Chocolate Labs

[gnasher16 30,256]

Apologies if its a daft question but are chocolate labs generally regarded as inferior workers to normal black labs ? my logic tells me that dogs bred for colour/looks usually are but its not a breed im familiar with so i dont know.....are they structurally any weaker ? less intelligent ?....or are they pretty much the same regardless.

[3175darren 1,101]

4 minutes ago, gnasher16 said:

Apologies if its a daft question but are chocolate labs generally regarded as inferior workers to normal black labs ? my logic tells me that dogs bred for colour/looks usually are but its not a breed im familiar with so i dont know.....are they structurally any weaker ? less intelligent ?....or are they pretty much the same regardless.

Gnash 

I have seen some good chocolate labs, but not many, mainly as blacks and golden, have always been more popular / common, I had never had anything to do with the Fox red labs, till my brother got one, and that was a belting dog, well worth keeping, my only opinion is they are bred for pup price, and if I am truthful they seem to age quickly, look old, as regards working ability I have never heard anything bad about them, 

[Jackknife 824]

Not such a daft question iv heard myself few times over the years that chocs are less intelligent than the others, iv no convincing data or expertise in the matter so might just be hear say. 

[Born Hunter 17,787]

I don't much like labs full stop so my opinion doesn't count for a great deal but I've observed that there's next to none in the field compared with blacks and yellows and I can't ever recall seeing a choc (pet or worker) that I thought had nice conformation.

[forest of dean redneck 11,686]

1 hour ago, Born Hunter said:

I don't much like labs full stop so my opinion doesn't count for a great deal but I've observed that there's next to none in the field compared with blacks and yellows and I can't ever recall seeing a choc (pet or worker) that I thought had nice conformation.

I’ve only seen one that was a well exercised pet , that looked tidy but obviously years down the line would tell about its hips or cancer etc 

[wilbur foxhound 480]

There are some that do win field trials/tests,but they are a very small percentage 

[bird 9,963]

21 hours ago, forest of dean redneck said:

I’ve only seen one that was a well exercised pet , that looked tidy but obviously years down the line would tell about its hips or cancer etc 

the ones ive seen knocking about on me walks, were all over weight, prob more so than the black,yellow , andunless from proper working lines them 2 not much better . ive seen few real nice working labs and most were black ,the odd couple yellow, but most were black, were i used beat years ago  couple guns had nice black labs , and woman had  nice black bitch lab racey type, and great looking sprinnger male dog old type strong dog , both for picking up .

[forest of dean redneck 11,686]

2 hours ago, bird said:

the ones ive seen knocking about on me walks, were all over weight, prob more so than the black,yellow , andunless from proper working lines them 2 not much better . ive seen few real nice working labs and most were black ,the odd couple yellow, but most were black, were i used beat years ago  couple guns had nice black labs , and woman had  nice black bitch lab racey type, and great looking sprinnger male dog old type strong dog , both for picking up .

Most I seen were heavy set and overweight, 

like I said only seen one decent looking one that had a bit of tuck to it underneath .

[jok 3,301]

They are like Clumber spaniels. Waste of space. Only the owners think they are any good. None of them won anything when I was  doing a bit and on the field, retrieving, completely useless. Hope this helps you save some money lol. Jok.

[gnasher16 30,256]

Thanks for the replies chaps it rings true and thats why i asked,you never seem to see them bright eyed and in good nick,even on Google images !.....cant say as ive seen many black ones in decent shape but im sure they are out there i suppose its like any breed the minute they stop being bred for their purpose conformation suffers.

I know they have their different jobs but im guessing of the gundog breeds Pointers are of a general higher quality although im only going by what ive seen on the net i might be totally wrong,but some of them German Shorthaired Pointers are fit healthy looking animals.

[bird 9,963]

9 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Thanks for the replies chaps it rings true and thats why i asked,you never seem to see them bright eyed and in good nick,even on Google images !.....cant say as ive seen many black ones in decent shape but im sure they are out there i suppose its like any breed the minute they stop being bred for their purpose conformation suffers.

I know they have their different jobs but im guessing of the gundog breeds Pointers are of a general higher quality although im only going by what ive seen on the net i might be totally wrong,but some of them German Shorthaired Pointers are fit healthy looking animals.

yeh gnash, once the show people get them, any breed suffers , just like bulldogs really, look at show bred staffs, or ebt   none could do full day work, where as game bred apbt , bred for work not for looks. yeh  gwp or the smooth type from working lines be good  dogs , like i said earlier  a woman had cracking black lab bitch , racey  work all day, and her males were simlar not over big and work all day , i seen them (males) on other days on the shoot , with any type of dog x breeds =lurchers ,  or peds  get a pup from proven parents .

[Born Hunter 17,787]

12 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Thanks for the replies chaps it rings true and thats why i asked,you never seem to see them bright eyed and in good nick,even on Google images !.....cant say as ive seen many black ones in decent shape but im sure they are out there i suppose its like any breed the minute they stop being bred for their purpose conformation suffers.

I know they have their different jobs but im guessing of the gundog breeds Pointers are of a general higher quality although im only going by what ive seen on the net i might be totally wrong,but some of them German Shorthaired Pointers are fit healthy looking animals.

Pointers just look better because they have thin coat and a really classy gait when quartering a field. A good labs coat has real depth for protection against ice cold water so it hides the true form a bit.

id agree labs are probably more prone to look shit but there’s plenty of quality in all the top gundog breeds. As you say, dogs for jobs. Some jobs just make for a more eye catching animal.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Born Hunter

[gnasher16 30,256]

9 hours ago, Born Hunter said:

Pointers just look better because they have thin coat and a really classy gait when quartering a field. A good labs coat has real depth for protection against ice cold water so it hides the true form a bit.

id agree labs are probably more prone to look shit but there’s plenty of quality in all the top gundog breeds. As you say, dogs for jobs. Some jobs just make for a more eye catching animal.

Do Pointers not have a slightly lighter frame though ?...i know their coat isnt as dense as a Labs but it still wouldnt be classed as smooth coated would it,ive looked at a few adverts for  Lab litters and they make a big song and dance about hip scores and suchlike which makes me believe theres issues.

I suppose a Pointer to me is just more visually appealing im as guilty as the show mob 

[forest of dean redneck 11,686]

What about a vizla , stunning dogs .

[Born Hunter 17,787]

16 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Do Pointers not have a slightly lighter frame though ?...i know their coat isnt as dense as a Labs but it still wouldnt be classed as smooth coated would it,ive looked at a few adverts for  Lab litters and they make a big song and dance about hip scores and suchlike which makes me believe theres issues.

I suppose a Pointer to me is just more visually appealing im as guilty as the show mob 

I might have misunderstood you then, I was just pointing out that quality remains in all the top gundog breeds. In their respective fields they are all the masters of that trade. If by quality you mean general health then I dunno in honesty. Any of them would work into double figures, so beyond that I’m not sure I’d care too much.

Everyone comments on how classy shorthairs are but I’m not convinced they’re any more ‘top quality’ than a spaniel or lab or whatever. Difficult to compare really I suppose.