Labrador genetics help

[QC]

A good friend of ours has a Chocolate lab (Parker) that she wants to breed. They (the owner and the dog) are in love with our Yellow, Bear. Bear has been fixed, but I have located some very close relatives and we want to try and get Parker together with one of them. Here's the question. I was told by a breeder that Chocolates and Yellows should never breed due to potential genetic issues with them both having recessive gene stuff. I have also heard that you should not do Chocolate-Chocolate for similar reasons. I am totally clueless when it comes to genetics, and frankly I don't want to try and understand it. Does anybody know what the straight story on these rules is? What colors get to make it with what other colors? Does it matter?

 

[jbjennings]

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Re: Labrador genetics hep

QC,
All pure-bred dogs like labrador retrievers are inner-bred to an extent. Hence the problems with diseases and hip dysplasia, etc. So you want to check the pedigrees of both dogs to see if they have any ancestors in common and if so, how close they are. Just like people, the more closely they are related, the more likely their offspring will have recessive traits that are harmful. As far as the color goes. Black is dominant to both yellow and chocolate. If I remember correctly, yellow is dominant to chocolate. You can breed any color combination you want to and not worry much about it. Coat color has nothing to do with the inheritance of other genes unless they are found on the same chomosome as the coat color genes. Basically, if you don't care what color the puppies are, breed whatever parents you want to. It's how closely the dogs are related that really matters. If both dogs are registered and have a family history of being in field trials you'll be suprised how many of their ancestors they will have in common. The "papers" of the two parents (if they are registered with AKC or UKC) will have at least a 3 generation pedigree. If they don't have any ancestors common to both dogs you're o.k. Hips and eye problems seem to be the biggest worry in labs. Neither trait has anything to do with fur color.
JMO,
JBJ

 

[QC]

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Thanks. Can we take the color combo comments to the bank? I understand the common ancestor stuff and we have 5 generation pedigrees on both. I also know about their hip issues and Parker has her OFA certificates etc. So would any potential stud.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Kevin this is Bob_VT's wife, Jenn. Here is some good info about color heritability in labs, http://www.labbies.com/genetics2.htm . I also encourage you to go to www.lab-retriever.net and go to the "Fire Hydrant". There is a sub-forum called "The Breeder's Corner". Inside you will find several stickied topics that are "must reads" before you get involved with breeding. Both dogs should have their hips, elbows, eyes and some feel their hearts checked and certified against inheritable problems to prevent them from being passed to the pups. Good luck! Breeding is an expensive project! Jenn.

Wow..... Just surrendered the keyboard to the wife who is my Lab expert.

 

[QC]

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Cool, thanks. We have some experience with a litter that we helped with. Parker was one of the pups. The litter was registered etc., so I think we are going in with eyes open. The best thing is that in both cases it wasn't (won't be) in my house, and I just got to go see and then leave. I could see us ending up with a pup, but that would put us at three and we've never been there before Thanks again, Bob and Jenn. I'll definitely poke around on those sites

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Re: Labrador genetics hep

three's can be a problem, 2 have a tendency to dominate the less aggressive one.

 

[QC]

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Re: Labrador genetics hep

Shhhhhhh . . . nobody has mentioned three around here except my unbelievably stupid reference above . . .

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Labrador genetics help

Well.... we are 2/3rds of a "variety pack" We have a yellow and a black.... in the furture I see a chocolate coming in too. Jenn wants a variety pack and in the "lab world" as long as a human is clearly the Alpha then the pack is always on an even playing field.