{"id":27876,"date":"2026-11-01T08:57:05","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T07:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/?p=27876"},"modified":"2026-11-01T08:57:37","modified_gmt":"2026-11-01T07:57:37","slug":"labrador-coat-colours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mylabrador.it\/en\/labrador-standard-genetics\/labrador-coat-colours\/","title":{"rendered":"Labrador Colours: Black, Yellow and Chocolate Genetics Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

What colours do Labradors come in? The Labrador Retriever is a dog breed with very old roots that go back to Newfoundland (a Canadian island in the Atlantic Ocean). It belongs to the Retriever<\/strong> family, which was first developed and bred in the United Kingdom from the 19th century onwards.<\/p>\n

Originally bred as everyday working dogs<\/strong> that helped fishermen bring in their catch, today the Labrador is one of the most loved and widespread breeds in the world<\/strong>. It stars in TV adverts and countless films, and it is the very image of the gentle, affectionate dog.<\/p>\n

Its temperament and character make it a favourite with children, who find in it the perfect playmate and a companion to grow up with.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Labrador is a dog of many talents and skills. It is also used in dangerous situations: thanks to its distinctive paws and powerful musculature it is the rescue dog par excellence<\/strong>, which is why it works with the police<\/strong> and fire services<\/strong>, as a drug and explosives detection dog, and in pet therapy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Unlike many other breeds, Labrador Retrievers<\/strong> come in three coat colours.<\/p>\n

Recognised Labrador colours: black, yellow and brown (chocolate).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

This comes down to some “complex” genetics that will take us back to Mendel and his famous laws of inheritance, for those who have forgotten them.<\/p>\n

Surprised? Read on to discover the genetic combinations behind each colour!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Black Labrador: the dominant colour<\/h2>\n

Although many people think of it as the least common and least popular colour, the black Labrador<\/strong> was the first type in the history of this important breed, and its original founder.<\/p>\n

Personally, I think the black Labrador is the best: a colour for true lovers of the breed, and far less delicate than the recessive colours.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The black Labrador<\/a><\/strong> can therefore be described as the “forefather” of the breed, which was developed in the early 1800s by a few English aristocrats. Among them was the Earl of Malmesbury, whose dogs led to the birth of Buccleuch Avon<\/strong>, the first known Labrador and the dog from which the breed has come down to us today.<\/p>\n

\"black<\/p>\n

According to the records available to us, Buccleuch Avon was a direct descendant of the St. John\u2019s dog<\/strong>, which was also black.<\/p>\n

At first only black Labradors were kept: a popular belief held that only they could do the daily work. Only later were puppies born with a different coat pigmentation given a chance too (the yellow Labrador<\/a><\/strong>), and it was the best decision ever made.<\/p>\n

As we know, coat colour is determined by melanin<\/strong>, a pigment produced by specialised cells called melanocytes and stored in small granules called melanosomes.<\/p>\n

The colour of the melanosomes<\/strong> depends on the type of melanin they contain. In the coat there are two types: eumelanin<\/strong>, which produces black or brown, and phaeomelanin<\/strong>, which produces yellow.<\/p>\n

Black depends on specific genetic conditions: the dog needs at least one B gene<\/strong> (together with at least one E gene). These are the genotypes that produce this pigmentation:<\/p>\n