A chocolate Lab is a purebred Labrador Retriever with a brown or liver coat. They occasionally present with a silver sheen, where they have inherited a dilute gene from their parents. However, most chocolate Labs have a dark brown, solid coat. Although they might occasionally have a tiny bit of white on their chest or toes. The chocolate Lab is a friendly, fun-loving and active dog. Weighing up to 80lbs and standing about 24 inches high, this clever, confident companion usually lives up to around 12 years old. The ultimate family and sporting working dog, chocolate Labradors are a top choice for a lot of puppy buyers. Chocolate Lab puppies are great with kids, sociable, friendly and easy to train. Energetic and lively they do need lots of attention and exercise, but in return they’ll shower you with affection and loyalty.
Contents
- Chocolate Lab history
- Labrador Retriever color genetics
- Are chocolate Labs excitable dogs?
- American vs English Chocolate Labs
- Chocolate Lab puppies and breeders
Chocolate Labs tend to be more excitable and outgoing than their black or yellow Labrador friends. This is probably because chocolate Labs are more likely to be from show bred English lines than the slightly more serious but prey drive American or working lines. They are all good dogs for experienced and new owners, as long as they are happy to get involved with positive reinforcement training.
Where Do They Come From?
So let’s start out by looking at the origins of the Labrador Retriever. And that lovely brown color that makes the chocolate Labrador so appealing.
There are three colors that naturally shows up in litters of Labrador puppies. Yellow, black and brown coats are all common, but originally only the black Lab was deliberately bred for.
Labrador Retriever history goes back to the early 1800s. Starting in England, they travelled across the world to Newfoundland.
Labradors worked with fishermen in harsh conditions in Newfoundland. Swimming in freezing water, and retrieving nets and even fish. Later they became hunting companions and retrieved ducks for their owners.
Brown vs Chocolate Lab Dogs
Scottish aristocrats took the Labrador back to the UK, but at this point they were nearly always black The brown coat was at first considered to be a flaw! Chocolate Labs were once called Liver Labs
Did you know that once people decided they quite liked the chocolate Labrador coat, they didn’t call it chocolate? Brown Labs were called Liver Labs until the second half of the twentieth century.
Chocolate Labs As Pets
Labs were recognized by The Kennel Club in England in 1903, followed by the American Kennel Club in 1917. Labs became America’s favorite breed in 1991 and continue to be the most popular dog breed in the U.S.A. Thanks to their friendly and active nature.
When did Chocolate Labs become Popular?
Back in the day, brown wasn’t a very desirable color for Labs. Everyone wanted black Labs.
In the 1920s and 1930s, brown, or liver Labradors, started to appear more often. But it wasn’t until about the 1960s that brown Labs really became popular.
Thanks in part to an English chocolate Labrador named Cookridge Tango. Today, though, chocolate Labs are often desired by dog owners, and their future looks bright.
How dark should a chocolate Labrador be?
The brown coat doesn’t vary that much. Most chocolate Labs are fairly similar in color.
However, there are differences in shade – light to dark. This can be based upon the age of the coat – if a chocolate Lab coat is newly grown, it’ll be darker.
Chocolate Lab Coat Genetics
In Labradors, black is the dominant coat color, with its allele (gene variant) represented by a large B. Brown is actually the recessive coat color, with an allele represented by a small b.
Big B over-rides little b whenever it occurs So a dog with BB genes or Bb genes will be black. A dog with bb genes will be brown.
But things are never that simple! There are e alleles as well.
Yellow vs Chocolate Lab Genetics
The yellow color of Labradors is actually determined by another gene, represented by an e.
Ee genes give us lots of yummy shades of yellow. The e genes can actually “switch off” the effects of the B and b genes and cause that yellow color. This effect is called epistasis.
Epistasis simply means that genes at two different locations are interacting to affect a single trait – in this case, color. Big E, the dominant e allele, doesn’t interfere with the Bb genes at all. It actually nullifies the effect of a small e gene.
But little e, which is recessive, can actually mask the Bb genes if both parents pass the small e down. So, if a small e gene is present, and no big E gene is present, you get a yellow dog. A brown Lab may have a genotype, or appearance due to genetics, expressed as bbE_, bbEE, or bbEe.
Can Yellow Labs Have Chocolate Lab Puppies?
Well, it’s quite complicated isn’t it? As you can see, it’s hard to know what color a Labrador’s puppies will be unless you know the exact genotype of the parent.
Chocolate Labrador puppies can come from black or chocolate parents. However, two yellow Labradors will never have brown or black puppies.
They do not have the big E genes that will “switch on” the masking effect. And chocolate Labs bred together won’t have black puppies because they don’t have any B (black) genes.
Got it? Great! Let’s talk about how the chocolate Lab color affects personality.
Chocolate Labrador Temperament and Training
Labradors are really popular for a reason. They’re known to be friendly, high-spirited, and good with people as well as other animals.
Labs are generally easygoing, affectionate, and companionable. They have plenty of energy, so they can do many activities with their humans.
But how about the chocolate Labrador temperament and personality? Are these good Labradors to have as pets? Personality is affected both by genetics and environment.
Are Chocolate Labs More Excitable?
There is a link! A study from 2014 showed that chocolate Labs were more excitable than black Labs, and they fetched less. Additionally, brown Labs were more agitated when they were ignored, and had some separation anxiety. They also showed less fear of noise.
Chocolate Lab behavior included lower trainability and more unusual behavior than black or yellow Labs. However, all these aspects are affected to a degree by other elements.
Including whether they were kept outdoors, their level of exercise, their gender, their working status. And even their health and age. Exercise has been shown to alleviate separation anxiety, for example.
Chocolate Lab Personality
So chocolate Lab training for your own dog may be just as easy as for a particular yellow Lab. Either because of those other elements, or due to particularities in their genetic lines.
And, just so you know, there’s no real reason right now to believe these traits are linked specifically to coat color genes.
The more likely scenario is that traits were selected out by breeding for the chocolate color. You see, chocolate Labs tend to be bred for show, as compared to dogs who were trained for the field. So, let’s look into that aspect.
American vs English Chocolate Lab
When the first dog shows were starting to take place, Labradors were just beginning to become popular as pets. As a result, the evolution of the Lab diverged.
Some were bred as working dogs for the field, and others were bred for their conformation. The two types began becoming more distinct.
American Chocolate Lab Dogs
Labs bred for the field became faster and more focused. Show-bred Labs became heavier and stockier, with shorter legs.
In the U.S. we know the show-type as English, and the field-type as American. That doesn’t mean an English Lab can’t fetch birds, and an American-type can’t be shown, of course. They’re both sweet and eager to please, and have more similarities than differences.
English Chocolate Labs
Now, here’s where the chocolate Labrador comes in. It just so happens that many chocolate Labs are from show-bred lines – these are American chocolate Labs. This is probably a coincidence.
But the fact that black dogs are more desirable for field work in certain areas (like the U.K.) may have played a role. So people tend to associate show traits with the chocolate Labrador Retriever traits, versus the field line. English Chocolate Labs do exist, though, and they’re also popular today.
Chocolate Lab Health
Labradors of every color suffer from a variety of genetic disorders that can be passed down. That’s why it is so important, when buying chocolate Labrador puppies, to ensure the parents have documented proof of health testing. As always, the health of your dog often depends on other factors you can control, such as exercise, environment, and diet.
The Chocolate Labrador, like other Labs, may suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, which are developmental abnormalities in the joints. They are also more prone than other breeds to certain vision problems, such as progressive renal atrophy.
Labs can be affected by cancer, such as lymphoma. Additionally, they may experience other inherited conditions. Such as exercise-induced collapse, centronuclear myopathy, atopic dermatitis, and idiopathic epilepsy.
Chocolate Lab Lifespan
Luckily, Labradors are generally healthy dogs, and you can expect them to live 10-12 years.
How Big Are Chocolate Lab Adults?
Adult chocolate Labs are generally 21-24.5 inches in height and weigh 55-80 lbs. Watch the weight! Labs are prone to obesity and the problems that stem from obesity.
Are Chocolate Labs Good Pets?
Chocolate Labs are popular for many reasons. These dogs, whether show-bred or field-tested, are beautiful and sweet Labs with a genetic makeup that’s totally fascinating.
They have some physical issues you should watch for but are overall healthy. Meet the needs of your chocolate Lab with the proper diet and care, and you’ll have no complaints about behavior, either.
Chocolate Lab Puppies
It’s important to buy your chocolate Lab puppy from a reputable breeder. Good breeders health test both parents. They should be happy to show you certificates for hip scores, elbow scores, clear eye tests and a PRA test too. Some will even have a clear test for the dwarfism gene.
Your Labrador puppy’s mother should be relaxed, happy and welcoming when you visit her litter. She should also have an obviously strong bond with her owner, and a purpose beyond producing puppies.
Cost will depend upon whether the puppies are American or English chocolate Labs, but will vary somewhere between $800 – $2,500 depending on where you are based and what demand is like at the moment.
T Renner says
My husband and I started out with a yellow lab (EggNog), a few years later added a black lab (BlackJack). Enjoyed the pair about 12 years, living our best lives out in the country on about 12 acres. We chose not to have kids so our pups were spoiled and were our babies. We were positive we’d never put ourselves through losing dogs again and made it one full week. Another teacher from my school posted a picture of her new lab puppies right after we threw all the toys, bowls, blankets etc away. We figured it wouldn’t hurt to look at the puppies, and OMG fell instantly back in love with our two new chocolate boys! If you are weak at all, DO NOT look at lab puppies, your hearts will not allow you to put those sweet babies down and walk away! So…we of course left with not one but two from the same litter which is not recommended and have enjoyed 8 years with Talos & Rogue. Our home was once again filled with toys, bowls, beds, etc and they’ve brought so much joy and love back to our hearts/home. They follow me everywhere and do one loud bark anyone approaches our front gate. Talos has extreme separation anxiety, Rogue is only anxious for fireworks or gunshots in the distance (we live in the country and occasionally have neighbors that target shoot in the distance). They were easily trainable so much easier than our yellow and black pair. Could have something to do with our experience level but we don’t think so. Their dad was huge and these two don’t disappoint weighing in at 125 each! Of course they are cuddly so it’s not terrible until both want to be on the same persons lap (LOL). If you have any hesitation to labs, rest assured they are the best breed. The only thing we’d change is have all 4 pups together for 20 years total, saying goodbye is simply awful.
Mel says
My 13 year old chocolate lab has been with me since she was a puppy. She was the runt of the litter and was difficult to train early on as she was just such a force of unbounded energy. She calmed down a lot by age 2 and has been a wonderful family dog. She’s happy to be in the spotlight receiving a lot of attention and cuddles. She loves to play with the ball and is a legit ball junkie even now at her age demanding to be played with. She’s the sweetest girl and loves children. She’s the senior in our community and the puppies just love her. She really “trains” them and they all have a great respect for her and would never steal her ball. It surprised me how patient she is with puppies because a few years ago, she didn’t like puppies one bit. Now they seem to give her a lot of energy, she really lights up in their presence. She can still hold her own with all other dogs as well. She can guard a picnic like nobody’s business and is still extremely confident. In her senior years, she does have more separation anxiety and night panting. Someone is usually home, but she’s very focused on me. This is new behavior only in the last year or so. She is not as relaxed as she used to be and is concerned where I am and follows me around. I know she’s lived beyond her “expiration date” but she’s completely healthy, just a bit slower than she used to be. She’s uninterested in walks around the neighborhood, she only wants to go to the park. If we go any other direction, she becomes a donkey. She’s lost agility while running after the ball and lacks hind leg strength. Regular mild exercise keeps her fit, so I spend as much time with her out of doors as possible. She takes a lot of breaks and is relaxed and very content when she’s outdoors. She’s always had a penchant for people food (fresh baked goods) are her favorite, especially anything chocolate! Best dog ever.
Bella says
We adopted our chocolate lab Harper Lee today and he appears to be about 2 years of age.
He follows me throughout the house and is very relaxed in his new home.
Our 2 other dogs(a yellow lab mix and a dachshund mix) seem to enjoy his company.. I have never had a dog that adapted so quickly!
Mark from Iowa says
We Rescuced our first Liver Lab last year Jan 2020. He loves his brothers GSD, Black Lab, Chow Chow, Rottwieler and Chiwawa, spelling is not my suit. He is Shy retieves well as much as you can give. He has a distinctive bark tome, I noticed. He will lay at the foot of the bed, of on the corner of the couch. Trained very easily, and loves cats too. He is one of our peas in the Pod, and so glad to have recued our Oakley the Liver LAB! Puppy LOVE!
Donna Rowley says
Just got a chocolate lab puppy. He just turned 7 months old. Hershey is very playful, loves everyone and likes dragging the cat around. He love car rides. P.s. the cat let’s him do it. He bites when he’s had enough. Potty trained in 4 days. Very smart dog. Doesn’t like to be disaplined. You raise your voice and that’s all you have to do. He is so eager to please and even easier to train. He isn’t a cuddler but likes to lay next to you. Loves all his toys.
Stacy Richards says
I have a large chocolate lab named Beano. He is almost 100 pounds and 13 1/2+ years old soon to be going on 14!
He is the most amazing dog I have ever had. Loyal, territorial (great guard dog!), sweet with the kids, loves the cats. His only down falls are he used to love to chase the horses (got kicked in the head a couple of times ) and eat mushrooms. He has had mushroom poisoning twice and has lived to tell the tale!
Not sure if that is a Lab trait or not.
I would highly recommend a Chocolate Lab!
Denise Harrison says
Tell me what I am doing wrong . Ours is so badI am clueless on what to do .
Buddy Levanetz says
Just like to say that I enjoyed reading people’s comments on there love and or problems with the chocolate lab. I grew up with German short hairs because that’s all my dad ever had. We did a lot of field trials and just grouse and pheasant hunting for fun with no competition. Loved those dogs to death but thought I would try a different breed so thought I would go Labrador when I was gone and out on my own. First lab I got was a yellow female, nice dog but very personal and chewed the heck out of everything when a pup. She lived for just over 12 years before I needed to put her down because of cancer. Decided I was going to go chocolate and male for the next pup, will never do anything different again. Hunter was my next dog and what a pleasure it was having him for a pet. Training was no problem and was a excellent hunting dog, unfortunately he didn’t outlive me and I also had to put him down at 13. Second chocolate male named Boone another awesome dog not real cuddly but maybe a good thing because he weighs in at about 105lbs. Enough about my life dog stories but in all if you spend the time training when they are puppies I think Labradors are a awesome breed
Jeff says
We have a 10 year old chocolate Lab named Snickers (Chocolate outside, nutty inside, very sweet!). Have owned 2 yellows previously that both lived til nearly 15. I have read that chocolates don’t live as long, but not sure if that’s true.
Snickers is the best ever! Very smart…we’re still teaching her stuff at this age! She loves training games that end with a treat. Does good with kids, loves when company arrives, but is selective about her dog friends.
Russ says
I have a beautiful 1 1/2 old chocolate lab. She is very playful but howls at things that don’t look familiar during walks, barks at other dogs, and talks to you when she needs to go out or eat. Is that howling normal behavior for a chocolate lab?
Anna Malinowski says
I have 11 years old chocolate lab and I never heard him howling even though I tried to make him do it by playing howling dogs videos etc. He has been a wonderful family dog.
Trish says
My lab howls when someone plays the trumpet. It is the funniest thing to see.
Julia says
I am getting a Chocolate lab very soon. I’m so excited! This was a really good article to read and it helped me know a lot about chocolate labs. I have a question, Do all chocolate labs have separation anxiety? Does it stop as they get older? Thanks, Julia
Julie says
Love our Chocolates!!…about to get a Chocolate puppy boy-going to call him Gene. Have our girl Dixie now -she’s 4-so smart-catches balls like a star outfielder! So sweet and motherly too-she will be great with new pup. She is also the niece of another chocolate we had-Trixie-our first! So grateful to have these beauties in our lives.
Deeb says
I have a 3 year old chockie called chico, he is naughty stubborn smart and soo funny. He is my best friend and the kids. Wouldn’t be without a chocolate lab. Definitely a handful but worth it.
Catherine Rushin says
I got a chocolate lab as a rescue. I saw her get hit by a car and nobody stopped to check in her. She was skinned up but could walk body in the neighborhood knew where she lived. So animal services showed up and they took her. As they were leaving I ask if I could adopt her. They said after thirty days I could out a hold in her. They got her to the vet and 3 months later I got to take her home! She’s crate trained and already knows all commands. They said she’s about three yes old. My “kahleesi” is the best thing to come out of my corona virus lock down. She’s truly a gem.
Joni says
We have a female chocolate lab named Rosie. We adopted her at age 5 from a lab rescue and she’s almost 9. She is such a fantastic dog. Extremely smart and pretty well behaved. She’s still very much a puppy at heart, loves to snuggle and play with toys. She does have separation anxiety and it may be due to the fact that we’re her 4th or 5th home. But this is her forever home and we’re so glad she’s part of our family
Dawne Weida says
We have chocolate lab/pit mix she’s vary loving, caring, affectionate, loves to cuddle, loves her belly rubs, is playful, loves to run, jump, basically follows both us or either of us around the house lol, gets along with our other two dogs ( pit (9yrs old)and the other one is possibly (3 or 4 mod old)American or English bully dog) and plays with them. All three dogs have slept next to each other or either two or all three sleep in our bed lol. They love the kiddos. Been researching to learn more about all three breeds. Proud owners of all three breeds.
Love it
zarmina and shazmina says
We have a two year old female chocolate lab named COCO:). she is adorable and loves cuddles and belly rubs. she is very gentle with everyone especially with her brother who is a golden lab named changaz. She is the cutest dog ever. Sure she is naughty but she is loving and caring. She gets hyper but she does not harm.the day she came we were the happiest girls in the world !!!!
Sophia Fiore says
I rescued a chocolate lab from my local shelter and he is from South Carolina and still quite young about 18 months at the time of adoption and now probably about 2. Hard to tell because he acted so much like a young puppy and had no manners! He has visibly matured and is much more calm and he is fairly trainable but does have a bit of an aggression problem with strangers. He is my first lab and totally my dream dog! Blessed
Glen says
Interesting. I always had German Shepherd growing up. My family also had a variety of mixed breeds. A week go I adopted a chocolate lab from a kill shelter. He is supposedly 9 months old but acts like a puppy, chews a lot, pees in house. He follows me around everywhere, real clingy. Cries unless I let him sleep in my bed. He is also 29 lbs which some say is small for being 9 months. Any suggestions for a new dog dad? How to feed and toilet him. Toys? Training?Thank you
Meg Austwick says
Hi Glen, our puppy care hub page has links to care articles on feeding, toys, and every other aspect of raising a puppy. You can find out more about training here. Best wishes with your chocolate Lab!
April Goeske says
We rescued a 3-year-old Chocolate Lab “Molly” from a local humane society in September of this year. At first she seemed afraid of adult male people, but she’s quickly learned that no one in our family will hurt her. She is the most perfect dog we could ask for. She immediately became the best companion for my disabled husband while I’m at work, and my lap dog when I get home! And she loves, loves, loves my 3 adult children, their spouses, and 11 (soon to be 12) grandchildren who all live in the area. She is totally loved and spoiled, and so are we.
Beth says
We are taking a 3 year old chocolate lab from a re homing situation. We plan to name her Molly 🙂 I came to this page to learn more about Labs and saw your comment – perfect. Thanks for sharing. We are new to the Lab world.
joei says
Chocolate Lab are the number 1🙏☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝☝
Helen McG says
Have a beautiful chocolate lab, we called him Freddo, got him at 9 weeks and he is now 15 weeks, they grow fast, he is very much my shadow, loves a cuddle, loves to run, play fetch and enjoys a tug of war. Can’t believe how much of a feature he has become in our home. We are both newly retired so have loads of time to lavish on him. I would recommend these dogs to anyone.
Devyn Dublanko says
I have a chocolate lab, 1yr old – sweetest girl you’d ever meet. Biggest cuddle monster & absolutely loves to run and play with other dogs. Loves playing fetch with sticks, or balls or whatever it may be. We just got her not too long ago, so we’re still working on getting her to come back when we call her name or what not, so tips would be greatly appreciated!!
RandM says
We just lost our Chocolate Lab. She was 10 yrs, 4 months old and she was the most amazing dog ever. When she was a pup, she was jumpy because she just loved everybody. She couldn’t get enough of people. She was also extremely strong and hard to walk until she got older and slowed down a bit. She hardly ever barked, and was the most loyal companion and friend. We really didn’t know what we were doing when we decided to get a dog for our kids 10 years ago – we were so blessed to have found Bella. The kids are grown now and we’re retired, and trying to decide whether we want another dog someday. Losing Bella has been devastating for us – but if we should decide we want to love another dog, it’ll be another Chocolate. We know more now about training and health issues, and would love to share our lives with another Chocolate Lab someday.
RandM says
Update: Just found my own comment here – I’d forgotten all about it, but I cried for Bella again reading it. We still love her so much, and I think we will miss her always. But we did end up finding another Chocolate and bringing her home. Her name is Molly and she is now 10 months old. I’ll admit: she has been a real challenge! All dogs have their own personalities and Chocolates are no exception – we are older than we were last time we had a puppy. We are so grateful, though, for all that Bella taught us – we know that Molly will grow into a dog who is just as loving and amazing as Bella was. We are blessed to have found another beautiful Chocolate to share our lives with and we’re looking forward to many, many years together.
Becky says
I am with you. I had to put my Chocolate Lab Ruger down on January 14, 2020. She was 13 years old. She was my best friend. When my daughter passed away at the age of 26, Ruger never left my side. I am ready now for another Chocolate Lab. I talked to Ruger all the time. She new what I was saying to her. She hardly ever barked. She would play fetch if I let her for hours. L o. L. I only played fetch for half a hour. No other dog will take my baby girls place. But I have so much love to give to another Chocolate Lab. I was so blessed to have her for 13 years.
Tom Davis says
Good morning,
I have a chocolate lab that we have had since a puppy. I take him for walks and exercise twice daily 6- 7 kilometres. He is a great dog. chases balls. He follows me around where ever I go and I always take him with me during the day and evening. When it comes to chasing balls he acts like he is addicted to drugs. Is this normal? Also my wife complains that he is not cuddle. Is this normal? Great with kids and strangers. Your comments would be appreciated. Regards .. Tom & Pat Davis
Linda L says
My chocolate lab is the same way. If you say the word BALL, his eyes dialate like a shark that is about to attack. Mine also does not cuddle. But sometimes he will lay down on my feet, or rest his head next to my lap. Very rarely, he will rest his head across me while I’m sitting. I try to make these moments last as long as possible.
RandM says
Sometimes the “not cuddly” thing can be good. Our first chocolate loved to jump up on the couch beside us, but that was the extent of her cuddles. She passed away almost a year ago and now we have Molly who, at 10 months and probably 70 lbs, insists on climbing into my lap when I’m in my recliner! I love the cuddles, but man is she ever heavy!!!
Rob West says
Have just purchased a very good looking 20 mth old chocolate / liver entire , he has the most beautiful nature and training him is a breeze .