The bad news is that this condition can lead to not only hair loss but infection in a dog’s hair follicles. Color dilution alopecia is a condition that tends to accompany that same recessive gene that gives the dog its unique color and it can lead to significant coat problems over the dog’s life. There is, however, one unique medical condition that all Silver Lab owners need to know about. Recessive genes are more likely to show up with gene pool shrinkage, so it’s very easy for one to see the possibility of recessive genes becoming more common as they become a larger part of the overall genetic lottery. This seems to be a likely reason for the silver gene to show up, if only because the gene pool of pedigree-certified labs gets ever smaller. Since the diluted color gene is a recessive gene, it’s entirely possible that it was so rare that it simply wasn’t remarked upon until the 1950s. Sometimes genes can remain unexpressed for generations at a time. Despite this, the theory holds on simply because there is no real evidence to dispute it. While genes can and do mutate, the idea that they would mutate so frequently and in such a widespread manner seems unlikely. It’s not a particularly popular theory, though, because it relies largely on coincidence. ![]() MutationĪnother possibility for the surprise emergence of this coloration is simple mutation. Even with this said, there are still many so-called ‘purists’ who will tell you that the Silver Lab must have somehow been the results of crossbreeding. There’s no genetic link between the two breeds of dog, nor are there any characteristics in the Silver Lab that aren’t seen in other labs beyond coat coloration. The theory falls apart a bit, though, with genetic testing. Some people believe that Silver Labradors aren’t pure labs instead, they believe that breeders specifically bred labs with other breeds like Weimaraners in order to create a lucrative new color scheme for their dogs. There are three current theories as to why the dogs suddenly started expressing these genes – a crossbreeding with another breed, a mutation, or even hidden genes. Silver Labradors are relatively new to the dog world, first popping up in the US in the 1950s at a handful of kennels. To understand why you have to look a little more closely at the history of the breed. The silver coloration of labs is actually somewhat controversial, as there are those who aren’t sure that Silver Labradors are actually purebred labs. Color Change and the History of Silver Labs ![]() A silver lab puppy, then, is just a chocolate lab that happen to have gotten diluted color genes from both parents.
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