Labrador Retrievers have been at the top of AKC’s most popular dog breeds for the 28th consecutive time. So everybody is very familiar with Labs and surely knows that Labs are available in 3 colors: black, chocolate, and Yellow (Although there are many shades of yellow coats, from pale cream to red fox).
But what many people don’t know is that there are Labradors with other coat colors. These are known as Diluted Labradors, being the Silver Labradors the type that has caught the attention of dog lovers around the globe. In this article, we will discuss the Silver and other Diluted Labrador Retrievers known for their unique appearance.
The silver-colored coat in Labradors is caused by a recessive gene that controls the color of the coat. If both parents have these genes, they are likely to produce offspring with a silver coat. The recessive gene dilutes the original color of the coat of the offspring. So, the reality is that Silver Labradors are normal Labs with a recessive gene that makes them have a unique appearance. Silver Labradors came into the public eye for the first time in a hunter’s magazine in 1950. No one seems to know the exact origin of the Silver Labrador because, before this publication, there were no reports of any grey-coated Labs. Silver Labs are, in reality, Chocolate Labradors with diluted coat colors. They have the same friendly personality traits as normal Labradors.
The Diluted genes of Silver Labs
The presence of the recessive dilute gene pair “dd” causes the silver color appearance in this dog breed. At the start, this gene only existed in the chocolate Labrador breed resulting in a silver color coat. But now these diluted genes have also been reported to exist in yellow and black Labs.
This results in the following color coat breeds:
- A diluted Chocolate Lab is known as Silver Labrador Retriever.
- A diluted Black Lab is known as Charcoal Labrador Retriever.
- A diluted Yellow Lab is known as Champagne Labrador Retriever.
Common questions about Silver Labradors
Are Silver Labs purebred?
Many dog breeders consider Silver Labs as “defective” and unwanted because they don’t fit into the breed standards, but some people prefer Silver Labs over other normal Labradors because of their unique appearance. However, Silver Labradors are starting to become popular and because they are so rare, they can cost double the price of an ordinary Labrador.
Related Post: English vs American Labrador Retriever
Are Silver Labs mixed with Weimaraners?
There have been rumors since these labradors appeared that Silver Labs were considered not to be purebred Labradors because breeders believed they were the product of the crossing of Labradors and Weimaraners. Although, there is no definitive proof that silver labs got created by cross-breeding.
Are Silver Labs inbred?
Many dog breeders believed that the silver Labradors were the result of the confined gene pool achieved through the rigorous inbreeding process. Inbreeding has been used by dog breeders to produce some features during the creation of dog breeds. But, there is no evidence that Silver Labs were created through inbreeding.
Are Silver Labs recognized by the AKC?
According to the American Kennel Club, silver is not recognized as a color of the Labrador dog breed, and is not allowed to participate in the show ring. However, they are registered as a chocolate color coat Labrador because silver Labrador is primarily considered the paler version of the chocolate color breed.
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Reference links:
- https://www.thelabradorsite.com/silver-labradors/
- https://petventuresbook.com/blogs/blog/silver-lab-facts-temperament-and-care-guide
- https://www.perfectdogbreeds.com/silver-lab/
- https://thelabradorclub.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/The-Issue-of-the-Silver-Labrador-Fran-Smith.pdf
- https://www.thelabradorsite.com/silver-labradors/
- https://www.petdogplanet.com/truth-about-silver-labs/
- http://www.truthaboutsilverlabs.com/2015/02/08/what-is-a-dilute-labrador/
