Do chocolate labradors make good gundogs?

The chocolate labrador is still in its infancy in terms of working ability.

By Jeremy Hunt

Tuesday, 03 March 2009

I've heard they're not as intelligent as black or yellow labs. Where can I find a well-bred chocolate labrador to train?

JEREMY HUNT SAYS: With all due respect to devotees of chocolate labradors, for the most part this colour is in its infancy when it comes to working ability.

The chocolate labrador colour traces it origins to show-breeding.

While some show kennels have established long-lines of this colour that now win top awards in the ring, the chocolate labradors have been at the mercy of the lucrative pet-market.

Many pet-bred chocolate labradors have pedigrees with generations of meaningless names like Chocolate Sauce, Chocolate Pudding, Miss Flake and Toblerone Ted.

This suggests they are the results of generations of pet-breeding.

Just a few experienced working kennels are now embarking upon the long job of creating strains of chocolates with proven ability based on known bloodlines.

We have just had a black-to-black mating that produced three chocolate pups.

There is one line of dual-purpose chocolates in this pedigree that is based on sensible, workmanlike labradors, so these chocolate pups will be the type on which we hope to establish a genuine strain with real working ability.

I advise you to contact some well-known breeders of working labradors to see if they are developing chocolate strains.

Brocklebank Labradors is one such breeder you could try.

For more gun dog breeding advice click here

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Comments

suzie stevens

Mon, 25th Jan 2010 13:29:41

I have a black bitch and her son bred from a Chocolate Lab. Both the Chocolate dad and my new boy work exceptionally well. The Chocolate is very slight for a Chocolate lab but is I have to say quite outstanding on not only the peg but flushing and generally picking up including water retrieval. I was very dubious given the Chocolate's reputation but he is good out of Sandylands

Ruth McKennell

Mon, 15th Jun 2009 13:20:35

You can also try Aldertree, my chocolate lab bitch came from there and she is a cracking dog. http://www.aldertreegundogs.co.uk/

Mrs K Biss

Fri, 15th May 2009 22:07:11

Regarding Chocolate labs for working. I had one some years ago, which came from half working half show stock, it took longer to train her for picking up, but once it got into her brain,she was excellent,she was entered into a few working tests, but was always put down because of her colour. She had a long working career,but went senile at about 9 years old, so was reitred.

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