Breed Standards

Why Torngat Gundogs?

True British Gun Dogs offered directly to hunters and outdoor enthusiasts stateside from a True British Gun Dog Kennel in England. The fact that our address is very different is something you should take note of. Torngat Gundogs is located in Gloucestershire, ENGLAND. Many breeders in America claim to regularly travel to the United Kingdom each year to visit trainers and breeders and to watch field trials. Torngat Gundogs is a training and breeding facility in England every day and we don’t watch the field trials, we participate in them.

We offer puppies and gun dogs at a proper British price. For the price of a puppy (just the puppy) from a so-called British Labrador kennel in America you could almost fly round trip to the U.K. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast for a few nights, choose and purchase a Torngat British Labrador or Spaniel puppy, and fly home with it. Remember, you get almost all this for the price of just the puppy from an American British Labrador Kennel.

Who better to direct you in your purchase of a fine British Labrador or Spaniel Gun Dog than a true Englishman? An Englishman that makes his living with gundogs. Just imagine a handsome Labrador sitting patiently beside you in the truck, in the duck boat or at home. Never jumping or squirming about. He does this because he has been bred to be calm, cooperative and easy to handle. His natural hunting abilities are passed on from generations of superbly bred gundogs. The blood coursing through his veins is the same blood that has surged through the bodies of field champions in the United Kingdom for centuries. He is a Torngat British Labrador, and he is sitting patiently, waiting for you to select him.

The Qualities of an English Gentry’s Gundog : Intelligence and trainability Keen natural hunting and game-finding ability Superior compatibility; calm, quiet temperament; strong identity with their owner and family Multi-purpose retriever equally proficient on dove, duck, quail and pheasant Excellent handling ability Extremely steady to shot and fall; readily honour's other working dogs Appealing confirmation based upon the British standard; medium frame and weight Superior field-proven ancestry.

Labrador Breed Standards

General Appearance: Strongly built, short-coupled, very active; broad in skull; broad and deep through chest and ribs; broad and strong over loins and hindquarters.

Characteristics: Good-tempered, very agile. Excellent nose, soft mouth; keen love of water. Adaptable, devoted companion.

Temperament: Intelligent, keen and biddable, with a strong will to please. Kindly nature, with no trace of aggression or undue shyness.

Head and Skull: Skull broad with defined stop; clean-cut without fleshy cheeks. Jaws of medium length, powerful not snippy. Nose wide, nostrils well developed.

Eyes: Medium size, expressing intelligence and good temper; brown or hazel.

Ears: Not large or heavy, hanging close to head and set rather far back.

Mouth: Jaws and teeth strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck: Clean, strong, powerful, set into well placed shoulders.

Forequarters: Shoulders long and sloping. Forelegs well boned and straight from elbow to ground when viewed from either front or side.

Body: Chest of good width and depth, with well sprung barrel ribs. Level topline. Loins wide, short-coupled and strong.

Hindquarters: Well developed, not sloping to tail; well turned stifle. Hocks well let down, cowhocks highly undesirable.

Feet: Round, compact; well arched toes and well developed pads.

Tail: Distinctive feature, very thick towards base, gradually tapering towards tip, medium length, free from feathering, but clothed thickly all round with short, thick, dense coat, thus giving ‘rounded’ appearance described as ‘Otter’ tail. May be carried gaily but should not curl over back.

Gait/Movement: Free, covering adequate ground; straight and true in front and rear.

Coat: Distinctive feature, short dense without wave or feathering, giving fairly hard feel to the touch; weather-resistant undercoat.

Colour: Wholly black, yellow or liver/chocolate. Yellows range from light cream to red fox. Small white spot on chest permissible.

Size: Ideal height at withers: dogs: 56-57 cms (22-221/2 ins); bitches: 55-56 cms (211/2-22 ins).

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.

Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.