I have seen white tail rings on many choc field dogs, and they had poor coats. No undercoat. I don't think it's indicative of anything; it's just a color anomaly.

On mine, it doesn't go away, but you can't see it unless you are really looking for it. When my chocolate girls shed, if I pull out fur by their shoulders, it is tipped in white also. Many of mine are not pure for chocolate, and still have "the ring". I do have lovely coats on most of my chocolates with this. I do have one nutty girl, but most of my chocolates are kind dogs, and maybe a bit dramatic and starving all of the time!

There is nothing wrong w/ your chocolate having white at the base of the hair. Some blacks will have this as well as yellows, you just can't see it in the yellows.
When you have a dog that is shedding out its coat you will be able to see it on the dark dogs but other wise it will be hidden. Mary Roslin Williams said in her book "Advanced Labrador Breeding" something like the best coat has white at the base of the hair.

So no worries with your dog.

What does that mean?

That the dog does not carry yellow. I think.

My blacks have the white hairs too and Bolo pads.

First I ever heard of field dogs having the white ring but I'm not involved with field labs . I've seen a few in my lifetime at hunt tests but not as pups that age.

In 3 generations of my chocolates I've only seen it when they have great adult coats. I guess it's only my dogs and it's a fluke.

I'm a 3rd generation Labrador person. Although I have conformation lines now, I grew up knowing field lines and dogs. I owned a choc bitch who had the ring of white hairs - actually, the base of the hairs are white in the rings I've seen - the tips were colored - who when bred to a yellow had a black litter, several of these black pups had the same white ring when they were adults. So not only is it not exclusive to chocolates in my experience, it isn't indicative of a good coat; neither this bitch nor her offspring had a good, proper Labrador coat - as compared to the coat conformation dogs have. Their coats were field dog coats - slick, short, and not enough undercoat as compared to conformation dogs with good coats.

These weren't the only dogs I've seen the white ring on; I think the good coat theory is just an old wives tale. Maybe it was concocted to allay embarrassment when people saw it and commented on it. Just like what my grandad used to say - "If the dog's roof of it's mouth is black, it's a purebred." An old wives "tail", I should say.

In my chocolates that I own. My Cy bitch does not have the white ring. The chocolates that i kept from her are all pure for chocolate, Have the ring and all have good coats.

So i guess its just something that we tell our selves that is a good indication of something great when we have high expectations???

I agree. I had a black field dog with a slick coat that had this ring. It's something that's said to make you feel better.