The Labrador Retriever is America’s favorite dog and it’s no wonder why; Labs are the most well-rounded dog in the books. They are everything we love about dogs, all rolled into one amazing package! If you are a person who adores an active dog that is easy to train and loyal through and through, then this is the breed for you.

The Lab is a working dog, bred to aid people in retrieving game in the field. This dog is also one of the most dedicated companions, gentle and trustworthy around children. Devoted to its owner to the core; Labs are trained to aid the handicapped, and taught to locate drugs with law enforcement. The Lab is energetic enough to perform all of these activities during the day, and is also laid-back enough to enjoy hanging out on the back porch in the evening, looking at the stars.

I once received an e-mail from a new puppy family and learned the best advice about a new Labrador retriever puppy.... From one six year old little girl to another on having a new puppy at home...."Leave only the shoes you don't like out".  Excellent to know. J

Although we know Labrador Retrievers as being black, chocolate and yellow, as recognized colors by the AKC, they were originally bred to be just black. The first yellow Lab did not come into existence until 1899. The chocolate was the last color to develop and was not immediately accepted into the AKC breed standard. With the growing population of the dilute charcoal and silver Labrador retrievers, they are sure to become recognized as their own colors in the near future. At this time, because of the range variations as set forth in the breed standard of colors, charcoal is registered as black, and silver is registered as chocolate.  

Labrador Retriever Genetic DNA color key:

BB= Black Lab no chocolate gene

Bb=Black Lab carrying the chocolate gene

bb=Chocolate Lab no black gene

Yellow is produced by the presence of a recessive epistatic gene which has the effect of masking the black or chocolate genes.

EE= No yellow gene

Ee= Yellow carrier but appears either black or chocolate

ee=Yellow Lab

A "Silver" or "Charcoal" Lab is produced by the presence of another recessive gene, called the Dilute gene, that masks the black or chocolate genes. (It has also shown up in yellow lab genetic structures, producing a yellow lab that is called a dilute yellow but looks like a yellow lab with grayish skin, lip and eye pigment)

dd= a Dilute Lab of either "Silver" (dilute gene over chocolate) or "Charcoal" (dilute gene over black)

The Definition of "Silver" from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: a nearly neutral slightly brownish medium gray.

***To understand the coloring of "dilute labs" think of this.... The dilute gene in a lab creates hair follicles with a lack of pigmentation.  When the dog is a dilute lab "dd" of either Charcoal or Silver, there are equal amounts of transparent hairs (hairs with a lack of color) dispersed throughout the dogs coat mixed in with the chocolate or black hairs. The result is the color coats we see with the human eye of either silver or charcoal.

***Dilute Labrador Retriever puppies are born with BLUE eyes. This is very much like all human babies being born with blue eyes.... They will transition to either a yellow hazel or green hazel around 8 to 15 weeks of age. This is a question asked frequently: The blue eye color is a puppy's "temporary, baby" eye color; or should I say, the lack of color development at a young age.