Lab Puppy

[Oxfordawg]

I got a yellow puppy I noticed some white around the paws. I've had chocolate and black but this is my 1st yellow. He's kind of a creamy white but paws are whiter than the rest of his body. He had a sister in the litter that was really white. Is this lighter color around paws normal in yellow labs?

[BeastMan]

Most people have heard of labradors who are all yellow, all black or all chocolate. But purebred labs can also have white markings, or can be black and tan (coloring of a rottweiler). These are recessive traits and not anywhere near as common, as most breeders try to stay away from these traits. They are not accepted by the AKC for showing standards. But indeed, a purebred labrador can have white markings on them, usually on the chest and/or paws.

I have heard vets also tell a client that their black with white markings dog and their black/tan were not purebreds, but having been the cryogenics & breeding technician for guide dogs at a company with 98% labrador breeding stock, I can tell that is absolutely not so. While the parents and even grandparents may not be the same color or have the markings, it is a genetic trait carried and these markings can indeed be produced.

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