Labradors come in various colors Yellow, Chocolate, Black, White and even Fox red. Yes, Labradors exist in different colors. In this article let us know about the unique looking Fox red Labrador.

People call this special colored Labrador by different names. Some call it Fox red Lab, some call it Red fox Lab and some others even call it Red Labrador. What are all these names? What is it actually called? How is it different from other Labradors?

Find out answers to all your questions in the article below.

 

 

Fox Red Labrador- What is it actually?

I love to call this special Labrador “Fox Red Labrador” as the name perfectly suits its coat color. Whenever people think of yellow Labs, they imagine a pale yellow colored Labrador as they see that color more often in their surroundings.

But according to AKC yellow Labradors can range in color from fox-red to light cream with variations in shading on the ears, back, and underparts of the dog. Hence the Fox Red Labrador retriever is not considered as a separate color rather it is simply a darker shade of yellow.

A fox red Lab is a nothing but a yellow Labrador with a special coat color which makes it stand apart from other yellow Labradors. But where did Red fox color came from? Why is the coat color different from other yellow Labradors? To understand this, it is necessary to dig a little into the history of this Fox red Labrador.

 

Fox Red Labrador history

In the olden days, most of the people preferred their Labrador color to be black. Due to which the sad incidents of culling other colored Labradors used to occur in those days, this even includes culling of fox red Labradors.

In the early days of breeding the dark yellow shade or the fox red shade was considered to be the original shade of a yellow Labrador. When you have a look at the first yellow Labrador ever recorded, Ben of Hyde you will understand its true color.

But during the later years, the lighter shades became more and more popular and the darker shades such a fox red color became out of fashion. When you consider a simple demand-supply formula, as more people prefer light-colored Labradors selective breeding for lighter shades became the norm.

Even though paler yellow Labradors became popular, there existed a section of the community who were interested in dark-coloured and fox red colored Labradors. This is one of the reasons for the existence of Labradors with darker shades. From this pool of fox red Labradors, we obtained our present-day Fox red Labrador.

As years passed the rarity of the fox red color caused a rise in popularity of the fox red Lab and today we see an increased number of fox red Labradors.

 

Fox Red Lab characteristics

Let us have a look at their characteristics that make them slightly different from other yellow Labradors.

Physical appearance

When you look at a fox red lab puppy, it clearly looks distinct from other yellow Lab puppies. It appears dark brown in color with a peach-coloured pigmentation near the nose and other parts of the body. But generally in yellow Labs of lighter shades, the coat appears to be light yellow and pigmentation appears to be pink.

Slowly as the puppies grow in age their coat begins to lighten up into a brown paper bag color due to the growth of undercoat. Finally, after a certain age, as the guard hairs appear to show up, you can see the red shade in its coat color.

Fox red Lab temperament

I don’t know why many people ask questions about Fox red Labrador temperament. Maybe because of its unique coat color, people may get doubts regarding the dog’s temperament. Actually, in characteristics such as temperament, a fox red Lab is as same as the other Labrador. They are even loving and friendly as other yellow Labradors. Because a fox red Lab is also a yellow Lab with a different shade.

Some people generally say that fox red labs are more vocal. Even though all Labradors are the same, there exist little differences in them depending upon their genetic lineage. So there might be some Labradors that are more vocal in their ancestry.

Are Red Labs purebred?- The common doubt

This is one of the common question people ask me, and it is not uncommon to get this doubt. When all yellow Labs around you look paler and few of them darker, you naturally get this doubt.

Actually, there is nothing to doubt regarding the purity of the breed as we discussed the history of fox red Labs already. Fox Red Labradors are purebred Labradors with a darker coat color inherited from its ancestors. The AKC and all other major kennel clubs around the world recognise the fox red Lab as a purebred and a shade of yellow.

Have a look at the father of modern fox red Labrador Wynfaul Tabasco which was a purebred Labrador.

 

Fox Red Lab breeders- What they do?

Although there exist good responsible breeders all over the world, there are some breeders who perform bad breeding practices. They breed only for the purpose of attaining a desired color keeping aside the health and genetical standard of the animals.

As the demand for darker shades started increasing, bad breeding practices just for the sake of coat color also increased.

Breeding within a smaller gene pool to attain desired qualities such as color pave way for a greater risk of inherited genetical disorders. When these Fox red Lab breeders perform inbreeding for attaining this darker fox red shade, there is a greater risk of genetical health issues in those dogs.

Hence it is important to choose a responsible breeder who performs breeding practices considering the future health of the litter. No genuine breeder can guarantee you a perfect fox red coat color because the coat color changes as the fox red Lab puppies grow in age.

What about Dark Fox Red Labrador?

The craze for darker coat color has increased in recent times and many breeders started breeding practices to satisfy the customers wants.

Even though Fox red Labrador has a darker shade, all of them do not appear the same. Some of them have lighter fox red shades and some of them have a dark fox red shade.

This coat color depends upon the expression of a pigment called Pheomelanin. Hence Dark fox red Labrador is nothing but a fox red Lab with a darker shade of coat color. Nowadays more people started preferring this shade to make their dog look unique.

 

Fox Red Lab price

Anything that becomes trending increases in price. This is even true with respect to Fox red Labs. The demand and prices of Fox red Labs have increased in recent times because of their unique looking coat color. So how much do fox red Labradors cost?

As the demand for fox red Labs started increasing, breeders started taking advantage of people’s interest in this special color. Many breeders even advertise fox red Labs as a rare breed and charge more from customers.

Actually, it is important for you to identify a responsible breeder when you want to bring home a fox red Lab puppy. A genuine breeder will not prefer to sell different colored puppies for different prices.

For a genuine breeder, a fox red Lab puppy is as similar to a yellow one. Because they don’t breed dogs just for the sake of coat color and also the litter cannot guarantee you similar colored puppies.

Attention:

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