There has been so much talk about the silver/champagne labs, that for my money they look like wimes and need DNA testing to tell me different. That being said, I am showing a VERY light cream out of LONG line breeding, and been doing this 40+ years and a judge of over 30. Someone made the comment to me that my bitch might fall into that "fancy" new lab color or dilute. WHAT? I have not been following the controversy, as when I look on the internet those all look like wimes. We have to remember the greats of long ago. Some were very dark yellows, some were very light. I guess the next thing we will have to do is wear their DNA profile around our necks. Just kidding. We need to follow pedigrees for generations, if one comes out light cream or fox red, we still know "who's your daddy".
It is unfortunate that good labs have been sold and are dragged into this fray, but I thought 20+ years ago, AKC determined that the DNA of the "silvers" were part Wimes. Was that not the determination?
I was never fond of too light nor too dark yellow, but a good lab is a good lab. Excuse me, gooseberry eyes, I don't think so.
What are others perspective on this and how do you determine who is what.

I've seen many light cream yellows over the years in the breed. I would never assume that because of the shade of yellow that it must be a dilute. The dilute gene appears only to influence pigment/dark coats. I have seen yellow dilutes with dark noses and if you just went by coat color alone, you can't tell. The effect of the dilute gene is not on the yellow coat but the black pigment in which turns it blue. On a yellow this is the only way to tell. If the yellow does not have black pigment and is liver pigmented, there is a slight silver cast, but it does depend on how the dark the liver shade is.

The only thing we can do is be very diligent about who we let use our dogs. It's easy to find out these days with the advancement of technology and social media. If you are uncertain of a pedigree or breeder, request a DNA test to determine if that dog carries the "d" allele or not.

As for the AKC DNA testing in the late 1980s, they only tested to prove parentage. The cross had taken place a generation or two prior and therefore, if the breeder was smart, he would know the parents of the pups tested and put forth the correct dogs to be tested. There was one breeder at the time whose dogs did not pass. DNA tests cannot detect what breed a dog is, especially back then. And back then we did not have the color allele tests that we have now. The AKC is obligated to register puppies out of two registered parents and since DNA proved parentage, they continued to register them. This was around the time that AKC removed the "other" selection on the registration form. Before this, people could register their dilutes as silver. These dogs are technically a chocolate Lab but with the dilute influence (which many didn't realize what was responsible for the color at the time).

That is great information. At least I am not thrown into a pile with those that do not know that a yellow with gorgeous pigment, is still a yellow lab.

Sounds like you were talking to an idiot.

The Dilute controversy is real. It's a real problem. The $$-grubbing breeders focusing on this aberration are doing just about anything to get the pedigrees of the nice studs in order to improve on their badly bred dogs. Unfortunately many have already been duped.

I am not going to do DNA testing on my dogs. I've built a reputation and I know the folks that are in my network of reputable lab folks. I will stick to those folks for buying new dogs or looking for studs.

I would get a little more well versed in the controversy because it will affect all of us. We will have to be careful screening those who inquire about buying a puppy. More rigorous reference checks to make sure they aren't a dilute person pulling a scan. More detailed checks when we field stud dog inquiries.

The shading of yellows are so special. If you get the sun just right on a medium yellow the late afternoon light can result in a glorious picture of Golden delight.

I love the "Rare" Golden Labradors. Yellows are so easy to photograph and why they result in such great pictures. Even the new Badge on the forum the Yellow shines over the Black and chocolate.

As far as the very light yellows looking almost white the history of the breed shows many have excelled over the years.

Yes the eyes of the Silver Labradors is a big turn off. Don't need any DNA testing for such an obvious give away.

Rare what? There is no "Golden" Labrador!

OP don't worry. Those champagnes as they call them are yellows with Dudley noses aka NBP as they carry chocolate or dilute genes probably both. They have light eye color, blue usually. So their champagnes are similar to a puppy from a normal litter with NBP but has different genetics and light eyes. I am sure your girl has decent pigment. I wouldn't worry what someone that isn't educated has to say. If that were the case, every yellow at a show except the shade of fox red would be considered a possible dilute.

Scroll down for an example of their "rare champagnes" .

http://silverplatedlabs.weebly.com/available-puppies.html

A-Ha .... you missed my sense of humor.

I guess so. No 'LOL' or Much is lost on the internet, texting and email including voice inflection.

50 shades of Yellow???