Red Labs

[Dan Newcombe]

Just a curious question - why are they 'Fox' Red Labs rather than just Red Labs (as they are Black, Yellow and Chocolate).

Don't have any great love for them and not interested in a deep argument about the pros and cons of different colours but all you seem to see at the moment is fox red pup wanted.

Might market our next litter as midnight black or wheat yellow labs?

[Bogtrotter]

The colours "red" or "fox red" are out of standard! The only colours that can be registered according to the breed standard are yellow, black or chocolate/liver. Technically a "fox red" is dark yellow.

[Strathcraig]

Basically they are called that because the breed standard says that yellows can be a variety of shades "through to red fox"

As it happens, most people up here (Scotland) do just refer to them as 'red' and while I'm not fussy about the fascination with that particular colour I will describe a dark dog as 'red' as shorthand to differentiate between them.

[CockerCanuck]

Indeed, I have one. She is a very nice girl although I think that has nothing to do with her colour. On her registration papers from the CKC she is just described as "Yellow". The yellow colour can vary from almost white to a deep almost Irish setter red. I don't think it means anything other than aesthetic appeal. A good dog is never a bad colour.

[Dan Newcombe]

I have a relatively dark yellow lab with probably reddish ears and people down south as always commenting on how close he is to being a foxredlab (deep breath) as though it would differentiate him from a mere yellow.

Only benefit i can see if that i could stud him out a lot more succesfully!

[CockerCanuck]

Unfortunately even though we think our gundogs are simply the result of purely breeding for performance I am afraid if we really look deeply there is a lot of "fashion" going on. Both in terms of appearance and hunting style as tastes change. When I first got into Labs 20+ years ago they yellows seemed to be getting lighter and lighter coloured. I did not like the look and sought the darkest I could find with good hunting breeding. When a lot of real old timers saw my dog they all commented that she was just like a yellow from the old days which leads me to believe 50 years ago the very dark colour was much more common.

[trekmoor]

Labs are black ......end of !

Wullie

[shamykebab]

I can't abide breeders charging large sums for fox red parents or a red litter, more often than not bred for colour rather than working ability. Will they go the way of chocolates? Fashion victim buyers will always make easy targets for these breeders.

My picking up team had become rather depleted by the end of the season so I had to borrow the litter sister of one of mine. The sister is a deep red bitch...how much attention did she get from the guns thanks to her colour!

[Contender]

Red labs or Fox red labs - a victim of their colour I bought a puppy nearly 13 years ago purely because of pedigree but he also happend to be dark yellow (I would't describe him as red or fox red as I don't think he's dark enough) and little did I know that a few year's later the colour became the latest labrador craze.

All my yellow labs would be 'dark yellow' in my opinion except for one which is truly dark and proper 'red' to look at. People have always commenting on his colour and many have wanted to use him and I'm afraid to say that the colour was mentioned as reason number one then working ability and build. If I didn't care, I could have made quite a lot on stud fees but the dog has bad elbows something that runs in that line as well as PRA (that would be from the bitch line) and MRD both of which he tested 'clear' as a puppy.

I've always charged the exact same price for any puppies regardless of colour or sex and the times where I've done PRA carrier x clear matings, I've also charged the exact same for all puppies in the litter - they all have the same value to me and I've happily kept 'carriers' myself just as I would be happy to buy a 'carrier' puppy.

Natasha

[CockerCanuck]

Mine is 8 now so maybe breeders are charging more for them now however when I got her she was from a litter of both black and yellow (all red) pups. They were all the same price. I agree #1 is breeding for performance and find the litter that has the background you are looking for. Then just reach in and pick the colour you like best.

I will give a bit of advice based on personal experience. If you have your heart set on a black pup but the litter is of mixed colours don't take your wife to help pick!