I do not need to test my dogs, nor will I. I know who I sell semen to PERSONALLY. I know where my dogs came from and the purity of their pedigrees. I think stud owners and puppy sellers need to be more careful about who they sell to.

Great news!! Good for LRC, Inc. finally taking a stand on this.

Yes, we all have rights. We also have a responsibility to be ethical and honest by not selling mutts as purebreds.

As far as the "no one size fits all" statement, a Labrador is a Labrador is a Labrador. If you want a silver dog, get a Weimaraner. If you want a Labrador, get a black, yellow, or chocolate one.

Fine if you don't care, but I do care about my favorite dog and have a right to uphold the integrity of the breed.

I have not seen one silver that looked like a Lab. They are all mixed and if a dumb family want to pay way to much for an ugly mix pup then just let them. And we all have a great list of silver breeders and NO am not testing. I don't have a Wiem in my pedigree, so no wierd colors there. Such a sad sham. Who has made so much of this. Mean nothing to me. Just sad for poor pups and moms. Like those wild Doodle dogs. WILD, have never seen one of those nice and calm. Mixed dogs.

So good, breed the way you feel is ethical and honest, as I do. You can only do what you feel is right. You can only control what you do.

If you read my post about breeders' rights, we all have the same right to breed under the law, but no where do I say we are all the same. We are all different and have different morals and ethics. I do maintain that to the AR Groups all breeders, good, bad and whatever, are all classified as substandard and labeled with their breeder hate slur. You're not going to appease them by trying to explain how good and ethical you are. To them, breeders exploit their dogs for greed, force their dogs to breed, and now the show breeders breed to unnatural standards, inbreed our dogs, bred horrible genetics, etc. There is no educating them. They are convinced that all breeding must stop. They are well-funded and well-organized and know how to get laws passed that hurts all breeders. They know how to divide and conquer. They use proven tactics to get what they want. We need to be aware of these laws and fight them, not each other. We need to acknowledge they are a real threat to us.

I do not believe in breeding dilutes, do not put words in my mouth, however, they do have that right to breed whatever kind of dog they want. The AKC has allowed them, thanks in large part to the LRC, for more than 25 years. That is generation upon generation of crossing with pure Labradors. I don't agree with their rhetoric either about how the color came to be, but that is why I do my part to educate those who inquire about them as to what cause the dilution, where it comes from and the health risks associated with the "dd" coloration. I do my best to screen breeders who want to use my dogs or purchase puppies to make sure my dogs don't end up in their pedigrees. I can only control what I do.

I was brought into this thread and chose to clarify my position.

We certainly do have responsibilities as well as rights. As ethical breeders we have the responsibility to protect the integrity of the breed. Educating dilute breeders is one way to protect the breed. If that means they are offended by the fact that they have mixed breeds, then what of it? We are not causing problems by doing this, we are trying to protect and defend the breed we love. I disagree that we must accept dilutes as one poster stated. Don't let this thread go off topic. It is about having the dilute test done and then submitted to the OFA database in accordance with the LRC position.

This test will have to be done by the Vet and microchip verified by them with a blood test like the old Optigen tests. Maybe they will allow swabs. That was expensive back then! The Vets and testing facilities will be happy.

I don't know how dilute breeders could cheat on this test if it's done properly. The Vet or technician would have to lie.

The lines that are pure DD can be kept pure this way.

You think so? What about the law or rules for a purebred pedigree?

Glad to hear the LRC is moving forward on behalf of the breed.

I was skipping around my backyard with 3 Labs when I heard it A step in the right direction and about time. Thanks Jack.

Not testing mine either as I too know where my lines come from and I tend to stick to the old lines when I breed which sadly is getting harder and harder to find stud dogs for my girls now that so many of those old kennels are gone :{

This seems rather disturbing to me. If I were one of these "old Lines" breeders, I would be rather upset.
"Athena is our beautiful International Champion, UKC Champion and AKC CGC titled girl. Athena has 18 Champions in her 5 generation pedigree backing her including Windfall’s, Hyspire, Beechcroft, Wyntrees, etc. Athena makes an impression on everyone she meets including judges and evaluators and will soon start her training to become a therapy/service dog. Athena has produced a beautiful litter of show prospects when bred to a AKC BISS CH and we look forward to handling her offspring in the ring soon! Athena is a yellow dominant for black and does not carry the dilute gene., She can produce yellow and black puppies only. Athena is OFA Good on Hips, OFA Normal on Elbows, CERF, EIC Clear, CNM Clear, DM Clear, PRA/prcd Clear and K Gene Clear."

http://www.lavishlabs.com/lavishlabs%20our%20dogs%20page3.html (a dilute breeder)

If she doesn't carry the dilute gene as the breeder claims, then the breeder can put her money where her mouth is and send the results to OFA. I find it interesting that with this long list of tests (that I can't verify, since her full name isn't given)there isn't one listed for B or D for any of the dogs on that page. How does breeder know their genotype? Oh, maybe it's clear by looking at the supposedly wonderful pedigree, but of course that isn't given either. Things that make me go 'hmmmm'.

I am 100% sure that the "d" gene is not in the general population of Labs. I know my lines and will not do the test. I spend enough as it is with tests that are important to health. I am careful about the lines I breed into and am not concerned in the least if a dog I breed to is DD. I already know. This test just gives more validity to the dilute breeders.

Breeder82. I absolutely knew that the dilute gene was not present in any of my Labradors, so I can definitely see why you wouldn't want to do the test. Heck, I think all the new tests are aimed at Labradors so we can fund research for other breeds.

However, I don't feel that the test gives credibility to "dilute" breeders. I did the test, listed all my dogs as "clear for the dilute gene - pure for Labrador". This tool will help other breeders keep their stock out of dilute breeder's hands and it sends a strong message to the (as I refer to it) Weim mix community.