*Guest Post
Hi! I’m Chocky and I’m here to tell you why chocolate labs are the best color Lab. Even though I’m still little, I already know that chocolate labs are the best dogs of all time and that we’re the cutest lab puppies of them all – and I know it’s true because my Mom tells me all the time!
As well as being the prettiest, us chocolate labs are the most affectionate, playful and loving of all the dogs –
Bella: Chocky…be honest…
Okay, okay. That’s Bella, she’s a yellow lab and she thinks she knows everything. Yellow labs might be known for their intelligence and loyalty but us chocolate labs are just as clever and faithful!
When people look for a suitable service dog or assistance dog, they often go straight for a yellow lab. Associated with good temperaments and listening skills, yellow labs are thought to make great companions and they’re ideal as emotional support dogs or autism support dogs.
Although yellow labs are nice and they can be super smart, I still think chocolate labs are the cleverest dogs in the world. Want proof? I can sniff out treats in seconds – even when Mom tries to hide them in a cupboard!
If I’m really honest, all of us labs are pretty clever and we can be trained to provide loads of assistance. We can alert you to danger if you’re unable to hear alarms going off, provide support when you’re feeling anxious or overwhelmed and we can help to guide you if you have limited sight. That’s pretty special, right? Whilst you might normally associate a yellow lab with these roles, labs of any color can be well-suited to working as assistance dogs and us chocolate labs will definitely try our hardest please. Promise!
Baxter: But you won’t make a good working dog, Chocky…
Not true! Not true! I’d make a great working dog once I know what I’m doing! Honestly, Baxter’s a black lab and he thinks he’s a cut above the rest. It’s true that black labs were once the most popular lab but times have moved on and black labs aren’t the only fancy dogs in town anymore.
When it comes to working, us labs are particularly great at one thing – retrieving! Okay, okay, I know the clue’s in the name but it’s important you know just how special we are.
Traditionally, Labradors were used as shooting or hunting dogs because they were great at retrieving finding fallen game and bringing it back. You know when we shoot across the park after a tennis ball? Just like that!
As well as being fast, we have a great hunting instinct so we can find things easily too. Our heightened senses mean we can smell and hear things way better than humans, so we’ll locate things far quicker than you can.
Although we’re still used as working dogs on shooting estates and farms, we can be trained to work in almost any environment. In fact, we make great rescue dogs too.
Daisy: True but fox red labs are the really special ones…
Err….that’s not what my Mom says! She says a chocolate lab is the best lab in the whole world.
Silver labs have become more popular in recent years and they are very pretty but, obviously, not as cute as chocolate labs. When you see a bundle of lab puppies, which are the cutest? The chocolate ones! Always!
In fact, fox red labs might not be quite as fancy as they sound. According to The Animal Kennel Club, fox red labs are actually yellow labs in disguise! Heehee! Yellow labs can range from a light cream color to a dark fox red, and there’s loads of different shades in between. Fox red labs do look nice, it’s true, but I still think us chocolate labs are the prettiest.
Jake: You’re both wrong! Silver labs are the most unusual and eye-catching…
Hmm…Jake may have a point here. A silver lab is the most unusual type of Labrador Retriever but you still see plenty of them out and about. Whilst people sometimes think that silver labs are a special type of lab breed, they’re actually….wait for it…chocolate labs! Ha!
It’s true, silver labs are actually chocolate labs. Now, I don’t know the ins and outs of it but Mom says it’s because they have a diluting gene which affects the color of their coat. So while silver labs may be a bit lighter than us typical chocolate labs, you still get all the great features associated with our amazing breed.
Baxter: But chocolate labs can still be…
What?
Daisy: Well, a bit less…
What?!
Jake: Less clever than the other labs.
WHAT?! I can’t believe what I’m hearing! Little chocolate labs are as loveable, trainable and intelligent as other Labrador puppies and that’s a fact.
Of course, all dogs are products of their genes and their environment. If you get a lab puppy who has been breed from working dogs, your little companion may have a great hunting and retrieving drive and if you choose a puppy which comes from a line of show dogs, your new furry friend may be a little more chilled out and relaxed when it gets older.
Truth be told, labs of any color make great family pets. We’re known for being clever, loyal and consistent but we can be goofy, playful and funny too. We love people so we’ll fit right into family life, although we can get a bit over-excited and we may be a little too bouncy for little ones. Once we’ve calmed down learned some commands, we’ll be more chilled but we do tend to get excited about everything to start with, especially food!
So if you’re looking for a family pet, service dog, a faithful companion or a working dog, a Labrador Retriever is a great choice. Of course, I still think a chocolate lab is the bestest lab out there…don’t you agree?
Lots of Love,
Chocky
