Davris Labradors

Standard Coat Colors

Labrador retrievers come in three different solid colors: black, yellow, and chocolate. The breed standard description of color below is succinct and to the point:

"The Labrador Retriever coat colors are black, yellow and chocolate. Any other color or a combination of colors is a disqualification. A small white spot on the chest is permissible, but not desirable. White hairs from aging or scarring are not to be misinterpreted as brindling. Black-Blacks are all black. A black with brindle markings or a black with tan markings is a disqualification. Yellow-Yellows may range in color from fox-red to light cream, with variations in shading on the ears, back, and under parts of the dog. Chocolate-Chocolates can vary in shade from light to dark chocolate. Chocolate with brindle or tan markings is a disqualification."

Color Genetics

A Labrador coat while expressed as a single color, is potentially capable of producing all three colors in their offspring. The genes that control the Labrador coat color are found in B ("brown") and E/e ("extension") locus. Testing these two locus will help you understand what colors your Labrador is capable of producing.

The E/e ("extension") when expressed as "ee" will have precedent over the B locus and will always result in a Yellow Labrador coat. Any other value in the E/e locus allows the B locus to determine if the coat should be Black or Chocolate. A "B" in the B  locus will always result in Black being expressed.

The following chart shows how the genes affect the coat color and what they capable of producing:

*** eebb is not desirable as it produces a Yellow lab with chocolate pigment.

Using a Punnett Square, it is possible to see the potential coat colors involved in the offspring and the statistical likelihood of  what the offspring will carry.Below is an example of breeding a black Labrador (carrying yellow & chocolate) with a black Labrador (carrying chocolate):

If you tally up the distinct results and divide by sixteen (e.g. the number of possible values) you will have the likelihood of your litter's particular coat color and what offspring they may produce.

Or you can cheat and just download a calculator that does the calculations for you...

Custom Colors

Other color variations such as Charcoal, Champagne, and Silver Labradors are a subject of controversy within the breed. 

The genetic variant ("dilute" gene) that produces these designer coat colors is found in the "D" locus. When a Labrador has the dilute gene present, it expresses a "silver", "charcoal", or "champagne" coat. A Labrador Retriever with a dilute gene value of “DD” is clear, “Dd” is a carrier of the dilute gene, and “dd” will express the dilute coat.

The dilute gene is found in other breeds such as the Weimaraner, and is one of the reasons that most Labrador breeder's believe that the dogs are actually just a Labrador mixed with a Weimaraner or other breed that normally carries the dilute gene. While the dilute gene produces correct coat for the Weimaraner breed, it produces an incorrect coat characteristics in the Labrador.

Currently, the AKC allows the "rare" colors to be added to the AKC registry as one of the three breed standard colors. As they lay claim to be able to trace their ancestry to an accepted AKC registered Labrador Retriever, they are free to claim that they are indeed Labradors according to the AKC. However, the AKC will only allow them to register as one of the breed's defined colors, not as a "rare" color. For instance, Silver Labradors are allowed to be registered as a Chocolate Labrador, Charcoal Labradors as a Black Labrador, and Champagne Labradors as a Yellow Labrador.

It is important to note that the AKC does not recognize the "rare" colors, but allows the dogs to be added to the registry, which causes confusion as to whether they are "acceptable" colors. These are not acceptable colors according to the established standard.

A genetic test for the dilute gene is now available and is being recommended to breeders by the parent Labrador Retriever Club to remove the dilute gene from our breeding stock. As the dilute gene introduces a significant deviation from our breed standard, reputable breeders will not attempt to produce it, nor use an affected dog in their breeding programs.