Fox Red Labs vs Black Labs

[Beretta V]

I haven’t seen many chocolate labs on shoots recently. When my dad was a keeper a few people had them but there wasn’t a good 1 between them. I think they were bred for colour rather than a working dog.
I have however seen very good labs in black yellow and red.
Personally I would rather a spaniel but when I’m looking for a dog in the near future I would like to rescue a dog so who knows what I will end up with hopefully I will be able to take it out shooting but if not it will be a pet

 

[sako85708]

Anyone else found the reds have a little bit more spiciness? Little dash of ginger/chilli in there somewhere? Could be psychological, but I have, and I kind of love it.

I have always thought my fox red lab has a bit of Vizsla in her, she seems to have an "edge" over the other black labs my friends own who I shoot with. When I was training her along with many other fox red labs in both of the local gundog clubs they all seemed the same . Harder hunting, a stronger tracking drive and almost a little spaniel like !! Could be just me ??

 

[Dan Newcombe]

he breeds working choc labs they are great grafters

Out of interest - where abouts is he?

Always fancied a chocolate lab - if for nothing else than to annoy people

 

[sika]

Out of interest - where abouts is he?

Always fancied a chocolate lab - if for nothing else than to annoy people

berwick upon tweed

 

[sika]

i prefer my chessies

 

[Xboltdave]

Red is the new Black! They’re as common as Muck these days!

 

[Drum123]

Red is the new Black! They’re as common as Muck these days!

This is spot on. 'fox reds' have been commanding a premium for years , all the breeders , more since the huge price hike of COVID , have jumped on the band wagon and been churning out litter after litter. Now it's rare to see teams of black labs picking up . Guess what ? People are now wanting black labs to be a little different! Fickle bunch are we humans.

 

[Ben23]

'fox reds' have been commanding a premium for years , all the breeders , more since the huge price hike of COVID , have jumped on the band wagon and been churning out litter after litter.

This is my problem with fox reds nowadays, I don’t even know who I’d get one from in order to avoid the fashionistas with crap dogs. Post-Covid there seem to now be more reds than any other colour to me, which must mean a tiny gene pool?

 

[cjm1066]

I really can't believe this discussion, discussing skill according to colour is wrong in today's Society.

Next someone will say that bitches work better than dogs or the others way round. Again a pointless discussion as how do we know how the animal identifies.

That's put my head above the parapet!!

 

[Bowland blades]

No good dog comes in the wrong colour ! Fox red is frankly a yellow lab that is a tad darker depending molt by molt . It does not frankly bother me which colour , with the exception of the Chocolate and that's just because it comes from pet lines a mutation / blended gene comprising of both black and yellow .

 

[Alex88]

I really can't believe this discussion, discussing skill according to colour is wrong in today's Society.

Next someone will say that bitches work better than dogs or the others way round. Again a pointless discussion as how do we know how the animal identifies.

That's put my head above the parapet!!

But as some of the replies have shown, there is a correlation between colour and working aptitude. Just as there would be with different colours of people being better at different tasks. And bitches are different to work than dog? Not really sure what you're getting at? But Certainly didn't mean to be "wrong in today's society "

 

[cjm1066]

Agree 100%, just having a tease.

 

[Acm]

The problem with any working dog breed is when one colour becomes more desirable than the rest, and the breeders then breed for colour not good working ethic. just look at the amount of useless red collies!
I have a yellow lab and love him to bits, he is better bred than I deserve but will enjoy accompanying me stalking beating, shepherding and working on the farm.

 

[Bowland blades]

The problem with any working dog breed is when one colour becomes more desirable than the rest, and the breeders then breed for colour not good working ethic. just look at the amount of useless red collies!
I have a yellow lab and love him to bits, he is better bred than I deserve but will enjoy accompanying me stalking beating, shepherding and working on the farm.

Perhaps at the Low end of breeders who do working Labs . Chocolate is harder to sell to serious shooting homes and there is a reason past colour for that and its because they came from show and pet trade breeders . Not to say they will all be poor but i am not sure if there is even 1 single FTch made up yet ?
I am not a trailing guy , however when I read through the breeding history of a pup i am looking at the Red letters, names etc. if doing this and dropping an extra k saves me failure 2 years down the line I am far keener a buyer . Not that i would ever sniff at a dog or bitch being used that i had personally seen at work in the field !

 

[CookM]

There’s now silver into the mix
Am a springer spaniel man so colour no an issue

Liver and white,liver and white.
Not those Friesan cow ones.
Doing a runner now.......

 

[CookM]

My rifle mentor had a little yellow lab bitch called Honey,she went out pigeon fighting,pigeon decoying,beating,duck fighting and stayed close at foot stalking or sitting on watch at his side for deer at dusk.
She tracked well.lf ever a multi role dog she was it.
Both sadly missed.

 

[merlin]

Liver and white,liver and white.
Not those Friesan cow ones.
Doing a runner now.......

You've obviously seen my black & white pillock wrapped in springer skin in action

 

[CookM]

You've obviously seen my black & white pillock wrapped in springer skin in action

Bless 'em all.l am not against them.We have several on our scratch around shoot,they go on fine.

 

[Chriscotter]

I think it all depends on the individual dog over colour, I've seen chocolates work better than yellows and red fox labs work better than black labs but then you look at someone else's gun dog pack and it's all change again.
Silver labs are just a weimaraner x lab lol no doubt someone had an accidental puppy litter and decided silver lab sounded better to sell them

But fox reds are just duck tolling dogs crossed with the original black Labrador (st johns water dog)

 

[Chriscotter]

But as some of the replies have shown, there is a correlation between colour and working aptitude. Just as there would be with different colours of people being better at different tasks. And bitches are different to work than dog? Not really sure what you're getting at? But Certainly didn't mean to be "wrong in today's society "

Or the cross breeding coming through in different colours giving differing working aptitudes. The fox reds have bits of everything including varying spaniels and Norfolk retriever