[Hattieblacklab]

My black labrador Hattie has a litter of 4 week old puppies with another black lab, 9 blacks and 2 yellows. About 4 of the black puppies look slightly strange in colour (the smallest 4 for some reason) They look slightly more grey than the other black ones, have light nails and almost brownish paw pads. Some are on different degrees of this to others. I am aware of the possibility of charcoal labs but they do not seem light enough to be charcoals. Has anyone else come across this?

 

[JohnW]

If the sire and dam come from a long line of UK bred dogs the charcoal is almost impossible. That can only result from dogs carrying the dilute gene which never occurred in UK Labradors The story from my American friends is that it was believed to have started in a kennel in America which bred both Labradors and Weimaraners, possibly an accidental mating.

From the look of the pups, although black, both sire and dam must have also carried the yellow gene. Did they also carry the chocolate gene?? It's a possibility. The only way to know for sure is to have the sire and dam DNA tested for the coat colour gene.

 

[Hattieblacklab]

If the sire and dam come from a long line of UK bred dogs the charcoal is almost impossible. That can only result from dogs carrying the dilute gene which never occurred in UK Labradors The story from my American friends is that it was believed to have started in a kennel in America which bred both Labradors and Weimaraners, possibly an accidental mating.

From the look of the pups, although black, both sire and dam must have also carried the yellow gene. Did they also carry the chocolate gene?? It's a possibility. The only way to know for sure is to have the sire and dam DNA tested for the coat colour gene.

They have not been DNA tested but they are working line labradors who have not had chocolate in their heritage for a long time if ever - but the colour of these pups is not brown i would say, it’s just like they have been faded

 

[JohnW]

Tell you a little story. Many years ago a 9 month old black dog puppy came to my eye testing. He was gorgeous! His name was Tibilla Dusk of Endacott. I watched him grow and was so impressed with him I wanted to use him on my Anna, but his owner, Anne Courtier told me, "But he does not carry yellow John, and you like yellows." He was about 5 years old when he produced his first yellow! He sired my Amy when he was around 10 years old, so got my yellow "Dusk puppy." But after Amy was born, Liz Barnes used him on one of her Deerbridge bitches and he produced a chocolate!

You can never be 100% sure whats in there! That could account for the colour of the pads, and if that pigmentation was carried over the body could account for the apparent colour of the coat, the pigmentation showing through.