The Beautiful Fox Red Labrador Retriever Color that Some Labs Have is Yellow

I am sure that the experts, the people that really "know" are pulling their hair out at my complete ignorance.

You see, or rather I see the color red, and not yellow, and I would consequently love to see the color recognized as a separate color.

I understand that there will always be a problem here, because the one color does tend to blend into the other when the shade gets lighter.

But as it stands at the moment, the color range is simply too wide to be registered as just one color.

This is specially applicable when you factor in the fact that you have a number of breeders that are specifically trying to breed for this color.

The longer this happens the harder it will be to ignore the fact that it is very distinct from yellow.

The fox red color was re-established (see yellow Labs) in the 1980's by English breeders.

One of the dogs responsible for this throw-back to earlier times was Balrion King Frost. A black lab born 1976 who consistently sired what was termed "very dark yellow" puppies.

He is given the credit for being the most influential of them.

His great-grandson, Wynfaul Tabasco born 1986, who is described as the father of the modern fox red color (a show champion)was very influential.

As were Red Alert and Scrimshaw Placido Flamingo, in passing on this gene into many renowned bloodlines.

If you asked a red Lab owner, even one that would never question the powers that be, what the color of his/her dog is? do you think they would say yellow? I doubt it.

So why is it not possible to register it as the color that it is?

I speak entirely under correction.

But I do not think that the breed standards have been changed in many respects since the first and second Earls of Malmesbury, who bred for duck shooting on his estate, and the 5th and 6th Dukes of Buccleuch, and youngest son Lord George William Montagu-Douglas-Scott, were instrumental in developing and establishing the breed in 19th century England.

That was a very long time ago, surely our modern requirements have changed a bit since then.

Those honorable gentlemen were less concerned with color than with temperament, I'm reasonably sure that they did not care whether a yellow or a fox red dog fetched the water bird that they had just shot.

Maybe it's time for us all to move on, and give this beautiful animal the recognition that it so richly deserves.

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