Silver labs - a concensus?

[Gorsebrook]

Originally Posted by Snowshoe

Ah ha, look what I found in the AKC Labrador standard:

http://www.akc.org/breeds/labrador_retriever/ The "sedge" part is missing. And how "light" is light is not described.

The Woodhaven site specifically states that "sedge" is a colour given to Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, not Labs, but the Woodhaven article seems to deal with only the American lab standard. It also shows a nice photo of a "sedge" Chessie, if anyone would like to take a look: http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/colors.html

It seems in Canada "light sedge" is allowed as one of the chocolate colours. Just as Fox Red is a yellow colour. Now, I'm still wondering, is light sedge the colour that silvers can be registered under in Canada? If you look at the photo of the sedge Chessie it would certainly seem so. Anybody know for sure?

P.S. No wonder they call them silver, instead of light sedge. Just as we say Chocolate instead of the liver that some other breeds use for that brown colour. It's a nicer word with more pleasant connotations. Who the heck knows what sedge is? Sedge is like a grass. In this case I guess a dead grass since it is light brown, not green. Gee, how appealing to say, my labs are the colour of dead grass.

I'm afraid this is a matter of semantics - the CKC breed standard states that there are 3 acceptable colours - black, yellow and chocolate. It does not state that sedge is an accepted colour, only a shade (or degree of colour).
The shading allowed within a specific colour is detailed, so a yellow's shading runs from cream through to a fox red - all are of the colour yellow.
And a chocolate's shading may range from a light sedge to a dark chocolate, all are of the colour chocolate.
Regards

[Snowshoe]

I'm afraid this is a matter of semantics - the CKC breed standard states that there are 3 acceptable colours - black, yellow and chocolate. It does not state that sedge is an accepted colour, only a shade (or degree of colour).
The shading allowed within a specific colour is detailed, so a yellow's shading runs from cream through to a fox red - all are of the colour yellow.
And a chocolate's shading may range from a light sedge to a dark chocolate, all are of the colour chocolate.

Yes, that's my understanding too. You, Gorsebrook, just said it better.

But what I still don't understand is, is what some people call silver, what the CKC calls light sedge and what the AKC calls simply light, really all the same tone, shade, tint or whatever, of chocolate?

[SoCalLabLover]

Originally Posted by Snowshoe

But what I still don't understand is, is what some people call silver, what the CKC calls light sedge and what the AKC calls simply light, really all the same tone, shade, tint or whatever, of chocolate?

"A chocolate is a chocolate is a chocolate" with regards to the AKC and CKC, I believe... they don't note anywhere whether a dog is a light chocolate or a dark chocolate, or a "dilute" chocolate. Same with yellows- they don't put "light yellow/cream" or "dark yellow/fox red" or even "non-pigmented/Dudley"...they're all yellows.

Descriptions found in the breed standard are just those describing one of the 3 "permissible" colors. Even a mosaic labrador will be registered as whatever the dog's main color is... yellow with black spots will be registered as "yellow" for example. Or a different mismark like a black-and-tan labrador will be registered as "black."

[honeymist]

I heard that the original Labrador was black, is that right? If so - how did they get the yellow or chocolate colors?

I bet early on they probably did breed in some weim to get the dilute chocolate color of the silvers...but someone said before how a genetic test on a silver would probably come out all Lab, and I think that's probably true. I think that's probably why a lot of silver owners vehemently defend their dogs as "all-Lab" because they really do exhibit almost all the same qualities as any yellow/chocolate/black lab.

I always tell people Brady's a chocolate Lab. Since we got him and then learned more about all the controversy, I've just said he's a chocolate lab....he's just really light. I never say silver. When people say really???? he looks like a weim, I usually just shrug and say we got him from a chocolate lab breeder, but I guess you never really know...

[LabLady101]

Originally Posted by Snowshoe

Yes, that's my understanding too. You, Gorsebrook, just said it better.

But what I still don't understand is, is what some people call silver, what the CKC calls light sedge and what the AKC calls simply light, really all the same tone, shade, tint or whatever, of chocolate?

IMHO, Sedge looks nothing like "Silver". I've seen Sedge on a Chessie. Sedge still has a creamy brown hue to it, and it looks much more like a shade of Yellow than Chocolate. "Silver" does not even come close to looking like Sedge. Therefore, even describing "Silver" as Sedge is inaccurate at best.

[ZENTENO]

I've heard that silver labs come from a ''gene malfunction'' or something like that but they get to be registered as deluted chocolate I once wanted to buy one and did some reaserch on it and I found out something like that. I think is just a rare case but one can still breed them and have more or something like that. anyway sorry gettin in it lol.