Golden geese

[P3LH]

I also have no issue with having a colour preference - I know I do in most breeds including my own.

As a side note, silver labs have quite a different temperament than other colours……

 

[Morwenna]

I saw a silver lab in a different class at dog training at yesterday. They are a diluted version of chocolate and there is a spectrum of colours (as with fox red). There’s also charcoal labs that are a dilution of black. I don’t have an issue at all with people preferring certain colours but breeders seem to be taking advantage of this and breeding dogs that they wouldn’t consider breeding from if they were a standard colour and adding an extra £1k to the price tag.

 

[Moobli]

Panda shepherd. I actually really like this.

Like a Corgi with long legs . I quite like it too.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

There is a dog a month or so older than the pups in the house behind us. I thought it was a weim, but weirdly lab-a-like. The owners brought it to meet mine through the fence and told me it’s a silver lab. It’s tiny, despite being a dog, possibly as small as Goose. Apparently it was the runt of the litter. I just smiled and nodded. Who am I to tell them it’s completely the wrong size and colour for a lab? (And has funny coloured eyes-for a lab)

As some people know, we took on a 'chocolate Lab' aged 5 months in July. She had no pedigree but came with her vaccination cert, signed by the vet who microchipped the litter, which said she was a chocolate Lab.
As she has got older, we are convinced that she is part liver coloured pointer. I assume colour was of greatest importance to her breeder, although of course I don't know her family history. I am seriously considering doing a DNA test to confirm (or not) my suspicions. She is much taller and rangier than the others and very high energy(!)

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

As some people know, we took on a 'chocolate Lab' aged 5 months in July. She had no pedigree but came with her vaccination cert, signed by the vet who microchipped the litter, which said she was a chocolate Lab.
As she has got older, we are convinced that she is part liver coloured pointer. I assume colour was of greatest importance to her breeder, although of course I don't know her family history. I am seriously considering doing a DNA test to confirm (or not) my suspicions. She is much taller and rangier than the others and very high energy(!)

I am led to understand that the dna tests are very poor unless you have the dna from both parents. (pointless or what?!)

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I am led to understand that the dna tests are very poor unless you have the dna from both parents. (pointless or what?!)

Well yes, I know someone who adopted a small cream dog from Cyprus, described as a Cypriot poodle. She has had it DNA tested and found out that it is an Airedale terrier!

 

[maisie06]

Don't be ridiculous, of course it's a special-rare type of lab that is only available if you have a spare £3K+ and no understanding of dog breeds/coat colours. Surely you know that? ?

Had a bloke come into work with what was obviously a lab x weimeraner,the eyes and colour gave it away, I made the mahoosive boo boo of saying what a lovely cross, he was very sniffy and said " he's a silver lab and AKC registered and I'm going to be doing field trials with him, he cost me 5k as he's a rare colour!" I tried not to laugh and said oh that's nice, while thinking good luck with that mate!!!

 

[bonny]

Had a bloke come into work with what was obviously a lab x weimeraner,the eyes and colour gave it away, I made the mahoosive boo boo of saying what a lovely cross, he was very sniffy and said " he's a silver lab and AKC registered and I'm going to be doing field trials with him, he cost me 5k as he's a rare colour!" I tried not to laugh and said oh that's nice, while thinking good luck with that mate!!!

There’s a danger that sneering at him just comes across as patronising, maybe you are wrong. I will admit to getting a puppy last year based on colour. I had just lost my husband and my kelpie and I wanted a collie that was different and didn’t remind me of all the collies I have had in the past. My new collie is all brown apart from one white leg but he is absolutely 100% collie. I rarely go for a walk without someone asking what he is and generally pointing out that I’m wrong. It drives me mad and it’s usually dog people who think they know better.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

There’s a danger that sneering at him just comes across as patronising, maybe you are wrong. I will admit to getting a puppy last year based on colour. I had just lost my husband and my kelpie and I wanted a collie that was different and didn’t remind me of all the collies I have had in the past. My new collie is all brown apart from one white leg but he is absolutely 100% collie. I rarely go for a walk without someone asking what he is and generally pointing out that I’m wrong. It drives me mad and it’s usually dog people who think they know better.

I’d love to see a picture! Who is it on here that has all different coloured collies? Haven’t seen them for ages. She had lilac and all sorts.

Out with Zak and Bear once and someone asked what they were. Springers, I replied. ‘Oh no’ she says ‘they’re smooth collies’. I was like ‘Hmm, ok then’. Couldn’t be bothered to argue! The vet told me Bear was a big cocker once as she heaved him onto the table. I’ve never met a 26kg cocker!

Sometimes, tho, the dog is not what the owner thinks, our neighbour must wonder why his dog has such odd eyes!

 

[misst]

I think I have written on here before about the person at the yard who bought a chocolate lab. She paid extra for the colour of course. Pup arrived at the yard and was a lovely black lab... Breeder must have seen her coming as she had been convinced that chocolate labs started black and changed to brown, just like grey horses start black and turn into white???? By the time she realised she'd been had the family was attached to the very nice black lab dog .

 

[Clodagh]

Had a bloke come into work with what was obviously a lab x weimeraner,the eyes and colour gave it away, I made the mahoosive boo boo of saying what a lovely cross, he was very sniffy and said " he's a silver lab and AKC registered and I'm going to be doing field trials with him, he cost me 5k as he's a rare colour!" I tried not to laugh and said oh that's nice, while thinking good luck with that mate!!!

If it was of correct lab type then it may well be silver/charcoal genes. Imo. I’m not sure if AKC means you can compete in trials here.

 

[Clodagh]

And correct type is pretty random selector. I have six labs Weighing between 19 and 29 kgs. Penny is a really odd little thing, looks like a skinned rabbit with a curly tail ?

 

[druid]

I think if you know your breed inside out and your own kennel lines at 4 months you can have an inkling of "this is something" special. But a random dog based on colour? No.

 

[ArklePig]

As some people know, we took on a 'chocolate Lab' aged 5 months in July. She had no pedigree but came with her vaccination cert, signed by the vet who microchipped the litter, which said she was a chocolate Lab.
As she has got older, we are convinced that she is part liver coloured pointer. I assume colour was of greatest importance to her breeder, although of course I don't know her family history. I am seriously considering doing a DNA test to confirm (or not) my suspicions. She is much taller and rangier than the others and very high energy(!)

I'm kind of thinking of doing one too as Fodhla has been accused of being all sorts so I'd love concrete proof! We're pretty sure she's pointer x springer-the person who surrendered her to the rescue said her mum was a pointer and she's very kind a pointer bitch I knew years ago in ways. But we're obviously not certain. I'd be interested to hear how you got on if you do one!

Someone I know keeps swearing she's a beagle cross and it's irrationally driving me mad.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

And correct type is pretty random selector. I have six labs Weighing between 19 and 29 kgs. Penny is a really odd little thing, looks like a skinned rabbit with a curly tail ?

Is Penny only 19kg? That strikes me as very little! I must measure the boys’ height, Goose is catching up to Mitch, I think, but is still only about 19kg. I mean, compared to a working lab, I think he’s little. Maybe I’m kidding myself?

 

[Clodagh]

Is Penny only 19kg? That strikes me as very little! I must measure the boys’ height, Goose is catching up to Mitch, I think, but is still only about 19kg. I mean, compared to a working lab, I think he’s little. Maybe I’m kidding myself?

She is tiny. But her female line has been bred for generations to pick up partridge at Six Mile Bottom, she’s perfect for that. I think a big slightly old fashioned male springer would weigh in the 20’s?

 

[suebou]

I’ll try and find a photo of my old fashioned , well working bred with known ancestry, lemon and white cocker dog who weighed 28 kg…..he was a ‘proper cocker’ according to husband.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

If it was of correct lab type then it may well be silver/charcoal genes. Imo. I’m not sure if AKC means you can compete in trials here.

And where have these silver/charcoal genes come from? Tradionally Labs, in UK and US, have always been black, yellow and liver(now marketed as chocolate).

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

She is tiny. But her female line has been bred for generations to pick up partridge at Six Mile Bottom, she’s perfect for that. I think a big slightly old fashioned male springer would weigh in the 20’s?

Our 3 yr old, working type Labs each weigh 20kg. When I 1st saw Mum, I thought, "she's tiny!" but I had got used to Rottweilers then.
They are the smallest Labs we have ever had in the family

 

[CorvusCorax]

And where have these silver/charcoal genes come from? Tradionally Labs, in UK and US, have always been black, yellow and liver(now marketed as chocolate).

They may have always been there?

Years ago you would never have seen a white/blue/liver GSD, it wasn't only hushed up and the animals who produced them quietly retired from breeding.

 

[Morwenna]

And where have these silver/charcoal genes come from? Tradionally Labs, in UK and US, have always been black, yellow and liver(now marketed as chocolate).

From what I’ve read, silver is a dilution of the chocolate and charcoal is a dilution of black. I’d guess they are rarer because you need the animal to be double recessive to show the dilution and historically breeders selected against this as it wasn’t seen as correct until it became popular and now they are trying to breed for it as they can charge more.

 

[MurphysMinder]

They may have always been there?

Years ago you would never have seen a white/blue/liver GSD, it wasn't only hushed up and the animals who produced them quietly retired from breeding.

Not always retired from breeding. I remember the owner of one of the top dogs at the time visiting a litter by him, and on seeing a liver pup exclaiming, "why didn't you put that in a bucket!" You have to wonder how many liverpups he had produced whose breeders had followed this. Having said that he was a cracking dog who improved the breed greatly , so if the worse that happens is the odd liver it would be a shame to lose some lines, although honesty would be good for all concerned.
Sometimes though, it does take a while for it to come through. We had a litter with 2 blues in it, the breeds leading geneticist told us it was because we had doubled up on a certain dog. My mother had owned this dog who was used quite a lot but she had never been told this could be an issue, the dog was dead before the odd blue started appearing. Our blues went to pet homes without papers, nowadays they could have been sold at twice the price of standard colours.

 

[JJS]

And correct type is pretty random selector. I have six labs Weighing between 19 and 29 kgs. Penny is a really odd little thing, looks like a skinned rabbit with a curly tail ?

It’s true. I’ve added some pictures to show he isn’t grossly overweight, but my parents' KC registered Lab is a different type again. He’s super fit but weighs in at a whopping 44kg and towers over most dogs he meets. We’ve owned lots of giant breeds in the past, so are used to big dogs, but other people are always shocked by his size. We’re forever being asked what he’s crossed with.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Not always retired from breeding. I remember the owner of one of the top dogs at the time visiting a litter by him, and on seeing a liver pup exclaiming, "why didn't you put that in a bucket!" You have to wonder how many liverpups he had produced whose breeders had followed this. Having said that he was a cracking dog who improved the breed greatly , so if the worse that happens is the odd liver it would be a shame to lose some lines, although honesty would be good for all concerned.
Sometimes though, it does take a while for it to come through. We had a litter with 2 blues in it, the breeds leading geneticist told us it was because we had doubled up on a certain dog. My mother had owned this dog who was used quite a lot but she had never been told this could be an issue, the dog was dead before the odd blue started appearing. Our blues went to pet homes without papers, nowadays they could have been sold at twice the price of standard colours.

I think a dog who was used as much as he was (RC?) will produce some undesirable traits and of course it depends on what the female carries as well and as you say, the amount of linebreeding on certain animals.
One of the working world champions from the last ten years produces blues and it is very apparent how little he has been used, if at all, compared to some of the other winning males.

 

[CorvusCorax]

And correct type is pretty random selector. I have six labs Weighing between 19 and 29 kgs. Penny is a really odd little thing, looks like a skinned rabbit with a curly tail ?

Is there no height limit for both sexes in the breed standard?
My young one is tiny as are her siblings, think she was 21kg at last weigh in, her father also small and never really topped 30kg, not ideal but big dogs break quicker, she's extremely fast and agile and if I come to a stile or a high fence, I have the last laugh

 

[FestiveG]

Years ago we had an over height lab dog, third hand. He was pick of litter for the sire owner, showed as a youngster then sold on (to a couple in a flat who both worked!). My theory is that they always knew he would grow too big, but also knew that he would do well in puppy classes, because of his size, which indeed he had. Irresponsible imo and this must have been 45 years ago!

 

[Birker2020]

Have male unneutered dog, can make stacks of money from people as thick as me.

Stupid ignorance.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

She is tiny. But her female line has been bred for generations to pick up partridge at Six Mile Bottom, she’s perfect for that. I think a big slightly old fashioned male springer would weigh in the 20’s?

Mitch-skinny wretch-was 21kg at last weigh in. He is as tall as Bear. Bear varies between 24 and 26kg-I consider him to be a big example of a springer, maybe because I was so sued to Brig who was always about 20kg, I thought he was quite small, but then he was working bred, like the pups. Bear is currently fighting fit at 24kg, runs round the woods like a youngster.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Have male unneutered dog, can make stacks of money from people as thick as me.

Stupid ignorance.

??

 

[CorvusCorax]

??

It refers to the original post.