Working chocolate Labradors .....

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Scranny_Ann

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.....do you have one?

To cut a long story short i have been offered, free of charge a 16week old chocolate lab x springer. If he came to me he would be a working dog. He was apparently 'too much' for the people that bought him. Thing is ...*and please don't shout* and trust me i am not trying to offend anyone here ... i have been told by a few people this evening that chocolate labs just don't make good working dogs???

I have a yellow lab and she's amazing...personally i can't see how the colour of a dog would affect its working ability, but im curious now. Surely one of you can prove them wrong??!

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thanks guys
 
oh no ... .think think think!!!!!!

I've heard it a few times but never really took any notice, but now i'm faced with the possibility of dog number 9 **oh god** i'm very curious!!!
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Scranny-Ann - I've heard this so often too and I just don't know where it came from! Apparently, gamekeepers used to drown an choccies that appeared in a litter! I don't know anyone who can actually back this up from actual experience - certainly all the choccies I've ever know have been just as intelligent, biddable and trainable as other colours. My choc has the best nose I have ever known!
 
I personally would not have one! But that is MO!

There are quite a few now making it in the working world, but as already said they orginate from show lines mainly.

Though there are a small few with a working line.

If I was you I would not be worried about the 1/2 lab part but that other part it is crossed with!! LOL! That will be your biggest problem!!

Anyhow link to a working chocolate stud dog!

http://www.threevalleysgundogs.co.uk/
 
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If I was you I would not be worried about the 1/2 lab part but that other part it is crossed with!! LOL! That will be your biggest problem!!

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I think the Springer part would probably make up for the other 1/2
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***whispers again*** although I dislike the Lab X Springer as a rule, it seems a good way to spoil two perfectly good breeds that have such different jobs!
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You'll end up with a average Retriever or an average dog working cover.
 
Their coats don't seem quite as waterproof. Water pretty well falls off my yellow, but the chocolates' coats seem like sponges. Mine could shake next to our friend's chocolate after being in a river and she'd be wetter than him 15 minutes later without going in the river at all...
 
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If I was you I would not be worried about the 1/2 lab part but that other part it is crossed with!! LOL! That will be your biggest problem!!

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I think the Springer part would probably make up for the other 1/2
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***whispers again*** although I dislike the Lab X Springer as a rule, it seems a good way to spoil two perfectly good breeds that have such different jobs!
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You'll end up with a average Retriever or an average dog working cover.

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I may have to agree with you
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!! Though that would be because it is a choc!! Though that would be sterotyping!!
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Again like you say 2 totaly different working (job role) dogs.
 
Different dog and different discipline, but I've never seen a white GSD that was able to work.
However a lot of all-blacks can and almost every sable I've met recently has had a strong working drive.
 
I was of the understanding that the chocolate colour is the recessive gene, meaning that the chocolate line has had to be deliberately bred (choc x choc). Because it is quite a small gene pool often the breeding of two choccies has been undertaken to ensure the colour of the pups, and not necessarily because the dog and bitch are particularly 'good' examples of working/showing labs
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...Over time this sortof breeding has meant an increased number of brown pups have had health problems or known to be 'a bit thick' and it has caused stereotyping of the choccy labs generally, when in fact it isn't necessarily the case
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Dog trainer who helps me from time to time and trains gundogs said that if you ever get a lab with behavoural problems it is more often than not a chocolate one. Which backed up my instinct of avoiding them when walking towards them with my own dog. It always seems to be the chocolate ones that have a go!!
 
Did he originate from my direction SA?

My friend took on a Choc Lab (not bred to work) and he's a bit wild but does the job as long as he is not at the front near the gus
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He caught one of her spaniels and I am trying to think if that was four months ago or longer but they all went to working homes.

I think its already been covered that due to the inbreeding to keep the chocolate colour - the brains are always quite up to the job
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He looks lovely though - I'd take him on
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***whispers again*** although I dislike the Lab X Springer as a rule, it seems a good way to spoil two perfectly good breeds that have such different jobs!
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I also agree with this and promised myself i would never get one, just out of principle. I have been thinking and thinking .. and doin more thinking about this boy ... all the what if's .. maybe he'll be mainly spangle minded and astonish us all out on a shoot day or maybe**and you have to imagine this in your head** he'll stand proud on the shooting field in true Crufts style waiting for his treat!

Anyway ... i have decided to give him a miss
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which i do feel terrible about because he's so sweet
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, but just not for me i don't think. I need a super enthusiastic 'bred to work' machine. We have 60 odd
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shoot days this year, i have 3 dogs for picking up, all of which will be out on nearly every shoot either with myself/OH or my dad (although i'm not sure why dad decides to steal mine when he's got 5 of his own to choose from!!). No time for any half-hearted efforts i'm afraid
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Did he originate from my direction SA?

My friend took on a Choc Lab (not bred to work) and he's a bit wild but does the job as long as he is not at the front near the gus
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He caught one of her spaniels and I am trying to think if that was four months ago or longer but they all went to working homes.

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Not too sure where he's come from .
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.. i would say he's a local lad tho TBH.

Anyway .. as i'm not having him he could be local for you if you wanted him to be
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? call it a birthday present
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!!
 
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