# Unique Labradors...



## Guest (Apr 2, 2009)

Mismarks & other odd markings in Labradors part 2 - Woodhaven Labradors

I came across this website (pictures are on there - I didn't want to 'steal' them)

Are they for real? Has anyone else ever bred a litter of Labs and got a mis-marked one before? 

I think they're gorgeous. :thumbup1:


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## LostGirl (Jan 16, 2009)

Awww they are all gorgeous 

The first ones look like those boxhead labs which i think have rottie thrown in somewhere although i guess they wouldnt be purebred then though


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## SpringerHusky (Nov 6, 2008)

I am not a lab person but I would seriously get one if I could have a mozaik one <3


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## jilly40 (Oct 22, 2008)

they are lovely,like the mosaic one with the stipe right round its tum!! didnt know anything about it! learn somethin new every day thanks hun x


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2009)

I thought Boxhead was just a term given? Not an actual breed?  I'm not sure though.
SpringerHusky, same here, I aren't a Lab person, but these markings make them look different and I can't help but think "I want one!"  :blushing:


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Mismarks aren't unheard of at all in Labradors, but as they don't conform to the breed standard, its not recommended to breed from them, or so I understand. You can have a white mark on the chest, and for some reason Bolo Spots are allowable, although not mentioned in the breed standard, these are white spots that you sometimes find on the under neath and up the back of a Labradors' feet. Called Bolo Spots after Banchory Bolo, a famous Dual Champion  Tau has Bolo Spots


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2009)

I have seen this link before when trying to research what the hell happened with Zach!!

If you have a look at this clip of him and his littermates you can see that they are typically lab-looking (some with small white patches from the Collie in sire) and then he has these tan bits. For a while I thought it was a throw back or something, especially after seeing that link, but then we found out the sire also had some GSD in him, which we think is responsible for the tan.






I don't think its for real, I think anyone who is trying to sell so called "Rare" mismarked Black/Tan labs isn't telling the truth about their lines, there must be either rottie, dobe or GSD in there somewhere! Don't ask me about the black patches though, no idea


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

louise5031 said:


> I don't think its for real, I think anyone who is trying to sell so called "Rare" mismarked Black/Tan labs isn't telling the truth about their lines, there must be either rottie, dobe or GSD in there somewhere! Don't ask me about the black patches though, no idea


Its definitely for real, they are pedigree Labradors, but with mismarks.

The origins of the Labrador Retriever as it is today include quite a few additions at one stage or another, and occasionally you do get odd colour variations cropping up in litters. There are only the three colours that are recognised, black, yellow and chocolate (fox reds are yellow).

There are other breeds where certain colour variations are not permissable under the breed standard, someone posted recently on another forum about poodles, which (apparently) used to come in black and white, or liver and white, but are now bred as a solid colour only??

The Chocolate Labrador was so undesirable that, not that many years ago, they were drowned at birth :shocked:, and unfortunately recently have become so popular that they're a mainstay of the puppy farmers.

Fashion is a funny thing, and some people will always pay more for something they deem unusual, which is why there has been the recent emergence of varying colours and shades (silver, white, coffee, cream, someone even spotted an adver for fox cream pups!!) in the Labrador breed, three's enough for me, colours that is, you can never have enough Labs


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## SpringerHusky (Nov 6, 2008)

I used to know a solid white lab called Casper, he was always in the joke shop in town so i always saw him and they owner explain his parents were champion gundogs and both black labs, he was the only one in his litter who came out solid white, another pup came out yellow. 

Sometimes a breed becoming popular can be a good thing othertimes not so much. I heard dalmatians were originally white with orange spots but black spots appeared and they became favorable and the orange and live spotted ones were killed off.


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## Guest (Apr 2, 2009)

Sleeping_Lion said:


> Its definitely for real, they are pedigree Labradors, but with mismarks.
> 
> The origins of the Labrador Retriever as it is today include quite a few additions at one stage or another, and occasionally you do get odd colour variations cropping up in litters. There are only the three colours that are recognised, black, yellow and chocolate (fox reds are yellow).


I was referring to the black and tan 'labradors' that are featured in the link, surely they aren't pedigree labradors? The black marks I can understand as being mismarks but where do the precise tan markings come from? If thats the case my Zach could well have his tan inherited from a lab gene?


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## noushka05 (Mar 28, 2008)

arnt they Lovely! i love the one with the mosaic patch on its face


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Apols as I can't do multi quotes (not that technical) :blushing:

White Labradors are basically yellow; yellow ranges from pretty much a white appearance, to a very dark fox red colour.

Chocolate can vary from almost black, right through to Tau type colour, she's one of the palest chocolates, there are others like her, but it isn't as desireable for showing; although the breed standard doesn't say this, just that it should be a solid colour, rather than a patchy appearance. Judges have tended to prefer a darker 'bourneville' chocolate, like Indie.

And obviously black is just that, although some black labradors appear to have a grey undercoat, and others have a brown undercoat.

This link explains the genetics behind the three colours, in a way which even I can understand :

Coat Color Inheritance

Tau's full sister recently had a black pup that looked like its paws had been dipped in white paint. The breeder had never seen a mismarked pup before, although knew about them, and this is the second time she's used that stud dog, although to a different bitch. And I know of a Golden Retriever with a mismarked ear. And yes, you can get precise black and tan markings cropping up. Sometimes the marks appear random, and sometimes they do look like a cross between a black lab and something like a doberman, but colour genetics can be weird and wonderful!


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2009)

Ah thanks for that, hmm maybe our Zach's a bit of a mismarked then as he is mainly lab with collie, the alsatian in him is absolutely tiny. I have seen people either on here or one of the labrador forums say it was utter nonsense and as I don't know much about lines/genetics I just took that for granted!

I love the mismarks, think they look more unique!x


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## Fleur (Jul 19, 2008)

Lovely pictures. I think they look sweet with their different markings.
A lady at work has a Golden retriever with a dark line right down her side.
The breeder just said she was mismarked and couldn't use her for showing so sold her to this lady.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

louise5031 said:


> Ah thanks for that, hmm maybe our Zach's a bit of a mismarked then as he is mainly lab with collie, the alsatian in him is absolutely tiny. I have seen people either on here or one of the labrador forums say it was utter nonsense and as I don't know much about lines/genetics I just took that for granted!
> 
> I love the mismarks, think they look more unique!x


Don't forget collies can be tri coloured, not just black and white, so this is probably where Zach's brown markings come from, as well as the GSD bit, albeit a tiny portion. I think technically a mismark would only be possible between two pedigrees, so if you know Zach's got other breeds in there, he'd be something like a labrollierd (Lab - Collie - German Shepherd  ).

He's a lovely looking boy in any case


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