Labrador Retriever Forum
a friend of mine has a litter of puppies. (black and yellow) she told me there was a chocolate girl there, and knowing the pedigree i said, no way! I asked her to look at pigment...she said the nose is black, but she said the feet are brown. looking at a picture, the puppy definitely has a brown cast to it, and definitely looks brown next to it's litter mates.....anyone ever have this? Not sure what to think..... any thoughts, suggestions?
Yes - it's just a brownish undercoat. When the topcoat comes in, the puppy will be black. Not uncommon at all.
I had a black puppy that had a brown cast to him for a long time. His puppy coat's undercoat was very brown. His dad carried the brindle gene. When he grew up and got his adult coat in, he was black all the way through. I've seen mousy grey pups now and then that were due to environmental/nutritional factors. I am not sure the brown cast is due to that, but if there is no chocolate, he should blacken up as an adult. Just curious, do the yellows have black pigment coming in yet? How old are they?
5 weeks Friday. The yellow has his pigment.
Blacks can come in all shades of black and as said, it could be undercoat. Also, it could be mismarkings. You should be able to tell in the weeks or months to come.
If DNA for color has not been done on your girl or the stud dog, don't be sure 8 or more generations back there wasn't a chocolate in one of the pedigrees. Highly unlikely but some breeders today are surprised with 3 color litters when they don't expect them. It happened to me once a couple of decades ago. All had proper pigment and I had lots of fun with a whelping box full of all 3 colors. The 3 chocolates were totally different shades of lighter and very dark chocolate. 2 appeared black until totally dry. 1 was lighter, the last born. That's when I was positive Ihad chocolates besides 4 yellows and 3 blacks. I was expecting all blacks so even the yellows were a big surprise.
Give it a couple of weeks and you should know if the pup is black. Rub the coat against the grain with your thumb to see possible lighter than darker undercoat. It might be wooly, a sign of a good coat to come and I don't mean the fluffy coat gene.
If DNA for color has not been done on your girl or the stud dog, don't be sure 8 or more generations back there wasn't a chocolate in one of the pedigrees. Highly unlikely but some breeders today are surprised with 3 color litters when they don't expect them. It happened to me once a couple of decades ago. All had proper pigment and I had lots of fun with a whelping box full of all 3 colors. The 3 chocolates were totally different shades of lighter and very dark chocolate. 2 appeared black until totally dry. 1 was lighter, the last born. That's when I was positive Ihad chocolates besides 4 yellows and 3 blacks. I was expecting all blacks so even the yellows were a big surprise.
Give it a couple of weeks and you should know if the pup is black. Rub the coat against the grain with your thumb to see possible lighter than darker undercoat. It might be wooly, a sign of a good coat to come and I don't mean the fluffy coat gene.
I've bred chocolates, so I know that it can hide in pedigrees, but it has a black nose according to my friend, and chocolates can't have black pigment. it's definitely looks chocolate from the photo. Has to be something else considering the black nose.....
thanks for your response....and DNA has been done, not that that can't be wrong, lol!@
Undercoat would be showing more on the body and other areas, definitely not the feet. Jmho though.
If DNA for color has not been done on your girl or the stud dog, don't be sure 8 or more generations back there wasn't a chocolate in one of the pedigrees. Highly unlikely but some breeders today are surprised with 3 color litters when they don't expect them. It happened to me once a couple of decades ago. All had proper pigment and I had lots of fun with a whelping box full of all 3 colors. The 3 chocolates were totally different shades of lighter and very dark chocolate. 2 appeared black until totally dry. 1 was lighter, the last born. That's when I was positive Ihad chocolates besides 4 yellows and 3 blacks. I was expecting all blacks so even the yellows were a big surprise.
Give it a couple of weeks and you should know if the pup is black. Rub the coat against the grain with your thumb to see possible lighter than darker undercoat. It might be wooly, a sign of a good coat to come and I don't mean the fluffy coat gene.
I've bred chocolates, so I know that it can hide in pedigrees, but it has a black nose according to my friend, and chocolates can't have black pigment. it's definitely looks chocolate from the photo. Has to be something else considering the black nose.....
thanks for your response....and DNA has been done, not that that can't be wrong, lol!@
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If you feel the black nose is extremely indicative that she isn't chocolate then it might be a pup with heavy chocolate or brindle mismarks. The more time that goes by the better the chance of knowing exactly what it really is.
Can you let us know at around 8 weeks how her coloration is coming along please? Best of luck to your friend.
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If you feel the black nose is extremely indicative that she isn't chocolate then it might be a pup with heavy chocolate or brindle mismarks. The more time that goes by the better the chance of knowing exactly what it really is.
Can you let us know at around 8 weeks how her coloration is coming along please? Best of luck to your friend.
They can be black and tan as well as brindle on the mismarks. Not sure what would account for the brown foot pads, but that could darken with age. Are the browner areas on the legs, chest, under the tail and dots above the eyes like that of Gordon Setter? I wish you could post a picture.
Ask your friend what color the nose was at whelping. New born chocolates have noses that almost look magenta.
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If you feel the black nose is extremely indicative that she isn't chocolate then it might be a pup with heavy chocolate or brindle mismarks. The more time that goes by the better the chance of knowing exactly what it really is.
Can you let us know at around 8 weeks how her coloration is coming along please? Best of luck to your friend.
They can be black and tan as well as brindle on the mismarks. Not sure what would account for the brown foot pads, but that could darken with age. Are the browner areas on the legs, chest, under the tail and dots above the eyes like that of Gordon Setter? I wish you could post a picture.
can't post photos at this point. the puppy looks BROWN. No splashing or black and tan....
I had a dark yellow like this and he lightened up as he aged with saddling.
