[justine]

So my neighbors just got a black Lab from a breeder. Their daughter is my age and we've gone to school together since Kindergarten. Apparently they got the dog from a breeder who "only breed pure black Labs." Is that possible to only have all-black litters, always? I guess I'm confused...

 

[2blacklabs]

As far as I understand it you may get an all black litter "by chance".

 

[justine]

I asked Labby and she said it is definitely possible. It all depends on what genes the parents carry.

 

[Henery&Ollie's mom]

It sure would be possible to have an all-black litter always if both parents are pure for black and do not carry yellow or chocolate (ie. both sire and dam are BBEE).

 

[Luvmydog2much]

...OR If you have a chocolate girl who doesn't carry yellow bred to a yellow who doesn't carry chocolate....or a yellow girl bred to a black dog who carries chocolate...or...

well there are a lot of possibilities!

 

[MNLab]

The litter I'm looking at is all black. There were 12 pups. Mom is a chocolate, dad is black.

 

[Trickster]

Sure it's possible. My boys were both from large all-black litters. Whether they carry any other colours I don't know, but I doubt it considering their parents, grand parents, G. grandparents, etc., were all black.

 

[mitziandjudysmom]

http://www.labbies.com/genetics2.htm

http://www.blueknightlabs.com/color/coatcolor.html

 

[patm]

The only way to guarantee an all black litter "always" is to have each parent carry only black genes. There are many ways to get an all black litter, as already explained. And if one parent is dominent black, then whatever the other parent is, you'll have an all black litter. I'm always susupicious of a breeder that "guarantees" something like color - especially when the mom is chocolate - already we've broken the each parent dominant black theme. It sounds like they have more of a gimic going.

 

[labby]

You don't need both parents to be pure black. Just one will produce an all black litter.

 

[Henery&Ollie's mom]

Oh right!! Derrrr.

I guess I was thinking to get black pups who didn't carry either yellow or chocolate. ?

 

[cinderbay]

Of course you can have and guarantee an all black litter especially if you know your lines. We also have coat color testing. And in a perfect world they all would be black

 

[Luvmydog2much]

Oh and I forgot one possible thing...

A black to a yellow or chocolate where the litter 'should' be both colors...or three colors, where you end up with all black pups anyways

 

[nicole]

As already said, as long as one parent is dominant black, all of the puppies will be black. My Spielberg has been tested to be dominant black so he could be bred to any color lab, regardless of what colors they carry, and only produce black puppies. Spiel's only 8mo old so that won't happen for quite a while though

 

[Page]

My boys Asher & Reuben were from an all black litter. Dad was dominant black. Mom was black but carried the chocolate and yellow color in her genes.

Asher is black and can produce yellow puppies.

Reuben would never produce a yellow or chocolate no matter what. He is dominant black like his dad.

If you only bred dogs when one in the pair was dominant black you would only have black puppies.

 

[Bob Pr.]

Labs carry genes at 2 major locations for determing their coat color.

At one location, the gene can be either dominant (B = black) or recessive (bb = chocolate).

One gene (B) in a single dose (i.e., from only one parent) and in its dominant form will produce a Black coat. In it's recessive form and in a double dose, bb, (from both parents) chocolate coat color results.

At the second location a gene in a single dose (from only one parent), has no apparent effect so the composition of the other genes (black and chocolate) will always be expressed. However, whenever present in a double dose, irregardless of the composition of the Black/chocolate genes, the result will always be a yellow coat.

This article explains the many combinations of genes and coat color results:

http://www.labbies.com/genetics.htm

 

[Jan]

I see that it can be done. My question is Why? Why breed only black labs? Of course, I favour them, my sweet Corby is a black lab. But I thought that they were harder to find homes for (there are a million unwanted black labs on PetFinder and other such sites). I just don't get why anyone would do this.

 

[cinderbay]

I see that it can be done. My question is Why? Why breed only black labs? Of course, I favour them, my sweet Corby is a black lab. But I thought that they were harder to find homes for (there are a million unwanted black labs on PetFinder and other such sites). I just don't get why anyone would do this.

I have high hopes of some day only having all blacks. Yes I love my yellow girls and if I breed to a dog who carries yellow I have to pick the best regardless of color. But I won't breed JUST for color if the boy does not have everything else I need.
As for finding blacks homes....I honestly have not seen that as an issue at all. In fact most of my calls were for black males and I only had one. I am breeding for myself first, not for what sells. In fact I had a dominant black boy picked out for my girl but things did not go as planned.
If I want all blacks I am breeding do a dominant black. I have hopes that my next litter may be an all black and have my eye on a few dominant black boys who I think will fit the bill.

 

[Jan]

Thanks, cinderbay, for responding! I just thought black labs out-numbered yellows and chocolates by a large number, so figured if someone was breeding for colour to sell (presumably way down on the list of desirable traits!) then they'd breed for the less-common colours. I agree though, nothing nicer than a beautiful lab with a gleaming black coat!

 

[Page]

I see that it can be done. My question is Why? Why breed only black labs? Of course, I favour them, my sweet Corby is a black lab. But I thought that they were harder to find homes for (there are a million unwanted black labs on PetFinder and other such sites). I just don't get why anyone would do this.

I also want a majority of black Labs one day.

Two of my friends and mentors in the breed have had mainly black litters for more than 20 years. They have waitlists for their pups who go to great homes that are well screened. These dogs wouldn't end up in shelters unless there was a major event and no one knew they were there. Any of their dogs can come back to them no questions asked at any point in their life if need be.

I just thought black labs out-numbered yellows and chocolates by a large number, so figured if someone was breeding for colour to sell (presumably way down on the list of desirable traits!) then they'd breed for the less-common colours.

Good breeders don't breed to sell puppies, they breed to compete with their dogs in their chosen venue. Selling well bred puppies is simply the by-product.

People who breed less common colors for the main purpose of selling them to the public are the ones who mainly contribute to the problem. They usually don't care about breed type, temperament, trainability, or health clearances which means their pups can have more behavior, health, and temperament issues. They don't usually keep in touch with their puppy homes and don't have return policies.

Most reputable breeders sell their pups with the understanding that the puppy must come back to them if the original buyer can't keep them.