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The breed began to grow in popularity. In the early 1900s, hunters and farmers from the United States learned
of the breed’s work ethic and began incorporating “Labs” into their daily lives. The American Kennel Club
recognized Labrador Retrievers in 1917 and the breed became a loving pet to many families.
Today, Labrador Retrievers are still ready to work and please their pet parents. They are also affectionate,
outgoing, intelligent and friendly to humans, especially children and other animals. They don’t need much grooming but need a considerable amount of daily exercise. They enjoy regular and vigorous walks, a game of fetch or even a swim in a safe area. They regularly top the AKC list of most popular breeds.

**Black: All black with a small white spot on
chest permissible and on under paws.
Eyes to be of medium size, expressing
intelligence and good temper, preferably brown
or hazel. although black or yellow is
permissible.

**Yellows: Yellow may vary in color from fox-red
to light cream with variations in the shading
of the coat on ears, the under parts of the dog
or beneath the tail. A small white spot on chest is permissible and on
under paws.
Eye coloring and expression should be the same as that of the blacks,
with black or dark brown eye rims. The nose should also be black or
dark brown, although 'fading' to pink in winter weather is not serious.

**Chocolates: Shades ranging from light sedge to chocolate.
A small white spot on chest is permissible and under paws
(some may have mid tail as well).
Eyes to be light brown to clear
yellow. Nose and eye rim pigmentation dark brown or liver colored.
'Fading' to pink in winter weather not serious.

*****NOTE*****
SILVER coat color in LABRADORS Official Statement

There is no genetic basis for the silver gene in Labradors. The silver
color is a disqualification under the Standard for the breed.
The AKC and LRC (Labrador Retriever Club)does not recognize,
accept or condone the sale or advertising of any Labrador as a
silver Labrador.
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AKC Understanding mismarks on the Labrador Retriever
AKC Breed standard for the Labrador Retreiver, Breed 108
also noted http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_Retriever

Color oddities (“mismarks”) have occurred from time to time and have been well documented
throughout the breed history of the purebred Labrador Retriever. Such mismarks have includes
black and tan markings, brindling, some white markings and ring-around-the-tail markings. It is
unknown as to whether mismarks appear because of recessive genes from generations ago or
whether they are the result of a spontaneous mutation.
Although mismarks occur naturally in Labradors, these mismarks are rare. They are not mixed
breeds but are 100% Labrador. Although we understand that there are plenty of breeders around
that would be happy to breed these “rare dogs” to charge a higher price we find that unexceptable.

White Hair Conditions in Labs
First, we want to let you know that white hairs on a Labrador are not all are considered mismarks.
Some white is permissible under the AKC standard and is fairly common. The standard says,
“A small white spot on the chest is permissible”. The bottom line is that you can show a dog with
a white spot on its chest if it is “small”.
There are several conditions that can produce white hair in Labs. Some of these conditions are
determined by color genes and others may be caused by environmental factors that effect melanin
production. Certainly white hairs and even patches are easily traced throughout the history of the
Labrador Retriever.

White Spots
To analyze the reason why some black Labs have white hairs on their chests or
undersides, while others have white spots or patches, it is best to first understand that all Labs
are white (the condition of having no melanin). The gene loci for color control both the color of the
pigment as well as the distribution of melanocytes throughout the body of the Lab. Therefore, in
a black Lab, although color is determined by alleles at the B locus, alleles at the A and E loci
determine even distribution of the color over the entire surface of the coat. Labs that carry an
allele other than “As” at the A locus, have a greater likelihood of expressing more white hairs than
those Labs that do carry “As”. Therefore, although all Labs should be homozygous for the S
allele at the S gene locus, some may still express white hairs on the chest, bottom of the feet and