[nagdu] chocolate labs was Re: Dog names

Sun Feb 7 21:03:02 UTC 2010

Hi Julie,

Thanks for this. You have pointed out an important fact. Chocolate color
in labs is a recessive trait. GDB does not specifically breed for this
color, as it has nothing to do with the dogs suitability for guide work.
I'd have to believe if it made a difference, they'd modify their
breeding program. 

Best-

Jonathan

Jonathan T. Lyens MPA 
Email: jonathan at lyens.com 
-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Julie J
Sent: Sunday, February 07, 2010 7:41 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: [nagdu] chocolate labs was Re: Dog names

Except for the color chocolate labs are the same as the other colors. 
Here's an article I found that explains it pretty well.
http://www.labbies.com/genetics.htm

The short version is that black is the dominant gene and most labs will
end 
up this color.  The next most common color is yellow and chocolate comes
in 
third.   Depending on your particular breeding program and the recessive

genes in those dogs, chocolate labs may never appear.  It is totally a
color 
thing and has nothing to do with health or temperament.

HTH
Julie

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, February 05, 2010 7:21 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names

>I was told by a GDB graduate that GDB didn't use chocolate Labs because

>they weren't as good as the black or yellow ones. But, maybe they just 
>don't have them.
>
> If it is true about the bloodlines, they would have to have only
breeding 
> stock that has either a family tree of only black or yellow genes.
Lots of 
> times a black Lab with yellow genes can welp chocolates - chocolates
must 
> have both black and yellow genes to make the brown color.  They have
to be 
> occasionally bred to black Labs to keep the chocolate color dark and
rich.
>
> Lyn and Landon
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Nicole B. Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 4:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>
>
>> Don't quote me on this one, but I've heard that it is not so much
"won't 
>> use" chocolates as that they just are not in the blood line.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users" 
>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2010 1:31 PM
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>
>>
>>> Nicole,
>>>>From what I've heard, GDB no longer uses German shepherds and they
also
>>> don't use chocolate Labs. I can understand the shepherds but don't
know 
>>> why they won't use chocolate Labs.  Seeing Eye uses them without any

>>> more problems than with any other colored Labs.
>>>
>>> Lyn and Landon
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "Nicole B. Torcolini" <ntorcolini at wavecable.com>
>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"

>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 1:48 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>
>>>
>>>> Yes... it's ashame.  I was stuck on shepherds for a while, but I 
>>>> realized that I probably was not going to get one from GDB.  They 
>>>> usually do not give first timers shepherds.  Also, the number was
so 
>>>> low that I would rather leave what there was for the people who
would 
>>>> take nothing else. However, I did get to visit with one of the 
>>>> shepherds who was going out in the next class.
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog
Users" 
>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 11:54 AM
>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Marion,
>>>>> I wonder if GDF will encounter the same problems with German
shepherds 
>>>>> as GDB?  It's a shame how this beautiful breed has been ruined by
the 
>>>>> show-dog crowd!
>>>>>
>>>>> I know aboout the "pressure" of being the first one in something.
In 
>>>>> my work with the Humane Society, I am the first disabled person
with 
>>>>> their service dog to join the Pet-Assisted Therapy Program.
they've 
>>>>> had lots of puppy-raisers and their service dog pups, but not
someone 
>>>>> like me. they are very happy with my and Landon's performance of
the 
>>>>> job that another program wants me to join them!
>>>>>
>>>>> You'll do fine - and the new shepherd guide!
>>>>>
>>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users" 
>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 10:08 AM
>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Linda,
>>>>>>    GDF hasn't trained Shepherds in more than 20 years. Because I
have 
>>>>>> so much experience with the breed, they are re-introducing them
with 
>>>>>> me as their first handler. Oh, the pressure! (smile)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Marion
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>> From: "Linda Gwizdak" <linda.gwizdak at cox.net>
>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog
Users" 
>>>>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>> Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 12:54 PM
>>>>>> Subject: [nagdu] Dog names
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Marion,
>>>>>>> I didn't think Guide Dog Foundation used German shepherds
anymore. 
>>>>>>> The name "Sarge" seems to fit a shepherd more than it would a
Lab. 
>>>>>>> I have a friend at the Naval Medical Center who has a Lab named 
>>>>>>> "Scout".
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My dog, Landon is named for Michael Landon actor in the old TV 
>>>>>>> series, "Bonanza" - Little Joe who was always fighting!  The
actor 
>>>>>>> Landon was also in "Little House on the Prairie" and I think 
>>>>>>> "Stairway to Heaven". He was a more mature and peaceful
charactor on 
>>>>>>> those two shows! I enjoyed the first two shows!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My old dogs were Heidi, Charm (and she was!), Brownie (my Mom
said 
>>>>>>> for her brown eyes - she was black!), Olivia, Hanna, Janelle,
Jacob, 
>>>>>>> and now Landon. I liked all the names and didn't feel the need
to 
>>>>>>> change them.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Lyn and Landon
>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>> From: "Marion & Martin" <swampfox1833 at verizon.net>
>>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
>>>>>>> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 6:37 PM
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about 
>>>>>>> young person
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Rox,
>>>>>>>>    When I first heard my future guide dog's name, my first 
>>>>>>>> impression was, "Oh, no! That will need to change!" However,
the 
>>>>>>>> more I have learned about him, the more his name seems to fit
him! 
>>>>>>>> He is a big German Shepherd,weighing in at 91 lbs. about three 
>>>>>>>> weeks ago and not yet 2 years old. He has an all black face and

>>>>>>>> gold eyes! His name is Sarge!
>>>>>>>>    Now, I'm a fairly liberal person and would consider myself a

>>>>>>>> peace activist, so the name seemed a little out-of-place for
me. At 
>>>>>>>> the same time, my first trainer was also the Founder and
Executive 
>>>>>>>> Director of the school from which I recieved my first three
guide 
>>>>>>>> dogs. He is now the Director of Training (I think they call it 
>>>>>>>> Training Officer) for the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind.
His 
>>>>>>>> name? Well, Mike Sargeant, often called "Sarge"! When I spoke
with 
>>>>>>>> him the last time, he referred to my dog as "my namesake"! Mike
is 
>>>>>>>> a great guy and I count him as a close colleague, so I couldn't

>>>>>>>> change Sarge's name now! BTW, Mike told me he thought of
changing 
>>>>>>>> Sarge's name himself just to rattle my cage! To what? Well, he
said 
>>>>>>>> he thought of "ACB"! Nice guy, huh? And I call him a friend?
(big 
>>>>>>>> grin)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> fraternally yours,
>>>>>>>> Marion
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>>>>> From: "The Pawpower Pack" <pawpower4me at gmail.com>
>>>>>>>> To: "NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog 
>>>>>>>> Users" <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 02, 2010 8:45 PM
>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] Interesting Names Re: guide dog book about

>>>>>>>> young person
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> When I adopted Laveau from the humane society, her name was
Marge. 
>>>>>>>>> That had to go because... it just did.  It didn't take her
long to 
>>>>>>>>> switch and now when I say or sign her name she wags like
crazy. 
>>>>>>>>> She was only a year old and I don't know how long she had been

>>>>>>>>> stuck with the horrid moniker of Marge.  No offense to anyone
with 
>>>>>>>>> that name but it just wasn't for her.  Also I'm a huge Harry 
>>>>>>>>> Potter fan and everyone would have called her aunt Marge.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Rox and the Kitchen Bitches
>>>>>>>>> Bristol (retired), Mill'E SD. and Laveau Guide Dog, CGC.
>>>>>>>>> "It's wildly irritating to have invented something as 
>>>>>>>>> revolutionary as sarcasm, only to have it abused by amateurs."
--  
>>>>>>>>> Christopher Moore
>>>>>>>>> pawpower4me at gmail.com
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Windows Live Only: Brisomania at hotmail.com
>>>>>>>>> AIM: Brissysgirl Yahoo: lillebriss
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>>
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