Ever wonder where the white Labradors come from? What the genetics are? We love our white Labs. They are known for being a calmer temperament, easier to train, and more biddible. Take Willow, our sweet mama. She has the perfect temperament for therapy and service work (and her pups will, too!).
What are the Genetics of the White Labrador?
The main three colors of Labs are yellow, black, and chocolate. The yellow Lab is based on the cream gene, known as ‘ee’ The little ‘e’ when in combination with a second ‘e’ creates a dominant pairing that takes over the whole dog and makes it a tan/yellow color. In black and chocolate labs you don’t have this double combination of cream ‘ee’. Instead, you’ll have one or no copies of the ‘e’, leading to a dog that is either ‘EE’ or ‘Ee’. Without a double ‘ee’ you can’t have a yellow lab.
Okay, great, we understand the yellow part, but what about why some are red, some are golden, and others are white? Well that all comes down to the intensity of the red genes and, while we don’t know all of them, Embark has found 5 different genes linked to red intensity. The more of those genes that are cream, and not red, the more white the dog will be. Breeders have selected for these white dogs over the years and now we have some dogs that are so light, they appear to be white, even though it’s really a very light yellow.
You’ll often see that each dog will have a little variation in the yellow throughout their coat. Often the ears will be a little more yellow or the fur along their spine will have a little more pigment.
What we love about White Labradors…
We’ve found our white Labs shed less. This is actually documented in Willow’s genetics, where she only carries a single copy of the heavy-shedding gene.
White Labs are simply beautiful. They capture the room when they walk in. The stark contrast from their eyes and nose to their body creates a dynamic expression that you can’t find with the other colors of labs.
If you love a clean home, a white Labrador is quite the visual complement. Add in the lowered shedding, and it’s a perfect match.
How Are White Labradors Registered with AKC?
White Labradors are registered as yellow with AKC. This is because it is still a yellow lab, but with very light genetics.
Are White Labradors Albino?
They are not albino, instead they are a very light variation of yellow. You can tell a dog isn’t albino because they have pigmented noses and eyes, unlike albino animals.
