Labrador Colours: Black, Yellow, Chocolate and Genetics
Every Labrador colour comes down to two genes. Here's how black, yellow and chocolate are inherited, which puppy colours any two Labs can have, where fox red and 'silver' fit in, and what research found about chocolate Labs.
By PuppyGenes · How we research and write our guides
A Labrador's colour is decided by two genes. The E locus sets whether a Lab's coat can make dark pigment: two copies of its recessive e variant make the dog yellow. If the coat can make dark pigment, the B locus decides whether it's black or brown: two brown copies make the dog chocolate. So two yellow Labs can only have yellow puppies, while two black Labs can have black, yellow or chocolate puppies, depending on the hidden copies they carry.
The two genes behind every Lab colour
Each dog has two copies of each gene, one from each parent:
- The E locus (MC1R): the dominant E lets the coat make black or brown pigment. A 2000 study found the recessive e variant in yellow Labs, Golden Retrievers and Irish Setters; a dog with two copies makes only yellow-red pigment in its coat.
- The B locus (TYRP1): the dominant B makes dark pigment black, and two copies of a brown variant make it brown. A 2002 study found that every brown dog it tested carried two brown variants, and that in 23 yellow and red dogs, the same variants matched whether the nose was black or brown.
| E locus | B locus | Coat | Nose |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE or Ee | BB or Bb | Black | Black |
| EE or Ee | bb | Chocolate | Brown |
| ee | BB or Bb | Yellow | Black |
| ee | bb | Yellow | Brown, sometimes called a "Dudley" |
The E locus acts first. A Lab with two e copies is yellow whatever its B genes say, so a yellow Lab's coat never shows whether it carries brown. Two brown copies show only in a brown nose, and a single hidden copy shows only in its puppies. Our coat colour hub explains how the same genes work across all dogs.
What colour puppies can two Labs have?
| Parents | Puppy colours that are possible |
|---|---|
| Yellow and yellow | Yellow only |
| Black and black | Black; yellow if both parents carry e; chocolate if both carry b |
| Chocolate and chocolate | Chocolate; yellow if both parents carry e; never black |
| Black and yellow | Black; yellow if the black parent carries e; chocolate if both carry b |
| Black and chocolate | Black; chocolate if the black parent carries b; yellow if both carry e |
| Chocolate and yellow | Chocolate if the yellow parent carries b; black if the yellow parent carries B; yellow if the chocolate parent carries e |
The odds follow from the same rules. Two black Labs that each carry one hidden yellow copy can expect about one yellow puppy in four. Two black Labs that each carry hidden yellow and chocolate copies can expect, on average, 9 black, 3 chocolate and 4 yellow puppies out of every 16. A real litter can come out differently by chance.
Can two yellow Labs have black puppies?
No. A yellow Lab has two e copies, so it can only pass on e, and every puppy of two yellow parents gets e from both and is yellow too. Its B genes still matter: they set the puppies' nose colour, and they decide what colour the puppies' own puppies can be with a black or chocolate partner. If a litter from two yellow Labs includes a black puppy, the likeliest explanation is a mix-up over who the parents are.
Fox red, cream and the shades of yellow
Yellow Labs range from pale cream, almost white, to a deep fox red. As a 2018 study of Labradors notes, the Kennel Club in the U.K. registers all of them as yellow, and genetically they're one colour: every shade has two e copies. How intense the yellow is depends on other genes. A 2020 study linked darker red-yellow pigment to extra copies of a stretch of DNA near the KITLG gene, in Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers, Poodles and other breeds. The same genetics explains the shades of the Golden Retriever.
Silver, charcoal and champagne Labs
Some breeders sell Labs in "silver", "charcoal" or "champagne". These are dilute coats: silver is usually described as a diluted chocolate, charcoal as a diluted black and champagne as a diluted yellow. Dilution is recessive and comes from the MLPH gene: a 2007 study of 65 dilute dogs from seven breeds identified the likely causal variant. Dilute coats are sometimes accompanied by hair loss and skin inflammation, a condition called colour dilution alopecia.
The CKC recognizes only three colours for the breed: black, yellow and chocolate, as its breed page states.
Does colour affect a Lab's health or lifespan?
A 2018 study of UK veterinary records found that chocolate Labs had a median lifespan of 10.7 years, against 12.1 years for black and yellow Labs. They also had more ear inflammation, at 23.4% compared with 12.8% of black and 17.0% of yellow Labs, and more of a type of skin infection. The chocolate group was small, with 34 deaths. The authors suggested the shorter lifespan may reflect that heavier burden of ear and skin disease, and that breeding for a recessive colour may draw on a narrower gene pool carrying risk genes for those conditions. They called for more research, and the colour gene itself hasn't been shown to cause either problem.
The same study also shows how common each colour is: 44.6% of the Labs were black, 27.8% yellow and 23.8% chocolate. Our guide to the Labrador Retriever covers the breed's lifespan research in more detail.
What a DNA report shows about colour
The PuppyGenes coat colour section predicts possible colour and pattern, colour lightening, white markings and merle where the sample supports interpretation, with its confidence shown. For a Lab or a Lab mix, that shows the colour its genes point to. Some results come back tentative or undetermined, and part of a colour estimate can come from the appearance you reported. The PuppyGenes report doesn't include genetic disease or health screening, and its colour results aren't health predictions. You can see how colour results look in our example reports, and our guide to whether dog DNA tests are legit covers what to check before you buy.
Frequently asked questions
- Can two yellow Labs have black puppies?
- No. Yellow Labs have two copies of the recessive e variant, so they can only pass on e, and every puppy is yellow too.
- Can two black Labs have a yellow puppy?
- Yes, if both parents carry one hidden copy of the yellow e variant. On average, about one puppy in four from such a pair is yellow.
- Can two chocolate Labs have black puppies?
- No. Chocolate Labs have two brown b copies, so their puppies can be chocolate, or yellow if both parents carry e, but not black.
- What is a fox red Lab?
- A yellow Lab at the deep red end of the yellow range. It has the same two yellow e copies as a pale Lab; other genes set how intense the colour is.
- Are silver Labs recognized by the CKC?
- No. The CKC recognizes black, yellow and chocolate. Silver, charcoal and champagne are dilute versions of those colours, caused by two copies of a recessive dilute variant.
- What is a Dudley Lab?
- Breeders use "Dudley" for a yellow Lab whose nose and eye rims are brown rather than black. Genetically, that's a yellow Lab with two brown b copies.
From general to personal
See how this applies to your dog specifically.
Our at-home Complete Dog DNA Test adds your dog's own results to these tips across six report sections: breed ancestry, coat colour, physical appearance, temperament and size predictions, genetic diversity and oral microbiome. The report does not include genetic disease or health screening.