black/yellow lab puppies

[Cookiebaker]

Yesterday, I was at the town office registering Malone since he just got his rabies shot last week, and the lady was saying how her daughter is getting a yellow lab puppy in 3 weeks. She then said that the mother dog had 2 black puppies and 1 yellow puppy. Maybe this is a compleltely stupid question, but why don't lab colors ever mix?? I know you can get variations in colors (lighter yellow/darker yellow)...but how come they are always solid???

[pupper-lover]

I don't know for sure, but maybe it is like people and hair/eye color. If parents have the genes for blue eyes and brown eyes, their kids will 99.9% of the time have blue or brown eyes, not a combination. Hopefully, a more informed person can educate us on the subject.

[Cookiebaker]

Pupper-lover, you know that really makes sense. I just never thought about it that way. But you are right, humans don't mix either (though I do think that some kids would just LOVE to have naturally streaked black & blonde hair) :D

[Vermontcat]

Cookiebaker, here is a website that may answer some of your questions.
www.justlabradors.com
Someone had posted this link on pettalk before and I saved it. Look up the breed standards and it tells something about blacks, yellows and chocolates and what is standard. Like some blacks can have a spot of white on their chest and its ok. I think it was somewhere on this link that I read about the genetics of yellow and yellow breeding only gets yellow but if mixed with black you get both black and yellow etc. You should have some fun at this website!:)
I am sure you will love their photo gallery! I do!:D

[Cookiebaker]

Thanks so much, VermontCat!! that website is awesome!! It's bookmarked and one I will have to get back to!

I found the answer to my question:

"Can you get yellow Labradors from black ones? And vice versa? What about chocolates?

Yes, you can get yellows from blacks and blacks from yellows. Similarly, you can get chocolates from blacks or yellows and vice-versa. It all depends on what color genes the parents carry. The only absolutes are that if both parents are yellow, the resulting puppies are always yellow, never black or chocolate; if both parents are chocolate, you can get yellow or chocolate puppies but never black ones."

They also go on into depth (which I found fascinating--I always liked genetics in Bio. class) but wasn't sure if it would be of general interest so didn't quote it.

Thanks again! :D

[manda99]

Why do I have the sudden urge to make one of those little genetic dominate/recessive gene chart thingies??!

Ah, high school.

:)

[Cookiebaker]

Manda99, that was my exact reaction, too!! :D

[Desert Arabian]

It all has to do with DNA and Genes

[Andie]

Katie Mae came from a Chocolate and a Yellow Lab. It's genetic and I guess there was some black genes thrown in there form somewhere.

[Superkid]

That's pretty interesting~ My mom has blue eyes and my dad has brown eyes and my eyes are greenish brown.

[Presley]

I would like to post a site, It had some pictures and some great information on this site. It will clearly show you can have a pure bred lab that is mixed colour and not always solids.... As for reading the laddie page you can fully understand the genetics that go into what colours will be produced! Presley's mom was a black and her dad was a chocolate. There was 11 pups 10 blacks and one yellow!!! BTW If i would have bred Presley to any colour she could have had any colour of puppies as she has all the factors in her...

abbies.com (http://www.labbies.com/genetics2.htm)

Very informed site! (http://woodhaven.tripod.com/mismarks.html)

[Cookiebaker]

Thanks, Presley! That is fascinating! Some of it was beyond my understanding (not too hard to do) but I did get some of the technicalities. Those pictures of the mis-marked labs are awesome! I love the mosaic yellow labbie! Very very cute!! :D

[Presley]

Also i'm going to add a link to this site... I think it has a great table and very easy to understand about the coats :)

coat colours (http://www.blueknightlabs.com/color/coatcolor.html)

[ownerof3dogs]

Did you see the silver labs. They were so cute!!!

[Network23]

Mine is yellow lab and chow, from my banner you can see her yellow labness, only way you can tell she is a chow is from her spotted black tounge and her attitude.