The Silver Labrador Retrievers

Is there such a thing as Silver Labrador Retrievers? Many will say yes though purists, and the English and American Kennel Clubs, will say no.

As a breed of Labradors are one of the most popular breeds of dog in the world. Their easygoing temperament and ease of training make them a wonderful family pet, as well as a great working dog.

They are patient with children, loyal to their families, and an excellent dog for almost any family.

The only recognized colors of Labrador are yellow, chocolate, and black, but there is also a breed of Labrador called silver that is recognized by some people to be a breed of the dog.

The colouring of a Labrador retriever is dependent on which genes are turned on or off by breeders when choosing which dogs to mate to produce a litter.

The dominant and recessive genes play into the colouring, but if the D gene is turned on, the puppies produced may be silver or gray in colour.

There is a lot of controversy as to whether or not silver Lab retrievers can be classed as purebred lab.

Some say that, yes, as the coat colour is a result of breeding purebred Labrador retrievers, so these dogs should are also be regarded as being purebred.

The lineage of silver Labrador retrievers can apparently be traced back to two kennels in the United States, who stumbled on the rare colouring by accident.

Many breeders have since tried to bring it out as often as possible to maintain this line of Labradors.

However, there are others that suspect the colour is a result of breeding chocolate Labrador retrievers with another breed similar to labradors to get the unique colouring, while maintaining the temperament of the Labrador.

One such dog would be the Weimaraner, which is another gun dog similar in appearance and temperament to the Labrador retriever. Weimaraners are bred based on dilution, and dilution is what can produce silver Labrador retrievers.

The English and American Kennel Clubs do not recognize these dogs as purebred Labradors, though they can be shown in competition as a 'chocolate Lab'.

There are some people who believe that one day they will be recognized as purebred, but others maintain that the standards already in place for labradors, which state they are only bred in yellow, black, or chocolate, should be maintained.

Regardless of whether you believe they are purebred or not, they are certainly in demand though it is up to the individual whether they think that is a good or a bad thing.

Related Articles

Red Labs - A Cousin Of Silver Labrador Retrievers 

The Black Labrador 

Chocolates Labradors 

Yellow Labradors 

History Of The Labrador Retriever 

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