A really common question when it comes to choosing a family pet and owning a Labrador, is if the coloration that a Labrador retriever has, impacts or determines how smart the dog will be. Labradors in general are considered smart dogs, even ranking in the top ten of the brightest dog breed of them all. Even though they are very smart they can overwork themselves and cause an injury. Plus, after all, if you want your dog to be your best friend, helper, and guard, then you will want the smartest one, right? But the short answer is no; a Labrador retriever’s intelligence is not based on the color of their coat. The answer is that it is all about the breeding and the Labrador retriever breeder.
Some of the questions around intelligence of a dog, can come from being exposed to a certain color of family dog, who perhaps was a little bit challenged. But then we as people are likely to think that as a result, Labradors of a similar color are going to act the same. That just ain’t so! Almost weekly we as breeders have people tell us that a chocolate lab is not as smart as a black or a yellow lab. Some people might think that yellow labs are smarter than a chocolate lab or a black lab; the list goes on. But this is all based on nothing other than someone’s personal experiences with these dogs.
For example, black Labradors are highly regarded as a working dog, so as a result, are generally thought of as being the most intelligent and quick learners. Another example is if you have a friend with a yellow lab that is well trained and follows instructions exactly, and a friend with a chocolate lab that regularly runs off and damages their home, then it is easy to see why you might think there is a difference in intelligence. If you are around service or therapy dogs a lot, then your experience is that yellow labs are smarter. If you are around hunting dogs or police dogs, then you might think that black labs are more intelligent. But really, it all comes down to breeding, as well as training, rather than just the experiences that you have had with the dogs. If you are looking to get a Labrador retriever puppy, then you need to know what the facts are, and look into correct breeding practices.
In the US, you may have experience of some lab puppies that seem to be less intelligent and don’t have the best temperament. In some cases, this can all be in your imagination. In other cases, it can be because of some irresponsible dog breeding. For people only out to make money from selling dogs, they will take any dogs that will give the best coat color and breed them, rather than choosing the smartest, most intelligent, and the ones with the best temperament. So choosing your lab puppy from a responsible breeder is one of the first things that you should do. When this happens, you will find labs of all different colors, that are calmer, intelligent, and more even tempered.
How do you know which dogs are the most intelligent?
When you look at puppies in a litter, it may be difficult to tell them apart. At eight weeks old their personalities have just started to form. They are pretty much exactly the same with subtle differences that have evolved during their play time with their littermates. But any dogs with higher levels of training, and even things like championship awards, are only going to be achieved by the most highly intelligent dogs. This will carry on, as that higher intelligence will be evident when those dogs have offspring.
Selective breeding
Intelligence in a dog comes from a selective breeding process, through professional breeders. The professional breeders will constantly select the smartest lab puppies to breed again and again; litter after litter. Any of the labs who appear smarter, and the ones you may have even encountered yourselves, are that way normally because of having some of the correct training. We as humans can often just blame the dog for not being smart or not doing things as we want them. But even after a selective breeding process, dogs need to be trained properly, and that is where having a clear understanding of positive reinforcement training comes in. This can make such a difference.
Positive reinforcement training
Positive reinforcement training when it comes to your dog, can go by a few names, such as reward-based training, pain-free training, and science-based training, and so on. But no matter what you call it, the theory behind this line of thinking will remain the same. So what is positive reinforcement training?
If you give your dog a reward, such as praise or a treat, when they do something good and respond to you when they should, then it shows them when they do that, they will get rewarded and create a positive connection with that action. As a result, the behavior is much more likely to be repeated. Our dogs learn a lot this way, and if you feel like your lab is ‘not as smart’ as some others, then regardless of their coat color, it could be time to go back to reviewing your training methods or training them, using positive reinforcement training.
It is essential for any Labrador enthusiasts who look to get a Labrador that is a certain color, do take into account the genetics of the dog, and understand about selective breeding. Choice of coat colour comes down to a matter of preference at the end of the day, and has nothing to do with the intelligence of the dog. Yes, you are likely to choose the one that you prefer the look of, but it won’t mean that dog is less intelligent, or more intelligent, just based on coat color. There is so much more at play than just that. Their temperament and intelligence are defined by good breeding rather than just their coat color. In fact, black labs, yellow labs, and chocolate Labrador Retriever puppies can all come from the same litter and have the same two parents. No matter what the color, Labrador retrievers are a favorite breed because they have a kind, hard working, adorable, and intelligent mature, making them trainable for what you need them to do.
