I have had a few friends ask me recently to help them find a 'silver' lab. As someone who is passionate about the breed and its integrity I was puzzled by their choice of 'silver' and I tried to educate them about Labrador Retrievers as much as I could with what I knew. I also decided to do some more research, a fact finding mission if you will, about the 'silver' lab. What I have found is pretty interesting so I decided to share it.

I am sure this will catch some heat, but an informed public is an educated public. Especially one that cares for a closed registration of the the purebred Labrador Retriever integirty.



NO To Silver Labs Action Centre -

No To Silver Labs Petition -

Good read, thanks.. I think a lot of people get kinda suckered in to paying a higher price for these so called rare colors, I have 3 yellow female labs all are a little different shade, One is almost white and the youngest a very rusty red color.. They are still all registered as yellows, not white not red just yellows.. But people get told that the white or red is a rare color and try and charge more. I don't agree with that

Lord have mercy, my wife saw an add for silver labs a few years back and went batshit nutz. I told her I'd gladly buy her a weimaraner but I wasn't buying her a silver lab. To this day thats an ongoing battle,she just doesn't get it.

It's not completely about purity of the breed so much as about potential health problems that seen to be associated with breeding solely for color . Weather it can hunt or not , if selecting for color means ignoring genetic problems like bad joints , a tendency to blindness , a propensity for certain cancers , or other debilitating or life shortening conditions. Bottom line here is the goal is to create a dog that's a special lab and the very thing that makes it special is a disqualification .

Then call it something else and register it as something else. It is not a lab pure breed and shouldn't be registered or passed as such.

Same here. Not a fan of white dogs either.

I hunted over one this year. It retrieved...... I didn't care for the look. Not as good looking as a black. People are hung up on shit that is rare or whatever.... If they want to be really cool, they would import some truly rare breed to the states. I got a chessie because I've only known one other person who had one and I liked it... and I wanted a dog that was out of the ordinary for around here.

you drink the kool aid, id rather drink the whiskey and raise hell!!!!

It's about the integrity of the breed. Especially health wise.

I don't want a dog I can't register with the UKC . The silver lab is not recognized under the labradores standerd. The silver comes from another breed of dog. Out for me. I don't mind white, it comes from yellow labs. I prefer choc, but that's just me. I didn't want a black lab like everyone else.

I had a g/f that bought a silver lab. I broke up with her

Assholes need too quit messing with the breed . They should just go create their own dog and form their own club and stop messing with a lab .

The silver is a chocolate lab. Just like the red is a yellow and the charcoal is a black. They are registered as such because that is what they are.
I have read a lot about it. Recessive genes in people give them blue eyes and no other negative effects. The recessive gene that causes the different colors in these dogs may be connected to other problems.

I know people that have a silver and a red right now. I will c if they have a troubled life r not.

Do your homework on the DNA coat genotypes for labrador retrievers. Silver labs are not purebreds. The "silver" or "blue" gene was introduced to the breed.

Red is the original color if the yellow lab. Choc is choc , not from black labs. Silver was introduced from another breed not choc. If I had a silver lab I would say they came from choc too. Silver is not recognized by the UKC therefore it's not a lab.

Any time a look or color is targeted in any animal, there's a chance of inbreeding back down the line to try and establish that trait. Some of the traits that we like to see like health and natural hunting instincts as well as drive can be lost in trying to make a color or look. I love my blacks but have hunted with good yellows & chocolates. I am a hunter and don't give 2 shits what color a dog is. I want them to go out and put the bird in their mouth and bring it back to me.

^ well said !!!

Migrator sorry to quote you here your post is correct about breeding for color and look and not considering anything else you will have issues! I just feel that inbreeding is blamed for issues that most if the time is not the cause. Just because people don't understand line-breeding.


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You pointed out a couple circumstances that are controlled and well thought out. They go back but don't keep going to the well too many times. There's people breeding labs that have never done anything because they have a set of papers. I have hunted with some dogs that are not registered that were great. Oh yeah, they were all Blacks.

I told Gump I was gonna breed him with a silver lab.. This was his reaction

Lol great pic

Labrador Retrievers are registered in three colors: black (a solid black color), yellow (it is considered from cream to fox-red), and chocolate (medium to dark brown). Some dogs are sold as "silver" pure-bred Labradors. When the silver color first showed up in Labradors it came from a kennel that also bred Weimaraners and the dilute gene that causes a silver color is not found in the purebred Labrador Retriever. You do the math.

The parent club for the Labrador Retriever in the USA (the LRC) states publicly that 'There is no genetic basis for the silver gene in Labradors'. Although the people trying to breed for a silver color claim the AKC will recognize silver when in reality it is the National club that would need to do so, NOT the AKC and they have stated publicly that this is something they will never do.

This thread is about 'silver' labs. It is know that a red lab is a purebred lab by using the DNA profiling.

Red fox is the original yellow. First and only three colors of the breed are and were yellow ( red ) , black and choc

Red fox has always Ben around. It had become a recessive gene and was frowned down apon. I prefer the red fox over the yellow myself. I agree with you. Thought u were implying that the three original colors was black , red , and yellow

So what would you call my new girl? ImageUploadedByTapatalk1395175203.179082.jpg
The one on the left is my English cocker, but I just got the white lab on the right.. Always had black females but a friend had a litter and ended up getting one for cheap. have hunted with the mom and dad both jam up dogs! She's gonna be awesome!

I call that a yellow . It might be white , but the AKC or UKC papers will say "YELLOW" . That's a fact Jack !

Wrong, try again...

That is a yellow Labrador retriever. I don't care what YOU think it is, nor does LRC, AKC, UKC...it will be registered as a yellow.