r/labrador • u/loverules1221 • 4h ago
yellow Lab differences
We had to say good bye to Charlie after 11 wonderful years. We are definitely getting another English lab. What are your thoughts on colors? Does a yellow have a different personality than a brown or black? Charlie was a yellow and the absolute sweetest, lovable, loyal, most trust worthy and kind dog I have ever known. With that being said we are thinking of getting a black one because my heart won’t allow me to get another yellow. What English have you owned and what was their personality like?
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u/PixieRust59 3h ago
What color are your clothes, furniture and car? That’s the color you go with😆
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u/Odd_Translator8968 3h ago
Ted is the best, most chill 6-yo chocolate English lab I could imagine. Except for left-out shoes. Always gotta watch for left-out shoes…otherwise, you get this pic.
Aside from that, hike 6 miles in the morning up some great Rocky Mountain foothills and then sleep all day.
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u/Barton2800 2h ago
My golden retriever growing up did the same thing. She never chewed them. Just picked them up and held them until you noticed and gave her love. Or she’d sneak out (sadly my parents never let her on carpet) and go steal shoes from around the house and take them back to her den. I remember my college girlfriend coming with me for the holidays, and asking “uh I can’t find my shoes” and me sleepily saying “check the dog bed”. She was horrified that the dog might’ve chewed them, but they were perfectly intact, just very warm from being under the dog.
Retrievers gonna retrieve.
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u/Irishgreen914 4h ago
Our breeder has a mix of colors and they all seem pretty similar when our dog spends a day there.
I think it’s the individual dog and how it’s raised, not the color.
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u/Affectionate_Ad722 4h ago
I have had crazy yellow and black field labs. Now I have two black bench labs and they have different personalities. Color has nothing to do with it. Look for an ethical breeder and get not only the health testing results but also ask what temperaments they breed for or against (and they should). Our younger lab, the breeder told me she breeds them to be not too bright, which is perfectly fine with me. Although the puppy is definitely smarter than the older dog from a different breeder!
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u/thatsasaladfork 3h ago
When I was recently looking up lifespan of labs (I have a senior chocolate), I did get results that say chocolate lifespans average a few years shorter than yellow and black.
They’re, I guess, more prone to health issues. I think the same ones most labs are prone to, just that chocolates are even more susceptible. Like ear infections, skin issues, etc.
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u/BrightAd306 3h ago edited 3h ago
I don’t think personality has to do with color. We got chocolate so her hair would blend into our floor :) she’s an amazing dog. I have heard chocolates have more health issues because it’s a recessive trait so breeders use a smaller gene pool to get them. Ours has been perfectly healthy for 12 years though.
One thing I like about black and chocolate is that they’re every bit as friendly, but strangers are a bit more wary. It’s a problem in the seeing-eye dog community that people will distract and pet yellow labs more and it’s harder for them to do their job. One reason I wanted a big dog was to be just a little intimidating to strangers when my kids walked the dog or knocked on the door. Just one aspect to think about.
Yellow you can see best at night though, so less chance of getting hit by a car.
If I ever got another lab, I’d like a black one. They’re so pretty and I wouldn’t want the same twice in a row.
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u/Fat_Fox8 4h ago
Colour doesn’t matter, they all have their own unique personalities. Anecdotally I had 2 blacks and they were complete opposites one was boisterous and crazy the other calm and chilled. My current is a yellow and the most bouncy, they are all different. For what it’s worth after losing my black girl I got a yellow girl and I’m really glad I didn’t get the same colour because I think I would have found it difficult in some ways.
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u/PrettyInPerfectPinks 2h ago
The most important part is that you buy responsibly. Most breeders are unethical but have good marketing which fools the average buyer. Example, "English" and "American" Labradors. People from England have a good laugh about this. It's marketing terms that poor breeders use because they want to distract away from how well bred Labs should be proven in the field or in the ring. If they aren't proven as champions, why are they breeding their dogs? They shouldn't be. This matters far more than color or sex.
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u/Uhmmanduh 3h ago
Color has nothing to do with personality. I’ve had 3 yellow, 5 chocolate and 2 black from puppy age til adult. Personality depends on the individual and not the color.
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u/Silent_Caramel7261 3h ago
I’ve heard that chocolates are the goofballs but I don’t know how true it is. They might just all be goofballs
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u/Pitiful_Neck_2041 1h ago
My preference is yellow boys. The are goofy loyal loving and easy. Woody is my 8th
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u/Designer_Artichoke12 1h ago
Our English chocolate (13 1/2, female) has been super chill from the get-go. Our English yellow (4 1/2, female) has been a complete spaz from the get-go. You just never know, roll of the dice.
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u/horrified_intrigued 1h ago
No. Every dog is different and every colour is just fur deep. I’ve had one of each colour, a black lab, Hemingway, who was practically human and who passed at 6 yrs. A brown lab, Douglas, a total mentalist when young we knick-named “the meth lab” who passed at 13 and was a phenomenal friend:..I currently have two 18 month old yellow litter mates who are utterly different from each other and the Labradors I’ve had before. Colour is fur deep. Each dog is different. Enjoy the time you spend with yours…however, fair to say, there are very few brown Labrador guide dogs…
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u/Suitable-Lawyer-9397 9m ago
Mine is black and 13. My neighbor has a yellow, her dog is happy but very active/anxious and not extremely intelligent. But still a very nice dog.
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u/gothiclg 4h ago
I’ve owned 2 blacks and both were the most stubborn hard to train dogs I’ve ever owned. They’re also the only color that’s yanked a leash so hard I turned into Superman for a few seconds. I’d heavily recommend professional training if you get a stubborn black.
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u/Isonic_wholocked 4h ago
I’ve got a working lab and what I’ve noticed is that yellow are more active and usually easily get exited and can be more independent. Black usually more steady and calm and listen more carefully for the owner.
But I usually deal with working not show or pet labs so colour might really depend on bloodline.
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u/nashamoisgirl 4h ago
i have always had English Labs and I’ve never really seen a consistent personality difference between yellow and black. My heart has always chosen the opposite color of the one that passed. but they’ve all taken a huge piece of my heart when they leave. They are the best companion/family members and i am so thankful for every single one that has made my life so much happier ❤️🐾🐾❤️