Lab Colors
Lab Colors
Chocolate Lab.
The tail and coat are designated “distinctive or distinguishing features” of the Labrador by both the Kennel Club18 and AKC.17 The AKC adds that “true Labrador Retriever temperament is as much a hallmark of the breed as the ‘otter’ tail.” 17
Color
There are three recognized colors for labs for sale:17 black (a solid black color), yellow (anything from light cream to gold to “fox-red”), and chocolate (medium to dark brown).
Puppies of all colors can potentially occur in the same litter. Color is determined primarily by two genes. The first gene (the B locus) determines the density of the coat’s pigment granules: dense granules result in a black coat, sparse ones give a chocolate coat. The second (E) locus determines whether the pigment is produced at all. A labs for sale with the recessive e allele will produce little pigment and will be yellow regardless of its genotype at the B locus.19 Variations in numerous other genes control the subtler details of the coat’s coloration, which in yellow hunting hunting dogs for sales for sale varies from white to light gold to a fox red. Chocolate and black ‘ noses will match the coat color.
