Silver Labradors exploded as the latest fashion trend in the spring of this year. Although the Labrador breed has been recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC) since 1903, there have been reports of a “Silver” Lab since 1920, however the AKC only recognizes the typical colors yellow, black and brown. There is documented evidence in the 1920-1950s regarding the rarity of Labrador retrievers that were silver or gray in color and were not considered ideal for the breed standard.

Rumors in dog media circles

People are frantic about this “new” Labrador style. So let’s take a look at some of the rumors – people need facts:

Silver Labs were bred with Weimaraners – Wrong! Although this is still a very active rumor, scientifically the evidence does not hold up. Labradors are sporting dogs. They were raised to retrieve, to work to help fishermen. Labradors are mild-tempered, medium-energy, and more settled by nature. Weimaraners are also sporting dogs, they were bred to hunt medium-sized animals, they have a lot of energy, they are very active and nervous. The temperaments and purposes of the two breeds are very different. When 2 breeds are bred together, it is to enhance specific favorable traits. These 2 different dogs have already been selectively bred for their specific favorable traits.

What really happened with the silver lab is selection for recessive genes. You see, if you remember a little biology from high school, you can remember the different genetic variations in the chart. Several genes come together represented by a capital letter and a lowercase letter.

Learn more about genetics and recessive genes on my site. look under the Simplified genetics table

(This is oversimplified, so if you’re a geneticist, you can skip this part!)

Now let’s move on to the next rumor about this new breed color in the media…

Silver Labs have blue eyes. Silver Labs and Weimaraners often have blue eyes as puppies. Also due to recessive genes. But usually this color changes as the dog matures, just like the eyes of human babies. The silver Labrador’s eye color usually turns amber and Weimaraners usually get a variation of light amber, green, or blue.

Silver Labs sell for over $1,000 and this is way too expensive. Not necessarily, they usually sell for $1000-1200, I’d say that’s a fair price. Especially in the midst of a global pandemic where dogs are in demand for comfort and companionship during loneliness. Large breed dogs are more expensive to buy simply because you are buying more dogs! Get to know the seller or breeder as long as he is reputable, fair enough.

Silver Labradors are sold as imposters. C’est possible. Unfortunately, wherever there is an opportunity, sometimes some people can take advantage of it. Silver Labs can fetch much higher prices due to their “rarity” or because buyers pawn them off like other types of dogs that are more expensive than Labradors. They can be pawned as a high quality show dog for a high price. Meet your breeder, meet your breeder. Research before you buy.

Silver Labradors are not recognized by the AKC – Real! To this day, the Silver-Coated Labrador is still under review for acceptance by the AKC, although traditional-coated Labradors have been recognized since 1903. To me, this really speaks to the sudden trend of this breed. Now that the public has decided this silver color is awesome, they wonder why the AKC won’t accept it. The AKC bases its standards on the breed’s reputation, character traits, appearance, and reproducibility. It is a challenge to track down these attributes in a breed that was not considered viable until now.

What this means for prospective new Silver Lab owners is that their Labrador cannot compete in AKC dog shows at this time and cannot be bred as a Silver Lab endorsed by AKC show breed standards. But you can have one as a family dog.

The Future of Silver Labradors

The Silver Labrador Retriever still has all the character traits and temperaments of classic Labrador retrievers. They make a great family dog. Their grooming and exercise requirements are the same as those of the traditional Labrador breed. The only thing we don’t know about these Labradors is how they will age and what their quality of life will be. We can only assume that it will be similar to the lifespan and quality of life of other Labradors. However, the dual inheritance of recessive genes raises some concern about possible increased frailty. Only time will tell. When we consider survival of the fittest, would double recessive genes find ways to thrive in this world, even if the traits themselves were originally considered undesirable?