Labradors come in various colors and chocolate is one among them. Since their emergence in the 20th century, they played their part as loving dogs like their counterpart yellow and black Labradors.

A chocolate Labrador can vary from a dark brown coat to a medium brown coat along with brown colored nose and eyes. Hence in appearance, your chocolate Lab looks like a Labrador dog dipped in brown chocolate.

Then what about a Chocolate Lab with white spot on tail? What about other spots and markings? Let us discuss this in the below article.

 

 

Chocolate lab with white spot on tail

Some chocolate Lab owners observe the appearance of a small white spot on the tail after bringing home a chocolate Lab puppy. This white spot appears to grow in size as the dog grows.

In such cases, many Lab owners have doubts in their minds regarding the purity of their Labrador breed.

Whether their chocolate Labrador is a purebred or not? Actually, it is important to understand the Labrador color genetics before discussing regarding this white spot on tail.

 

Labrador color genetics

Our early Labrador retrievers were predominantly black and some of them have the genetic material to produce chocolate colored puppies.

When a black Labrador containing brown genes is paired up with another black one containing brown genes, you can find brown puppies in the litter. And these little brown ones are our chocolate Labs.

Do you know that the present-day Labradors derive their ancestral identity from St.  John’s water dog which is predominantly black in color with a small white chest patch and few white hairs on the feet?

In the above information, we have come across the presence of black, brown and white colors in the genetic code of Labradors. Hence you should not be surprised if a chocolate Labrador has white spots on its coat.

In a black Labrador, yellow Labrador or a chocolate Labrador the predominant difference is the coat color. The reason for this differential coat color and any other colored spot or line on its coat can be attributed to the dog’s genetics. And this is completely true.

 

What is a mismarked Lab?

A Labrador that inherits color oddities on its coat which is different from its predominant coat color is known as a mismarked Lab. These mismarks can be of various kinds such as White spots on tail, white stripe on chest, white spot on Labrador chest, white ring around the tail, black and tan markings, brindling and other forms of markings.

All these color peculiarities are known as Labrador retriever markings and this is the topic which we are discussing here. Hence a white spot on the tail of a chocolate Labrador is a mismark.

Thus a mismark such as a white spot on the tail is neither unusual and nor an abnormality. It is just a genetic peculiarity derived from the dog’s ancestor genes.

 

Is a mismarked Lab purebred?

Many dog owners get this doubt after observing any kinds of mismarks on their Labrador. A mismark can occur if a Labrador is not purebred, it does not mean mismarks only occur in mixed breeds. Mismarks can also occur in pure breeds. Hence mismarks does not disqualify your Labrador from being a pure breed.

I have seen Labradors which have mismarks even though they are 100 per cent purebred. One of my friend’s Labrador which a purebred has a white spot on its chest. Hence Labradors with mismarks are 100 pre cent Labradors with a genetic peculiarity in its coat color.

It is important to check whether the Labrador puppy with mismarks is a purebred or not. Some breeders claim the puppy with mismarks as pure breeds and try to sell them. It is always better to bring a puppy from a reputed and responsible breeder who can give you all the information about the puppy’s ancestral lineage.

 

What AKC says about mismarks?

AKC has a clear standard on how a Labrador should look like.

1. Color combinations of any type are not included in the AKC breed standard. Hence a chocolate Lab should not have yellow fur or black fur. This is a disqualification from the breed standard.

2. Sometimes chocolate Labradors have a white spot on their chest. According to AKC, a small white spot is permissible on the chest but not desirable.

3. Labradors grow white hair due to ageing. White hair due to ageing is not criteria for disqualification.

If you are not into dog shows these mismarks are not at all an issue to worry about.

A mismark will never make a Labrador unfit for being a beloved pet. A Labrador with mismarking will love you the same way as a Lab without markings.

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