The Chocolate Lab is a friendly, confident and loving dog with great character and huge appeal as a pet. You may have heard rumors that chocolate labs are less intelligent and more prone to health problems than their yellow and black Lab cousins. So we’ll be clearing up a few myths, and finding out if there is more to the chocolate Lab than just fur color!
- Where did chocolate Labs come from?
- Coat color, shades, and easy genetics
- English vs American chocolate Labs
- Traits: What to expect from your chocolate Lab
- Are chocolate Labs stupid?
- Silver vs chocolate Labs
- Finding Chocolate Labrador puppies
- Chocolate Lab training
- Old chocolate Labs
I’ll share my experience of raising and training chocolate Labradors. We’ll look at what you can expect in terms of temperament, behavior, and physical characteristics. And I’ll help you with feeding and training your dog, from puppyhood to old age.
Meet Rachael
This is my chocolate lab Rachael as a puppy. Rachael was a female chocolate retriever from a mixture of American and English Lab lines.
Rachael was a huge source of inspiration for this website, so this is a little tribute to her and a thank you for all she has taught me.
Where do Chocolate Labs come from?
Labrador Retrievers were recognised by the UK Kennel Club in 1903 and by the AKC in 1917. The Labrador breed was developed mainly by a couple of English aristocrats in the 1800s, from dogs they had imported from North America.
Although our early Labrador Retrievers were predominantly black, throughout the history of the breed, chocolate Labrador dogs (sometimes referred to as liver Labradors) have appeared occasionally in litters of puppies.
Way back in the last century, chocolate puppies were sometimes culled at birth! Black Labs were adored, and black was the only color considered respectable for a Labrador.
Fortunately those attitudes are well and truly behind us, and in the last few decades the chocolate Lab has gone from strength to strength.
How is the Chocolate Color Inherited in Labradors?
To understand how brown puppies can be born to two black dogs, we need to take a peep at how coat color is inherited in the Labrador retriever.
The instructions that tell your dog what to look like, and what color to be, come packed in genes. And genes come in pairs. This is true for the gene that determines whether or not the Labrador will be brown (this gene is called b) or black (B). Every Labrador has either two genes for a black coat (BB) or two genes for a brown coat (bb) or one of each (Bb).
The color black in Labradors is dominant. That means that if a Labrador has one gene for the color brown, and one gene for the color black, the dog will be black.
The hidden gene
This is because the black gene switches off the brown one. The brown gene remains hidden, doing nothing in particular, while the black gene takes control of fur color.
The brown gene only gets to be in charge if it is paired with another brown gene. But a black Labrador can sneakily carry a brown gene (Bb) and pass it along to his children. This is how the color brown can remain hidden in generation after generation of black Labradors.
Chocolate Labrador Shades
Unlike our yellow Labradors – which come in a wide range of shades, the color chocolate is pretty consistent in puppyhood. Most chocolate Labs are quite similar in color, though eye color can vary from gold to dark brown.
The color of your adult chocolate Labrador Retriever boy or girl’s coat will, however, vary depending on whether the coat is newly grown after a molt, or is about to shed. As the old hair dies it starts to lose some of its color, and the dead hair is much paler than the glossy dark chestnut-colored coat that will soon appear.
And though some chocolate Labs are darker than others, even when taking the stage of molt into account, variations between individuals are fairly small, with one very contentious exception. The Silver Labrador, which is a variation of the chocolate fur color. We’ll be looking a bit more closely at that below.
When did Chocolate Labs become Popular?
By the 1920s and 30s a few brown or liver Labradors, as they were then called, were making an appearance on the shooting field. But for some years more, brown was not widely acceptable to Labrador enthusiasts. It wasn’t until the 1960s that brown Labs began to really grow in popularity.
The demand for these beautiful dogs came from ordinary home owners and they much preferred the word ‘chocolate’ to describe their companions.
That preference continues today, and we often name our brown Labs after favorite snack bars and chocolate flavored drinks! You can however still register chocolate Labradors as ‘liver’ in color.
Different Types Of Chocolate Lab
As the popularity of Labs began to expand beyond the shooting community that developed the breed, they began to split into two different types. Those dogs mainly bred for show and companionship. And dogs mainly bred for hunting and retrieving.
English Chocolate Lab
English Labs are those bred for Shows. The first chocolate English Show Champion Labrador Retriever was Cookridge Tango in 1964. The 1960s was a turning point in the popularity of the chocolate Lab, but interest grew slowly at first.
Gradually, the public began to demand more chocolate Lab puppies, and breeders began to produce them. Over the next few decades, Chocolate Labradors became increasingly popular both in the show ring and as pets. In the shooting community, where Labradors were expected to do a job of work, the preference for black continued throughout the late 1900s, and into the present day, particularly in the UK.
American Chocolate Lab
American chocolate Labradors were bred to work, and are also known as field Labradors. The chocolate Lab has now become more established in the working community, but they are harder to find. There is a rumour going around that this is because brown Labradors are a bit stupid! We’ll look at that below.
Chocolate Lab Characteristics
The split that occurred between show lines and working lines of Labrador, affected different colors of Labrador in different ways.
The black Lab remained the popular choice of the hunting fraternity, while the popularity of the chocolate Lab took off largely outside of the hunting community. And the traits or characteristics of chocolate Labs reflect their primary role as pets or companion dogs. As a result there are differences not only in temperament, but also in size and shape.
How Big Do Full Grown Chocolate Labs Get?
Show Labradors (English) are more heavily built, somewhat slower, and physically less agile than their field bred counterparts. Some English brown Labs may reach 80 or 90lbs without being fat or overweight. Whereas American chocolate Labs are often lighter.
My Lab Rachael, for example, weighs less than 60lbs. Most males of her build will weigh five or ten pounds more. English chocolate Labs are also more likely to have a chunky Labrador head and thick otter tail. And while some feel that the chunkiness of the skull has been taken too far in show lines, there is no denying the beauty of a classic Labrador head.
Show Labs also have smaller ears and a wider muzzle. A brown Labrador is more likely to be from these show types of bloodline and are therefore more likely to share these general characteristics. But there is more. It isn’t just body shape that is inherited.
Chocolate Lab Temperament
American Labs may have a more intense retrieve drive, or urge to chase and retrieve things than their show bred cousins. They also tend to be not only physically faster and racily built, but more ‘sensitive’ and responsive to training.
Field bred Labs tend to be quite dependent on their handler’s approval. In short, they are desperate to please. Over many generations this biddable quality has been bred into our working Labs alongside their retrieving and hunting prowess. This has given working dogs a rather different temperament from our show stock.
Chocolate Lab Intelligence
In show dogs you may see a more robust temperament. An English chocolate Lab is often less concerned over the little ups and downs of life. It’s all a bit of fun. Nothing is taken too seriously. Many English chocolate Lab owners report that their dogs are especially playful. And I have certainly found that to be the case with Rachael. She adores soft toys and spends hours playing with her Flat Squirrel!
The more serious nature of the American chocolate Lab doesn’t necessarily mean that field bred labs are more clever. However, they may less distractible, more focused and therefore easier to train. This can certainly give the impression of a dog that is pretty smart. These dogs may also be more likely to be black.
The important thing to remember is that these differences in ‘trainability’ if you like to call them that, are minimal. English Labs are still highly intelligent, highly trainable dogs. The differences between field and show might give you the edge in competition. However, they are not going to make any difference to your dog’s basic obedience training, or your pet’s behavior.
They are also becoming increasingly irrelevant as we switch to more modern methods of training which are much better at motivating dogs to engage in the training process. Now let’s find out why working retrievers are not usually brown.
Any color as long as it’s black!
We mentioned earlier that the color black has long been favoured by the working retriever community. Experienced, working gundog enthusiasts are less likely to buy a puppy that is not from working lines, and when they do, they are more likely to choose a black dog. Unsurprisingly this means that most working lines of Labs are predominantly black.
Black is also a great color for a hunting companion. A yellow dog really stands out in the countryside, even in poor light, so even when yellow dogs became more common, they were not so popular with the hunter. Brown dogs are better camouflaged but became more numerous much later and were embraced first by the pet and show communities.
Are Chocolate Labs Stupid?
To my knowledge, no study has ever been carried out on the differing intellectual abilities of Labrador of different colors. Everything you hear is based on personal anecdotal stories, often passed along in fun. At least to begin with! I found my own female chocolate Labrador from mixed lines to be a lot more ‘playful’ and interested in other dogs, than my working bred Labradors generally are.
She had very intense retrieve drive, but was less naturally keen to share the outcome with anyone. She was also easily distracted and because of this she took me a little longer to train than my working line Labs. I’ve heard others report the same observations. But it is most unlikely that there is any distinct difference in intelligence between dogs of the same breed that happen to be a different color.
Being chocolate does not make a dog stupid
Even if there were a difference in learning ability between different colored dogs, it does not mean that one caused the other. The answer lies in the behavior and temperament of dogs from different bloodlines.
Fashion
The difference in trainability is in short a feature of the difference between the field bred dog and the show bred dog. Not a feature of the color of the dog. And choice of color was originally down to fashion.
Ulitmately it is a coincidence that many chocolate Labradors are English in type, and many black Labs are American in type. Because of this coincidence the characteristics of the show bred Lab tend to be attributed to our brown friends. While the characteristics of the field bred Lab tend to be attributed to our black dogs.
So you can see how the myth got started. The fact is, that chocolate Labs from working lines are just as easy to train as black Labs from working lines. But you are less likely to meet a chocolate Lab from working lines at the moment.
Rest assured, your chocolate friend is not stupid. With modern training methods you can easily teach them to be a well behaved and obedient dog.
Silver Labs Are Chocolate Labs
Silver Labradors have a gene which dilutes the color chocolate and makes it a pale, silvery shade. Some people find this very attractive, while others regard it as an abomination. How the coat dilution gene got into our Labrador Retrievers is a matter for debate. Many believe that this gene has appeared quite recently.
One theory is that the gene arrived through cross breeding a Labrador with a dog that carries the dilute coat color gene. A breed such as the Weimaraner for example. Another explanation is that the gene causing the silver coat was some kind of genetic ‘accident’ or mutation. This seems rather less likely. The AKC is currently willing to register silver Labs, despite the dispute over their ancestry, but they can only be registered as ‘chocolate’. Not as silver itself.
A bright Future for the Chocolate Lab
Throughout history, there have been a number of famous black Labradors, and we tend to associate yellow Labs with the all important role of working as assistance dogs. Bill Clinton’s chocolate Labrador Buddy was famous simply for being the president’s dog, but it is harder to find examples of chocolate Labradors who have distinguished themselves.
This is not because chocolate Lab dogs lack the qualities or abilities of black and yellow dogs, but simply because the popularity of the color is a relatively recent phenomenon. There are as we speak, plenty of chocolate Labradors serving in the military, working as assistance dogs and in the shooting field. Their story has only just begun, and as time goes on, we’ll be hearing more of their exploits.
How to Find A Chocolate Lab
There are two main ways of bringing a chocolate Labrador retriever into your life. And many people will tell you that the very best way, is to rescue a dog from a shelter or dog’s home. The other way, is to buy a chocolate Lab puppy and raise them yourself. If you want to go the puppy route, then you’ll find my book Choosing The Perfect Puppy(paid link) a helpful guide. There are pros and cons to both rescuing an older dog and raising your own puppy, I go into these in some detail in The Labrador Handbook(paid link).
(paid link)
It may well depend on what stage of life your family is at and on how experienced you are with dogs in general, and with Labradors in particular. If rescuing appeals to you, and you are ready for the challenges and the many benefits of giving a dog a new lease of life, there are plenty of rescue societies that specialise in Labradors.
Rescuing a Chocolate Labrador
The first step is to make contact with your local Labrador Rescue. Most rescues don’t rehome dogs outside their own ‘catchment area’. Rescuing can be a wonderful and fulfilling way of bringing a lovely brown retriever into your life, so do consider it thoroughly. You can find lots more information here: Labrador Rescue and Rehoming and here Bringing Home A Rescue Dog.
If now is not the right time for you to rescue an older dog. Or if you are getting a Labrador for a special purpose – as a hunting companion for example – you may be better off with a new puppy.
Buying a Chocolate Lab Puppy
Chocolate Labrador puppies are ready to go to their permanent homes at around eight weeks old. If someone wants to sell you a puppy much younger than that, alarm bells should be ringing. You also need to make sure you buy your puppy from the right place.
This means choosing the right breeder. And avoiding puppy mills and pet stores. If you want a puppy for hunting, you need to go to a breeder that specialises in field-bred dogs. If you want to get involved in the world of showing, go to a breeder that breeds Labradors for the show ring. It is possible to train a show dog for work, though he or she is unlikely to get far in high level competitions. But it is not normally possible to succeed in the show ring with a field bred dog. Their body shape and structure is too different. Keep this in mind.
Chocolate Labrador Puppy Health
Labradors of all colors suffer from inherited disorders. Do make sure your puppy is from health tested parents. Their parents should have good hip scores, good elbow scores, clear eye tests and be PRA clear too.
If your puppy’s parents are in good health, you increase the odds for your puppy.
Are Chocolate Labs Less Healthy?
In 2018 a study hit the headlines hard, and had a lot of chocolate Lab owners in a panic. Their research suggested that there is a link between Lab color and not just health, but lifespan too. Over 33,000 Labs were studied, with 23.8% of them chocolate. Giving a good sample size.
Chocolate Labs in the study were more likely to have dermatitis, which matches with some anecdotal reports from owners of silver Labs with skin problems.
Ear problems are also more common, and this is in fact something Rachael suffered with. Gastrointestinal issues were more common with chocolate Labradors too.
Chocolate Labradors live on average for just 10.7 years, where yellow and black Labs come out at 12.1 years. Interestingly, they were least likely to have degenerative joint disease or dental problems.
Avoiding Health Problems in Chocolate Labs
Health testing is important for any puppy buyer. But it is also important to look at the coefficient of inbreeding. Chocolate Labs get their color from a recessive gene. This means that to ensure you have a litter of chocolate puppies you need to breed from two chocolate parents. This limits your options further than the average breeder who isn’t interested in the color of their puppies. Reducing gene pools will tend to increase health problems.
Finding a puppy with a very low coefficient of inbreeding will help you to avoid some of these problems. In addition to health testing, it would also be sensible to avoid a chocolate Lab puppy with parents that have a history of ear or skin problems.
You can find out more about health issues in Labradors in this article: Health screening for Labrador Diseases. And there is lots of information on finding a good breeder here: Labrador breeders – how to find a good one
Training and Exercising your Chocolate Labrador
My advice for training your chocolate Labrador is to follow a good positive reinforcement training program. Make sure you exercise your dog’s mind as well as their body. Even if you never intend to take them hunting, every Lab needs a job to do, this can be as simple as finding toys and carrying out simple retrieves.
Training is important but its also fun. If your dog is from show lines, they too will need training and plenty of exercise, but they may also need plenty of play. Toys and games, and other dogs to interact with.
(paid link)Training my Chocolate Lab
Even as an old dog, Rachael still loved to play with other dogs and with people. She was hugely enthusiastic about meeting people (and dogs) and prone to be a little over-friendly.
I therefore had to spend a bit more time ‘proofing’ basic obedience than I would with one of my yellow or black American Labs. And I had to make a special effort to ensure that she is not allowed to interact with visitors until she was sitting calmly. You may find you have to do the same with your dog.
On the plus side, I had to spend less time socializing Rachael than I would have with a field bred lab. As she took everything in her stride.
Caring for an old Chocolate Lab
Elderly chocolate Labradors are particularly beautiful, with their greying muzzles and kind eyes. As the years pass by, we leave behind one set of challenges and they are replaced by new ones. Failing eyesight, stiff joints, and declining hearing. However, these senior years can still be happy and fun filled for many dogs, especially if you keep your dog slim.
If your chocolate friend is heavily built as many chocolates are, you need to be extra careful to keep an eye on his weight as he ages. More weight means more stress and strain on joints, this can aggravate problems like arthritis.
Keep walking your senior dog for as long as they are enjoying their daily exercise. Of course, you will want to make your old friend as comfortable as you can, so go ahead and indulge them with cosy blankets, a nice orthopaedic mattress or a special place on your sofa.
I’d love to hear about your own chocolate Lab, so do drop your story in the comments box below. Tell us what is so special about your chocolate Labrador and why you think they are the best.
The Labrador Site Founder
Pippa Mattinson is the best selling author of The Happy Puppy Handbook, the Labrador Handbook, Choosing The Perfect Puppy, and Total Recall.
She is also the founder of the Gundog Trust and the Dogsnet Online Training Program
Pippa's online training courses were launched in 2019 and you can find the latest course dates on the Dogsnet website
i am planning to adopt a chocolate lab/ male/ 9 months old…his owner is leaving out of country… im worried about his acceptance/ adaptation to the new people (to us)and home… please advice.
Rest assured, Kunal. If you are a dog lover, this is the dog for for you. I obtained my make, Drake, when he was less than a year old. I actually physically took him from my brother, who was severely abusing him for infractions such as vomiting on the floor (accidentally, obviously). Even after this abuse, he was a completely loving and lovable mate, which has only increased over the past 8 years. He loves everyone, and everyone loves him. In fact, he can become a little overly loving to people, but this can easily be overcome by reading and applying some of Pippa’s fantastic obedience and other articles in this newsletter. I truly could not ask for a better canine friend.
I’ve never owned a Labrador but am going to see a 6 week old chocolate Labrador puppy tomorrow. He’s one of a litter of 7 beautiful pups, all chocolate. He’ll be ready to spend the rest of his life with me the middle of December.
My last dog was a Great Dane x Dalmation…jet black with a black and white spotted chest. He was the size of a toy horse and the most gentle and loving character I could ever wish for…the love that radiated from him was far more than any human could give. He developed arthritis in his spine 3 years ago and 6 weeks ago his legs started giving him so many problems with standing and walking, and it was obvious he was in so much pain…I loved him so much I just couldn’t bear to see him like that. On the other hand, I couldn’t get myself to make the decision to let him go. After trying steroids for 2 weeks with no effect, I had to make the hardest decision of my life and let him cross the Rainbow Bridge after 13 years. His name was Diesel and he’d just had his Birthday on 6th June. My best friend EVER.
God knows how I’m writing this right now…I’ve read some lovely comments on this site and I’m sitting here crying…well sobbing like a baby…I miss him so very much and right now it feels like my heart has been ripped out.
People always thought he looked like a Labrador. Anyway…wish me luck for tomorrow. A chunky, chocolate Labrador awaits a new life.
Thanks for reading this and sorry if I’ve gone on a bit. Actually, the funny thing is this…God only knows how I’m going to choose 1 of 7 puppies…if I had my way they’d all be coming home 🙂
Have a great day my friends 🙂
Good luck with your new puppy Kevin 🙂 If you need any support, the forum is a great place to be
What a beautiful post Kevin x dogs are so loyal and definitely man’s best friend
I’m sure he knows you loved him very much and would probably thank you for helping him out of pain. Hardest decision to make ever, I had to put my rabbit to sleep, I know it’s not the same as a dog but still a pet and tough decision to make
Best of luck with your new baby and enjoy many years of loyalty and fun x 🙂
Looking at this breed myself
I have two Chocolates,my old man JD who is 15 years old this year and his 4 year old son Chewy. Both of them are the love of my life. The old man is slowing down now but is still getting around pretty good. I have a ramp for him to use to come in the house. To me the chocolate is the best and most loving dog you can have.
A week ago today I lost 1 of my 2 choc. Labs named buddy. He was 13 and he had cancer and when I came home from work and he couldn’t come to great me or wag his tail or give me welcome kisses I new it was time. His head in my arms talking to him and petting he went in peace.
I’ve been spending my life with my beautiful chocolate lab Blaze for the past 15 years now. She’s from a working dog line, and she is incredibly eager to please. She took hardly any time to train at all, she’s probably the most well behaved dog I have ever met, and others who meet her say the same. She’s old and grey now, taking life easy napping on the bed and puppy-dog-eyeing her way to the occasional meaty treat (Beef bones from the butcher’s are her favourite, we roast a couple for her every now and then) but she’s still very healthy apart from achy hips in the winter if she stays out in the snow for too long. I think she’s far smarter than even a lot of other Labradors I’ve met, she’s very communicative, she can let me know when she wants to go outside, her water bowl is empty (or when she’s got her eye on the bag of treats), she knows everyone in the house and each of her toys by name, and she can do a wide variety of tricks. The only problem is that she’s a bed hog, I hardly get half of my double bed, especially in the winter when she decides that she needs to be under the covers. Nice and warm though.
I lost my best frind about 1 1/2 years ago, ( brandy was not only my best frind but also my survice dog almost a mom to me ) and now i want to find another chocolet lab femal that will try to take her placewitch i don’t think she will but i need the help that she can help me with. So i know what they are to us. Thanks fo helping me to think of getting aother companion. Bill
We had a beautiful chocolate male named Fudge. He was the smartest most loving dog anyone could ever ask for. My husband taught him to retrieve the morning paper an then he would receive a treat, he soon realized paper/treat.. we soon found ourselves having to return all our neighbors morning papers!!! He knew when it was time for me to leave to pick the kids up from school at 2:45 every day he would sit at the front door waiting for me to open it he would then follow me out jump in the car for his daily ride to go pick up his buddies from the bus stop. But the most adorable habit Fudge had was at 5:30 every evening without fail he would go grab his food bowl in his mouth and wander over to where ever I was to inform me it was dinner time, you could set a clock by him. Fudge has since passed but he is forever in our memory, we will soon be getting a new chocolate puppy and I couldn’t be more excited, if this new little bundle has a quarter of Fudge’s personality traits we will be enormously blessed.
We lost our chocolate lab Cheyenne a year ago July. She was 10 and passed away as the result of a brain hemorrhage, are we were devastated. We had her for 5 short years, she came to us a rescue that someone didn’t want anymore. She has been the best behaved dog we have ever owned, she had an amazing personality, and was the best at comforting and bringing joy to the residence at the nursing home I worked at. She loved our children, and never met someone she couldn’t make fall in love with her. She was my first large breed dog, and when we are ready we will have another lab.
Hi Renae, I am so very sorry for your loss. Best wishes, Lucy.
I have a choco lab named Coco. She is eight years old . I am worried about her ears. She has been to the vet, many times because of her ears. Both of her ears, the inside flaps, are red and really puts her in pain. She shakes her head, side to side at a fast move and that worries me. She comes to me, in the middle of the night and gets my attention, so I may help her. She has no residue, in her ears. Their use to be, as residue, a substance, in each ear, that I would clean out. The odour was stinky and terrible. It looked like pieces of dirt and this substance went all the way back, to where her ears proceeded to the ninety degree angle. At that spot, I cannot see anything more of this substance. What can I do for this family member of mine? She is in pain and what the vet does is put some substance in her ear clasps the ear and folds it and then rubs it. I have spent a lot of money for a days cure by the vet. I cannot keep going to the vet for this procedure. Please, someone give me advice, so she may not suffer.
Hi Christopher, I am sorry to hear that your Lab is having problems with her ears. I am afraid that the best person to help you is a vet, who is able to examine and assess her in person. If you are not satisfied with your current vet’s attempts at helping her, then please do go to another vet for a second opinion. Best wishes, Lucy.
I have a chocolate lab, and he is in no way stupid. Yes, he is funny and playful. He learned his name, sit, down, and come all very quickly.
Well 4 months ago I had a chocolate Labrador given to me by a friend the breeder as the person who bought him no longer wanted him he was 91/2 months old. This is the first chocolate lab Ive had my other 5 labs Ive owned over the last 40 years have been either black or Gold. This dog lacks nothing he`s been born from working gun dogs very obedient, intelligent smart and a quick learner, this year will be his first in the field accompanying me Wildfowling out on estuaries and on pheasant shoots I have full confidence in this dog being one of my best I will have owned. The top spot goes to a large golden retriever I had 30 years ago if this dog comes close he will make a great friend and shooting companion I cannot for the life of me doubt this dog as other shooting colleagues have commented on his ability but when they first set eyes on him they stated I`d got the wrong coloured lab after the first training session the comments dried up.
We have a 13.5 yr old lab named Sir Winston. He has been such a great friend. He is there in times of joy n sadness. He has a zest for life that keeps me going. Hes always up to something to make me laugh. I also have a black lab who is same. But winston will always have my heart. He was first boy dog in our new home. We cherish all the memories weve had with him. We look forward to many more years with him. Because of him we will always have a chocolate in our home:)
Our beautiful boy sir winstonrecently passed away since i posted the abovd comment It was very upsetting. But we are going to be getting another chocolate in spring. Love them both but there is something about a chocolate that is forever in my heart
We just adopted a Five year old Chocolate Lab. She did not have the drive to be successful as a Bomb Detection Dog or a competitive hunting dog. I truly believe God made her to be a loving companion dog. We have had her about a month and we could not be more pleased. She is so calm, well mannered and is really developing more confidence in her new surroundings everyday. Everybody comments about how laid back she is. Works great for us. Because she spent her first 5 years in an indoor/outdoor run, in my mind, I have 5 years of love and attention to make up to her. So, when I feel her lay her head on the edge of the bed and feel her breath on my face at o’dark thirty in the morning, hear her tail wacking the night stand, I just smile , love on her and get up to start my day with our sweet Kona.
Our Henry is a 3yo chocolate lab and we couldn’t be happier together. He was the runt of a litter of 9, and is a little timid, but growing in confidence all the time. He loves people – especially the little ones! He is the sweetest, kindest, most gentle creature I’ve ever known. He has been relatively easy to train, although likes to do things in his own time rather than on command. He is fantastic with the grand-daughter who likes to ride him, play tug-of-war and share things to chew – Henry just sees her as his little human bestie. His favourite time of all is to snuggle up with me on the couch. The only difficulty with him has been the control of his weight – 3 days to put it on and 3 weeks to get it off!!! It was a big learning curve for me to realise that he NEVER believes he’s had enough! Love him to bits!!
We have a very smart, sweet, energetic, very loving 7 month old chocolate female American Labrador named “Abbey”. Both her parents were black labs with gorgeous heads and coats, weighing in at 55 and 70 pounds. Abbey came from a litter of 9 puppies which included 4 chocolate, 3 black, & 2 yellow. Her AKC lineage included an occasional yellow and chocolate lab. At 7 months now, Abbey weighs in at 48 pounds, so our desire to have a smaller lab is still to be determined. She is quite lanky, possibly due to the grain free puppy food we feed her 3X/day. Abbey has been average to house train, but extrembly easy to train obedience, tricks, and manners around the family, as she is always eager to please and be with us in all we do. She can be very “goofy” at times, particularly as we have socialized her with many people and neighbor’s dogs. Starting as a new puppy and continuing now, we chose to offer her a huge variety of toys which has worked great as she has not put her mouth on any furniture, shoes, socks, etc., etc. in the house. Outdoors she loves to chew on sticks, and has recently found fallen hibiscus blooms to snatch as a snack. After a couple months of encouragement and warmer weather, she is now an avid swimmer in our salt water pool, whether retrieving balls or water toys or to just swim with us and the grandchildren. In the past we had enjoyed cocker spaniels, a Boykin spaniel, & Irish setters, but to our surprise, she has been the easiest puppy to raise, being very laid back, attentive, smart and always willing to please.
Our two children each have a female lab, black and yellow, which is why we chose to try a Labrador to join the family, despite their size. She has been a true delight to raise and with her gorgeous, shiny chocolate coat, chiseled head, and smooth gate, she turns heads as strangers meet her. We are so very glad that we have included “Abbey” in our family.
Abbey sounds wonderful 🙂
We have a wonderful ‘rescue’ chocolate lab aged 8 named Lily. she is a loving handful, full of play and loyalty to me. but to my dismay she hates water, even rain. her other hates are trains, boats, but ok with cars – not sure what has gone on in her past.
but whatever she is – she is gorgeous.
We have shared our lives with Labrador Retrievers for the past 46 years. Our first two were Blacks,
the last four have been Chocolates, including our current 9 week old, Pike VI. Our Blacks favored the American Lab. Our last three Chocolates were a mix of the American and the English. The jury is still out on number VI. We personally find the combination of both the taller American along with the broad chest, thick neck, otter like tail, and classic head of the English to represent the perfect Labrador to us. We also favor the Chocolates, but they are all beautiful regardless of color! I have never met a stupid Lab, only an occasional stupid master.
We have a 3 year old choc lab called Dexter ….. He is the most gorgeous little man ….. We have been so lucky from day one he has been a star ….. He was housetrained in two weeks never chewed anything and learnt very quickly…. He is the most loving dog I’ve ever known , I suffer with severe depression and he has lifted me so much he gives me a reason to go out and talk to people I’m sure he understands my illness he looks at me with his big dopey eyes and he gives me endless kisses . He is fantastic with people , children and dogs he simply loves everyone ?❤️ He adores our grandchildren and keeps a special eye on our youngest …. He has completely changed my life for the better and I can’t imagine not having him in my life now………… He is my everything ……. My world?❤️?❤️?❤️Xx
My sweet boy came to us at 9 months, sick and broken, given up to a high kill shelter in the midwest. I too was broken having lost my first dog ever, another chocolate who died at 12. We healed each other. Six months..a great vet, a lot of love and patience and this amazing, crazy, fun loving, easily trainable, handsome, glossy coated pup emerged. 9 years later, he is recovering now from a harrowing 2 weeks of surgeries and procedures, being called a ” a miracle dog” by the emergency hospital surgeons. ( an inhaled foxtail pierced his lung). It is inspiring to share my life with a joyful being with such a strong will to live and love.
Here is the sad story of my chocolate lab ‘Yogi’… We got married on 23rd December 2015, I surprised my wife by getting my best man to pretend he forgot the rings, when he went out to his car to collect them he returned with Yogi dressed for occasion with the rings in his mouth hidden in a tennis ball… Yogi sadly died the very next day, Christmas Eve 🙁
Broke our hearts x
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/newlyweds-heartache-our-chocolate-labrador-7366033#S2OC2UdOY8m30r4e.97
My husband and I recently got a choc. lab mix male puppy from a friend. His mama is a black lab, and papa is a black lab/aussi mix. Our puppy, Otis, was the only chocolate one of the litter with the most beautiful hazel color eyes. He is 8mo. old and weights 68lbs. He definitely has all the lab characteristics and personality. This is my first lab and I’m in love. He has taken to me and is my shadow. Always at my feet. He loves to fetch ball and sounds like thunder running down the back yard. He is super friendly with people and gentle with kids. He has been a breeze to housetrain. Had a couple of issues with leash training, but seems to have the hang of it now. He still needs more obedience training to proof what he knows, I know he’ll get there. He is also a strong chewer. My window ledge will tell you how much….oh but I love him so…
We had a black lab called George until he died in 2014 aged 12. George was quiet, docile and a bit weak; a long walk could involve one of us going back for the car to collect him but we missed him so much we had to get a replacement.
We now have a nine month old chocolate lab by the name of Nigel and, boy, is he a handful! He picks up and chews or eats anything; socks, sheep shit, prescription sunglasses, sticks, bits of plastic, shoes and boots, and, on occasions my feet. For some bizarre reason he only chews my wife’s feet if she’s talking on the telephone! This morning he found a partially decomposed rat and refused to come when called so I could get it off him.I didn’t want it, of course, but thought it not a good idea to let him eat it.
Good points are that you can’t tire him out, he’s generally well behaved and can mostly be recalled when off the lead (although he’s awfully keen to greet people whether they wish to be greeted or not) and his antics amuse as well as annoy. He’s extremely tolerant of our young grandchildren and only ever knocks them down accidentally. He loves water and is a hell of a swimmer – it really is impressive watching him launch himself into one of our local lakes (we live in Cumbria).
The chewing and/or taking things he shouldn’t is, however, a bit of a pain. He can’t be allowed into the living room and kitchen without supervision as he apt to grab something off tables and worktops and chew it to shreds. I think he’s great and have every confidence that Nigel will turn into a great pet but it would be good to know when the boisterousness might begin to wane and, for example, unauthorised visits to the neighbours whilst lying in their beds might cease! (their fault for leaving their front door open and mine for failing to secure the fence between us).
I agree 100% Chocolate Labs are the greatest! I had the extreme pleasure of living with one for 8 years. Her name was Shimmer. She was 5 years old when I adopted her. She was the best dog I ever had. So laid back, calm and gentle. Loved everyone, people and other animals. Her favorite thing to do was to roll over on her back with legs in the air, “smile” and request a belly rub. It always worked. No one could resist. A few years ago she fall and tore her cruciate ligament. She had two surgeries to repair. Her leg was never the same. But she was still the happiest dog. Late in 2014 she developed a more serious health issue, a cancerous tumor. Nothing could be done. I just kept her comfortable as long as possible. I lost her April 19, 2015. She would have been 13 6 days later. Even through she is gone over a year now, I still miss her so much and still cry everyday. She was the best. And will always be in my heart.
Do you ever have a blue eyed chocolate lab ive saw pics of pups with amazing blue eyes
Baby puppies normally have a blue / grey colouring to their eye, however, by the time they are 8 weeks old this should disappear. The correct colour is brown or hazel 🙂
I have a chocolate lab whose 7 years old and I found him in southern Tennessee about 30 miles from Alabama and the litter he came from was all black but 1 chocolate which I ended up buying and almost bought 1 of his litter mates but didn’t cuz that would’ve been a $700 drop for 2 dogs but I got my chocolate and I named him Rocky. My Rocky is definitely my buddy who I love dearly and is my best buddy, granted I have good friends who are of the human race like we all are but the love and support a dog will give you is something you can’t put into words and anyone with any kind of dog no matter what it’s breed is will tell you the same thing but Labs are just a special kind of dog. Rocky loves to ride and go up to the farm and he definitely love to joined at the hip with me or my girlfriend because he always has to know what’s going on all the time. He’s definitely my Turd and I wouldn’t trade him for anything. I’ve been thinking of getting another puppy to give Rocky some companionship thru out the day and stuff since I drive a truck for a living but I’ll definitely get another Lab, if not a chocolate, yellow or black but it will be another Lab.. Some people say that Labs are stupid and they’re not at all the least bit dumb or stupid. They are just goofy in their own unique way and it’ll tell what their personality will be like as they get older. the only thing I wished Rocky could’ve kept from when he was a puppy was his beautiful deep blue eyes but that didn’t happen but I’m sure if my Turd was to have had pups of his own I’d sure hope that they would have his deep blue eyes but only Mother Nature determines that.. What can I say, I love my Labs regardless of color and gender… Joe Heady
We have a 4 and a half year old choccie. Her name is Amber. She is our family pet ( not a show dog or a gun dog ) and we love her to bits. She went to ”puppy socialising classes” where she learnt basic ‘manners’. Yes she is very friendly, loves people and other dogs and welcomes them ever so effusively. She is our constant shadow as we move around from room to room. She sleeps right next to our bed at night. We have just acquired 2 kittens and after a week of ‘orientation’ Amber just loves them. She loves her walk on the field every day, but even more – she loves chasing a tennis ball on the beach. We are in our 70’s but she sure keeps us young!
Amber sounds wonderful 🙂
We love our Bella she is a Resque very sweet she is 2 r 3 yrs old very smart everyone says she has pit in her she is very sweet we love her. We lost our Americian bull dog to cancer it took me a ur to get another one my heart was so broke
Here in the USA it’s very rare to see a chocolate lab being shown. They are common, just not popular in conformation trials. So there are not a lot of ‘show bred’ Chocolates floating around… rather the opposite.
where to start……Our chocolate labs’ name is ‘Daisy’.
We’ve had here since she was weened and have nothing but fun and laughs since. Having 4 kids (she is the 5th!!), she didn’t take to sleeping in her own bed. Instead, she sleeps on the 3rd floor of the house, with my older girls. in fact, last night my eldest daughter had to share her bed with Daisy, as she had jumped into the bed while the girls were studying (Uni exams!!) and promptly fell asleep.
She wouldn’t wake up and so, my daughter had to share her bed with the Lab. Funny pics…I’ll post them on the facebook page.
She is a great dog, as much part of the family as anyone else. She even has her own passport, so can travel throughout Europe with us during vacation. She can be a handful at times, but we usually remedy that with a good walk, a jump in the river followed by a small treat.
Wouldn’t be without her!!
My gorgeous chocolate lab daughter, Luci, lives with us in New Zealand. We got her when she was 6 months old. Her previous owners had purchased her from a breeder as company for their Shitzu and Luci was too big and energetic when playing (probably the size difference didn’t help). I care for children in my home and Luci is gentle and loving with each and every single one of them. She loves cuddling!! She is always responsive to needs/ feelings and shoves her head under my arm if she thinks I need a cuddle. Luci is my first choccy but I am now hooked and she most certainly will not be my last!!
Tomorrow I’ll go and pick Tomas. My new 3 month chocolate labrador. My previous dog was a Springer Spaniel, lived happy and healthy for 16 years. I wish I have the same luck with this one!!! I love this website and is the reason why I chose Tomas to be my next mate. He is the youngest male of the litter, and from what people tell me, it can be a challenge but I’m up for it. I’m also coming out of an awful breakup and I hear these dogs work wonders with people with depression.
I will be checking in and already ordered the basic books. Wish me luck with the training…
Hope you and Tomas are happy together!
We have just had to say goodbye to our second chocolate lab..Chip.
He was from show dog stock,and lived to a good age of 15.
Our first Chocolate boy was working stock…we live in the UK…and the two dogs couldn’t have been more different.Both dogs were beautiful looking dogs,and both were slim,which isn’t always the case with show dog.Bracken,our first dog,was so intelligent,and so eager to please all the time.when out for a walk,he would run for miles.Chip,the show dog,did take quite a bit longer to train,and took any chance he could when he was younger to run off and play with other dogs.
But he got there in the end,and was a fantastic member of our family for 15 years.Its only a few weeks ago since his back legs gave out,and finally had to be put to sleep,and I miss him more every day.We already know we must have another Chocolate boy to make our family complete again,but at the moment,finding one is proving rather difficult.It hurts so much not having a dog in our home at the moment.
PLB…oh I just read your story here…My heart goes out to you. We have just experienced the exact same thing!..our DUKE was 2 months shy of 12..We lost him Feb 16th 2016…a day I will never forget. I too, have seached breeders, and thus far..nothing has tured up…I am not giving up yet..I just know in my heart..there is a chocolate out there…3-4 years old…looking for a good home, and someone to love and care for him/her..
Keep looking and talking to breeders…and one will come back from Rainbow Bridge..unexpectedly..Good luck..and don’t give up..
I am on my 3rd chocolate male lab,my 1st Zach was an English ,the biggest in a litter of 8 and remained very large through out his life ,people always asked if he had Rottweiler in him,my 2nd Chocolate was Max ,he was an American working bred Chocolate with much trimmer features ,my new 14 month old chocolate Packer (from Wisconsin) English Show like Zach ,love my Chocolates and would never consider any other pup ,just that Packer is a little nuts but tons of fun,always a daily adventure.
My first Chocolate was a beautiful girl named Bailey. She was as mellow as they come. My wife and I went to look at some Lab puppies that were advertised locally and when we got there the breeders had farm animals. I was surprised because we live in a moderately large city in the Western United States. The breeder put his chickens away and let the pups out. They were a bit older so 5 or 6 large brown fur balls took off and started chasing the sheep. One of them got half way to the sheep, barked once and turned around and sat at my feet. My wife, who is not a pet person, told the breeder, “We’ll take that one.” Bailey quickly became a part of the family.
G’day from Australia! I have my second chocolate lab puppy 3 months old “DONNA” and she is beautiful, very intelligent, easy to train and loving. A word of caution about puppy farms! My first chocolate lab (I have had 5 yellow labs before) was from a puppy farm. Paid a large amount of money for the pick of the litter. She was gorgeous but after 3 months I had her Vet-checked. She had hip-dysphasia on back left side, a mal-formed hip on back right side and a deformed hock on her back left leg. When I contacted the breeder, their reaction was “bring her back and we’ll give you another one”. That is, we’ll put your down and to protect our reputation! I found this attitude form the breeder appalling! I refused, got my money back and she was a beautiful kind and loving companion. She did develop a tumour in the mouth and died at age 7 1/2 years. I was so sad but happy in the fact that I gave her 7 1/2 years of happy life, more than the breeders would have done. She was called “Cadbury”.
I also have a beautiful chocolate lad. She is 2 years old and she was a valentine present from my husband. He found a breeder in Tenessee and she was the only chocolate female in the litter. Her Parents were blonde and chocolate. We believe the breeder was not an ideal breeder and we even reported him for his practices in breeding. We were not very knowledgeable about getting a puppy from a breeder at the time. I have since educated myself about what to look for and what to look out for. We have put our Lucy through some obedience training which has helped to train me.Lol… She is so awesome and I would say a bit stubborn whin she doesn’t want to do something but is always on board when it come to chasing a ball or catching a frizzby. We walk on a leach every day and play kick ball. She sounds like thunder when she runs. Her weight is around 80 lbs. and is so powerful in her form. I have so fallin in love with her I would be lost without her. We have been discussing getting a second lab also a chocolate female.
I’m young- only 12. Me and my family donr just get dogs, keep them for a few years, then get rid of them. We grow emotional attachments, and once we have a dog, we have it for life- or we try too. Since I could remember, we’ve had 3 dogs. One was a chocolate lab. He loved to play fetch and he was just so laid back. Or so we thought. For the last two years of his life, he was extremely calm and mellow. We thought that was his personality, since he was only 6 at the time so he couldn’t be affected of old age. One day, we took him to the doctor because he had a tumor in his bladder. When we went to pick him up, the nice ol’ doctor told us his entire body was full of cancer. Clumps here and there, scattered around his insides. There was so much cancer, the doctor was surprised he could even walk! There was to much cancer to eliminate it, so we were forced to put him down. He was my first Labrador. Almost 2 years ago, my mom stopped by a mans house so get a free male chocolate lab. My mother fell in love with this huge, block headed black lab, and took it home. I wanted another chocolate lab so bad, so she got me my first dog. I took him home, gave him millions of baths to scrub off the infestation of fleas he had beneath all the fuzzy chocolate fur. I named him after a car is saw in the newspaper, named Mokey. Mokey is currently one year old, turning two on June 5th. I admit, Mokey is not very bright. At all. But he is obedient, and I love him. His fur is what you’d call ‘sunburnt’, streaked with millions of shades of browns. I love his multi-colored coat, and his neon yellow eyes that are so pale they’re almost white. I call them alien yellow eyes. He’s truly unique in color, and I love him with wll my heart. He’s spoiled rotten, two baths a day with his special oatmeal soap. And he’s a lab, his coat is naturally water ressistant! We also live in the woods, and have a lake. Imagin all the scrubbing I do daily. Mokey loves to swim. Once I was in an aquarium in New Orleans, and we walked by a water fountain. And guess what- after watching animals have fun in the water all day, he decided it was his turn! He ended up swallowing a penny and a nickel too, and I had to give him laxatives safe for dogs to poop them out!
Bently is our first pet as a family, he is very smart although does get distracted quickly which makes him all the more lovable. Has anyone else noticed that when taken to a dog park Labs seem to play a lot with other Labs. Our man will sniff and socialize with other dogs but as soon as another Lab enters the park its romp and roll playtime.
We got our first chocolate lab, Drake, in September 2014. He’ll be 2 on July 24th, and he is a big boy, trim and fit at 105 lbs. He has a big block head, and a tall lean body on a big frame, he’s all muscle. We have had black and yellow labs, but this guy is special. We call him “chocolate thunder!” as it’s like a horse running through the house. He is bigger, faster, and stronger than any lab we’ve had. He had separation anxiety, is my shadow and always needs to know where we are. My husband is chronically ill, and I thought he would be a companion. He is, but when my husband is not well or not home, he’s fiercely protective. Over me and my mother, particularly with women and children. I’ve never had such a protective lab, he’s better then my alarm system! I love this dog more then I ever thought possible, he’s amazing and everyone who has met him loves him. He is so loving, pleasing, and distractable and enthusiastic like your Rachel. He loves to play with other dogs, loves to chase and I have shreds of dog toys all over my house. We want to breed him, we’ve had many people ask about pups as he is such an amazing dog. Gotta love those beautiful chocolate lab eyes!
A great article until you said this: “There is no doubt that a hundred years ago, there was no coat dilution gene in our Labrador Retrievers. We know for sure that this gene has appeared quite recently.” You (or anyone else) cannot state this as fact. Unless you have genetic material from all of the founding dogs in the Labrador history, it is IMPOSSIBLE to make the statement that the dilution gene (which results in the chocolate color being diluted to the commonly referred to “silver” color) has not been there, “hidden”, from the beginning days of the breed. You make a great case for how the chocolate gene remained hidden and pups were culled for many years but then take the low road and make the above statement about dilute labradors. The foundation of the Labrador Retriever is based upon the St John’s Water Dog… also known as the Lesser Newfoundland. Two current day dogs resulted from the Newfoundland region… the Newfoundland and the Labrador. The Newfoundland is known to carry the dilute gene. Why is it so implausible that the stock that was taken to generate the Labrador Retriever breed also carried the dilute gene? There were no breeding records back then for this region. Both dogs were prevalent and most likely cross bred so how can we be so certain that the dogs that were taken from this region to serve as the foundation of the Labrador Retriever breed did not carry this gene? What we CAN say is that it has only been relatively recently that the dilute gene has been BRED for, brought to the forefront so to speak, by selective breeding of those Labradors that carry the gene… in much the same way that the traditional chocolate coat color was made more prevalent. Also, the reason these dogs are registered as chocolate (instead of “silver”) is because they are genetically chocolate in color (bb). The dilution gene does not change the color of the dog. It changes the laying down of the eumelanin pigment on the hair shaft. Our eyes are unable to see this degree of detail but under the microscope you will see that a dilute chocolate labrador’s hair shaft has clumps of the traditional chocolate color as opposed to an even distribution of that color. To our eyes, we perceive the “hit or miss” laying down of color on the hair shaft as a “diluted” shade when in reality it is still the same chocolate color, just not laid down evenly. That is why dilute chocolate labs are registered as chocolate labs. They are not technically “silver”.
Elizabeth, from what you said about needing all the Labradors from a hundred years ago to be certain that they don’t have the dilution gene, well that can’t be all true. If one did have it, wouldn’t it be passed down through generations, or possibly skip every so often? There is MANY things in science that scientist are 100% sure of. Sconce is like that. We can’t possibly know everything! I doubt that anyone in this world is 100% correct abo anything in science, especially since you can’t study something without even slightly changing it or its natural habit or surroundings. There’s many things in science book that scientists don’t have all that much proof for, yet it’s written down as facts. And also just because the writer said one wrong thing, doesn’t make this article any less great. It was a simple mistake, if it even was one.
If the dilute gene was there for Silver Labradors it would have expressed itself a long time ago. Most of the pictures I have seen of the “early” silvers look more Weimeraner than Labrador. And isnt it a bit suspicious that one of the first “breeders” of them also owned Wei’s….get strange co-incidence that. I dont buy the myth that the gene has laid dormant all this time and just coming out now.
It is not necessarily true that the dilute gene would have expressed itself before. Recessive genes don’t cause changes in phenotype until they are paired together. If a recessive gene is rare enough in a population it may never be expressed. Regular new pairings of ancient recessive genes that have never previously been paired is inevitable in any population that is isolated, as our dog breeds are. That is why we are seeing new diseases appear at intervals in pedigree dogs.
So while such a theory is unproven, it is certainly physically possible.
The statement that dilute. chocolate labs are registered as chocolate because they are not “technically” silver is incorrect. The dog is supposed to be registered as to his actual coat color, and silver is not chocolate. In Great Britain, the registration of silvers even includes the description that the color is not recognized. There are a growing number of legitimate and well regarded registries which are not allowing dilutes to be registered at all, and, in fact, Ms. Mallory resides in one of the countries which does not allow the registration of dilute Labradors due to the position that dilute Labradors are the result of impure heritage and crossbreeding.
Our chocolate fella Fudge is amazing. He’s only a few months younger than Rachel whose progress I’ve been following. He makes people smile wherever we go due to his loving, outgoing nature. He’s so full of playfulness and character. Other dogs are his absolute favourite thing in the world so we make sure he has lots of opportunities to play. He is also renowned for being a bit bonkers and soooo full of beans and excitement despite our best efforts at training. He is just starting to calm down a tiny bit now. We have fallen in love with labradors and chocolates in particular and are hoping to get a friend for Fudge in the near future.
I have been breeding chocs for 20 years
They are beautiful and loving companions
They are as smart as any other colour, after all, it’s only a here which is different
I have met many lovely people who have become good friends through showing and breeding my chocs
They have enriched my life and I wouldn’t want to live without them
We have two Chocolates – one male – Duke who just turned 13 and a female – Gracie who will be 11 soon. They are the best dogs in the world. Two totally different personalities. Duke was very stand off – and had separation anxiety and was difficult to train…..but very very smart. He would catch a frisbee like no other dog I have ever seen and on command get the colored ball we would ask for. Not sure how he knew which ball it was as I always thought they were color blind….He also used to sing to Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton’s song Paradise but can’t anymore because he has Lar Par. Gracie is the most sweetest and loyal dog and was very easy to train. She doesn’t require a leash when walked, although we use one anyway. They both are very easy going and love being around other people and dogs. We will not get any other type of dog as Labs are the best….
My wife and I were married in 2004, and were excited to move into a house and finally get a dog after apartment living. We debated on breed, as we both had several breeds growing up (Shephards, NS Duck Toller, Terrier). My wife’s family had just recently got a chocolate lab, and we decided we also wanted one. Ellie was the runt of the litter, and was unfortunately very ill just a few days after we picked her up. She pulled through the illness, and we are so lucky as she has been absolutely the most wonderful dog we could imagine. Loyal, loving, sweet and kind, she is almost human in her behavior, as if she can speak at times. She is turning 11 this spring, lots of grew but still healthy and strong. Lots of walks in the woods to keep her trim and fit definitely helps! We got her a “brother” a couple years ago, a black lab the same age as her. They are inseperable now!Labs are truly the best.
We have almost the very same story as you describe! Unfortunately we did not marry, but instead I had to take Memphis with me and I’m so happy to have her with me. Now she’s getting along with my other dog, Topper, a 12 year old beagle, but sometimes this is hard while Memphis is only 1 year old and wants to play all the time. They are inseparable anyway, but Topper needs her privacy so now and then.
I love my lab and beagle ❤️
I found our chocolate puppy in a Walmart parking lot. He was full-blooded but had no papers but I didn’t care because he was perfect. My niece named him Elvis. He is the kindest, most loving, gentle and smart dog I have ever known. We don’t have any children so he is spoiled and loved beyond reason. He has attachment issues and stays close to my husband or me always. He even likes to go out on the boat with us. He loves to “sing” and howls to commercials, opera-type music, the “Bad Boys” theme and my husband’s harmonica. He carries a stuffed animal at all times. They are truly wonderful dogs.
Our lovely Mollie has been a dream. From dual purpose breeding like your Rachel, she is a real thinker. Very confident & forward, nothing fazes her. Happy in her own company. Can be a little dominant, which I believe she gets from her mom. A quick learner & is forever figuring things out, baby gates etc. She’s a smashing girl & we are smitten. She has an old fashioned pedigree, & a drakeshead line wavy back, which lots of people comment on. I have also had people comment on the ‘choc lab’ stereotype, usually being proved incorrect by 8 month Mollie who soon charms them.
I have a 7mo. Old choclate lab. She is at times a hand full but she is very smart and very loyal to me her owner. She is a very outgoing dog. She loves attenion and doesnt like to be ignored. She loves kids and other dogs and people. Loves the water and to run free. She learned how to turn a door knob and learns more everyday. She has my heart and i couldnt go on without her.
My husband, since he was little, always wanted a Chocolate Lab. I said maybe when we get our own house. Well, we finally have our own home- and a Chocolate Lab. We were barely moved into our home before he informed me of a litter of Labs our friends dogs were having. Mother and Father were both Chocolate. I informed him of the color possibilities she may birth. He said not to worry, they will be brown. Well, they were Chocolate alright- all 10 OF THEM! And we brought home the oldest female. She is now 4 yrs old and playful beyond belief. She does not mind children playing on her as a jungle gym or being an outfielder in a game of baseball. She was however a little challenging to train. Don’t want to say “dumb” but sometimes she proves to be just that. I have figured out that she is intelligent in her own right and not according to what I find ‘smart’. With a lot of patience and prayer, we now have a disciplined pet. We did find it difficult to name her as we all had different ideas. I didn’t win. My husband and kids did. Her name became SYREN; (my husband is a volunteer fireman). Needless to say her name suits her well. She whimpers until she gets your complete attention or gets what she wants. If no one volunteers themselves to come to her “rescue”, then she starts all over again with the high-pitched whine. Just like a fire whistle calling to all available firemen; if no one answers the first call, then another sounds. We wouldn’t trade her for any other dog. She belongs with us and we belong with her.
We are on our second chocolate lab..the first was Choca, lived to be 14, and we also had a yellow named Hatteras who lived to be 15. Before Hatteras left us, we got a yellow named Sandi…she was like the best dog ever..she lived to be 12 and had diabetes very bad. I gave her shots for three years, twice a day but she got really sick and we had to put her down..hard, hard decision. Now, I have Fergie who is a 14 month old chocolate, the love of my life, worst puppy ever for chewing and jumping and being crazy but I love, love, love her and she does not shed much at all. After Sandi died, I would look at my clothes, not see white hair and wonder whose clothes I was wearing. Just labs in general are the bomb!!! I also have a very spoiled 8 year old red dachshund.
My lab name is Monte he us so amazing ges a sweet dog I am 5 tears old and I live Monte so much he is great at p!saying fetch with me he is the sweetest dog in the world. Monte loves to jump up on me all the time we have so much fun he is almost two and he is taller than I am.?????? love Aubrii