Labrador Retriever coat colours are black, chocolate and yellow


BLACK: The basic colour.  Black Labradors are solid black. A small white spot on the chest is acceptable.  Sparse white hairs in between the toes and footpads are common in some of the blacks.  Some mature black Labradors will have a red or orange hue to their coats at certain times of the year.  This is known as casting.  Casting can occur when the Lab is shedding and the hair is dead but also can be a result of bleaching from prolonged exposure to the sun. 

CHOCOLATE:  Chocolate or “Liver” Labradors can range in shade from a light to very dark chocolate colour.   Eye colour on chocolates can range from yellow through brown.  Darker coat and eye colour are most desirable in chocolates. Washed out chocolate coats and light eyes are not attractive for this breed.  The chocolate coat is hard to maintain in one consistent colour.  The sun easily bleaches the chocolate Labrador , giving him or her the manifestation of different shades of the chocolate colour spread throughout the coat.  Keeping the chocolate Labrador out of the direct sun will help the chocolate Labrador look his best at all times.

YELLOW:  Yellow Labradors can range is shade from a very light cream all the way to a fox red colour with various darker shading along the ears, top line, tail and hocks.  A small white spot on the chest is acceptable, however will not be noticeable in the lighter shades of yellow. Yellow Labradors should have black pigment on the nose, lips and eye rims.  The black pigment on the nose of mature Labs can fade in the wintertime to a brown or pink colour.  This is typical and the black will return with warmer weather.  Labradors that lack pigment will have either brown or pink eye rims, nose and lips and they will never turn black.  This is not desirable.  Breeding chocolate and yellow Labradors will result in yellow offspring without pigment so this practice of breeding yellows to chocolates is not recommended.  Newborn yellow pups are born without pigment but within the first days of life the black pigment starts to come in.  If black pigment has not developed within the first 7-10 days of life, the puppy will not have black pigment.

MISMARKINGS: White seems to be the biggest bugaboo and most shunned marking in the Labrador breed.  A white spot, stripe or patch on the chest is very common and does not lessen the quality of a Labrador , nor indicate it is not pure bred.  Sparse white hairs can appear on the tips of toes, between the footpads, on the heels, near the groin, and under the neck.   Scarring can also result in white hairs on a Labrador .
Splashing is described as a black Labrador with tan or yellowish hairs on the legs and sometimes neck and chest. 

This mis-marking looks as if the black lab ran through a mud puddle and was splashed with muddy water, hence the name “Splashing”.  This is a mis-marking that had been noted in the breed for many generations.  It is not wise to breed any Labrador that is splashed, as this will only perpetuate the gene for years to come.  It does not affect the dogs ability to be an excellent pet or hunting companion.
Black & Tan:  Like the splashing, black and tan has been recorded early on in Labrador history. The black and tan is a serious fault and under no circumstance should this colour be perpetuated.

SILVER LABS: There absolutely no such thing as a pure bred silver Labrador . 

DO NOT FALL FOR SUCH A SCAM!