You could not be more wrong. Nowhere else in the world do you see Silver Labs, the dilute gene does not exist. The Silver Lab can be traced to two kennels in the US dating back to the 30's. Here is a great read from someone with the qualifications and research we may just be lacking in this discussion. The Truth Behind Silver Labradors http://www.thelabradorclub.com/subpages/show_contents.php?page=Silver+Labradors
Same debate I've read before. After seeing a few silvers and watching their actions and characteristics, I have to say I agree they are simply Lab/Weim mixes. Anyone familiar with Weims and labs that pays attention to personality and instincts of both breeds should be able to see the things that stick out like a sore thumb that says Silvers are mixed between the two. That's not to say they couldn't be a better dog than either breed or that eventually they shouldn't become a breed of their own...just that it's pretty obvious they were mixed at some point. Personally, I think I'd prefer a mix over a pure bred lab based on the labs I've known but over that I'd prefer a pure Weim....of course I'm biased in favor of Weims to start with. The fact also remains that every new breed started out as a crossbreed....
It was a good read. Now to the parts maybe I'm not understanding first where he stated it is his speculation he never says they where bred together. Next mutation if the two were crossed to get the color it a mutation they line breed to get the color. There are NO structural differences in silver to other colors because just the color gets bred out of them. Please go back a read it again maybe I'm misinterpreting it. Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk
I am unable to find anywhere in my limited computer and internet skills anything that will for sure undoubtedly say that they were crossed. But I do understand line breeding we raise birds! Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk
There is reference in the article dating back to the 30's with two breeders the inbred dogs from a breeder that bred Labs and Weims. There was also info about Blue labs being offered in magazines in the 50's. The issue is that a true Chocolate can't dilute and there have been no cases outside of the US where they have. Genetically it is argued that only the introduction of a dog that can dilute (Weim) into the gene pool will allow the color to appear.
That's an article passed around between breeders of these silver labs....of course they are going to argue that thy are lagit and pure. Anyone that has ever handled a breeding program of registered stock of any type, knows how easy it is to fool the system and begin registry of unregisterd lines because a lot of it is based on the integrity of the breeder. At this point you simply have two sides that faithfully believe their own argument and definitively proving one side or the other isn't really viable at this point. Everyone will have to read the arguments and decide for themselves.
It depends on what you want. I want a DUCK DOG with lots of go because I can train around go but I cant train go into a dog that doesn't have it and was never breed to have it. Lots of mild labs out there if that's what you want. If the pedigree of the pups doesn't have lots FC, QAA, MH, HRCH in it you probably wont have to worry about "high strung". That's also why I wouldn't want a silver lab, they haven't been bred to hunt. But if a person wants a dog because they like the color that's perfectly fine with me as long as the breeder is producing healthy dogs. My "crazy high strung" duck dog is curled up at my feet right night sleeping.
Yet ironically still there are mild mannered show dogs out there that are also MH and show Champions. Ch. ****endall Buckstone Deck the Halls, WC, MH
My favorite Labrador of the show pooches, ****endall Arnold. He never reached higher than a JH title for hunting but has sired numerous show champions that were MH. Don't let the show ring fool you, there are some incredible dogs out there that Show and Go For References - Ch. ****endall Arnold - 'Arnold'
I'm sure there are show dogs or dogs out of that kind of stock that will hunt....but I've never seen one. Or at least one that I would want. I was a gunner last fall at a MH level hunt test so I got to watch all the dogs run and saw some show type dogs run. Some of them could do the work but it was a totally different dog.I also don't like the looks of the kind of dog, great big body and big blocky head. To each his own....
This is my red lab. She has allergies, and tore her ACL once....but that is it and most likely not genetics on her ACL.
So you hate the true breed standard then? http://www.thelabradorclub.com/subpages/show_contents.php?page=Breed+Standard
I like Weims but I am more of a Vizsla guy myself. I have friends and family who have had black,yellow and Chocolate labs. I prefer the Chocolates but also like Yellow labs too.
All good dogs...I'm a big time dog guy so I love'em all in varying degrees. My practices using work dogs lean heavily toward upland birds (hence the username) and I've had the best experience of my hunting/dog training life with my Weim so that's the source of my bias, lol.
I didn't say hate. That dog in the pics isn't bad. That dog in the earlier link, the show dog, I don't care for at all. That isn't the breed standard either with that big body and huge blocky head but that's what a lot of people want. And that's fine, its just not for me. Here is a pic of my pup at 10 months. THIS is what a lab looks like to me, but its not what most people think of. She weighs about 65 pounds now at 14 months. Her great great grandfather was a dog named lean mac and her great grandfather was a dog named eddie both NFC's. Lots of FC and MH in her pedigree. That doesn't make my dog better than someones dog that doesn't have all that, just better suited for what I want.
I don't like that you said former hunting partner,the former part. I put one down last month that I've had for 10 years that looked just like that. Beautiful dog gauge. Here is my DD at 11 months old on her first ND trip....10 years ago. This picture hangs on my wall.
