Silver and Gold?

The question I get most often when telling friends about my expected puppy is: “So wait, what color is he again?”

Most people who know anything about Labrador retrievers – heck, even many who have owned Labs their entire lives – are under the impression that they come in three colors: black, yellow and chocolate.

Technically, they are correct.

The American Kennel Club recognizes these three coat colors as the breed standard (meaning they are considered full-blooded Labs and can join in AKC competition). But just as “blue” accurately describes a cloudless afternoon sky, the Atlantic Ocean, and Yankee pinstripes, so do “yellow, black and chocolate” encompass varying shades of Labrador.

This was news to me three months ago, when I stumbled upon one breeder's web site by a happy accident (or fate). My husband and I had been looking for a yellow Lab, a decision we reached after doing some research (see “Choosing the Breed”). While all three colors are beautiful and have their merits, we decided on yellow because it seemed to bring out a dog’s facial features best, would make finding ticks much easier, and would in a small way honor Bumps (see “A Shadow of Things to Come”).

But the second I saw that silvery gray face pouting up through the computer screen – anchoring the words, “Yes, Virginia… Silver Labs Are 100% Labradors” – all plans were out the window. I shot an e-mail to my husband (referred to hereafter as Chris) asking whether he’d ever heard of such a thing.

“No but they are really cute,” he wrote back almost immediately. “Best looking ones you’ve found as of yet!”

Almost the color of a weimaraner, I loved that it was unique. Most common dog breed in the U.S., sure, but his coat would set him apart.

Always a skeptic, however, I did my research. According to various breeders and American Kennel Club policy, “silver” Labradors are simply one end of the spectrum of shades known officially as “chocolate,” which can range from very light to very dark brown.

And there’s more! In addition to the familiar golden wheat color, “yellow” Labradors can also be “light cream” or “fox red,” and a matte hue known as “charcoal” is registered as “black.”

To a dog lover like me, this discovery felt like Christmas morning, like finding out your dream car just got a slew of shiny new swatches to choose from, or that Baskin-Robbins was launching an entire new line of your favorite frozen flavors.

Of course, there always will be party poopers, and some naysayers still cling to the belief that long ago a weimaraner and a Lab got frisky and started the whole conspiracy.

But while dogs can be disqualified from official AKC registration for a number of reasons, a silver, red, white or charcoal coat alone is not enough.

Either way, 12 hours after stumbling upon this plethora of new information… Chris and I had secured our spot in the next expected litter, between a silver damsel named Annie and a dashing young charcoal named Eli.

Choosing the breed

When my husband and I decided it was time to stop daydreaming and finally bring a dog into our home, the immediate assumption was that we’d get a yellow lab in honor of Bumps, his childhood dog who moved on to Doggie Heaven in 2008.

That sounded great to me, as Labs – like their friend the golden retriever – are known to be great family dogs and fantastic companions. But having grown up with my parents’ pre-Internet collection of Consumer Reports magazines, I’m simply incapable of making any large purchase without doing hours of research on every other possibility.

So off I went to the library, the World Wide Web, and the living room couch for marathon sessions of “Dogs 101” (a fantastic show that I, a regular Jane with no particular canine expertise, recommend for all aspiring dog owners).

Several breeds, some of which I’d never heard of, caught my eye in the process.

Aside from the golden retriever (in my view a Lab with longer hair), I fell for:

- the Alaskan malamute – two of the eight sled dogs in “Eight Below” (see Sunday’s post for that story)

- the Rhodesian ridgeback – a stunning creature Animal Planet dubbed the “Navy Seal of dog breeds,” though perhaps too intimidating for a novice

- the beagle – possibly my favorite in terms of looks, but with a trinity of calls the neighbors might not appreciate

- and a host of terriers (the wheaten, the cairn, the Yorkshire and the West Highland).

My husband and I went back and forth, each exercising veto power until a clear winner remained. Anything that could fit into my purse (not that I’d ever put it there) was nixed immediately, and the rest followed. I guess that whole “go with your gut” lesson never stuck for us, because after weeks of research, we landed back at our initial choice, the Labrador retriever.

Yes, we ended up following the masses. The Lab has held the American Kennel Club’s title of “most popular dog” for nearly two decades straight. But I can shuffle happily knowing we’re informed followers.

Labrador retrievers are America’s canine sweethearts – and they’re not shy about it. Labs have stolen the spotlight in films and TV shows like “Marley and Me” and “Lost” (don't even pretend you didn't get choked up when Vincent was wandering alone in the dark jungle during Season One). They've pounced across your TV screen as spokesdogs for products like Cottonelle. They've earned accolades as assistance and explosives detection dogs throughout the world. And they've even yanked media attention away from political figures like President Bill Clinton and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

Of course, any friendly furry face would be welcome in my home. But each breed is unique and it’s important to choose one you can live with for 15 years. If you bring him home and find out he sheds too much, barks too often, has way more energy than you can handle, requires two hours a day of grooming, etc. … that’s not his fault, but chances are he’ll bear the punishment. So please choose wisely and humanely.

Once we'd locked in our breed, the next step was to choose a color. Imagine if you had these many choices with a child?!

According to the American Kennel Club, the recognized Labrador coat colors are black, yellow and chocolate. So how did we end up with “silver?” Stop by tomorrow to find out ;)