Dilemma (shallow but still)

Clodagh

Clodagh

Playing chess with pigeons
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Got an email confirming that Tawny's mum was mated yesterday, so all being well pups will be born the end of Feb. BUT I wanted a yellow and these will all be black.
I absolutely know colour doesn't matter... I know it is more important that it does the job but I am so disappointed. In my mind my OH has blacks and I have yellows (only one so far, but still). On the other hand Tawny has dreadful feet which I do wonder is linked to her pinkness and perhaps a black will be sounder? She is my best dog ever and this is the last chance to have a half sister.
So, do I walk away from this litter that I have waited for for about 3 years to buy a random yellow pup, or do I stick with this one of the 'wrong' colour but the right breeding? The sire is a relation of our older dog who is also a great worker so both sides of the family tick all the boxes... apart from being black!
 
They might not all be black! Both parents being black doesn't always mean that all the pups are black, are there no yellows or livers (chocolate) in the line at all? If I were you I would reserve one and if you don't like what is available give backword, the breeder will be able to sell the pup on, I'm sure.


I remember reading a book by a very well-known breeder (years ago) saying that the only difference was where you preferred to see your dog hairs, in the butter, or on the carpet:)
 
lol at 'I have yellows, only one so far'!

Last and only chance...

If you rang to book one and they said they were all taken how would you feel?
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
They might not all be black! Both parents being black doesn't always mean that all the pups are black, are there no yellows or livers (chocolate) in the line at all? If I were you I would reserve one and if you don't like what is available give backword, the breeder will be able to sell the pup on, I'm sure.


I remember reading a book by a very well-known breeder (years ago) saying that the only difference was where you preferred to see your dog hairs, in the butter, or on the carpet:)
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They will be black, Dad is homozygeous. (I think that is right, homo same? Hetero different?). I do wear a lot of black so it would make sense. :-)
 
JennBags said:
Stop being racist 😛😛😛
Go for the black one, if you really struggle you can always give it to OH and get another yellow on order. If this is the last chance to have a half-sister, you'll regret it if you don't get one.
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I train them for him anyway and had pangs handing over his last pup and still nag him about handling errors! I agree about last chance. :-)
 
Thanks all. I have had a reality check from OH who just said 'Don't be so bloody stupid'. He pointed out my lovely yellow is shuffling around the house tonight like a pony with laminitis and perhaps a black one might be a bit tougher.
 
Pearlsacarolsinger said:
TBH, I'm not sure that I would want a half-sister, if her feet are so bad. We have had a lot of Labs and have never had one with bad feet! I did have a liver one with some allergies and sister had a black one that got interdigital cysts occasionally but she didn't shuffle.
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None of the others (siblings) get split pads like Tawny. I think a lot of it is her single minded obsession with being first and fastest at all times, today she was doing repeated long retreives on ducks and she goes like a racehorse in spite of being built like a tank. It is a different Dad anyway.
 
Clodagh said:
None of the others (siblings) get split pads like Tawny. I think a lot of it is her single minded obsession with being first and fastest at all times, today she was doing repeated long retreives on ducks and she goes like a racehorse in spite of being built like a tank. It is a different Dad anyway.
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Is it the paw conformity or the softness of the pads? Or maybe both?

Either way, pavement pounding and VERY short nails can help to improve. The angle at which the nails grow out of the foot (if left longer than desirable) can move the dog to take more weight down the back of the leg and therefore weight the caudal aspect of the pads. (Think horse with over long toes.)

A dog that is flat=footed is also more prone to pad issues. Increased proprioception using a variety of surfaces can help with a younger dog......gravel, wood chips, sand, concrete, clay etc etc.
 
gunnergundog said:
Is it the paw conformity or the softness of the pads? Or maybe both?

Either way, pavement pounding and VERY short nails can help to improve. The angle at which the nails grow out of the foot (if left longer than desirable) can move the dog to take more weight down the back of the leg and therefore weight the caudal aspect of the pads. (Think horse with over long toes.)

A dog that is flat=footed is also more prone to pad issues. Increased proprioception using a variety of surfaces can help with a younger dog......gravel, wood chips, sand, concrete, clay etc etc.
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I think softness, she has lots of small cracks around the outside of all her pads. She dogs in non stop from August, and I have been lazy and assumed that should harden her up but I think I am going to have to take to my bike. Oh God! Her pads are more flat than the other two, who have small deeply rounded pads. It is her two side pads that are worst, not her main back one which is always fine.
Thank you for your thoughts, I will take note for next season, but for this one looks like old girl is coming out of semi retirement (again).
 
Just me that's mega shallow then? :oops: I let three litters come and go for being the wrong sex and/or the wrong colour, the whole process took so long that I ended up with a grandson from the dog I liked instead of a son. I did feel a bit cursed as the breed is predominantly black, the number of golds and creams that turned up was freaky.

I have never spent that much money on a dog and possibly never will again, he had to be black! :p
 
Go for it! I bet you'll love the dog all the same, & the important thing is the breeding, not the colour. Re your other dogs pads, have you considered adding a zinc supplement to the diet? Weak pads can be caused by a zinc deficiency.
 
eatmyshorts said:
Go for it! I bet you'll love the dog all the same, & the important thing is the breeding, not the colour. Re your other dogs pads, have you considered adding a zinc supplement to the diet? Weak pads can be caused by a zinc deficiency.
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I think you have mentioned this before, and I just assumed her (expensive) food would have enough, I would certainly be happy to try adding it though. Can you overdo zinc? Can she have a human supplement?
 
I'd also be wary of having a pup from the same dam. Working labs should be black in my narrow minded opinion! Yellow=pet, chocolate=don't think I'd go there as they seem to often be bred for colour although a girl I know did the full health tests to try to rid the colour of the reputation.

druid said:
I ordered a liver and white dog from the last litter I bought from. There was only black and white dogs. I hate black and white springers, they are just not springers to me. I grudgingly took a black and white. The pup? Easily my dog of a lifetime :D;)
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Ooh, outrageous! 😡😆 L/w are far too common round here, there are hardly any b/w bar ours. I wouldn't have another l/w, based on aesthetics purely. B/w are proper gundogs, again in my narrow minded opinion. Yes, I am ashamed of my own ridiculousness!
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Our original pair were one of each, l/w still alive and kicking, almost 16!
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I prefer black dogs now purely because it suits my clothes :p and I loathe the tufts that grey and black and gold GSDs get when they are casting. However I have a grey now and spend most of my time brushing/plucking to avoid said tufts.
He throws his coat at every change in temperature :p
 
Only just caught up with your post Clodagh.
I disagree with most of the others. I far prefer yellow labs, the colour makes no difference to their ability as a gundog. I have not known one to have paw trouble so it’s just her. I am sure there are other breeders of high class yellow labs with good looks, ability and temperament. I would be saying no.
 
I've got four LW and one BW currently. Still wouldn't choose a BW again willingly but the breeder I opt
Christmas Cinnamon Spice said:
I'd also be wary of having a pup from the same dam. Working labs should be black in my narrow minded opinion! Yellow=pet, chocolate=don't think I'd go there as they seem to often be bred for colour although a girl I know did the full health tests to try to rid the colour of the reputation.
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There's plenty of top level working yellow labs, just look at the line up pics for a championship in any given year :)


Christmas Cinnamon Spice said:
Ooh, outrageous! 😡😆 L/w are far too common round here, there are hardly any b/w bar ours. I wouldn't have another l/w, based on aesthetics purely. B/w are proper gundogs, again in my narrow minded opinion. Yes, I am ashamed of my own ridiculousness!
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I see very few B&W dogs on shoots, more in the trialling community. Mine is the spitting image of his Grandfather, Hattonswood Broc
 
Black pup and a pot of yellow paint will do the trick.

You would love Tawny just the same if she was black wouldn't you (anyway I thought she was your son's dog?)

It's the genetics that you want, the colour is irrelevant, the chance to have both Tawny's and Brandy's breeding intertwined is priceless.

A pup will carry yellow gene (dam is yellow isn't she?) so if you know anyone with a nice yellow/fox red stud dog (hint hint) you could have a litter of mixed colour pups in the future.

Toast's mum is black but must carry yellow, his dad is a fox red just like him. They had 2 red dogs (Toast and Bruce) 3 pale yellow and 4 black (one was still born). They kept two of the blacks, a small pocket rocket bitch and a real cobby, almost curly coated dog. They have been breeding labs for generations and reckon this is the best litter they've ever produced, usually keep 2 to bring on and sell the less good one on as a pet gundog, however they say they're both to good to part with. Toasts sister recently had a litter to keep the line going.
 
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