Chocolate Lab – Your Guide To The Chocolate Labrador Retriever
The Chocolate Lab is a friendly, confident and loving dog with great character and huge appeal as a pet. You may have heard rumors that chocolate labs are less intelligent and more prone to health problems than their yellow and black Lab cousins. So we’ll be clearing up a few myths, and finding out if there is more to the chocolate Lab than just fur color!
- Where did chocolate Labs come from?
- Coat color, shades, and easy genetics
- English vs American chocolate Labs
- Traits: What to expect from your chocolate Lab
- Are chocolate Labs stupid?
- Silver vs chocolate Labs
- Finding Chocolate Labrador puppies
- Chocolate Lab training
- Old chocolate Labs
I’ll share my experience of raising and training chocolate Labradors. We’ll look at what you can expect in terms of temperament, behavior, and physical characteristics. And I’ll help you with feeding and training your dog, from puppyhood to old age.
Meet Rachael
This is my chocolate lab Rachael as a puppy. Rachael was a female chocolate retriever from a mixture of American and English Lab lines.
Rachael was a huge source of inspiration for this website, so this is a little tribute to her and a thank you for all she has taught me.
Where do Chocolate Labs come from?
Labrador Retrievers were recognised by the UK Kennel Club in 1903 and by the AKC in 1917. The Labrador breed was developed mainly by a couple of English aristocrats in the 1800s, from dogs they had imported from North America.
Although our early Labrador Retrievers were predominantly black, throughout the history of the breed, chocolate Labrador dogs (sometimes referred to as liver Labradors) have appeared occasionally in litters of puppies.
Way back in the last century, chocolate puppies were sometimes culled at birth! Black Labs were adored, and black was the only color considered respectable for a Labrador.
Fortunately those attitudes are well and truly behind us, and in the last few decades the chocolate Lab has gone from strength to strength.
How is the Chocolate Color Inherited in Labradors?
To understand how brown puppies can be born to two black dogs, we need to take a peep at how coat color is inherited in the Labrador retriever.
The instructions that tell your dog what to look like, and what color to be, come packed in genes. And genes come in pairs. This is true for the gene that determines whether or not the Labrador will be brown (this gene is called b) or black (B). Every Labrador has either two genes for a black coat (BB) or two genes for a brown coat (bb) or one of each (Bb).
The color black in Labradors is dominant. That means that if a Labrador has one gene for the color brown, and one gene for the color black, the dog will be black.
The hidden gene
This is because the black gene switches off the brown one. The brown gene remains hidden, doing nothing in particular, while the black gene takes control of fur color.
The brown gene only gets to be in charge if it is paired with another brown gene. But a black Labrador can sneakily carry a brown gene (Bb) and pass it along to his children. This is how the color brown can remain hidden in generation after generation of black Labradors.
Chocolate Labrador Shades
Unlike our yellow Labradors – which come in a wide range of shades, the color chocolate is pretty consistent in puppyhood. Most chocolate Labs are quite similar in color, though eye color can vary from gold to dark brown.
The color of your adult chocolate Labrador Retriever boy or girl’s coat will, however, vary depending on whether the coat is newly grown after a molt, or is about to shed. As the old hair dies it starts to lose some of its color, and the dead hair is much paler than the glossy dark chestnut-colored coat that will soon appear.
And though some chocolate Labs are darker than others, even when taking the stage of molt into account, variations between individuals are fairly small, with one very contentious exception. The Silver Labrador, which is a variation of the chocolate fur color. We’ll be looking a bit more closely at that below.
When did Chocolate Labs become Popular?
By the 1920s and 30s a few brown or liver Labradors, as they were then called, were making an appearance on the shooting field. But for some years more, brown was not widely acceptable to Labrador enthusiasts. It wasn’t until the 1960s that brown Labs began to really grow in popularity.
The demand for these beautiful dogs came from ordinary home owners and they much preferred the word ‘chocolate’ to describe their companions.
That preference continues today, and we often name our brown Labs after favorite snack bars and chocolate flavored drinks! You can however still register chocolate Labradors as ‘liver’ in color.
Different Types Of Chocolate Lab
As the popularity of Labs began to expand beyond the shooting community that developed the breed, they began to split into two different types. Those dogs mainly bred for show and companionship. And dogs mainly bred for hunting and retrieving.
English Chocolate Lab
English Labs are those bred for Shows. The first chocolate English Show Champion Labrador Retriever was Cookridge Tango in 1964. The 1960s was a turning point in the popularity of the chocolate Lab, but interest grew slowly at first.
Gradually, the public began to demand more chocolate Lab puppies, and breeders began to produce them. Over the next few decades, Chocolate Labradors became increasingly popular both in the show ring and as pets. In the shooting community, where Labradors were expected to do a job of work, the preference for black continued throughout the late 1900s, and into the present day, particularly in the UK.
American Chocolate Lab
American chocolate Labradors were bred to work, and are also known as field Labradors. The chocolate Lab has now become more established in the working community, but they are harder to find. There is a rumour going around that this is because brown Labradors are a bit stupid! We’ll look at that below.
Chocolate Lab Characteristics
The split that occurred between show lines and working lines of Labrador, affected different colors of Labrador in different ways.
The black Lab remained the popular choice of the hunting fraternity, while the popularity of the chocolate Lab took off largely outside of the hunting community. And the traits or characteristics of chocolate Labs reflect their primary role as pets or companion dogs. As a result there are differences not only in temperament, but also in size and shape.
How Big Do Full Grown Chocolate Labs Get?
Show Labradors (English) are more heavily built, somewhat slower, and physically less agile than their field bred counterparts. Some English brown Labs may reach 80 or 90lbs without being fat or overweight. Whereas American chocolate Labs are often lighter.
My Lab Rachael, for example, weighs less than 60lbs. Most males of her build will weigh five or ten pounds more. English chocolate Labs are also more likely to have a chunky Labrador head and thick otter tail. And while some feel that the chunkiness of the skull has been taken too far in show lines, there is no denying the beauty of a classic Labrador head.
Show Labs also have smaller ears and a wider muzzle. A brown Labrador is more likely to be from these show types of bloodline and are therefore more likely to share these general characteristics. But there is more. It isn’t just body shape that is inherited.
Chocolate Lab Temperament
American Labs may have a more intense retrieve drive, or urge to chase and retrieve things than their show bred cousins. They also tend to be not only physically faster and racily built, but more ‘sensitive’ and responsive to training.
Field bred Labs tend to be quite dependent on their handler’s approval. In short, they are desperate to please. Over many generations this biddable quality has been bred into our working Labs alongside their retrieving and hunting prowess. This has given working dogs a rather different temperament from our show stock.
Chocolate Lab Intelligence
In show dogs you may see a more robust temperament. An English chocolate Lab is often less concerned over the little ups and downs of life. It’s all a bit of fun. Nothing is taken too seriously. Many English chocolate Lab owners report that their dogs are especially playful. And I have certainly found that to be the case with Rachael. She adores soft toys and spends hours playing with her Flat Squirrel!
The more serious nature of the American chocolate Lab doesn’t necessarily mean that field bred labs are more clever. However, they may less distractible, more focused and therefore easier to train. This can certainly give the impression of a dog that is pretty smart. These dogs may also be more likely to be black.
The important thing to remember is that these differences in ‘trainability’ if you like to call them that, are minimal. English Labs are still highly intelligent, highly trainable dogs. The differences between field and show might give you the edge in competition. However, they are not going to make any difference to your dog’s basic obedience training, or your pet’s behavior.
They are also becoming increasingly irrelevant as we switch to more modern methods of training which are much better at motivating dogs to engage in the training process. Now let’s find out why working retrievers are not usually brown.
Any color as long as it’s black!
We mentioned earlier that the color black has long been favoured by the working retriever community. Experienced, working gundog enthusiasts are less likely to buy a puppy that is not from working lines, and when they do, they are more likely to choose a black dog. Unsurprisingly this means that most working lines of Labs are predominantly black.
Black is also a great color for a hunting companion. A yellow dog really stands out in the countryside, even in poor light, so even when yellow dogs became more common, they were not so popular with the hunter. Brown dogs are better camouflaged but became more numerous much later and were embraced first by the pet and show communities.
Are Chocolate Labs Stupid?
To my knowledge, no study has ever been carried out on the differing intellectual abilities of Labrador of different colors. Everything you hear is based on personal anecdotal stories, often passed along in fun. At least to begin with! I found my own female chocolate Labrador from mixed lines to be a lot more ‘playful’ and interested in other dogs, than my working bred Labradors generally are.
She had very intense retrieve drive, but was less naturally keen to share the outcome with anyone. She was also easily distracted and because of this she took me a little longer to train than my working line Labs. I’ve heard others report the same observations. But it is most unlikely that there is any distinct difference in intelligence between dogs of the same breed that happen to be a different color.
Being chocolate does not make a dog stupid
Even if there were a difference in learning ability between different colored dogs, it does not mean that one caused the other. The answer lies in the behavior and temperament of dogs from different bloodlines.
Fashion
The difference in trainability is in short a feature of the difference between the field bred dog and the show bred dog. Not a feature of the color of the dog. And choice of color was originally down to fashion.
Ulitmately it is a coincidence that many chocolate Labradors are English in type, and many black Labs are American in type. Because of this coincidence the characteristics of the show bred Lab tend to be attributed to our brown friends. While the characteristics of the field bred Lab tend to be attributed to our black dogs.
So you can see how the myth got started. The fact is, that chocolate Labs from working lines are just as easy to train as black Labs from working lines. But you are less likely to meet a chocolate Lab from working lines at the moment.
Rest assured, your chocolate friend is not stupid. With modern training methods you can easily teach them to be a well behaved and obedient dog.
Silver Labs Are Chocolate Labs
Silver Labradors have a gene which dilutes the color chocolate and makes it a pale, silvery shade. Some people find this very attractive, while others regard it as an abomination. How the coat dilution gene got into our Labrador Retrievers is a matter for debate. Many believe that this gene has appeared quite recently.
One theory is that the gene arrived through cross breeding a Labrador with a dog that carries the dilute coat color gene. A breed such as the Weimaraner for example. Another explanation is that the gene causing the silver coat was some kind of genetic ‘accident’ or mutation. This seems rather less likely. The AKC is currently willing to register silver Labs, despite the dispute over their ancestry, but they can only be registered as ‘chocolate’. Not as silver itself.
A bright Future for the Chocolate Lab
Throughout history, there have been a number of famous black Labradors, and we tend to associate yellow Labs with the all important role of working as assistance dogs. Bill Clinton’s chocolate Labrador Buddy was famous simply for being the president’s dog, but it is harder to find examples of chocolate Labradors who have distinguished themselves.
This is not because chocolate Lab dogs lack the qualities or abilities of black and yellow dogs, but simply because the popularity of the color is a relatively recent phenomenon. There are as we speak, plenty of chocolate Labradors serving in the military, working as assistance dogs and in the shooting field. Their story has only just begun, and as time goes on, we’ll be hearing more of their exploits.
How to Find A Chocolate Lab
There are two main ways of bringing a chocolate Labrador retriever into your life. And many people will tell you that the very best way, is to rescue a dog from a shelter or dog’s home. The other way, is to buy a chocolate Lab puppy and raise them yourself. If you want to go the puppy route, then you’ll find my book Choosing The Perfect Puppy(paid link) a helpful guide. There are pros and cons to both rescuing an older dog and raising your own puppy, I go into these in some detail in The Labrador Handbook(paid link).
(paid link)
It may well depend on what stage of life your family is at and on how experienced you are with dogs in general, and with Labradors in particular. If rescuing appeals to you, and you are ready for the challenges and the many benefits of giving a dog a new lease of life, there are plenty of rescue societies that specialise in Labradors.
Rescuing a Chocolate Labrador
The first step is to make contact with your local Labrador Rescue. Most rescues don’t rehome dogs outside their own ‘catchment area’. Rescuing can be a wonderful and fulfilling way of bringing a lovely brown retriever into your life, so do consider it thoroughly. You can find lots more information here: Labrador Rescue and Rehoming and here Bringing Home A Rescue Dog.
If now is not the right time for you to rescue an older dog. Or if you are getting a Labrador for a special purpose – as a hunting companion for example – you may be better off with a new puppy.
Buying a Chocolate Lab Puppy
Chocolate Labrador puppies are ready to go to their permanent homes at around eight weeks old. If someone wants to sell you a puppy much younger than that, alarm bells should be ringing. You also need to make sure you buy your puppy from the right place.
This means choosing the right breeder. And avoiding puppy mills and pet stores. If you want a puppy for hunting, you need to go to a breeder that specialises in field-bred dogs. If you want to get involved in the world of showing, go to a breeder that breeds Labradors for the show ring. It is possible to train a show dog for work, though he or she is unlikely to get far in high level competitions. But it is not normally possible to succeed in the show ring with a field bred dog. Their body shape and structure is too different. Keep this in mind.
Chocolate Labrador Puppy Health
Labradors of all colors suffer from inherited disorders. Do make sure your puppy is from health tested parents. Their parents should have good hip scores, good elbow scores, clear eye tests and be PRA clear too.
If your puppy’s parents are in good health, you increase the odds for your puppy.
Are Chocolate Labs Less Healthy?
In 2018 a study hit the headlines hard, and had a lot of chocolate Lab owners in a panic. Their research suggested that there is a link between Lab color and not just health, but lifespan too. Over 33,000 Labs were studied, with 23.8% of them chocolate. Giving a good sample size.
Chocolate Labs in the study were more likely to have dermatitis, which matches with some anecdotal reports from owners of silver Labs with skin problems.
Ear problems are also more common, and this is in fact something Rachael suffered with. Gastrointestinal issues were more common with chocolate Labradors too.
Chocolate Labradors live on average for just 10.7 years, where yellow and black Labs come out at 12.1 years. Interestingly, they were least likely to have degenerative joint disease or dental problems.
Avoiding Health Problems in Chocolate Labs
Health testing is important for any puppy buyer. But it is also important to look at the coefficient of inbreeding. Chocolate Labs get their color from a recessive gene. This means that to ensure you have a litter of chocolate puppies you need to breed from two chocolate parents. This limits your options further than the average breeder who isn’t interested in the color of their puppies. Reducing gene pools will tend to increase health problems.
Finding a puppy with a very low coefficient of inbreeding will help you to avoid some of these problems. In addition to health testing, it would also be sensible to avoid a chocolate Lab puppy with parents that have a history of ear or skin problems.
You can find out more about health issues in Labradors in this article: Health screening for Labrador Diseases. And there is lots of information on finding a good breeder here: Labrador breeders – how to find a good one
Training and Exercising your Chocolate Labrador
My advice for training your chocolate Labrador is to follow a good positive reinforcement training program. Make sure you exercise your dog’s mind as well as their body. Even if you never intend to take them hunting, every Lab needs a job to do, this can be as simple as finding toys and carrying out simple retrieves.
Training is important but its also fun. If your dog is from show lines, they too will need training and plenty of exercise, but they may also need plenty of play. Toys and games, and other dogs to interact with.
(paid link)Training my Chocolate Lab
Even as an old dog, Rachael still loved to play with other dogs and with people. She was hugely enthusiastic about meeting people (and dogs) and prone to be a little over-friendly.
I therefore had to spend a bit more time ‘proofing’ basic obedience than I would with one of my yellow or black American Labs. And I had to make a special effort to ensure that she is not allowed to interact with visitors until she was sitting calmly. You may find you have to do the same with your dog.
On the plus side, I had to spend less time socializing Rachael than I would have with a field bred lab. As she took everything in her stride.
Caring for an old Chocolate Lab
Elderly chocolate Labradors are particularly beautiful, with their greying muzzles and kind eyes. As the years pass by, we leave behind one set of challenges and they are replaced by new ones. Failing eyesight, stiff joints, and declining hearing. However, these senior years can still be happy and fun filled for many dogs, especially if you keep your dog slim.
If your chocolate friend is heavily built as many chocolates are, you need to be extra careful to keep an eye on his weight as he ages. More weight means more stress and strain on joints, this can aggravate problems like arthritis.
Keep walking your senior dog for as long as they are enjoying their daily exercise. Of course, you will want to make your old friend as comfortable as you can, so go ahead and indulge them with cosy blankets, a nice orthopaedic mattress or a special place on your sofa.
I’d love to hear about your own chocolate Lab, so do drop your story in the comments box below. Tell us what is so special about your chocolate Labrador and why you think they are the best.
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We lost our Chocolate Lab Louie three days ago. He was diagnosed with Lymphoma ten days before Christmas and then we had eight lovely weeks, making his life and ours wonderful. We only had him eight months as he was a rescue. He was 12 years 1 month old. What an eight months that was. Last summer we travelled all over Southern England in our motorhome and he had a ball. He walked for miles, on beaches, on piers, in woods. Everyone wanted to say hello. He had a magnificent coat. When we got him last May, he was overweight, his nails were all over the place and his coat was dull and smelly. We sorted all that out and he was just beautiful. He passed away on his bed in full sunshine, with me holding his face and whispering sweet nothings to him. He took that, as he took everything, in his stride. We rescue old dogs, so we know what we are getting into. He was our seventh. It doesn’t get any easier saying goodbye, but we have learned to make the most of every day, as they do. Run free Louie, you have joined our much loved pack, and one day our next dog will join you and you will know how much that dog was loved too.
Sorry for your loss Linzi, you did a very kind thing giving an old dog another chance and some happy times.
Hello my name is Roland from Edmonton Alberta Canada. My buddy Kokanee passed away 3yrs ago and I miss him so much. He was with me all the time home and work.He always greeted my customers and there children with that big whipping tail.he would tolerate kids pulling his tail and a good guard as he knew some bad people and he let me know. I’m now ready for another chocolate Lab only this time a female.Kokanee was 16yrs old when he passed away and we many great years together What a great site to share ROLAND
Edited to remove contact details
good morning
I have enjoyed reading your page, I have just purchased my 7th Labrador but 2nd chocolate lab don’t be alarmed by the amount I have had as I used to walk puppies for the guide dog association which is what got me in to Labradors.
I lost my beloved chocolate Labrador Tia 2 years ago and although I have a rescue lurcher had longed for a chocolate lab, her name is violet and she is adorable and the information on your page will definitely help me bringing her up in a good and calm environment, I am reading a lot as Tia was 11 when she passed so I have to learn about puppy care again. I have had 4 yellows one of which I kept until he passed at 12 years old, 1 black, and a chocolate, and now another chocolate.
Thanks Kerry 🙂
Our Chocolate Lab Henry is the love of my life and extremely intelligent. He retrieves the newspaper every morning, rings a bell on the doorknob to go out and of course all of the usual commands of sit, stay, lay, shake and speak. We walk him off the leash and even if he runs ahead, he will stop and sit at the corner, sit down and wait until we catch up. He looks up at us with those beautiful gold eyes and waits for us to say”okay” and then follows us across the street. If we do not say “okay” but cross the street, he will stay there sitting until we give him the go ahead. He loves to be cradled in our arms on his back like a baby (he is 2 and 62 pounds). He is the most affectionate and lovable dog I have ever owned. His coat feels like velvet and he is the most beautiful shade of chocolate. He is a great watch dog and does not let anyone he does not know pet him. Sometimes people will ask me if they can pet him but when they reach out to do do he does a little “duck and dodge” in order to escape their touch. Once he gets to know you though he will be your buddy forever!
Loved this article. We also have your book The Labrador Handbook.
We have two chocolate Labradors both rescue dogs. Gwen 4 and Ollie 21months. They both have challenges hence their rescue status. Having previously had A black lab I find our current choc labs more playful and their concentration span appears to be far shorter. This may be pure coincidence but training has taken a lot longer. But we love them very much
Glad you like the article Rhian and hope you enjoy your book. 🙂
This article has me convinced! We have the option of a chocolate girl from a friend’s litter and we have ummed and ahhed since the day they were born as we ideally wanted a black lab. My heart has been saying go for it, and this site has convinced my head to follow suit! Thanks so much. I will check back in once we bring our new puppy home to let you know how it goes!
Good luck with your new puppy Kate. 🙂
I Have a 1 year old Chocolate lab who’s name is Jake from state farm and Yes he does wear kaki’s he is so hand some and a hand full was curios on how much food a day he should have? he is 1 year old and about 85lbs every website I see tells me some thing different !!!! can some body please HELP ME????
Here you go Jeffrey https://www.thelabradorsite.com/how-to-feed-a-labrador/
My chocolate lab is the best. She is my best friend and goes everywhere with me. No matter where we go everyone always wants to pet her, and they always tell me how great of a dog I have. She wins over everyone’s hearts. She may be older but she’s still a puppy at heart. I love her as if she was my child. I even tell people she is my daughter and people laugh but I am serious. Dogs just make me smile no matter what.
I had an English working chocolate. She was a cracking dog and shocked everyone in the UK by winning her first novice test at 11 months. However reading your notes regarding colour I am not convinced she was purebred. By all means her five generation pedigree was all Labrador but her coat was very slightly darker than our other (English/show) chocolate, her head was narrower and not the classic t-shape (she had a domed head) but the real giveaway was her coat texture, it was slightly wiry. For this reason I suspect there may have been some Chesapeake thrown in the mix many generations ago. She was a great dog though.
My chocolate Lab Buster passed away 5 months ago and my heart is still broken, he was the most amazing, loyal, best friend anyone could wish for and the day he went is one of the worst days of my life. He was a week short of his 10th birthday and he went to early and I miss him so much. He gave my family and I countless hours of fun and we wish he was still in our lives now. His temperament was amazing and would want to play all day and offer so many cuddles. Miss you Buster and I would love to take you for another long walk one day.
Lee, I can truly relate to your pain. My chocolate boy Jerry (Garcia) was the best friend I’ve ever had. At one dark point in my life, he literally saved my life. Any time I cried, Jerry would come and cozy up to me and lick my face. I have so many fun stories about him…he was such a smart, fun, goofy boy who loved to “work” and to love and be loved, and to chase his flyer, and to eat! He was always a healthy weight, but I swear he was always looking for food. His grandfather was a drug dog for the Atlanta P.D., and I think his extraordinary ability to find hidden toys and tiny bits of food were due to this inheritance. I would’ve laid down my life for his and he for me. Oh my gosh I could go on and on…forgive me. We had to let him take his final rest last September (2014). It was the first real grief I’ve had. I still cry sometimes, and I think of him every day. But mostly nowadays my husband and I remember all of the fun we had with him. I will be thinking of you, and hope that your pain is usurped by great memories. Cry all you need to…let yourself feel all the feelings, and know that you are in good company with a whole bunch of chocolate lovers! Chocos rule!!
Labs rock the universe! Have Lizzy, who’s a 16 year old black lab and Sophie, who is 7 year old chocolate girl. To this day they are so lovable,caring girls that truly enjoy bringing others into their world!
I loved your article and your photographs. Our beautiful chocolate lab lived until he was 14 years, 9 months. He was a field dog and we did just as you suggested: we exercised his mind and his body and thus, his soul was happy. He was a strong dog physically, but it was his emotional intelligence that blew us all away. He was my constant and trusted companion when my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He accompanied her into the radiation treatment – she placed her hand on his head while she had radiation on her brain. He was there throughout her journey and cuddled her when she took her last breath. He was then a keen therapy dog. He was self-empowered to heal and support people. When my mother passed on I felt he was too focused on people and so I entered him into doggy daycare. He went there 5 days a week. He was the biggest goofball after that. He loved all dogs and was a known ‘charmer’. He would sing – yes, sing, to the female dogs he liked. At the age of 11 I packed he and all of my belongings up and together we relocated to Australia from Canada. He made the journey without missing a beat. I knew no one, but felt right at home, with him by my side. I found another doggy daycare and he thrived being with the puppies. He was mentally sharp until the day he passed. His arthritis did slow him down, he practiced his sitting at the park and watched the other dogs play. He loved it when they came to greet him. He died in my arms, with butterflies swooning him. He was ever the angel in my life. My best friend. If I could only find a man who was like him. Ha ha (I did and my dog approved of him). After nearly two years, I am ready for another dog, and so is my husband. We will seek out another chocolate lab. They are my tribe. I love this site and bless all creatures, but my heart belongs to labs.
Hello I’ve just discovered your helpful site. I am looking to buy a chocolate puppy to bring home mid March. We’ve previously owned a golden retriever and a black lab. We want a girl and she will be a family pet so needs to be used to children. I will be following your site and any hints re local ( ish ) breeders would be welcome. Thank you
I’ve just discovered your site. I’m looking to buy a chocolate puppy to bring home mid March. We want a girl. We previously owned a golden retriever and a black lab. She will be a family pet so needs to be used to children. We live in Essex so any tips on breeders known to you would be welcome
I’ve always had lab mixes but have also had the pleasure of a chocolate and a yellow. The yellow is soon to be 15 and happily roaming the fields with my former spouse. I am about to welcome a female chocolate to my family in the new year. I have never owned a female so choosing a name is going to be a fun adventure.
We have had Labs for 15 yrs now, always Black…we lost our first back in Sept 2011, my husband then decided he wanted a ‘brown’ one! Having never been a Chocolate fan, I wasnt up for it, till I saw the advert for Chocolate puppies, Has it was for Hubbies 50th, I told him he could chose, but gave him a few tips! Male, and not the one you feel sorry for…..Hubby then chose Tyler, he was huge! 6 weeks and beautiful, we have had Tyler 3.5 yrs now and even though he has been hard work, we wouldnt be without him, he has such a character and is still huge! Our boys now are inseperable, Benson 10.5 yrs, Jovi, 6 yrs and 3.5 yr old Tyler, A very happy combination…….we love them to bits ….
Hi Guys
We have a most beautiful Chocolate Labrador named “Cassie”, she is eight now and she was born in British Columbia Canada, and she was flown home to the UK with us when she was 2/12. She is from champion Field stock, and has been the most precious thing that we have ever owned. So easy to train right from the start, she loves the snow, and the rain, but doesn’t do too well in the heat unless she can stay wet !!
We now live in Bournemouth where she is able to enjoy all of her favourite pastimes, like swimming, and running in the woods. Not sure what the future holds for her though as she was diagnosed with Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy last week so the next few months or years may be very different for her. Her parents were healthy as far as we were told, she has a good pedigree. I cannot say how much she has enhanced our lives, she is the most obedient, clever, intuitive, lovable dog that we have ever owned, who is the life and soul of our bones. Everybody needs to own a Labrador sometime in their lives especially a Chocolate named Cassie !!
We currently have 3 Labs- 1 yellow, 1 black, and 1 chocolate. We have had 2 yellows in the past.
All are wonderful dogs. The black is neutral in behavior, not hyper nor too mellow. Every yellow we have had are/were just big, lovable fuzz balls.
BUT, the chocolate male (Rusty) is special. He is the most loyal dog I have ever owned and I have owned many in my 62 years! He is also the sweetest. All Labs love to be with their human family. But Rusty’s mission in life is to be with my wife and me. He’s just the perfect dog.
Rusty, the chocolate, is smaller than the black and yellow(s). I suppose this is common.
Thank God for Labradors!!
I have a chocolate Lab named Buckster Brown. He is now 1 1/2 years old, and the love of my life. I have owned two black labs previously but none compare to this chocolate boy. He has just stolen my heart! I can’t express how smart he is and everyday getting smarter. I have no experience in training a dog and I have managed to teach him so much. He knows many simply commands such as sit, stay, come, roll over, etc. He can also cover his eyes to play peek a boo which is my favorite. He can open cabinets, doors and the refrigerator. Told you he was smart, but none of these things compare to his beautiful nature. He is a bundle of love that never stops giving, and he works so hard to please me. He has truly won me over and I can’t imagine life without him! Everyone should own a chocolate charmer sometime in their lives.
We are owned heart and soul by a 16 yr old Chocolate need Glory. She is the smartest and most focused animal I have ever seen. She now has adrenal gland cancer but is bravely hanging in there. She is irreplaceable. If she had been born with thumbs…she could have ruled the world!
Hi! Our choccy boy is called Cooper and he’s 7 months old and completely crackers! Hes obsessed with his dads shoes (the chewing of them anyway!) but will do almost anything for a treat. Im hoping that will help with his recall training coz right now making new friends, following his cat brother Bayley around and exploring are FAR more interesting than coming back when mum calls! Gonna have to invest in a whistle! Great article by the way ?
My Betsy is a chocolate and she is a beauty! Betsy will be 7 in 4 months! Betsy is an athlete if she had thumbs she would be an outfielder. Betsy is the best dog. She is so lovey. A 70 lb lap dog! Betsy has a lot of heart!
We just got out 2nd Chocolate labs today if she is half as good as her sister dog that is 2years old she will be a great dog, we do dock diving with her and hunting she is a Field trail American Lab and a great dog
We have a chocolate lab called William, we have had a black lab and a yellow one, we have loved them all dearly, William…with his rich dark colour, His beautiful, kind, friendly, soft face, his gentle nature and ways, just makes my heat burst with love for him.
i have a 3yr old chocolate named tilly also a black named mizzie she is nearly 4 tilly is from show and is gorgeous so is mizzie gorgeous i love them to bits they are my baby girls but tilly is so funny she needs her tennis ball whereever she goes she took a bit longer to train but is gorgeous
I got my first chocolate Labrador 5 years ago and I adore him! Max is very affectionate, brilliant with my two year old and has such a lovely temperament. Every night he follows the last person up to bed and sleeps on a very expensive bed spread on the floor. My nights sleep wouldn’t be compete without hearing max snore or having one of his dreams. I can not imagine my life without him.
We have a wonderful chocolate lab called Rusty. He is 11 years old and is well apart from a fat lump on his chest. We have cut his food but it is growing all the time. The vet says it is benign. It is now very big and we are thinking of asking the vet to surgically remove the lump which they have told us is not a problem. Has anyone had this surgery undertaken?
Hi Ronny, I have had several fatty lumps removed from my elderly spaniel. It is a straightforward op and he should recover quite quickly. Good luck, Pippa
I have a four year old choc named Bisto, I had never thought of getting a choc till Bisto and his siblings were born! I went to choose him when the litter was 4 weeks old and I was smitten ~ I wanted them all! Yes Bisto is VERY easily distracted, EXTREMELY friendly and a little bit daft, but on the whole I have NEVER known a more laid back dog than Bisto! Once Chocolate, always Chocolate is my thoughts now!
We originally got my first chocolate lab as a companion to my very smart, semi hyper and needy yellow. I swear to this day, that my yellow trained him for me. But, his disposition and demeanor have sold me on chocolates forever. Mousse is the most kind, gentle and sweetest dog I have ever owned. Never an chewer and mellow from the get go. He is six now and we lost or yellow this summer. Soon, we will be on the hunt for another chocolate for Mousse to train.
Hi, I just got an 8 week old chocolate lab and he has been with us for 3 weeks now. He is doing really well. He can already do the basic commands sit, lay down, paw, roll over and up. We are working on come and wait which is doing great. The only concern we have is when we come home he doesn’t get excited to see us, but if other people come over he is really excited to that person and he doesn’t like to sit with us or lay with us. He always goes and lays somewhere else or if we go and sit by him he moves 🙁 Does he not like us? Any suggestions would be great!
I have a 7 year old choccie male Rolo we all love him to bits and he also loves everyone. He is my shadow and is very sensitive to high voices. Sadly today my friend has had to have her 10 ywar old choccie put to sleep so sad. They are oart of our family and so loving….we live in Australia and it was hard to find a choccie back then although more popular now on the beach.
having bred labs for some years of all 3 colours I have had many of these comments directed at me and have given much the same responses. temperament is a mix of genwtics and environment . As my chocolate/liver lines came out of my black and yellow dogs and because I routinely take choc girls to black studs at least every second generation then their genes are much the same as their ancestors of other colours. In mixed litters there is always a ring leader, a very laid back pup an explorer etc and I have never seen one colour dominant any of these temperaments. I currently have a lab of each colour all have the general lab traits of playfullness, intelligence and curiosity and live and all are different….could I choose one over another? no way
Hello, what an excellent article and a very interesting read!! I can categorically state my chocolate lab is the best money I ever spent!! At 8 weeks old he was a typical farm raised puppy his show bred mother and working dog dad which means he has a build of a working dog but the looks of show dog but then I am biased! We couldn’t take him anywhere with out being stopped by people. He is also one of the rare phenomenon or Labradors that isn’t lead by his stomach! He is now 6 years old and has just started to grey on his muzzle!! I couldn’t imagine life without him!! He is my best friend! If any one is looking for a dog get a Labrador you won’t be disappointed!! Xx
I lost my 10 year old chocolate lab to an aggressive cancer in August. I miss him soooo much. He was the sweetest boy. He was handsome, friendly, gentle, goofy, so loving and a great snuggler. He still looked and acted like a puppy at 10 years old. Even at 75 pounds, he thought he was a lap dog. He always slept with me unless I had overnight guests, in which case he would sleep with them in the guest room, just to make them feel welcome and safe. Everyone who met him loved him. I wish I could have cloned him because he was the best dog and without question, my best friend. I am unemployed right now so I can’t afford to buy another chocolate lab yet but I’m checking the rescue websites daily to see if I can find a new chocolate or chocolate mix puppy. He was my first dog and now I’m a lab mom for life! Rest in peace, sweet Fudgie.
Very sorry for your loss Mickey. I hope you find a lovely rescue dog soon.
My 68 lb. chocolate girl gets 2/3 of a cup of Victor dry food with either green beans, carrots, mixed veggies or fish added in twice a day.She was at 76 lbs. getting 1 full cup of food twice a day. If you feed a good brand of food you can decrease the amount but still get all the nutrients your dog needs. Replacing part of the food with veggies keeps them full but they don’t get all the calories. A cup of food is between 300 to 400 calories (on average) while a cup of green beans is about 70. If you give a bunch of treats to your Lab, it will surprise you how many calories you are adding without thinking about it.
I have raised labs for over 20 years and have all three colors black chocolate and yellow. I love them all but if I was only able to have one dog ..God forbid that ever happen .it would be chocolate hands down .I started with a chocolate female and am convinced that with proper breeding and training that labs are the best breed in the world just saying .
I definitely brought my beautiful girl from the right person. My baby is just like one of my children. I love her so much. Shes gentle and affectionate and no matter where I am shes always right bside me. Very clever and such a good girl. I hope she lives for ever. Best money Ive ever spent
HELLO* ive had maNY different breeds but so far I love the chocolate lab best just got my new friend jack, 3 months ago, seems like hes been here forever* we had just lost our german shorthair few months b 4 I was heart broken & hubby too, started looking in shelters but something always happened, so nothing, then outa the blue 1 of my brothers called said he had too get rid of 1 of his tho it wasn’t his legaly yet, long story short, got jack & what a great dog he is. thanks jeff Julie HES AWSUM . god bless ck.
Thank you so much for putting up this article . It was perfect timing. We have just rescued a chocolate lab she is 8 months. She was given up because she was to much to handle. We have had her for 6 weeks , her zest for life is amazing. Yes she is hard work – the joy she brings out weighs that. She wants to make friends with everyone. People though are still biased though. we take her to puppy training. and the trainer is not keen on her at all because she is a chocolate lab. I find that a little sad.
It is sad that your trainer is biased Nicola, hopefully your lovely girl will prove him wrong! 🙂
We have 3 Labs, one of each color. Our 5.5 y/o choco girl, Haely is my current obedience dog. She has earned her AKC CDX, GN and RE titles, her UKC U-CDX, U-RO3 and we are currently training in Utility. She has earned 4 RAE legs so far in Rally. At the recent Lab National at Purina farms, Haely earned a 1st, 3 2nds and a High Combined in Rally. She is a joy to work with.
Well done on your success in obedience with Haely Mike, she sounds great 🙂
Hi. My Dougal, is now ten and half, came from working stock born on the isle of Jura, specifically chosen litter, as owner wanted a change from black dogs on the hill,. He is dyspraxic sadly, so did not expect him to work at all. However after slow and steady training,he goes through any cover willingly, and picks up stuff the spaniels have rushed over, can’t jump but if he tries makes everyone smile. He has achieved intermediary police dog obedience certificate and is a registered pat a pet, visiting our old peoples home regularly, where his tender nature and calm attitude are very much loved.
My chocolate has provided us with 11 years of entertainment. To this day I’m convinced she part kangaroo, or cat as fortunately she seems to have 9 lives. Driven 24 hours a day to please and get rewards she has risen with limited training to the national dog agility podium at such a senior age. Forever my favorite breed
I had an English chocolate lab best dog ever, good with kids very mellow, obedient never had to put him on a leash. He was the neighborhood pet. Everyone loved our Bruin. Bruin passed away in March of 2015, he had a good 13.50 years. We were looking for another dog a smaller one but we keep going back to a chocolate.
What a brilliant informative article. We are going to get a puppy next year so we are doing our homework now as neither of us had a brown lab before. Thanks everyone for leaving there comments x
I have 2 labs one yellow and one chocolate and I love them to pieces. My chocolate lab Gunner is definitely unique and has an amazing personality. He is very friendly but can be disobedient around other dogs and people and hurts my back when walking on a leas. But heyho I adore him. My Lucy lab is my best friend
I am sorry to tell you that the English Kennel Club now allows registration of dilute puppies as
Silver, champagne, etc
I loved your article! My chocolate boy Max passed away 2 months ago he was 13.5 years old and I loved him so much. It still knocks the wind out of me when I see his photos. He was the perfect partner… Miss him so much!! He was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!
Thank you Lisa, so sorry for your loss.
i have two chocolates right now. A two year old female and an 8 month old male. Mannerisms are very similar but they are completely different characters. DJ, the Female, has about 40 tricks up her sleeve and learns fast. The boy, Diesel, has been a bit slower to learn but has a hi drive to please. The two together are better to watch than anything on tv as comedy usually ensues. They are both field trials bred but DJ hate guns and the boy doesn’t mind the noise as long as he gets his duck or ball. Love my dogs, they are both goofy. Can’t imagine my life without them
They sound wonderful Warrwn 🙂
I never wanted a chocolate lab but my best friend got a chocolate puppy and kept telling me about the last one left from the litter, who was now 6 months old. I agreed to visit and instantly fell in love he is 2 now and I can’t imagine my life without him, he is so loving and laid back. He makes me smile every day x
How lovely Carol, thanks for your comment 🙂
Thank you for the informative article…our eight month old chocolate is named Pippa!
She’s been a little celebrity around town.
Glad you liked the article George 🙂
I am very annoyed by people who come up to me when I am walking George, my chocy, and tell me that chocolate labs are stupid and difficult to train.
George is 3 now and I got him as a rescue when he was 17 months old. He had 4 owners before me, no training, he hadn’t even been for a walk, and he had been in a cage 24/7.
In the two years since I got him he has learnt to walk to heal, fetch, come when called, leave it and he is very good at agility and flyball. and reasently he learnt to come to me on my right side then walk round me to my left heel in seconds whereas the other dogs in my training class , a collie and german shepard were totaly at a loss.
Sounds like George is a smart boy! And what a lovely life you have given him 🙂