The chocolate Labrador, also called brown or liver, is a sturdy, energetic Labrador Retriever with a broad chest, a wide head and a solid brown coat, ranging from hazelnut to dark chocolate. It is one of the three colours recognised by the breed standard, together with black and yellow. The colour comes from a recessive gene: a puppy is chocolate only if it inherits the “b” gene from both parents.
The Labrador descends from the St. John’s dog, the water dog used by fishermen in Newfoundland. In the 19th century it reached England, where the Earls of Malmesbury and the Duke of Buccleuch developed it as a retriever.
At first only black dogs were wanted. But brown was already hidden in the genes of some breeding dogs: the first documented liver-coloured puppies were born in 1892 in the Buccleuch kennel. For decades they were given little consideration, and only in the 20th century did the chocolate Labrador become an appreciated, deliberately bred colour.
Temperament. Colour has no link with temperament. A well-bred chocolate Labrador is balanced, sociable, affectionate with the family and with children, and easy to train. It’s full of energy and loves water: it does well in water rescue, pet therapy and dog sports such as agility and obedience.
Appearance. Sturdy build, broad chest, wide head, “otter” tail, short dense coat with a water-resistant undercoat. The FCI standard allows a small white spot on the chest and on the back of the pasterns. These small light marks on the paws are known as “Bolo marks”, after Banchory Bolo, a famous Labrador of the 1910s.
There isn’t just one shade of brown. A chocolate Labrador’s coat ranges from light brown, almost hazelnut, to dark brown, close to dark chocolate. All shades are allowed by the standard, as long as the colour is even.
From puppy to adult. Chocolate Labrador puppies are born brown, but the shade settles as they grow and change coat: the final colour is reached at around 2 years of age.
Why it sometimes fades. Brown pigment is more sensitive than black. Sun, salt water and old coat before moulting can lighten it or give it reddish tones, especially on the back and ears. With the new coat the colour becomes even again. A good diet and regular brushing help keep it rich and glossy.
Do chocolate Labradors live shorter lives? What the research says. A VetCompass study published in 2018 in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, covering more than 33,000 Labradors in the UK, estimated an average lifespan of 10.7 years for chocolates compared with 12.1 years for blacks and yellows. Ear infections (otitis externa) were more common in chocolates (23.4%, compared with 17% in yellows and 12.8% in blacks), and the same was true of skin conditions.
The authors suggest that colour is not the direct cause. To produce brown, which is recessive, many breeders mated a small number of chocolate dogs with each other, narrowing the gene pool. So the issue isn’t the colour but how it was bred – which is why it matters so much where your puppy comes from.
Otherwise, the chocolate Labrador has the same health risks as the rest of the breed: hip and elbow dysplasia, inherited eye diseases such as PRA, and a tendency to put on weight. This is how every litter is born at our kennel:
To join the list, get in touch: a kennel visit is required before reserving and the average wait is around 6 months.
Brown depends on the TYRP1 gene (B locus). The dominant version (B) gives black; the recessive variants (b) give brown. The E gene, on the other hand, decides whether the pigment appears: with two copies of “e” the dog is yellow, whatever its B gene.
Two chocolate Labradors can only have chocolate or yellow puppies, never black. A black dog carrying the “b” gene (Bb), mated with a chocolate, can produce black and chocolate puppies.
The “Dudley” Labrador. A yellow dog can carry brown without showing it (bbee): it has a yellow coat but a brown nose, lips and eye rims. Breeders call it a Dudley Labrador: it isn’t accepted by the breed standard and shouldn’t be bred from. That’s why we carry out coat colour DNA testing on all our breeding dogs: we know in advance which colours can be born. Compare with the black Labrador.
| Chocolate | Black | Yellow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genotype | bbEE, bbEe | BBEE, BBEe, BbEE, BbEe | BBee, Bbee, bbee |
| Nose | brown | black | black (brown if bbee, Dudley) |
| Shade | from hazelnut to dark chocolate | solid black | from cream to fox red |
| Temperament | the same | the same | the same |
| Blue eyes | no | no | no |
Chocolate Labrador puppies with ENCI pedigrees, from health-tested parents.
Our chocolate Labrador puppies are born and raised in our home. They go to their new families after 90 days of age, with 3 vaccinations, microchip, ENCI pedigree, sales contract and lifelong advice on feeding and training. Waiting until 90 days means more time with their mother and littermates, and a puppy that arrives home with its full vaccination course completed.
Our chocolate breeding dogs include Kaiser by Marina Lab, sire of our May 2026 litter.
About us. We have been breeding Labradors since 2008, with the ENCI-FCI kennel name MyLabrador’s since 2014 and as a professional ASL-licensed kennel since 2018. Stefano Martini is a veterinary dietetics and nutrition technician: he oversees the feeding of our dogs and puppies, even after they go home. Read the 495 reviews from families who own one of our puppies.
How to get a chocolate Labrador puppy:
You’ll find all the details in how to reserve a puppy.
What’s the difference between a chocolate, brown and liver Labrador?
None: they are three names for the same colour. It is one of the three colours recognised by the Labrador Retriever breed standard, together with black and yellow.
Is the chocolate Labrador rare?
No, it’s one of the breed’s three official colours. It’s seen less often than black and yellow because the brown gene is recessive: a chocolate puppy is born only if both parents pass it on. It’s no reason to pay more.
Does a chocolate Labrador have a different temperament?
No. Coat colour has no link with temperament. Temperament depends on the selection of the parents, socialisation and training.
How long does a chocolate Labrador live?
A 2018 VetCompass study of more than 33,000 Labradors in the UK estimated an average lifespan of 10.7 years for chocolates and 12.1 years for blacks and yellows. The authors suggest a narrower gene pool may play a part: that’s why health tests on the parents, a low COI and a healthy lifestyle matter.
Why is my chocolate Labrador getting lighter?
Brown pigment fades with sun, salt water and old coat before moulting, sometimes with reddish tones. With the new coat the colour becomes even again. The final colour is reached at around 2 years of age.
Can two chocolate Labradors have black puppies?
No. Two chocolate Labradors both carry the recessive bb genes and can only have chocolate or yellow puppies.
What is a Dudley Labrador?
It’s a yellow Labrador carrying two copies of the brown gene (bbee): the coat is yellow, but the nose, lips and eye rims are brown instead of black. It isn’t accepted by the breed standard. Coat colour DNA testing on the breeding dogs tells you in advance whether one can be born.
Can a chocolate Labrador have blue eyes?
No. A chocolate Labrador has brown or hazel eyes. Blue eyes are not part of the breed.
How much does a chocolate Labrador puppy cost?
We’ll tell you the price at first contact, by phone or on WhatsApp. Be wary of anyone selling chocolate as a rare colour to charge more: what really makes the difference is the parents’ HD/ED scores and DNA tests, a low COI, an ENCI pedigree, puppies going home after 90 days and support once your puppy is home.
The other colours: black Labrador, yellow Labrador and fox red Labrador.
