In a black-to-black mating we undertook at Fenway Labradors around 12 years ago, we knew that there was some chocolate breeding way back in the pedigree and we knew those dogs had shown good working ability. So for the most part, any chocolate Labrador that turns up on a shoot is most probably the family pet and can’t be blamed for any of its failings because genetically it has no working ancestry.įenway Timber is also known as the ‘brown bear’.In comparison, well-bred black and yellow working Labradors will have what is termed as “depth of breeding” and will be the result of years of careful selection for working ability and inevitably include dogs carrying established kennel affixes that have excelled as working dogs and in field trials.All these are indicative of years and years of indiscriminate breeding driven by the colour of the dogs rather than any other attribute. Study the pedigree of most chocolate Labradors and you will see generations of dogs with chocolate-derived names such as Ovaltine, Chocolate Surprise, Hot Chocolate, Aero Girl and so on. The next clue in the search for a reason why chocolate Labradors have a poor reputation as working gundogs is in the pedigree - the document that provides a vital insight into the genetic make-up of any dog.The vast majority of chocolate Labradors are bred by pet owners who have a bitch, fancy having a litter and are fairly confident they can sell them easily. Similarly, the large-scale “commercial” Labrador breeders (and the Kennel Club’s statistics show some are producing up to six litters and more in a 12-month period) pump out chocolate puppies because they know they are good sellers.When colour becomes the driving force in the popularity of any animal, quality and purpose all too often fly out of the window. Search the internet for chocolate Labrador puppies and you will find hundreds, but there are only a handful of specialist breeders of top-quality chocolate Labradors for the show ring and even fewer breeding them as working gundogs.Breeders of top-quality chocolate Labradors While there are some deeply committed devotees of working chocolate Labradors, who are doing a sterling job in breeding dogs any shooting man would be proud to own, the large majority of Labradors with this coat colour are produced primarily for the pet market. Sadly chocolate Labradors have earned a bad name as ineffective working gundogs – because most are not bred to do the job. While some show little if no ability as gundogs, others can equally match any black or yellow for their drive and game-finding ability. The working ability of chocolate Labradors cannot be judged simply by the colour of their coat. There is no reason why a chocolate Labrador shouldn’t make a good picking-up dog So what about the abilities of chocolate Labradors in the field? Want to buy a single issue of Shooting Times, Sporting Gun or Airgun Shooter?.Choosing the right bullets for deer stalking.British deer: A guide to identifying the six species found here and where to stalk them.Country hotels offering shooting facilities. #Chocolat labradors how toHow to choose the right cartridge for your shotgun.How to choose the perfect airgun pellets for your rifle.How to deal with eye dominance when shooting.Shotgun certificate – how to get one and how to renew one.How to get a firearm certificate in the UK.Sign up to the Shooting Times newsletter.
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