"Chocolate" Labs

[KCat]

So - every day on our walks we walk by a dog we have nicknamed "Big Red Dog" for lack of a better name. I looked up several breeds that came to mind but his coat is short and he's a bit lanky. Big "Lab" ears like Yao Ming has. A pretty dog.

Finally decided to check out Chocolate Labs, though I would never have called that color "chocolate" - and that's exactly what he looks like. In the pics I see on the web, their coats are very reddish - perhaps a little less so than an Irish Setter, but not much. And the red-brown nose is striking on him (as well as his red-brown eyes).

Are "Chocolates" actually as red as they appear in pictures (having otherwise never seen one in person until now)?

he looks like this guy - to a tee.

http://www.chocolatelabs.com/modules/xcgal/displayimage.php?pid=5479&album=lastup&cat=&pos=1

He barked at us today though usually they just greet each other through the fence quietly. He got over it quickly. I feel sorry for him. He's healthy but he is out 24/7. I understand that and don't condemn the owners for it - I've had to do it with dogs in the past. But I still wish he and Ming could actually visit. He has some kind of electronic collar on him. Though he barked so if it's for barking (which we have heard him do in the past) then the battery is wearing down or something.

Anyway - just curious. He's a pretty boy. Not as pretty as my Ming, of course. :)

[skunkstripe]

Yeah why don't they call the "Yellow Labs" vanilla??
Anyway, sure they can be reddish. NOrmally they are not, but are really the color of a piece of chocolate. Keep in mind that the breed standard is one thing-not all PB labs meet the breed standard.
If you want to see something wild look here:
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/mismarks.html
betcha you would have thought that many of these dogs are Rotties or who knows what!

[KCat]

Very cool. I probably don't make breeders happy when I say I love the "odd" cases. Those are some adorable dogs.

I had a sheltie years ago who was part fence-jumper. We were never really sure who his daddy was but he had rottie-like markings. But I never saw any rottweilers around there. I'm not sure they were that popular in Texas in '75.

[Doberman's]

Yeah why don't they call the "Yellow Labs" vanilla??


:D Or blacks Licorice ..... LOL!

[MegBonnie]

There are a few variations in colour of choc labs. My Meggie is a good pedigree and her colour is described as liver chocolate - in the sunshine, especially in summer when her coat gets a lot more sunlight and it lightens up she definately looks quite red - though not as red as that photo makes that lab look! I have put some photos in of Meg, I think the third one shows her looking slightly more reddy - though looking through the TONNES of photos I have of her now I am surprised to find most of them show her looking that darker chocolate colour of the first two photos :)

You can get chocolate labs that are just a light brown colour too. I prefer Meg's rich chocolate colour - not that I'm bias or anything... :D hehe

It is mean to leave a lab outside on it's own all day - Meg gets really depressed if you leave her alone for any time at all. They're really social dogs.

[Jake2006]

http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m7/Jake2006_02/Jakesbed.jpgOh Meg - know what Jake's colour is listed as 'puce liver' - I ask you! Imagine how he feels when he's getting registered for something and they say 'puce liver' - he prefers to call himself chocolate.
What colour would you say?

Did you sort your holiday out yet?

[Firstluvarty]

I have a chocolate lab as well and she has a slight undertone of red to her.. But I only noticed it when she met my sisters red/brown doberman. I'd post a photo but I don't know how..

[Fidgitsmum]

Lab colours vary so much. The only colour which 'does exactly what it says on the tin' is black,

Lesley
xx

[chase_pike]

my chocolate lab koko is full brown i see know redish fur on him but i believe that some pictures may show what looks like reddish fur.Koko's brown coat can get very bright however and occasionaly that may seem red but only under a lot of sunlight

[sheplovr]

Well honey he is gorgeous regardless and looks so sad, poor boy. Love your Jake, so different in color, and beautiful. I love all dogs even the hairless ones, lol. I would say is is AKC chocolate lab or brown whatever they register them as.:D

[KCat]

I do see this guy we call Big Red Dog usually on sunlit days. Don't know what he'd look like in indoor lighting.

He's grown very fond of us and licks my fingers through the knotholes when we visit. He's quiet and relatively friendly with Ming - the only time he wasn't pleased was when I was sneaking him a treat through a knothole and Ming got his nose up there at the same time. He growled very low to let Ming know that was *his* treat.

[coco-bean]

i think they look like a "light" chocolate bar...in real life!
At petco(where i work) i was mainly black labs but i get VERY lucky to get a chocolate one, very hyper...bark alot(so i've noticed) but very pretty! their color is striking! i love all labbies though...

[KCat]

:( Big Red Dog hasn't much wanted to get up and say hello lately. He will if pressed. But mostly just looks at us from wherever he is lying down. We've had some bad storms. I imagine he's depressed.

It occurred to me the other day that I am never outside without my sunglasses. I have no idea what color he is without them. :P