Block Head Lab

Question
I have what is referred to as a Block head yellow lab.  He is a purebred, but I was not informed that he was "Block Head" until the vet told me he would range between 85-100 lbs, and that he would be larger than the average lab.  I would never trade him for anything; however, shouldn't the breeder have told me this, and shouldn't it have been on his papers?

Answer
There is no such thing as a block head lab.  "Block head" is a term people use to describe large, blocky heads, which is actually the way a lab head is supposed to look.  Most folks are used to seeing hunting labs or labs that were bred by BYB's strictly to be pets with no attention to pedigree.  These hunting labs or pet-bred labs tend to have narrower skulls, longer muzzles, and have a more "houndy" appearance.  

Having a blocky head does not automatically make it that your dog will be larger than average.  The only real determination is what the parents looked like and what the lines of the dogs in the pedigree historically looked like.  

I have a large male who is about 100# and just a tad outside the height standard for labs.  I have 2 younger males who are both about 80# with big heads. I don't expect them to be much bigger.  

Typically, you will see blockier heads on the labs that folks tend to call "English" labs.  These tend to have pedigrees with alot of show dogs in them.  The houndier heads are "Field" or "American" labs, and they tend to have alot of hunting or field trial dogs in their pedigree.  

What would you have wanted your breeder to have told you?  What were you expecting to see on his papers?  A lab is a lab is a lab.  And the only way to know what you are buying is to have extensive conversations with your breeder about what you are looking for (some don't want English style labs, some don't want American style labs) and understanding what the pedigree meant, but regardless of what style you end up with, it will still only say "Labrador Retriever" on it's AKC registration papers.