What does a "field" Labrador look like? Questions

I just wondered as last week when we were walking in the woods we met someone who had what I thought was a Labrador cross. It had the coat and head of a black Lab except the hair seemed a bit longer round the head and neck but it had very short legs. I asked the owner what it was crossed with and he said it was a pedigree Lab (oops!) and was called a field Labrador as it was bred for working.

I have seen the difference re show and working type Labs but this one didn't look like the working type Labs either. It was very fat which didn't help you see the dog as a working breed but as its legs were so short I would have thought that would be a disadvantage in a gundog?

I asked the owner what he worked it as but he said he didn't.

Anyone else heard of these? Or had he been had?!!!

No, you definitely don't get 'field' labs as such. Working (lighter legged, generally less stocky) and show types yes but not a 'field'... I assume he meant his was a working type. Bleugh, fat dogs. Poor thing.

No clue what he's on about. My lab is what you would call a working labrador, primarily from Gunstock lines, so I guess he looks as much like a working lab as any other. Working labs are a little smaller, from my experience and slighter than their show counterparts. The longer hair is something I have never come across.

On the contrary to what this guy was saying, it is usually show labs that tend to be shorter in the leg and wider in the body (although you said this one was just plain fat!) You were right in thinking short legs are a gundog disadvantage!

I thought these pics were a decent illustration of the differences...

Show labby:
http://images04.olx.in/ui/1/16/98/11060898_1.jpg

Working lab:
http://www.browfarm.co.uk/hens_ducks_peafowl/images/yellow_labador_bitch.jpg

i have never heard of a 'field' labrador, but there is a guy i see a lot with a lab x poodle, who looks like a small lab but with slightly longer fur she looks like how you described, and had he not told me she was a lab x poodle, i would never have thought she had poodle in her.

Here's a pic of two working type Labs. The black one is from field trial lines, the yellow more pet bred. I should imagine he means his dog is field trial bred.:?



I believe working types can vary greatly in looks and size, but there's no excuse for a fat Lab.

Labs not bred for show vary widely. Often real retrievers are leggier than show dogs. The shorter legs could either be related to the line, or perhaps yes a cross breed. I have seen thousands of Labs not bred for show and don't remember any with unusually short legs. That doesn't mean there aren't any. I remember a Lab/Basset cross, a Lab body on short, crooked legs.

Many breeders don't realize they need to protect the females after they are bred and they will mate again give a chance and some or all of the puppies in a litter may be sired by the second dog.

Haha! I would say a "field" lab (Field bred, Field Trial, Working bred, potato/potAto) is the opposite of what you describe, taller, lighter in leg and body. The pics posted here of working labs are exactly what they look like here too. I would bet this gentlemans labs mother was having an affair on the side!

Oh thanks for your replies-and the pictures. His Lab didn't look at all like the working ones on here, much shorter legs.

I thought it was a shame it was so fat as I asked him how old it was ,thinking he would say about eight, and he said 18 months! My Kerries are real foodies but I am cruel to be kind and they are the correct weight even though they are now 9 and 8.

I shall have to be more careful about guessing what people's dogs are in future I guess.

I think someone met a field Spaniel and assumed it was a working type cocker spaniel, and thought that the field meant working type, not a different breed Well thats what I would guess anyway.

ETA, that or his dogs have FTCH (field trial champion) dogs in their pedigree, so agin he thinks that they are field types, other then that, have no clue.

when i lived in somerset, the working labs there were much shorter than those ive seen elsewhere!,. sounds like the ones you described!!!!!

Interesting. As several have mentioned, field Labs often have long legs. I could believe there are short legged lines. I never remember seeing any, but am not going to deny they exist.

Well in the last few weeks I have boarded two dwarf Labs, awful they were.

Were they related? Or heaven forbid are people aiming to breed them?

Nope, 2yrs between them, different owners, looked deformed.

Poor things, and I first read that without the last comma lol.

Thank you for your dog pictures Minihaha. They look lovely dogs, beautiful glossy coat on the Labs and I do have a fondness for Schnauzers (perhaps cos everyone thinks that's what my dogs are!)

I thought the dog I saw looked a bit deformed to be honest with such short legs-I thought the owner was going to say it was crossed with something much lower to the ground.

Still-it doesn't matter-as long as he was happy with the dog. It had a nice temperament-kept doing playbows to Parker who is totally impervious to such gestures! He thinks playing is beneath him (though he is very sociable)-he had a large Rottweiller puppy doing lovely playbows all round him whilst Parker was rolling on the ground doing his happy roll for a few minutes and it was like the Rotty puppy wasn't even there!

Lol, Pack yourself off to Somerset (south west Uk) on your short legged lab spoting Mission!!!!!

Dwarf Labs? I have occasionally seen smaller dogs that look much like Labs. Any I have been able to ask about have been unknown origin.

At nine months Raven seems small, but is near the 21-22 inch standard. Perhaps I am too used to seeing larger Labs.

drawf labby