Why don't you breed to silver (dilute) lines?
Dilute Labrador Retrievers have been controversial in the breeding community since they first appeared in the 1950s. Dogs considered dilute carry two copies of the 'd' allele on the D locus, making the dilute colors a recessive trait. When two copies of the 'd' allele are present, it acts on any of the base colors. The dilution of black is called charcoal, the dilution of chocolate is called silver, and the dilution of yellow is called champagne.
Breeders cried foul after the dilute gene cropped up, calling it a mixing of Labrador and Weimaraner breeds. My problem with silver Labradors has much less to do with lineage than it does with health. Because silver is a recessive gene, the best way to produce silver Labradors is by breeding two silver dogs together. The problem with this is that the gene pool for silver dogs is very small. Breeding for color is never a good idea, as it ignores other possible problems such as health in order to preserve the coveted color. This can also be seen in chocolates (as chocolate is also recessive) if chocolates are only bred to chocolates for multiple generations in order to produce more of the popular color.
From my own experience in the veterinary clinic, silver Labradors are more likely to have bad allergies, ear infections, skin, and coats than other colors of Labrador. They notoriously have brittle, wiry, unhealthy hair coats rather than the soft fur of other Labs. Because of their penchant for allergies due to recessive breeding across their pedigrees, and because the color is not accepted under the AKC standard for the breed, I will not breed my dogs with any dog carrying the 'd' allele. If you are thinking about paying a premium for the 'rare' silver Labrador, please ask yourself why they are rare. Most reputable breeders will not breed to these dogs, so have caution if you plan on starting a breeding program.
Breeders cried foul after the dilute gene cropped up, calling it a mixing of Labrador and Weimaraner breeds. My problem with silver Labradors has much less to do with lineage than it does with health. Because silver is a recessive gene, the best way to produce silver Labradors is by breeding two silver dogs together. The problem with this is that the gene pool for silver dogs is very small. Breeding for color is never a good idea, as it ignores other possible problems such as health in order to preserve the coveted color. This can also be seen in chocolates (as chocolate is also recessive) if chocolates are only bred to chocolates for multiple generations in order to produce more of the popular color.
From my own experience in the veterinary clinic, silver Labradors are more likely to have bad allergies, ear infections, skin, and coats than other colors of Labrador. They notoriously have brittle, wiry, unhealthy hair coats rather than the soft fur of other Labs. Because of their penchant for allergies due to recessive breeding across their pedigrees, and because the color is not accepted under the AKC standard for the breed, I will not breed my dogs with any dog carrying the 'd' allele. If you are thinking about paying a premium for the 'rare' silver Labrador, please ask yourself why they are rare. Most reputable breeders will not breed to these dogs, so have caution if you plan on starting a breeding program.