ChocolateLabs
Coat Color & Genetics
Short answer: a white Lab is a very pale yellow Labrador, at the light end of the yellow range. It isn’t a separate color or a different kind of Lab. The AKC standard says yellows “may range in color from fox-red to light cream”, and the UK VetCompass researchers described Lab yellows as ranging “from pale yellow (nearly white) to fox red”. A white Lab is registered as yellow, and it should still have a dark nose and eye rims.
Why white Labs are really yellow
Every yellow Lab carries two copies of the recessive e allele at the MC1R gene (ee). That stops black or brown pigment from showing in the hair, so the coat can only show yellow pigment (UC Davis). A “white” Lab is an ee dog whose yellow pigment is very light.
The genes that make one yellow nearly white and another fox red haven’t been fully identified in Labs. The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. describes yellow shadings as modifier genes acting on ee, not the dilute gene. A 2020 study of red intensity found a DNA variant near the KITLG gene that tracked shade in several breeds, but not in Labrador or Golden Retrievers (Weich et al., 2020). So there’s no DNA test that predicts a white puppy. Look at the parents and earlier litters.
What the breed standard says
- Color: black, yellow and chocolate only. Pale cream is part of yellow, so a white Lab is a correct yellow. Yellows can show “variations in shading on the ears, back, and underparts”.
- Nose: black on yellow dogs (brown on chocolates). Nose color fading to a lighter shade is not a fault. A thoroughly pink nose or one lacking any pigment is a disqualification.
- Eye rims: black on yellow Labs. Eye rims without pigment are a disqualification.
- Eyes: brown.
So the standard cares about pigment around the nose and eyes more than how pale the coat is. A yellow with two brown alleles (bb) has a brown nose and foot pads instead of black (UC Davis), which is a cosmetic difference for a pet.
White Lab vs champagne vs “silver”
| Name | What it is | Accepted color? |
|---|---|---|
| White or cream Lab | Pale yellow (ee) | Yes, as yellow |
| Fox red Lab | Dark yellow (ee) | Yes, as yellow |
| Champagne Lab | Yellow plus two dilute genes (ee dd) | Not by the breed’s parent club |
| Silver Lab | Chocolate plus two dilute genes (bb dd) | Not by the breed’s parent club |
The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc., the AKC parent club, says a silver, charcoal or champagne Labrador “is not a purebred Labrador retriever”. A pale coat alone doesn’t make a dog dilute. Only a D locus DNA test can show that. See silver, charcoal and champagne Labs and best DNA test for Labs.
Buying a white Lab puppy
- “Rare white” isn’t a thing in the standard. Pale yellows are normal. Pay for health testing (hips, elbows, eyes, EIC), not for a shade. See how to find a good Labrador breeder.
- Ask about the D locus if a breeder also sells silver, charcoal or champagne dogs.
- Check the pigment. Dark nose and eye rims are what the standard looks for on any yellow.
Health, size and temperament
There’s no evidence that a pale coat changes a Lab’s health. The UK VetCompass study grouped all yellows together: 17.0% had ear infections recorded, compared with 12.8% of blacks and 23.4% of chocolates, and non-chocolate Labs had a median lifespan of 12.1 years (McGreevy et al., 2018). Size and temperament are the same as any Lab’s. See how big Labs get and Lab temperament.
Other Lab colors
- Yellow Labs: the full yellow range
- Fox red Labs: the darkest yellows
- Black Labs: the most common color
- Chocolate vs black vs yellow Labs