hi my friend keeps going on about wanting a silver labrador, i have never seen one in the flesh, nor do i know much about them to give her advice. Are they really silver labradors? Do they have same health issues? Or are they another designer dog rage?

I googled and found this http://www.silverlabradors.co.uk/.  ???

They are usually some sort of cross or a dilute chocolate, I have what is probably a dilute chocolate (haven't dna tested for her colour), I hope I've attached a link to a pic.  They are not bred for, and basically, your friend will struggle to find one from a good breeder, in fact, I'd place bets she won't.  The only way she can possibly get something close is to research her lines, and buy from those that produce a lighter chocolate, but then, you're not guaranteed the pup will stay pale, nor will you get many good breeders willing to sell simply because of a shade, there are more important things than that. 

If they want to contact me to find out the breeding of my girl, just pm me, I'll give you my website, Tau's pedigree is on there, in fact it's on here somewhere, in the breeder's section. 

Me with Tau, sending her out for a retrieve

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Champdogs/06LiningUp.jpg

Tau with her half sister, Indie

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Champdogs/05TheGirls.jpg

Labs come in 3 colours, Yellow, Black and Liver (Chocolate) in any shade so silver or charcoal are just dilutes of one of the 3 colours and would not be bred for deliberately except by Bank Book Breeders or those who do not know what they are doing and breed brown to brown etc.

Your friend would be better employed looking for a well bred pup not one bred for a dilute colour with possible attendant health problems.

I don't know of any health problems associated with dilute chocolate Labradors Nova, although I completely agree with your post.  It is possible (I think), to test and breed for a dilute, I don't know of anyone doing it, and I certainly wouldn't count anyone doing it as 'reputable'.  I know a couple of ABS breeders who only breed chocolate Labradors, personally, I wouldn't want a pup from a breeder who discounts any dogs simply because of colour. 

I forgot to add in my initial response about other colours, I've heard of white, gold, fox cream, toffee, charcoal, and, of course, silver.  Fox reds are part of the yellow group, and seem to have become popular recently. 

I don't know of any health problems associated with dilute chocolate Labradors Nova

Just my poor English what I meant to say was they are only interested in breeding for colour everything else gets scant attention including health .

When you look at many of the photo's on the internet many of them strangely enough have Weimeraner heads!!

>When you look at many of the photo's on the internet many of them strangely enough have Weimeraner heads!!

Now what could possibly be the reason for that?!! ;-) ;-)

mm, strangely that is the colour of a Weimeraner??? ;)

I haven't a clue at what either of you are hinting at :)

thank you everyone for the response, i will be passing on all info to her, i did suggest to her to research the wyamarna (sorry cant spell!) if it was silver colour she was attracted too!

Weimerarners are much less easy than Labs as a pet, generally speaking, as they are from the HPR group, hunt, point, retrieve, which are not quite as all round and biddable 

Generally speaking, when you cross a weimerarner with another breed, I'm told you get a darker coat, so those pics that appear weimy(ish) mah perhaps be hybrids over a number of generations?? Just guessing??

I have seen labs in the silver and charcoal colours you are refering to when visiting a friend in Boston (US not Lincs!). The silver are dilutes of the chocolate and the charcoal of the blacks (the charcoal is like a blue colour), in our breed we have the same dilutes, they are known as fawn and blue (fawns are dilute browns and blues are dilute blacks) .

We many problems with the breeding of 'rare' dilutes in our breed and the progeny more often than not suffer with pimples, dandruff, skin sores and alopecia not to add poor conformation as the dam and sire have usually only been picked for their colour genetics. I would expect that dilute labs will suffer from the same probs.

SleepingLion your girls are beautiful, i love the second pic, their faces look as if theyre saying 'oh muuuum not another picture goddddd!'

Also all the Weim crosses i have ever met (I currently walk with 2 and have met many more over the years) have been solid liver or solid black and some have had little white flecks on their chest. I would expect that it would be very unusual for a Weim cross to keep the silvery colouring.

Couldnt she be convinced to have a lovely chocolate lab instead. I know when we look at breeds a certain amount of choice is down to the visual connection but it may be useful to get her to think is it the breed that is most important or its colour.
Its kind of like me I love the look of mals, huskys but dont feel I am the right sort of owner or home to have one so i admore them but have gone for a breed I feel I can give the right environment . Hope that makes sense

Thanks Hilly, I know I'm biased, but I do love my girls. 

To the OP, I'd be more than happy to help find a chocolate Lab pup for your friend, and don't mind looking at litters, pedigrees (although I usually refer to a friend with that for more expert help) and health test results etc. 

Just for interest, these are a few more pics of my two, in different lights the paler chocolate really does look silver, particularly if they bleach to an even paler colour in the summer, as my girl does.....

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic01-1.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic02-1.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic04-1.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic05-1.jpg

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic03-1.jpg

Unbleached....
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic06-1.jpg

Bleached.....
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/Silver%20Labs/Pic07.jpg

This one taken in woods, really makes her look silverish with points like a siamese.....
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/01TheGirls.jpg

And here, she looks yellow....
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/01WW.jpg

She's not really bleached much this summer (unsurprisingly) and this recent photo with her larking about in the snow with her biggest fan, Miggin the cocker pup, shows her at her actual colour, which is just chocolate ;)
http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc182/JoanneEl/IMG_5177.jpg

Beautiful dogs sleeping lion and great photo's , maybe you could put her down as multicolured lol

Thanks, any chance to show off my fabulous numpties ;)

The problem with chocolate Labs is that they are popular because of the name.  Chocolate sounds so much nicer than liver or brown, and people seem to think they are rarer, more unusual than black or yellow, and of course you then get every one bunging two chocolate Labs together to try and cash in on that popularity.  I've even heard of a couple who stuck their black and yellow Labs together in the hope of getting a saleable chocolate litter, they had no idea how colour genetics worked.  I'd say it serves them right but it's the poor pups that suffer at the end of the day.  It's actually quite difficult to find a good breeder with chocolate pup, as I said earlier, I even came across two ABS breeders who state they only breed chocolate Labs as pets!  There are no working bred chocolate Labs, there are chocolate Labs that work, but their pedigrees are usually a mix of show/pet bred.

What lovely pictures and one of my (cockers) dogs in the last one, they look regal!! my two just look dopey if I could ever get then together!!

I think they also look like butter would not melt in their mouths!!

I think we need some christmas dog pictures anyone???

Do you know if the blue eyes on one of the web contacts causes blindness? I know some blue eyed dogs have problems??

No idea I'm afraid, the correct colour for any Labrador is brown/hazel, and it should be a nice even strong colour.  You get a lot of pale eyed chocolates, mostly down to bad breeding, not looking for things like eye colour, correct conformation, temperament etc, just sticking two dogs together. 

I think we should make a champdogs desk calendar, with a different dog for every day of the year! I'd buy one for all my friends, even the non dog lovers!

There can certainly be a problem if the dog is albino but the eye is very pale blue and the white inclined to a pale pink, the coat will be pale or white and there is very poor pigmentation.

I know this is a bit off the original topic but after looking at pictures of Silvers in the USA there is more than a passing resemblance to Chessie- in the heads- however only those Chessies that are the lighter shades, ash etc. If I was a betting man I would say there must be a connection- where that is though I am at a loss to explain. Just thinking out loud! :-)
Jeff.

Yes I have noticed that as well Jeff . I think there has been a deliberate introduction of other breeds to get the silver labs :-( where is that rolleyes smillie when you need it !

Totally agree with you LJS, I'm sure that other breeds have been mixed in in the past!

I would like to thank all of you for your great advice and lovely pics!! :)
I haved passed on all of the info to my friend, she already has a male black lab that she rescued and wants a companion.

I think she will more then likely find a reputable breeder of another black lab, but I wait for her response to the info provided.
Many thanks again :) x

> by Bank Book Breeders

Great Monika Nova! I'll be stealing that one to use ;-) Sums 'em up succintly!

Your welcome HG have used it before and noted that one or two picked it up, it came about because I am always trying to say something in few words along with using words I can spell. :-)