Chocolate from Yellow/Chocolate

Waikie · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:52 pm Post subject: Chocolate from Yellow/Chocolate

Hi everyone, my fiance and I are in the process of moving so that we can get the lab we've always wanted (well, actually two, but one first then another when the first one is about a year old). We'd like a chocolate bitch as our first lab, ideally from working lines as we intend to field trial train her.

However, I've just read that you shouldn't take a chocolate puppy from a yellow/chocolate pairing, why is that? I've done a lot of research into labrador genetics and know about the dominant genes and health problems etc, but I've never come across this information before.

Also, can anyone recommend any breeders in the north of England/southern Scotland that breed chocolates from working lines?

Thanks! Rach

sue51 · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject:

Diana · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:14 pm Post subject:

" The only reason for not taking pups from yellow / chocolate parents is because there can sometimes be pigmentation issues with a small number of the pups - which could be unacceptable for dogs in the showring, but shouldn't have any affect on the dogs ability to be a pet or work "

That is exactly it in a nutshell. Said far more susinctley than I could!

Di

Waikie · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:31 pm Post subject:

Thanks Sue and Di!

Xena · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:48 pm Post subject:

Surely a chocolate pup would not have any pigment problems - there may be liver/yellow but there isn't yellow/liver, is there?

Diana · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject:

Sometimes they can have an absence of pigment so you have a brown pup with a pink nose and eyerims...

Again only a problem if you want to show, not remotely a bother for a pet puppy... (she adds to the original poster not Xena) Wink

Di

JohnW · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:02 pm Post subject:

You might have a problem finding a chocolate pup from Field Trials lines, they are few and far between. Nicola (Druimmuir) or Dave (Redracer) on here would know better that me what is around in the north, although I believe Billy Steel Snr had a chocolate dog so might know of some chocolate puppies.

Hopefully Dave or Nicola will see this later.

Regards, John

MattA99 · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 5:23 pm Post subject:

I regularly see a black that lacks pigment in its nose and lips. Is that likely to have arisen in the same way?

Matt