[nagdu] Chocolate Labs

[Ann Edie]

Hi, All,

 

Here is a clip from the article on coat color inheritance in Labrador
retrievers that I found on Wikkipedia:

 

".a single genetic cross involving two black Labradors each with a recessive
allele at both the B and the E locus (BbEe) has the potential of producing
all of the possible colour combinations, while crosses involving chocolate
dogs can never produce black (there being no dominant B allele in either
parent) but can give rise to yellow, while yellow Labradors will breed true
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed_true>  with regard to fur colour.."

 

My understanding from reading this article is that more than one gene is
involved in Lab coloration.  For one of the genes, black is the dominant and
yellow is recessive.  That is why a breeding between 2 yellow parents
produces all yellow offspring.  But 2 black parents can both have one
recessive gene, and therefore, offspring can be of any color.  Two chocolate
parents can produce both chocolate and yellow pups.  There is another gene
which causes the range of colors within the yellow; and there is another
which affects the skin color separately from the coat color.  So it is more
complicated than just a dominant/recessive situation.  This article doesn't
even go into the situation where a yellow is bred to a black or chocolate
colored dog.  But it does state that black, chocolate, and yellow are the 3
colors of the Labrador retriever which are recognized by the AKC, in other
words, all 3 colors are one and the same breed, so are not separated in
temperament or anything else other than color.  As with so many things, I
think our expectations of what we think the temperament or personality of
the different colors of individual dogs will be affects our perception of
those dogs.

 

Best,

Ann