Grey retriever is a popular dog breed. A variation of the Silver Lab Chocolate Labrador, a gene that borrows their normal brownish-colored complexion resulted to Grey retriever. This article will be discussing Grey retriever, a grey lab puppy.
Grey retriever facts
A great companion, Silver Labrador has the same lively, fun and adorable personality as other labs.
But that attractive silver-gray coat is amazingly controversial!
Some long-established breeders of Labrador retrievers consider this silver dog a catastrophe for the breed.
Yet many Labrador owners around the world have fallen in love with them.
How much is the Grey retriever?
Expect to pay upwards of $ 1000 for a Grey retriever puppy.
The price of your gorgeous gray puppy can be higher than the price of a Grey retriever in three recognized colors.
People are often willing to pay more for something they believe is unusual. We’ll just look at how rare Silver Labradors are in a moment.
Are Grey retrievers Over-priced?
You may have heard that Grey retriever are overpriced.
Objections to the so-called extra cost are common in breeding dogs and not limited to Grey retrievers.
The same allegations are often targeted at Labradoodle breeders and Cockapoo breeders.
Many purebred dog breeders think that it is terrible to earn big bucks for a cross-bred dog.
And also see the Silver Labrador Recovery as a cross-breed.
Others think that it is perfectly reasonable to charge anything you can get for a puppy.
Whatever its predecessors, it should be healthy and well taken care of.
Their view is that it is the quality of the puppy that is not worth it’s head.
And like most prices in a free world, demand is what drives prices up.
This is an interesting debate!
Are Grey retriever is a Good Family Dog?
Grey retriever make great family dogs. They are ideally suited for active, outdoor-loving families with children over five
Grey retriever can be very bouncy when young so Grey retriever puppies are not always a great match for kids or restless on their feet.
But an older, quieter, rescue grey retriever can make the perfect companion for young children.
Grey retriever are very good dogs who love the company
The Grey retriever will probably be happier in a family where people are at home for the most part or most of the day.
How big can Grey retriever get?
The recommended height for a Grey retriever is up to 24 inches for a male. And an inch shorter for a woman.
When it comes to body weight, the variations can be even higher and depending on which two groups (American or English) will read the Grey retriever.
Male Grey retriever often reaches about 70 pounds in weight. Ladies about 10lb light.
However there may be a 20lbs difference on either side of that average.
American Labs The breed for hunting and retrieval is thinner, taller and often lighter than the Shankier English type you see on the show.
Are Grey retrievers Rare?
Grey retrievers are rare in some countries as a relatively new color variant.
Partly because the registration of grey Puppies is not widely allowed.
Several National Canal Clubs and Bridges Club have clarified their views on the Grey retriever.
However, the Grey retriever is no longer rare in the United States where it is registered with Color Chocolate.
Although not rare, it is still a more unusual color and harder to find than a silver puppy black, yellow or brown color.
Breeding at a glance
- Popularity: Labrador is the most popular breed in the United States
- Purpose: Victim companion and restorer
Weight: 65-80lbs - Nature: cooperative, friendly, passionate
Note that we do not have separate images for different colors in Labrador because these numbers are not published by this one
Grey retriever Features
As a ‘thin’ version of a standard lab, many Silver Labs look just like any other Labrador, but for their distinctive coat color.
Another feature of thin dogs is the color of the nose and eyes.
Slim genes are common in many dog breeds but have recently appeared in labrador restorers
Labrador coat color and thin jean
Labrador has three different colors, recognized by the American Canal Club.
Colors are:
Yellow
Black
Chocolate
Silver
Charcoal
Champagne
Just like Silver Coat is a blended version of chocolate, Charcoal is a blended version of black and Champagne is a blended version of yellow.
How thin jeans work
The color of the Labrador coat is controlled by a set of jeans.
In this article on the legacy of Labrador color, you can read about how B genes and E genes affect coat color.
However, the silver color is regulated by a different gene. The D gene acts as a kind of switch.
One type, “Big D,” switches the coat color to full strength, and the other type, or “small D”, switch to thin it.
In simple terms, genes come in pairs. The Big D produces full strength coat colors. The smaller D produces a thinner color.
Gene combination
A Grey retriever may contain three possible combinations of D gene
- DD – Chocolate Lab
- Or, DD – Chocolate Lab
- Alternatively, DD – Silver Lab
And the big D always decreases a little. This means that for a Labrador slim, two copies of the thin gene are required.
Only in the third combination will a silver coat be made.
Specifically, they want to know how the double DD gene entered the purebred labrador.
How did the thin gene enter the Grey retriever?
There are several options that can explain the presence of a new gene in a purebred dog
Mixed breeding
Spontaneous change
The hidden genes
The first and most obvious explanation is that at any time there was an outcross carrying a thin gene between a breed of a labrador and a dog. For example a Weimaraner
# 1 Mixed Reproduction
Many believe that the first Silver Labs were cross-bridged.
Not only is this theory plausible, but the dog breeder also has a clear purpose to create a new breed of variation.
Objectives can include monetary gains (though they didn’t initially know how popular the color would be), focusing or just having fun creating something new.
Frankly speaking, this is true of many field-bred labradors of any color.
And most Silver Labs today look much the same as any other Labrador – they are silver.
Unless the little D is paired with another small D, it will have no effect.
In some dog breeds, all individuals have two small D genes. Weimaraners for example.
And the recent presence of the double Little D Jean in chocolate labradors has enabled Silver Lab to appear on the scene.
The big question is – “How did it get there?”
And this question is at the center of that debate on the real source of silver labrador recovery.
Where Do Grey retrievers Come From?
Reports of silver labradors appear to have first appeared in the United States in the 1950s.
The Coolo Silver Labs were one of the earliest kennels to create this new silver color.
You may also be interested in reading this report of an interview with Dean Christ, the owner of his account on the history of the Silver Lab.
Exactly how the new color came out is a question that many are asking and arguing about.
When the various shades of this national drama appear in a long-established breed of dog, it’s only natural for people to start questioning it.
People want to know where the Silver Labradors came from and how they were made.
The theory of cross-reproduction is a very popular one. But recently it has lost some credibility due to genetic testing of Silver Labs which failed to show any link with Wemmener.
# 2 Spontaneous Changes
It is not uncommon for genes to change.
This is another way in which a rare or unusual feature may appear in a dog family that has not been harmed by it before.
This is not a popular theory for the presence of thin genes in Grey retrievers.
Partly because the other two explanations are both of significance.
It is a coincidence that mutation with a gene that already exists for the color of an unusual coat of other varieties is a coincidence.
Many people think that the spontaneous presence of this DD depleted gene in the Labrador retriever gene pool is, at least, impossible to say.
However, it cannot be completely blown away.
# Hidden Gene
The ability to hide “rare” genes for a long time is something that most scientists are aware of.
This explanation is perhaps the most valid alternative to cross-breeding theory for the presence of the Silver Lab in the 1950s, with grey lab puppies.
We know that some genes are dominant over others. And they can be masked or hidden. We call masked or hidden genes recessive.
Unfortunately, many diseases occur when a person inherits two copies of the cess
Rare disease-carrying genes can be hidden for decades, only to be seen when closely related dogs mate together.
This happens more frequently when gene pools are smaller when it is in the dog population of our breed.
Colors can be impressive or rare
A B gene that determines whether a lab is predominantly black or brown, and a black dog.
The Grey retriever is recessive and requires two copies of the short B brown jean to get a lab’s brown coat.
Grey retriever become commonplace only when breeders set about deliberately mating with each other.
Some people have argued that the rare lean gene was also present in the Grey retriever, and when breeding two closely involved dogs it became a rare disease.
The first Labradors were not registered until 1917 by the AKM. Earlier, regular outcrossing was done with other breeds.
One species has a thin gene, including the Chesapeake Bay retriever.
So it is perfectly plausible that the registry of Labrador descendants closed down before the small gene entered Chesapeake in one or two labs and was only hidden within the clan in the 1950s when the demand for chocolates began to increase.
Grey retriever Mood and Training
Whatever the origins of the Silver Lab, the silver labs we see today are very labrador in both mood and transformation.
Silver Lab Puppy Training is a huge amount of fun.
It takes some time and patience as the labs get cut as they grow up in adolescence, rather than being small and anxious.
You need to set aside some time each day for training, and you can find the following sections of this website helpful for raising your silver puppy
Silver Labrador Health and Longevity
Silver Labs suffers from the same health problems as other purebred labs. Including joint problems and a tendency to overeat!
Labrador lifespan is between 11 and 12 years and labs have higher cancer rates (31% of all deaths) than other varieties, with a record of 11 to 12 years
Although balanced, the labs are a healthy and well-built breed, free from some disabilities that infect some other purebred dogs.
There is a potential health issue associated with coat color reduction genes that you need to be aware of.
Color Reduction Alopecia
The colorful reduction gene, that DD gives us a pale silver coat that is sometimes associated with coat problems.
In particular, it can be associated with one type of hair type.
This problem is known as “Color Reduction Alopecia” and it is more commonly seen in dogs that have colored reduction genes, dogs like Weimaraners, and now Silver Labrador.
It is not usually a life-threatening situation but it is also not curable. This can lead to progressive hair loss and a possible recurrent infection in the hair follicle in dog curiosities.
Losing a coat may not always be a skin problem.
Not all dogs with the DD gene carry the faulty alopecia version, and most silver labradors are not, in fact, immune to necrosis.
So in most cases, the health of the Silver Lab is much the same as that of any purebred labrador
The Grey retriever Debate
Grey retriever is the most controversial topic discussed in the dog community today.
Every time we discuss this issue on the Labrador site’s Facebook page, people who oppose the existence of the Silver Labrador are somewhat offended.
They object because they hold one or more of the following beliefs. They believe that Silver Labs:
Threatens the purity of reproduction
Not recognized by
to be inbred
Extra price is offered
Reproduced by the wrong people
Are Silver Labs Pure Bred?
There is no definitive evidence that silver labs were created by cross-breeding, but even if they were, it was not a problem from a health or welfare perspective.
But most Labrador breeders care deeply about the future of their breed.
Some do not seem to consider it appropriate to be concerned about the impact of genetic modification adoption.
They are outraged at what they see as an unholy Trojan horse operation to snatch out what might be the outcrops on the breed line.
Breed breeders are generally committed to the idea of closed registry breeding.
With so many concerns raised over the past few years about closed registry breeding, it is a contentious issue with both parties’ views on the issue.
Restricted gene pools
Many scientists are very concerned about the restrictive gene pools created by Pedigrees.
And would like to see pedigree registers to allow the entry of new genetic material in a minimally controlled manner.
Unfortunately, for those who maintain breed purity in breed breeds and those who believe that Silver Labs are cross-breed, their dogs will always be viewed as a threat to breeding purity.
Can AKC Detect Grey retriever?
In this regard, many Silver Labs have been registered as Pedri Pure Bread Labrador Retrievers.
Silver is not recognized as color and mitted is not allowed in the show ring
However, a Silver Lab may be registered (as a chocolate lab) and may enter field trials and hunting tests, provided that both of its parents are registered to it.
Are Grey retrievers Built-In?
Issues related to inbreeding are a major concern for those who care about the welfare of China.
Inbreeding increases the risk of health problems or worsening.
When a rare or unusual color becomes popular and demand increases, there is always a risk that a built-in puppy will be produced.
Former Labrador breeder Jack Vanderweek, one of the oppositions to the Silver Labrador, admitted in 2002:
Today, in 2002, many, many generations later, the population of ‘silver’ Labrador has a fairly viable gene pool with seven distinct, (almost) unrelated lines. As a result, average COIs (along with infrading) are generally not higher than other Labrador lines. This means that we should not underestimate the “silver” population.
So it could be that breeding cubs in silver labradors will not be the problem it once was.
It is worth remembering that the risk of accumulation can be reduced by ensuring that each co-parent has a low co-efficient for breeding. A wise breeder will be able to help you with this.
Bad breeder
There are concerns that many Silver Labrador puppies are illegally born in the backyard breeder or puppy mills
These concerns certainly apply to any popular breed but as silver labs become more mainstream, there are clear signs that responsible breeding practices are being adopted.
Grey retriever Puppy: Buying Tips
If you decide to bring a Grey retriever puppy into your life, it is important to find a responsible Labrador breeder.
You will need a breeder who tests the health of all their dogs before breeding, and whose dogs are not just their breeding machine, but a part of their life.
Fortunately, the Grey retriever puppy breeding is not mutually exclusive with being a responsible breeder.
But you need to be diligent in avoiding puppy mills and bad breeding habits.
Grey retriever puppies should only be purchased from breeders that test the puppy’s parents for hip and elbow dysplasia, PRA (blindness to legacy) and CNM (a muscle-wasting disease).
Pros and Cons of Grey retriever
One of the ramifications of bringing a silver lab to your life is that you may experience unpleasant reactions from those who think that silver labs are ‘destroying the nation’.
Or those who believe they should be banned.
Cons
Some people may be rude about your dog
You will not be able to compete with your dog in the showroom
You may have to pay more than a regular color lab
Finding a responsible breeder in your area can be even more difficult
Your dog may be at risk of being fake
Pros
Your Silver Lab has the potential to be the health and fitness of another lab
This lab is just as profitable and trainable as any other lab
Your lab will probably be a great family pet
You will have the pleasure of owning an unusual dog
There are also questions about the registration of silver labs born in the future. You should be aware that there are people who are campaigning to register Silver Labs.
If they are successful they may have an impact on those who want to breed from their dog, or who wish to be loyal to their dog or participate in a field test competition that is only open to dogs of the registered breed.
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Grey retriever – Summary
People have been arguing for these unusual gray Labradors for a decade or more.
In some ways, we do not seem to be close to reaching a conclusion.
On the other hand, the acceptance of Silver Labs seems to be steadily increasing.
We love all the Labradors, no matter how low their descendants or the color of their coats are controversial.
We would also like to know if your dog has suffered any prejudice due to the unusual coat color of his dog.
