View Full Version : Labs that do not look like labs
CamzKees
11-19-2006, 08:26 PM
While walking my pooch today at the park, a lady with two large dogs almost literally ran into us.
I had to ask her what kind of dogs that they were, and I was told that they were labs. However, they had long coats and a very lanky bone structure.
Obviously, I am not a lab person. I do not know that much about them. My question is: can labs have long hair? And, are they supposed to be very lanky and long legged?
Just curious! :)
skunkstripe
11-19-2006, 08:53 PM
Doesn't sound right to me. Labs normally have short hair and are stocky, strong dogs. There is some difference between the "show" Labs and the "Field" labs, but if you mean lanky as in Doberman, then no.
There is a problem nowadays with Labs being just plain obese. They are dogs meant to be outdoors running in the woods many hours per day. Many do not get enough exercise, and Labs are dogs that will eat until they bust. The result is that there are so many overweight Labs, people think they are SUPPOSED to look like barrels.
Doberman's
11-20-2006, 08:45 AM
They could have been pure breds, Labs are highly overbred and some come no where near breed standards. However I dount they were pure breds and if the lady insisted they are, the person whom sold her the dog could have been lying. That goes on too unfortuneatly.
ArticWonder
11-20-2006, 09:15 AM
There is a "Curly Coat Retriever" and a "Flat Coat Retriever" both recognized by the AKC.
Flat coat is longer like a golden retriever.
MegBonnie
11-20-2006, 09:47 AM
I was going to say, doesn't sound like a lab at all but 'flat coated retrievers' have quite long, fine hair, are very slim and a lot more 'lanky' than a labrador retriever. Maybe the person had the dog a bit mixed up because it has the word 'retriever' on the end?
golden&hovawart
11-20-2006, 10:01 AM
I've never seen a long hair lab.
What color were they?
Long-coated breeds,in the retriever family are the golden who comes in any shade of blond to red and Flat-coated retriever who come in liver and black.You don't see the liver one,a lot.I've only seen it,in Fr
Then you have a small retriever called the Nova Scotia duck tolling.
A lab is suppose to have a thick,short coat.
The field lab is usually thinner and more leggy than the show lab.
CamzKees
11-20-2006, 05:46 PM
As for color, one was yellow (that is the correct term, I believe) and the other was charcoal black. She said they were from the same litter.
I think they were just poorly bred, or that she was lied to. The black one did sort of look like the flat coated retriever.
There were not tollers, and definately not chessies or anything like that.
ArticWonder
11-21-2006, 02:02 PM
Did she go into detail? Sometimes when I have Taylor out and people ask, I just say lab. Even though he is a lab mix. I don't go into details.
golden-lover
02-03-2007, 08:43 PM
She probably had a flat-coated retriever.
KatzNK9
02-08-2007, 06:24 PM
Methinks she's either confused or there was an unannounced visitor:eek: in their Momma's back yard ... I agree with the retriever part but I haven't seen a long-haired lab.
the chocolate lab down the street has a longish coat and is quite lanky. But he could be a mix.
tessa_s212
02-14-2007, 10:01 AM
She probably had a flat-coated retriever.
Flat coats are not very common, and they only come in the black and liver colors.
They were probably poorly bred lab mixes.
skunkstripe
02-15-2007, 04:40 PM
If you want to see more Labs that don't look like Labs, check out this site.
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html
It should cure you of using color/markings to identify a dog.
Amber23
02-15-2007, 04:50 PM
It probably was a lab mix. People ask me if Katie is a german shepard, I just say "sure". Clearly she is a mix but who knows with what, its just easier to say yeah instead of going into detail. If I say she is a mix, the people will ask with what, ect ect. Who cares really what she is mixed with, lol.
If they were supposedly full bred. The were just overbred, like someone else mentioned.
Skunkstripe - Those Mosiac labs are so cute. ha, I love the one with the mark on his face, lol.
JustDogCrazy
02-19-2007, 06:57 AM
If you want to see more Labs that don't look like Labs, check out this site.
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html
It should cure you of using color/markings to identify a dog.
I was just talking with a person that was contacted by the breeder that the litter of lab puppies he was waiting for were born with brindling. He decided not to take one of the puppies because of this fact and stated that seeing he is paying $900 for a pup he wanted it in one color. I guess this is the first time it happened to this breeder.
COUNTRYSIDE
02-26-2007, 11:32 PM
oh yes it sounds like flat coated retreiver , they are not that common in ct where i live they are beautiful dogs. yes i agree i have a english lab she has a nice wide face stocky she used to be a show dog . the field labs are taller and have narrower faces but not real thin like wiemeriner nice spelling lolo i also notice a lot of time chocolate labs have narrower heads and are thinner if they are from the field type lab. amercan / english are different looks.
coco-bean
03-18-2007, 06:52 PM
There is a "Curly Coat Retriever" and a "Flat Coat Retriever" both recognized by the AKC.
Flat coat is longer like a golden retriever.
i would have to say the same thing. I guess kinda base it on their color though! and exactly how long the hair is...if it's like an english setter long...i wouldnt say purebred but def. have some sort of golden ret. mix or a flat coat for sure!
golden-lover
03-23-2007, 03:37 PM
Flat coats are not very common, and they only come in the black and liver colors.
They were probably poorly bred lab mixes.
Labs have soft undercoats, and short, straight top coats. As far as I know, even the most inbred lab will only have a wooly coat, not a medium-lenght one.
The liver ones vary from light-dark depending on age. So, it's most likely a mix, but it could be a purebred flattie.
xcolbi
03-25-2007, 09:43 AM
I'd say its probably a Flat-Coated Retriever or a Setter mix. If she said Lab, then it is probably Flat-Coat/Lab or Setter/Lab. But that's just my opinion.
BCNTC
03-27-2007, 11:00 PM
actually there is a dog that lives down the street from me, Molly. she looks exactly like a chocolate lab but has a long coat, her owners claim she is a purebred chocolate lab, she is not tall and lanky though, if you shaved her coat there would be zero doubt of her being a pure lab. she looks like a show lab..with a long coat lol
lol, my trainer-mentor had a yellow lab and I swear I thought he was a blood-hound mix....lol, in her words...'not necissarily the product of good breeding'....but I believe she said she had paperwork saying it was a Lab. :p
I think poor breeding can cause alot differences in breeds...and different breeders breed for different traits....I mean look at the differencs between German and American GSDs :p