Saturday, June 2, 2012

Think Carefully Before Choosing White Labradors

By Mari Orr


The Labrador is one of the most popular breeds as they are known to be excellent working dogs and make fantastic family pets. The natural colors of this breed are yellow, chocolate and black. These colors are the ones recognized around the world by kennel clubs and breeders associations. The bright white Labradors which have recently become popular are unlikely to be pure bred.

Yellow or sandy colored Labs can often have very pale coats which makes them look almost white. Puppies particularly look lighter than older dogs as their soft fur reflects the light differently than their mature coat. As the pup ages its fur will appear to darken and look more creamy or sandy.

Pups which are offered for sale as silver or polar bear might have been bred with a true white breed like a German Shepherd. This means they are not pure Labrador and might not have the temperament you expect. Alternately the color might have been achieved by inbreeding light coated dogs which is likely to result in genetic defects. Inbreeding is not recommended for any breed because of this problem.

The most important factors when choosing a pup are its temperament and health. Choosing a puppy simply because it looks cute or unusual could mean your pup has genetic problems which may develop later in life. Costly vet bills may lie ahead as the dog matures.

If you are thinking of buying a Labrador pup you should make sure the breeder is reputable and has healthy dogs and pups. The breed is prone to Hip Dysplasia so the sire and dam should have been hip scored. A good breeder will try to breed as close to HD free as possible.

While white Labradors may look very sweet and unusual, the breeding must be considered. Both health and temperament could be compromised simply to get the color right. A good breeder will take into account the health and nature of both dam and sire as well as the color to produce loving healthy pups.




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