Think Carefully Before Choosing White Labradors
The Labrador has always been known as an excellent family pet and working dog. The standard breed colors which are recognized by kennel clubs worldwide are black, chocolate and yellow. In recent years snowy white Labradors have become popular however a pure bred dog would never be this color.
A yellow Lab can be very pale cream which gives the impression of being nearly snowy. This is especially true of pups whose softer coat reflects the light differently than adults. As the puppy matures the coat seems to darken and look more yellow.
Breeders who are selling the so called polar bear puppies or silvers have either used another breed somewhere in their lines to achieve the color or have in-bred very light coated dogs to achieve the desired ivory coat. In the first case the puppy in not a pure Lab, and in the second it is likely to have genetic defects through in-breeding.
It is very important to choose a pup based on health and nature rather than color. Cute looking pups which are not the breeds natural color may have genetic problems which do not become apparent until later life. Expensive trips to the vet and health issues may be in store in the future.
If you are thinking of buying a Labrador pup you should make sure the breeder is reputable and has healthy dogs and pups. The breed is prone to Hip Dysplasia so the sire and dam should have been hip scored. A good breeder will try to breed as close to HD free as possible.
While white Labradors may look very sweet and unusual, the breeding must be considered. Both health and temperament could be compromised simply to get the color right. A good breeder will take into account the health and nature of both dam and sire as well as the color to produce loving healthy pups.
A yellow Lab can be very pale cream which gives the impression of being nearly snowy. This is especially true of pups whose softer coat reflects the light differently than adults. As the puppy matures the coat seems to darken and look more yellow.
Breeders who are selling the so called polar bear puppies or silvers have either used another breed somewhere in their lines to achieve the color or have in-bred very light coated dogs to achieve the desired ivory coat. In the first case the puppy in not a pure Lab, and in the second it is likely to have genetic defects through in-breeding.
It is very important to choose a pup based on health and nature rather than color. Cute looking pups which are not the breeds natural color may have genetic problems which do not become apparent until later life. Expensive trips to the vet and health issues may be in store in the future.
If you are thinking of buying a Labrador pup you should make sure the breeder is reputable and has healthy dogs and pups. The breed is prone to Hip Dysplasia so the sire and dam should have been hip scored. A good breeder will try to breed as close to HD free as possible.
While white Labradors may look very sweet and unusual, the breeding must be considered. Both health and temperament could be compromised simply to get the color right. A good breeder will take into account the health and nature of both dam and sire as well as the color to produce loving healthy pups.
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