[Heather McCormack]

After the recent silver lab thread, I contacted the folks at dog-dna.com about whether or not they could identify Weimeraner genes in silver labs.
This is their response...

Sherri,
I just got through talking to Kathy at our lab. We identify breed specific genes within a dog, but not color genes. If a Lab has Weimeraner in its heritage, we should pick that up with our test.
I hope this answers your question. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Regards,

Briana Rogers
Mixed Breed Dog DNA Testing
http://www.dog-dna.com
info@dog-dna.com

Do you really think it is Weimeraner genes that are at play here? Not a really poorly bred chocolate line causing a really deluted chocolate or black color? Or Chocolate and yellow breeding causing this color mess up? I know the Weimeraner coat is very similar, I have wondered how they are getting that color for quite a while.

Heather

 

[Heather McCormack]

There are a lot of signs that point that direction, but honestly, only the DNA test will prove one way or another.

I agree, I just hope someone does the DNA test to prove or disprove the coat color. If they are breeding in another breed and selling them as pure bred labradors that would be a shame and they need to be stopped. Of course what does not help is there are always people that will buy these "designer" dogs which will keep them breeding.

In all the years I have been breeding labradors I have never had one come out silver or any where near that. Just crazy!!

Heather

 

[Heather McCormack]

Heather, I have seen so many with the dorked up Weim ears and nose, it makes me really think it's weim genes. I don't know if this test is specific enough or not...it's just so new. I knew they'd come up with a test some day, but didn't realize it would be this soon.

I sure hope it works and they figure out what they are doing. Do you know if when they do there breeding do the other three colors pop up in there litters too?

Heather

 

[Heather McCormack]

Just a thought, what if the dna test proved Silvers were 100 percent lab? Heaven forbid what would we do?

If that happened and it could, it would kinda fall into what I kinda think and that is they are breeding poor recessive chocolate and yellow genes together to get that color and when you breed recessive genes over and over that can cause health problems and would not be good.
Just my thought on the whole thing.

Heather

 

[Heather McCormack]

No -- trust me, the color genetics at play are VERY simple dominant vs. recessive genes that anyone familiar with color genetics in dogs will realize, doesn't have a lot of guesswork involved. No other gene except the "D" blue dilute gene would cause that coloration in any breed.
--Anney

I know about the labrador color genes but did not know that they have to have "D" blue dilute gene to get that color. Let me guess that is the Wiemraner gene. Makes me want to buy a pup just to get it tested, but I would not want to help them either by buying one.

Heather

 

[Heather McCormack]

You got it. The D allele when recessive causes BLACK to dilute to BLUE or BROWN (chocolate) to dilute to ASH/BLUE FAWN.
Lots of breeds are blue dilute - Weimaraners (100% of them), blue Great Danes, blue Dobermans, blue Italian greyhounds, blue Pit Bulls, blue Border collies, etc.
If a dog was both recessive at the B (Brown) allele (CHOCOLATE) and recessive at the D locus you get "ash" (as in ash colored Chesapeakes) or "blue fawn" ( i.e. blue fawn Italian greyhounds, blue fawn pit bulls, etc).
Pretty simple stuff. It would be exceedingly rare for a mutation to occur that switches the homozygous dominant B allele (no dilute) in labradors to recessive in the egg or sperm of a labrador. I'm talking, the chances are one in a trillion, at the most. Then to have TWO of these come together and form an embryo....so unlikely it could be considered impossible.
It is far, far, FAR more likely there is a weimaraner in the woodshed. Breed a lab with a weim, breed the offspring together, and they have a 25% chance of being "silver" labs. Breed two of these silver dogs together and you have 100% "silver" labradors (that are actually 1/2 weimaraner).
--Anney

Anney,

Wow, guess that throws my theory out the window...lol. so you would need a DNA test or one of these "Silver Lab breeders" to be honest. I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Heather

 

[Heather McCormack]

Probably because they're afraid of the results.:2c:

The DNA test has been out long enough for someone to disprove the weim cross, yet no one has. If they were certain that silver was 100% lab, then I'm sure someone would have jumped on it quickly and shut people up.

Boy I sure would like someone to dis-prove them and make them pay up!!! Thanks would be great.

 

[Heather McCormack]

Ok well I did a search on Google and came across this breeder's page:

http://www.silverlabradorinfo.com/

They sure aren't shy about calling people out who think the silver lab's are questionable.

Found this on their page and thought it was interesting:

Sorry to threadjack this topic and I'm sure it has been discussed numerous times but I have never really looked into the "silver" issue until reading this thread.

So my question would be why hasn't the breeder above DNA tested their own dogs to dis-prove the "Weim" theory?

Not taking sides here just curious.

So are they registering them as Chocolate labs and calling them Silver?