| Silver Labradors have received a lot of attention. | | | | That makes it look a lot like these breeders are |
| These are very pretty silvery brown or slate blue | | | | trying for a showy dog that's worth a lot of money, |
| dogs that otherwise look like Labrador Retrievers. | | | | but not really all that good for the Labrador Retriever |
| Some people claim that these are incredibly special | | | | breed in general. Many owners have purchased dogs, |
| dogs, and charge a lot of money for them. Others | | | | only to discover that they had temperament or |
| say that they're not really even labs. Are silver | | | | health problems. Buyers must be especially careful if |
| Labradors purebred, and where do they come from? | | | | they're interested in adopting a silver Labrador. |
| Let's look at this interesting coloration and what you | | | | There are even some who feel that silver Labradors |
| should know about it. | | | | can't really be purebred. Since breeds like the |
| Some breeders go out of their way to establish the | | | | Doberman and Weimeraner are prone to the dilute |
| silver lab as a legitimate kind of Labrador Retriever. | | | | gene, they argue, these animals or ones like them |
| According to them, the American Kennel Club (AKC) | | | | must have been introduced into the silver lab |
| has conducted genetic testing that proves their dogs | | | | bloodlines. That would mean that these animals are |
| are the real thing. The problem with this claim is that | | | | mixed breeds, though the non-lab genes were |
| the AKC doesn't do testing and doesn't establish | | | | introduced a long time ago. We can't test for this, |
| breed standards. That's the job of another | | | | though, and it's possible that the dilute gene might |
| organization entirely. | | | | have appeared on its own. |
| The AKC does allow silver Labradors to be | | | | For buyers, this means that a silver lab should be |
| registered, but not as silver. Instead, they're | | | | treated as a novelty, and that you should be very |
| considered a variation on the well recognized | | | | careful if you'd like to adopt one of these animals. |
| chocolate lab. That's because the most likely genetic | | | | Don't pay a high price for a silver lab puppy, don't |
| combination for these animals is a chocolate Labrador | | | | believe breeders who claim that they have AKC |
| with a dilute gene that causes the silvering of the | | | | evidence to back them up, and avoid unscrupulous |
| coat. Blue labs are really black Labradors with a dilute | | | | breeders. After all, while this unusual coat might be |
| gene that causes their coat to be bluish grey. | | | | interesting, it could come with some serious health |
| Another problem with many of the breeders offering | | | | defects. |
| silver Labrador dogs is that they don't do anything to | | | | There's a good chance that a silver Labrador is a |
| test or prove the quality of their breeding animals. A | | | | purebred lab, but it's not a special kind. These are |
| large percentage of silver Labrador breeders aren't | | | | just a variation on the chocolate lab, and aren't really |
| testing their animals to make sure that breeding them | | | | show worthy. That means that unless you want an |
| will contribute to the quality of the breed, and they | | | | unusual pet, it's best to choose a more conventional |
| don't participate in quality competitions that would | | | | type of Labrador. |
| convince others of the quality of these dogs. | | | | |