Dog Community

Silver labs?

Posted : 7/12/2006 1:39:15 PM

I was reading lizziecollie's post about designer dogs, and I heard mention of silver labs. This is the first time Ive ever heard of them!

I googled them, and they are certainly interesting looking dogs.

How do they breed to get this color (just out of curiosity)?

Xeph

Posted : 7/12/2006 1:43:18 PM

They usually get it by crossing a Lab with a Weim. I doubt many "Silver labs" are pure, but the few that are, I'm told, are a dilution of the yellow (which is strange, cause you'd think they'd be the dilution of chocolate)

agilebcs

Posted : 7/12/2006 1:44:01 PM

Silver labs are a dilute chocolate color (or possibly a Weim mixed in) - there is no such thing as a silver lab. People who are breeding for the silver color are not breeding for health, temperment, structure or working ability, period.

Alexis

Posted : 7/12/2006 1:47:18 PM

A girl who I work with has a "silver" lab, she found an ad in our newspaper. I haven't seen any recent pics of it, but it looks like a chocolate lab.

loveukaykay

Posted : 7/12/2006 2:51:15 PM

[linkhttp://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images5/LABSilverToot5.jpg]http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/images5/LABSilverToot5.jpg[/link]

Interesting.

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Posted : 7/12/2006 3:12:39 PM

I am so ANTI designer dogs so slap me for saying this but they are really pretty....sorry
I would never get one becuase I am against supporting this biz but oh wow!

jones

Posted : 7/12/2006 3:13:24 PM

If you dig around you'll find a thread about this in the Breed Info section from a little while back. The whole Silver Lab thing is hotly debated, and - at least from my point of view - still up in the air. Some people swear up and down they are Weim crosses. Others swear up and down they are chocolate dilutes that can all be traced back to a couple of rare dilute purebred Labs. I'm too lazy to find the thread but I'm sure a search would turn it up.

Justine Freeman

Posted : 7/12/2006 4:45:23 PM

From the AKC standard:

The Labrador Retriever coat colors are black, yellow and chocolate. Any other color or a combination of colors is a disqualification.

Here is the entire set of standards:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/labrador_retriever/index.cfm

As far as I know...there is no such thing as a "silver lab." I don't even think AKC recognized a Chocolate Lab until recently! Just my opinion.[

]

jones

Posted : 7/12/2006 5:30:59 PM

All right, ya talked me into it -
[linkhttp://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/61/230441.html]http://forum.dog.com/discus/messages/61/230441.html[/link]
Take a look, it's not as simple as you might think.
The AKC recognizes silver (dilute chocolate) as purebred but a DQ. Some breeders are convinced this is a dilute gene, others are convinced that's not possible. In the end I was still undecided, judge for yourselves!

luv_my_3_labs

Posted : 7/12/2006 6:24:25 PM

Wow, where the heck have I been? Never heard of a sliver lab until just now. My chocolate is

ure breed with papers but he was given to me by my sons teacher. Can you believe my luck? Found my yellow in the pound and my old black mix, I took her because she was a day away from being put in the pound. I personally wouldn't go looking for a mixed breed that people are breeding to make a few fast bucks because it's the in thing to do at the moment.

Christi

Posted : 7/12/2006 7:12:30 PM

I don't really understand the genetics of it all but I have to admit, they are beautiful. Here's one of the websites I found when I googled silver lab. They sort of answer the question of whether or not there are indeed silver labs via a letter from someone in the special services department of the AKC. On the second link, the breeder very briefly explains how you get silver labs through his stud. Like I said, I don't really understand the genetics of it all so if I'm mis-stating something, my apologies. [linkhttp://www.silvervalleykennels.com/stud.htm Christi >http://www.silvervalleykennels.com/faq.htm]http://www.silvervalleykennels.com/faq.htm[/link] http://www.silvervalleykennels.com/stud.htm Christi

alieliza

Posted : 7/12/2006 8:51:47 PM

I am so ANTI designer dogs so slap me for saying this but they are really pretty....sorry
I would never get one becuase I am against supporting this biz but oh wow!

My thoughts exactly.

Margaret Tyler

Posted : 7/12/2006 9:32:39 PM

I'm against designer breeds myself, but just like the chocolate lab, the silver lab may become a "standard color."

When my dog and I go "out on the town." I have people ask "Is that a shnoodle?" all The time. I respond with I don't know, he's just a well loved mutt I rescued.

I have an on going joke with Silly Sally, who also belongs to this forums. She says that one of these days I should tell people he's a "hamsterdoodle" and her pit mix is a "poogle."

Stephanie Book

Posted : 7/12/2006 11:57:13 PM

I've heard of Silver Labs, but never really researched anything. I knew they weren't a recognized color as far as the breed standard for the AKC, but I guess some people do breed them. In my opinion, they just kinda look like an old dog....all the silver coloring makes me think old! [

] Personally, I like the Black Lab best, and the yellow Lab is also very pretty...Is it just me, or do most chocolate Labs seem to be more heavily built and stocky than yellow and black?? Probably not....but anyway. I guess it's kind of like the whtie GSD, it is a disqualifying color ( at least, last I heard!) but some people will breed the white GSDs and have their own clubs, or whatever.

Justine Freeman

Posted : 7/13/2006 12:00:51 AM

The AKC recognizes silver (dilute chocolate) as purebred but a DQ.

Sorry if this is a stupid question...but what is a DQ?

And I still cannot find silver in the standard...hmm...