You’d think that a dog named ‘Labrador’ might come from Labrador wouldn’t you? But as you may have heard, black Labs are descended from the St John’s dog of Newfoundland. You may have heard that Labradors were discovered in Newfoundland, working alongside hardy fishermen, and taken to England in the 1800s where they were developed into the breed we know today. The ancestors of these black Labradors were taken to Newfoundland by British fishermen. Probably in the period of 1700s. Many St John’s dogs had white markings on their black coats, from the odd white sock, to large patches of white.
White hairs on a Labrador are not all are considered mismarks. Some white is permissible under the AKC standard and is fairly common. The standard says, small white spot on the chest is permissible, but not desirable. The bottom line is that you can show a dog with a white spot on its chest if it is “small”, however, that spot will be penalized to some degree by some judges. A large spot will be penalized by most, and a “blaze” or white front would definitely be penalized and would be considered a mismark. Even today, it isn’t uncommon to find a tiny white spot tucked away low down on the chest or under the paw of a purebred black Lab.
In those days, there was no variety in color – no yellow, and no chocolate. The genes that give us yellow and chocolate Labs today, were there in some individuals, but rarely expressed and almost all the early Labs were black. When yellow or chocolate puppies were born, they were unwanted and often disposed of. They certainly were not allowed to breed. Black Labradors are the most commonly found color in this popular breed of dog, but this is not just down to the Labrador owners’ color preference. Genetics dictate that far larger quantities of black Labradors are born than yellow or chocolate Labradors. There are several conditions that can produce white hair in Labs. Some of these conditions are determined by color genes and others may be caused by environmental factors that effect melanin production. Certainly white hairs and even patches are easily traced throughout the history of the Labrador Retriever.