Any Choco Lab Owners??

[Cav_Sam_Lab]

Hi
I've decided to get a Chocolate Lab in the future and just wanted to know about care and temperant. Is their temperant different from the other colours? Are choco labs obediant and can they do agility? I know about hip dyslia, but I am confused about the hip score. What does it mean?

[PawNclaws]

Originally Posted by Cav_Sam_Lab

Hi
I've decided to get a Chocolate Lab in the future and just wanted to know about care and temperant. Is their temperant different from the other colours? Are choco labs obediant and can they do agility? I know about hip dyslia, but I am confused about the hip score. What does it mean?

I will start off by saying that I am a proud mommy and human sister to some WONDERFUL Labradors ! I couldn't ask for better ! I could sit and talk all day about Labs lol, but I'll keep this as short as I can. First I wanted to clear up the myths about the colors being different in temperament, etc. This is not true ! 3 Colors- 1 Breed. It's like any other breed , Doxie or what ever, color makes no difference... it's still a Doxie. This goes for the Lab : Black, Yellow OR Chocolate - it's still a Labrador !

I've added a few points along w/ basics, if you want to get a pup through a Breeder.

Don't be fooled into thinking the variations of Yellow are anything but ! There are people who claim these variations are rare ; They are not ! Yellows vary from Light Cream to a deep "Fox" color, known as "Fox Red". Another one to stay away from would be the "Silver" or "Charcoal" breeders. These breeders charge more for a "white" (light cream) then for a different shade, same goes for the Fox Red, Silver or Charcoal. I assure you , you won't find a well bred Lab w/ these breeders- no matter what they try and claim. There is only 1 breeder who has Champions and breeds Silvers. I think she is probably the only one who is trying to breed to better it, but I still think it's wrong.

Temperament : Labs have great temperaments. They get along well with everyone ; human and animal. Quote from the AKC Labrador Standard :

Temperament
True Labrador Retriever temperament is as much a hallmark of the breed as the "otter" tail. The ideal disposition is one of a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal. The Labrador has much that appeals to people; his gentle ways, intelligence and adaptability make him an ideal dog. Aggressiveness towards humans or other animals, or any evidence of shyness in an adult should be severely penalized.

If your going through a breeder , you will want to find a good one !. There are to many Labs being bred, with no regard to their Temperament. Meet the Dam, and possibly, the Sire. Aggression and shyness is not proper Labrador temperament ! If you don't like how the Dam and/or Stud acts, you won't want a pup from them ! If you can't see the stud in person, ask the breeder about him. I see no reason why the breeder wouldn't be able to tell you all the details or show you pictures of the Stud. After all, they should know, if not, how did they know he was right for their Bitch ?

Trainability : Labs are intelligent and eager to please, so they are easily trained. Be aware that they need a job to do each day, so give them something to keep them and their mind, entertained !

Labs *should* be tested for the Following (and these are the bare minimum) :
> Hip Dysplasia - done at 2 Years / usually Prelim'd at 18 months AND 24 Month for Studs
> Elbow Dysplasia - see above for Hips
> Eye distorters - CERF/ACVO cleared at 12 Months , this is done (or should be) Annually
> Optigen (for PRA) - This is a DNA test that is sent in to see if the dog is A) Normal/Clear B) Carrier or C) Affected . I prefer that the Stud AND Bitch be A) Tested (either Normal or Carrier) or B) Normal/Clear by Parentage.

To read more about the OFA, see their website. Also see the AKC Labrador Standard. If you want more information, feel free to ask. Either post here, or PM me.