Black Labrador Retriever Color - What Is the Standard?

There you were, walking innocently through the mall,determines whether any pigment is even produced.
when you decide to go into the pet shop. Actually, yourRegardless of the B gene, if a dog has the recessive
children make the decision, clamoring to get a puppy.E, there will be little color. It will be a yellow Labrador.
Among the roly-poly puppies is an energetic little blackVariations in a number of other genes control subtler
and white dog. Unsure what it is, you look at the cardcolor details.
in the window. "Black Labrador Retriever" it reads.A black Labrador's nose matches its coat - black.
Surprised, you ask a clerk about the puppy, and areBlue, Charcoal, Grey, and Silver
assured that it is indeed a purebred black Labrador.Unscrupulous breeders have come up with new
Purebred? Can black and white Lab puppies benames to fit their puppies that do not meet the officially
purebred? The price certainly is "purebred" price!recognized standard, telling people that it is a new line
As luck would have it, your children want that veryof "purebred" black Labrador.
puppy. You hesitate, and finally ask for the puppy toThe most blatantly pushed of these four colors is
be held until the next day. Back home, you decide tosilver. This is a very light color and, since it is sought by
do a little research. You go online, and search thesome who do not adhere to the standard, disreputable
Internet for "black & white lab puppies info".breeders describe unusually light colored yellow and
So Sorrychocolate labs as "silver" labs.
If the information you find is honest, you will learn thatSharon Wagner, molecular biologist and geneticist of
black Labradors do not come in black and white. Anywrote an analysis, which concluded "Silver breeders
dog billed as a white and black Labrador Retriever isalso blatantly lie. They have information on their
of mixed blood. Unfortunately, disreputable breederswebsites that talk about DNA testing done by the
are working to convince the public that these mongrelsAKC ... AKC never did any genetic mapping of silver
are AKC registered dogs. Indeed, with a bit ofLabradors nor do they have any plans to do so since
dishonest paperwork, some may become registeredthey are a registering body only and the Labrador Club
as black Labradors, but their registration will not endureof America writes the standard for the breed."
scrutiny.states in a Labrador FAQ: "'Silver' Labradors are
Realizing that the puppy in the pet shop is farpurely a scam and are either crosses with
over-priced, since it is not purebred, you decide to lookWeimaraners or very light chocolates."
for a real black Labrador.A black Labrador Retriever's color should never be
AKC Color Standardany of these shades.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives just 3 colorsAre You My Father?
for Labrador Retrievers:Imagine that you mate 2 black Labradors, and nine
1. Black Labradorweeks later a litter of squirming little puppies arrives.
2. Yellow LabradorThree are black Labradors, as expected, but 2 are
3. Chocolate Labradorchocolate Labs, and 4 are yellow Labs. Ahem! Will the
Any other color - or a combination of colors -real father please stand up!
disqualifies a dog for registration as a LabradorYou know the real father - no question - so how did
Retriever.this happen? It all goes back to genes. A Lab with one
A black Labrador may have a small white spot on thegene for dark and one for red-yellow pigment will
chest and meet the standard, but even that isappear to be black or chocolate, depending on other
considered undesirable.genes that control black or chocolate color. Each
A black Labrador should be all black, from the tip of hisparent of a litter with some yellow puppies must have
nose to the tip of his tail. There should be no streaks,at least one gene for red-yellow pigment.
spots, or flecks of other colors. If the dog is older, andWe know we mated 2 black Labradors, so each of
has a few white "age" hairs, that is fine. A young blackthem must have had one gene for dark pigment and
Labrador, however, should be completely black.one for red-yellow pigment. If both parents had been
The Color Genesyellow Labs, neither could carry the gene for dark
The black Labrador Retriever's color is determinedpigment. None of their puppies would have been
primarily by 2 genes.chocolate or black Labradors.
1. The first gene (B) decides how dense a blackBlack Labrador Retriever color is important to many
Labrador's coat pigment granules will be. Whenpeople, as are the short, dense, weather resistant coat;
pigment granules are dense, the coat will be black.the "otter" tail; and the clean-cut head with broad back
When pigment granules are sparse, the coat will beskull.
chocolate. If this were the only gene involved, thereMore important, though, is that your lovable Labrador
would be only chocolate and black Labradors.be happy and healthy.
2. The second gene (E) makes the difference. It