
Judge TO the Standard The Standard is based upon
Labrador as a working dog Labrador as a swimming dog Labrador as a retrieving dog

EVERY aspect of the Standard is based on FUNCTION

Overall description from the standard

medium-sized short-coupled powerfully-built short, dense, water-resistant coat small, drop ears short, thick otter-like tail carried level with the back or with a slight upward curve

This is your stand-alone guide to judging!

hallmarks of the breed: head, coat, tail

looks like a lab checklist

Balance = no extremes
cues: head, height, depth, body

Head = muzzle, planes, equal

lengths, chiseled not cheeky, eye shape/color, pigment, ears

MPEL CEPE

Coat = double, dense, short

of an allowed solid color * Dont fall prey to the color optical illusion

Tail = otter tail Temperament = eager to

please, biddable/trainable, kind

The Standard says medium-sized short-coupled powerfully-built short, dense, water-resistant coat small, drop ears short, thick otter-like tail carried level with the back or with a slight upward curve

Movement = swims on land

Balance Overall = no extremes in type, all the parts fit into a whole

The balance cues for you as a judge: the height proportion cue: * the height is elbow to ground * the height is elbow to withers
length of the front leg (measured from point of elbow to the ground) is approximately equal to one-half of the dog's height More Height from elbow to ground = leggy exhibit More Height from elbow to withers = low stationed

the body depth cue: is the Brisket either * well below the elbow * well above the elbow
the brisket extends to the elbow Well below = low stationed Well above = leggy/weedy

mature males is 22 to 24 inches and 65-80 lbs This boy is 81 lbs

+/- = 22 25

The head proportion cue: The head is proportionate to the size of the dog, cleancut, and without exaggeration of any sort. The overall body proportion cue: four-square meaning the dogs weight is balanced equally on all 4 legs, ready to move in any direction on a moments notice forelegs parallel to & even with each other as are rear legs

Balance cues for judges ..continued

Mature females 21 23 +/- = 21 24 and 55 70 lbs.

A body- balanced dog naturally positions itself in a four-square position when asked to self-stack or free-stack. Ask the dogs you judge to free-stack !

Yes, Virginia, it IS a head does matter breed

Muzzle Planes Equal Lengths Chiseled NOT cheeky Eye shape & color Pigment, pigment, pigment Ears

Heads Why?
The muzzle must taper from skull to nostril so that the water is channeled around the head The head must be chiseled so that when the dog swims, the water goes AROUND the head NOT piling up in front of the eyes as happens with a cheeky headed dog

Head Planes: yes

MUZZLE - In profile, the muzzle is powerful. The bridge of the muzzle is straight and on a parallel plane with the top line of the skull. Viewed from the top or the side, the muzzle is slightly deeper and wider at the stop than at the tip. Lips fall away in a curve toward the throat, and are neither pendulous nor squared off. Removal of whiskers is permitted but not preferred.

Lab Head in Profile: Importance of Planes

Labrador Heads have several important sets of Planes

Top of skull and top of muzzle are parallel Front of jaw and front of stop are parallel

BOTH sets of planes assure a head that allows the dog to

See the mark in ALL terrains Pick up the object & still have clear vision Swim while retrieving & still see & breathe

Head Planes: yes

Head Chiseled NOT Cheeky

EYES why? & what ?

The breeders say

Eyes should be slightly oval or diamond shape to help shed water and stay protected from brush. Round or bug eyes are subject to injury & are INCORRECT. Eyes should be a shade of brown. ALL shades from lighter brown to darker brown ARE acceptable.
BLACK IS INCORRECT because the emotion or intent of the dog cannot be seen as easily, and it gives a harsh/non-labrador expression. YELLOW IS INCORRECT because it gives a harsh/non-labrador expression.

Hazel is allowed only in Chocolates.

Eyes the Standard says

The eyes are medium sized and somewhat triangular in appearance, but never so much as to give a hard expression. Eye color is brown in black and yellow dogs, and brown or hazel in chocolates. Eyelids are close fitting, and eye rims match nose pigment. Expression is kindly and intelligent. Faults: Yellow eyes; eyes too dark; eyes too small or too round and prominent; eyes set too close together; eyes protruding or too deep set; any feature that detracts from the correct Labrador expression.

Nice Heads

puppy

EARS why?
The ears must be long enough to keep excess water from entering the ear canal and Must be long enough to protect ears and eyes from prickly burs and brush in the field as the dog passes through and Function as heat catchers to help maintain body temperature on frigid days drop, triangular in shape, and rather short when pulled forward, the tip of the ear should just cover the eye
rather short means short in comparison to a hounds ear

Nice Heads

Nice Heads

No more feminine than this

Pigment Pigment Pigment

The nose leather is black on black and yellow dogs, and Liver/Brown on chocolate dogs. A slight fading of nose pigment is not a fault. Disqualifications: Eliminating Faults: Nose completely unpigmented.
Cue: An unpigmented nose looks PINK.

Eye rims match nose pigment. Read my lips No pink noses on yellows and chocolates. That faded or Dudley or winter nose pigment on the yellow MUST have SOME black on it around the rim or at the bottom. Yellows MUST have black eye rims, NO pink. Liver/brown nose & eye rim pigment on chocolates, NO pink noses, no pink eye rims.

nostrils .. Are they outlined in black or not?

Judges Cues on YELLOWs: Check the eye rims and the lip edges to see what the nose pigment is trying to tell you. Pink eye rims or pink lip edges = pink nose. Even a faded black nose will have black eye rims and black lip edges Cue: look down on the

Correct Pigment on Yellow

Correct Pigment on Chocolate

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