Base colour
Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate
- Yellows range from light cream to fox red, livers/chocolates range from light to dark.
Permissible
- Small white spot on chest and the rear of pasterns
Medium to large, strong athletic retriever with short dense coat and friendly outgoing temperament. Consistently one of the most popular breeds worldwide.
Originated from St. John's Water Dogs used by fishermen in Newfoundland for retrieving nets and escaped fish. Further developed and standardized in England during the 1800s by English nobles for waterfowl retrieving
“Good-tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth; keen lover of water. Adaptable, devoted companion. Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness”
Quoted from FCI standard n°122. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard; UK Kennel Club Breed Health and Conservation Plan — Labrador Retriever (2020). An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Labrador Retriever standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Distinctive feature, short, dense, without wave or feathering, giving fairly hard feel to the touch
weather-resistant undercoat
Base colour
Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate
Permissible
Shortened from FCI standard n°122 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Quoted from FCI standard n°122. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Labrador Retriever in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Labrador Retriever breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
21 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
Malformation of the hip joint causing instability and, over time, osteoarthritis. The UK Kennel Club's 2020 breed health plan calls it a long-acknowledged, significant and prevalent condition in the breed, with heritability estimated at around 0.3-0.4. In Swedish screening of young adult dogs (2007-2016), about one in six of 13,125 Labradors had some degree of hip dysplasia (grade C or worse).
What to ask for
Hip score from a recognised scheme (OFA, BVA/KC or FCI) on both parents
A group of developmental abnormalities of the elbow joint causing pain, lameness and a predisposition to arthritis. The Kennel Club's own evidence base describes it as 'a well-acknowledged and serious condition' in this breed, and it was the breed's top-ranked health concern in 2019. In Swedish screening of young adult dogs (2007-2016), about one in eleven of 13,057 Labradors had some degree of elbow dysplasia (grade 1 or worse).
What to ask for
Elbow score from a recognised scheme (OFA or BVA/KC) on both parents
Affected dogs develop wobbly hindquarters or partial hind-limb paralysis after 5-20 minutes of intense, excited exercise. It is not painful but requires lifelong management around strenuous retrieving and play, and can occasionally be fatal if exercise is not stopped. It is recessive. In a screen of 16,853 Labradors roughly one in five carried it.
What to ask for
DNA test for the DNM1 gene mutation on both parents
An inherited muscle disease causing progressive weakness, exercise intolerance and swallowing difficulty from a few months of age in affected puppies. Carriers are unaffected, but an estimated one in seven UK Labradors carries the mutation.
What to ask for
DNA test for the PTPLA gene mutation on both parents
Clouding of the eye's lens that can impair or end vision. The breed's own health co-ordinators ranked hereditary cataracts as their second most important concern in 2019. In Dutch eye examinations of 9,017 Labradors, the prevalence of hereditary cataract held steady at about 8% (one in twelve) from 1980 to 2000.
What to ask for
Eye examination under a recognised scheme (BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme in the UK, ACVO CAER exam in the US) on both parents, repeated annually
An inherited degeneration of the retina's cones and rods described in this breed, which slowly impairs sight; there is no treatment. It is recessive and common — roughly one in five of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen carried it and about one in eighty carried two copies.
What to ask for
Stargardt disease (ABCA4, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited scaling of the skin described in this breed: a seven-year-old Labrador had scaling over its whole body, and of four other dogs found with two copies, one had scaling as a puppy that cleared without treatment. It is recessive. Among 531 Labradors screened, 36 carried one copy and 4 had two.
What to ask for
Ichthyosis (PNPLA1 duplication, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited deletion in the POMC gene, a signal that tells the brain the dog has eaten enough: dogs carrying it are hungrier, more food-motivated and heavier, and each copy adds to the effect. It was found in about one Labrador allele in eight, and it is more common in Labradors chosen as assistance dogs. It is a risk factor for obesity, not a disease, and is managed with portion control.
What to ask for
POMC deletion DNA test result, so feeding can be planned
Malformation of the hip joint causing instability and, over time, osteoarthritis. The UK Kennel Club's 2020 breed health plan calls it a long-acknowledged, significant and prevalent condition in the breed, with heritability estimated at around 0.3-0.4. In Swedish screening of young adult dogs (2007-2016), about one in six of 13,125 Labradors had some degree of hip dysplasia (grade C or worse).
What to ask for
Hip score from a recognised scheme (OFA, BVA/KC or FCI) on both parents
Affected dogs develop wobbly hindquarters or partial hind-limb paralysis after 5-20 minutes of intense, excited exercise. It is not painful but requires lifelong management around strenuous retrieving and play, and can occasionally be fatal if exercise is not stopped. It is recessive. In a screen of 16,853 Labradors roughly one in five carried it.
What to ask for
DNA test for the DNM1 gene mutation on both parents
An inherited degeneration of the retina's cones and rods described in this breed, which slowly impairs sight; there is no treatment. It is recessive and common — roughly one in five of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen carried it and about one in eighty carried two copies.
What to ask for
Stargardt disease (ABCA4, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited scaling of the skin described in this breed: a seven-year-old Labrador had scaling over its whole body, and of four other dogs found with two copies, one had scaling as a puppy that cleared without treatment. It is recessive. Among 531 Labradors screened, 36 carried one copy and 4 had two.
What to ask for
Ichthyosis (PNPLA1 duplication, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
A group of developmental abnormalities of the elbow joint causing pain, lameness and a predisposition to arthritis. The Kennel Club's own evidence base describes it as 'a well-acknowledged and serious condition' in this breed, and it was the breed's top-ranked health concern in 2019. In Swedish screening of young adult dogs (2007-2016), about one in eleven of 13,057 Labradors had some degree of elbow dysplasia (grade 1 or worse).
What to ask for
Elbow score from a recognised scheme (OFA or BVA/KC) on both parents
Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
An inherited muscle disease described in young Labradors, caused by two different COL6A3 variants: affected dogs have muscle weakness with very loose lower joints and stiff, contracted larger joints. One variant is recessive and the other acts with a single copy. It is not on the large screening panels, so how common it is is not known.
What to ask for
Congenital muscular dystrophy (COL6A3, Labrador types) DNA test result, on both parents
A progressive, incurable degeneration of the retina leading to blindness, usually starting with night-vision loss in early middle age. It is caused by a specific, well-characterised mutation in this breed.
What to ask for
DNA test for prcd-PRA on both parents
A chronic but non-life-threatening condition causing dry, crusted fissures on the nose from a young age. It is not usually painful but is persistent and can be prone to secondary infection.
What to ask for
DNA test for the SUV39H2 gene mutation on both parents
An inherited muscle disease described in young Labradors, caused by two different COL6A3 variants: affected dogs have muscle weakness with very loose lower joints and stiff, contracted larger joints. One variant is recessive and the other acts with a single copy. It is not on the large screening panels, so how common it is is not known.
What to ask for
Congenital muscular dystrophy (COL6A3, Labrador types) DNA test result, on both parents
Found in roughly one in a hundred to one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened.
An inherited mild disproportionate dwarfism described in this breed, mainly in working lines: affected dogs have shorter legs but no obvious health problems such as early arthritis. It is recessive, and not every dog with two copies is short. Roughly one in sixty of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Skeletal dysplasia 2 (COL11A2) DNA test result, on both parents
A build-up of copper in the liver that can progress to cirrhosis in middle age. Two genes affecting copper metabolism have been identified in the breed, and the condition can sometimes be managed with a low-copper diet if caught early. A variant in ATP7B raises liver copper and one in ATP7A partly protects against it, and a third gene (RETN) may also modify it. A DNA result is only part of the risk: about one in five of 253 Japanese guide-dog Labradors carried the ATP7B variant, the authors put the disease risk in that population at about one in 100, and in a US study nearly half of 45 Labradors with the disease had no copy of it.
What to ask for
Copper toxicosis (ATP7B, ATP7A and RETN) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited mild disproportionate dwarfism described in this breed, mainly in working lines: affected dogs have shorter legs but no obvious health problems such as early arthritis. It is recessive, and not every dog with two copies is short. Roughly one in sixty of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Skeletal dysplasia 2 (COL11A2) DNA test result, on both parents
Described in this breed, but found in few or no dogs in recent screening, or only ever in one dog or one family. They are here so a test result makes sense if a breeder mentions one.
An inherited weakness at the junction between nerve and muscle described in two Labrador littermates with marked, generalised weakness from an early age. It is recessive. It is rare — roughly one in 230 of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Congenital myasthenic syndrome (COLQ, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
A progressive, fatal disease of the brain's supporting cells, usually seen in dogs under a year old, with unsteadiness, a head tilt and loss of balance. In this breed it has been described in a single Labrador, with a change matching one that causes the disease in people; it was not found in 50 unrelated Labradors, nor in any of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen.
What to ask for
Alexander disease (GFAP, Labrador type) DNA test result
An inherited sleep disorder, one of the two original canine forms traced to the hypocretin receptor 2 gene: affected dogs have sudden attacks of muscle weakness or collapse, usually set off by excitement such as food or play, and are sleepy by day; it is not painful. It is recessive and very rare now — roughly one in 1,700 of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Narcolepsy (HCRTR2, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited muscle disease described in seven male Labradors from one area, aged 14 to 26 weeks, with generalised weakness and wasting of the muscles. It is X-linked, so it shows in males while their mothers carry it silently. It looks very rare outside that founder population — none of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen carried it.
What to ask for
X-linked myotubular myopathy (MTM1, Labrador type) DNA test result on the dam, since carriers are female
An inherited muscle disorder described in one Labrador puppy: the muscles relax slowly after contracting, so the dog is stiff, especially after rest. It is recessive and looks very rare — it was absent from 127 other Labradors in the study and from all of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen.
What to ask for
Myotonia congenita (CLCN1, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited high level of uric acid in the urine (SLC2A9 gene) that makes urate bladder and kidney stones likely; a stone blocking a male dog's urethra is an emergency. It is recessive. It is rare in this breed — roughly one in 700 of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it. Once known, it can be managed with diet and monitoring.
What to ask for
Hyperuricosuria (SLC2A9) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited bleeding disorder from a shortage of clotting factor VIII, confirmed in two separate Labrador families: affected dogs bruise easily, have nosebleeds and bleed for a long time after surgery or an injury. It is X-linked, so it shows in males while their mothers carry it silently. It looks rare — none of 199 other Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Haemophilia A (F8, Labrador type) DNA test result, or a factor VIII activity assay — on the dam especially, since carriers are female
An inherited weakness of the connective tissue: in a Labrador described with it, the skin stretched too far and tore easily and the joints were unusually loose. In that dog the COL5A1 variant had arisen new rather than being inherited from its parents, so this is not a variant that runs in the breed; it is not on the large screening panels.
What to ask for
No breed-wide test is relevant; ask the vet about any dog with very stretchy, fragile skin
An inherited weakness at the junction between nerve and muscle described in two Labrador littermates with marked, generalised weakness from an early age. It is recessive. It is rare — roughly one in 230 of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Congenital myasthenic syndrome (COLQ, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
The Retriever Clube de Portugal only recommends a dog as a sire once these have been done: hip X-rays, elbow X-rays, an eye examination and a DNA test for exercise-induced collapse. Hip X-rays are accepted only with a result of A or B. It also asks for at least 2 CAC at dog shows and at least 2 offspring from different litters with a Champion or Junior Champion title.
Ask the breeder: Are the parents recommended sires of the club, or do they have these tests done? Can I see the results?
This is a club recommendation, not a legal requirement. A breeder who is not a member does not meet it, and that says nothing about the health of the dogs.
Retriever Clube de Portugal, page "Reprodutor RCP", read on 4 Nov 2026. https://www.retrieverclubedeportugal.pt/reprodutor-rcp/
Median survival 13.1 years
95% confidence interval 13.0–13.1 years, from 16,155 recorded deaths among 43,182 dogs
Mortality hazard 0.8 (0.78, 0.81) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
An inherited muscle disease causing progressive weakness, exercise intolerance and swallowing difficulty from a few months of age in affected puppies. Carriers are unaffected, but an estimated one in seven UK Labradors carries the mutation.
What to ask for
DNA test for the PTPLA gene mutation on both parents
Clouding of the eye's lens that can impair or end vision. The breed's own health co-ordinators ranked hereditary cataracts as their second most important concern in 2019. In Dutch eye examinations of 9,017 Labradors, the prevalence of hereditary cataract held steady at about 8% (one in twelve) from 1980 to 2000.
What to ask for
Eye examination under a recognised scheme (BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme in the UK, ACVO CAER exam in the US) on both parents, repeated annually
An inherited deletion in the POMC gene, a signal that tells the brain the dog has eaten enough: dogs carrying it are hungrier, more food-motivated and heavier, and each copy adds to the effect. It was found in about one Labrador allele in eight, and it is more common in Labradors chosen as assistance dogs. It is a risk factor for obesity, not a disease, and is managed with portion control.
What to ask for
POMC deletion DNA test result, so feeding can be planned
A progressive, incurable degeneration of the retina leading to blindness, usually starting with night-vision loss in early middle age. It is caused by a specific, well-characterised mutation in this breed.
What to ask for
DNA test for prcd-PRA on both parents
A chronic but non-life-threatening condition causing dry, crusted fissures on the nose from a young age. It is not usually painful but is persistent and can be prone to secondary infection.
What to ask for
DNA test for the SUV39H2 gene mutation on both parents
A build-up of copper in the liver that can progress to cirrhosis in middle age. Two genes affecting copper metabolism have been identified in the breed, and the condition can sometimes be managed with a low-copper diet if caught early. A variant in ATP7B raises liver copper and one in ATP7A partly protects against it, and a third gene (RETN) may also modify it. A DNA result is only part of the risk: about one in five of 253 Japanese guide-dog Labradors carried the ATP7B variant, the authors put the disease risk in that population at about one in 100, and in a US study nearly half of 45 Labradors with the disease had no copy of it.
What to ask for
Copper toxicosis (ATP7B, ATP7A and RETN) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited sleep disorder, one of the two original canine forms traced to the hypocretin receptor 2 gene: affected dogs have sudden attacks of muscle weakness or collapse, usually set off by excitement such as food or play, and are sleepy by day; it is not painful. It is recessive and very rare now — roughly one in 1,700 of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Narcolepsy (HCRTR2, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited muscle disorder described in one Labrador puppy: the muscles relax slowly after contracting, so the dog is stiff, especially after rest. It is recessive and looks very rare — it was absent from 127 other Labradors in the study and from all of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen.
What to ask for
Myotonia congenita (CLCN1, Labrador type) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited bleeding disorder from a shortage of clotting factor VIII, confirmed in two separate Labrador families: affected dogs bruise easily, have nosebleeds and bleed for a long time after surgery or an injury. It is X-linked, so it shows in males while their mothers carry it silently. It looks rare — none of 199 other Labradors screened carried it.
What to ask for
Haemophilia A (F8, Labrador type) DNA test result, or a factor VIII activity assay — on the dam especially, since carriers are female
A progressive, fatal disease of the brain's supporting cells, usually seen in dogs under a year old, with unsteadiness, a head tilt and loss of balance. In this breed it has been described in a single Labrador, with a change matching one that causes the disease in people; it was not found in 50 unrelated Labradors, nor in any of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen.
What to ask for
Alexander disease (GFAP, Labrador type) DNA test result
An inherited muscle disease described in seven male Labradors from one area, aged 14 to 26 weeks, with generalised weakness and wasting of the muscles. It is X-linked, so it shows in males while their mothers carry it silently. It looks very rare outside that founder population — none of nearly 17,000 Labradors in a large screen carried it.
What to ask for
X-linked myotubular myopathy (MTM1, Labrador type) DNA test result on the dam, since carriers are female
An inherited high level of uric acid in the urine (SLC2A9 gene) that makes urate bladder and kidney stones likely; a stone blocking a male dog's urethra is an emergency. It is recessive. It is rare in this breed — roughly one in 700 of nearly 17,000 Labradors screened carried it. Once known, it can be managed with diet and monitoring.
What to ask for
Hyperuricosuria (SLC2A9) DNA test result, on both parents
An inherited weakness of the connective tissue: in a Labrador described with it, the skin stretched too far and tore easily and the joints were unusually loose. In that dog the COL5A1 variant had arisen new rather than being inherited from its parents, so this is not a variant that runs in the breed; it is not on the large screening panels.
What to ask for
No breed-wide test is relevant; ask the vet about any dog with very stretchy, fragile skin