“A Mans Best Friend”
Jun 20 2009
Golden Labrador may sound fascinating for a breed name but this same name is the cause of dispute and confusion among some people in the dog breeding world. When people hear this name, they automatically assume that this is either a golden Labrador or a new breed made from mixing a Golden Retriever and Labrador Retriever. These are possible assumptions but one of these, people should stay away from and the other should accept.
For one, there is confusion as to whether there really is a golden colored Labrador. A yellow Labrador Retriever is of existence but would it be possible to have a golden Labrador? If you know or have heard some people trying to sell a golden colored Labrador, be warned for this is a wrong and deceitful way of describing a Labrador Retriever variety.
According to breed standards, there are only three recognized colors of the Labradors. These colors are limited to black, chocolate or yellow so that means golden is not an acceptable color. The term golden Labrador was coined by people whose Labrador litter may have resulted to a strong yellow-colored puppy and has started to spread words that there is a golden Labrador.
Additionally, there are widespread scams which claim that there is indeed a golden Labrador and they urge buyers to purchase these rare breeds. Those who were not so lucky and indeed succumbed to the convincing of the scammers would later find out that the golden Lab they bought is exactly the same as the yellow-colored Lab. Some scammers even go to the extent of proclaiming DNA testing for the golden breed but authorities prove that the tests are not true.
Now that it’s clear that there is no such thing as a golden Labrador, the question now remains as, “What then is a Golden Labrador?” Just like what the other assumption stated, a Golden Labrador is the result of mixing a Golden Retriever and a Labrador Retriever. These parent breeds are one of the most popular dogs around the world and practically millions of people own them. Their hybrid offspring, the Golden Labrador, is beginning to be another phenomenal breed for it is gaining popularity by the day around the world.
A hybrid dog is generally developed to possess the different characteristics of its parent breeds. The distribution of characteristics, however, is not equal as 50-50 but instead, sometimes may come out as 40-60, 30-70, etc. Moreover, not all strengths of the parents will be manifested through the hybrid and sometimes some trademark temperament of the parents will not show at all in the hybrid.
For instance, the Golden Retriever is famous as a waterdog and is known as an outstanding swimmer. The Golden Labrador may not necessarily inherit this trait and its possible even that it will be a poor swimmer. As for the Labrador Retriever, this breed is known as the most desirable pet in the US and is a great sniffer of sensitive things such as drugs and explosives.
The crossbred Golden Labrador may sometimes come out as an excellent detector too but there will be instances when it will be a superb swimmer more than a smeller. Hybrids are not well established in terms of characteristics therefore breed standards cannot be created for them yet. In terms of physicality, a hybrid may appear to be a look alike of one of its parents but there are instances also when it looks exactly like the combination of its two different parents.
Leave a reply