chocolate lab

It's said that chocolates are more difficult to train, more prone to being anxious/nervy, and more prone to health problems (hip and skin). But I've never seen any proof of it so it may just be old wives tales.

However, all labs are prone to health problems, especially hip dysplacia. A good breeder will have had the dam and sire health checked, eye tested, elbow and hip scored, and will have copies of those certificates available for you to see. Ideally they will also have the certificates of the grand parents and great grand parents as well.

If they haven't bothered getting them health checked, I wouldn't touch the puppies. The breeder will no doubt tell you their dog's hips are fine, and there is no history of problems in their pups. But they will tell you that whether it is true or not.

There is a guide here as to what to look for in labs
http://www.labradorforums.co.uk/breederselection.html
and it also tells you the sorts of questions you should be asking.

It's hard to keep a level head when looking for a new dog, but it really is worth spending the time (and money) to get the right dog. Buying a poorly bred dog is just asking for heartache in the future.

Good luck with your pup. Am I the only person who opened this thread thinking it was about making chocolate in your own laboratory?

Chocolate Labs should be no more difficult to train than either Black or Yellow. However, they have gained a reputation for being more 'difficult' and this is probably down to poor breeding practices when the colour became popular.

I'm sure you probably know already, but for the benefit of anyone else reading this who may be thinking of getting a Chocolate Lab, Chocolate should not be mated to Chocolate as it is a dilute colour and two dilutes produce poor pigmentation (pink) and a washed out brown colour, not the rick dark brown with dark pigmentation that a Chocolate Lab should be. So, if both parents are chocolate, it is likely that it is not a knowledgable breeder but someone who is trying to cash in on the popularity of the colour by producing an all chocolate litter.

Incidentally, a KC accredited breeder is not really any guarantee of quality as the breeders are not inspected by the KC and evidence of all relevant, current health tests should be produced to you in respect of the sire and dam....hips scores (below the breed mean which is currently 15), elbow scores (only a score of 0 is acceptable in a breed with such a huge gene pool) and clear eye tests which must have been carried out within the last 12 months. Membership of one of the breed clubs is often a reliable indicator of a responsible breeder as breed club members have to agree to abide by a code of ethics which is generally more stringent that thn KC accredited breeder scheme.

Hopefully, this breeder fulfils the necessary criteria and you'll soon have your little Chocolate pup :-)

nickyhutch wrote: »

Good luck with your pup. Am I the only person who opened this thread thinking it was about making chocolate in your own laboratory?

Nope, I thought the same too!!!!:rotfl: Good luck with your pup op:)

Are you set on having only a pup? I know someone who got a choc lab from the RSPCA which needed re-homing. They were quite young (and sadly under-fed). Just an idea.

Found these links on the web near your area of Gloucestershire:
http://www.dogpages.org.uk/sth-west.htm

Glos

• Cheltenham Animal Welfare and Animal Shelter
  Gardeners Lane, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, GL51 9JW
  Tel: 01242 523521 Fax: 01242 523676
  Email: reception@cheltenhamanimalshelter.co.uk
  www.cheltenhamanimalshelter.co.uk
• South Gloucestershire Dog Warden Service
  Broad Lane, Engine Common, Yate, South Glouc, BS37 7PN
  Tel: 01454 868000 Email: celia.bourne@southglos.gov.uk
  www.southglos.gov.uk/rehoming
• Teckels Dog Rescue
  Bristol Rd, Whitminster, Gloucester
  Tel: 01452 740300
  Details of dogs