In the latest article from The Labrador Site we look at the Dudley Labrador! What makes him special, and what it means to be a pink nosed Lab. From dark black to brown, red or pale pink, we look at what your Labrador’s nose says about him. Also - if anyone has a Dudley Lab and wouldn't mind us sharing a photograph of him or her on the main site please do let me know, because I haven't been able to find many stock photos to illustrate the article with! Thanks, Lucy
Yes, in the show ring it's a fault. Interestingly, my new pup came from a litter with all 3 colours - black, chocolate and yellow. Betsy has a yellow coat and black skin pigment, but some of her littermates had yellow coats and brown (chocolate) skin pigment. Because I might (just might) show Betsy, I didn't want a dog with a yellow coat and brown nose. But I have to say, those yellow dogs with brown noses were as cute as anything, very striking and lovely. They all got pet or working homes, and I'm sure they will all be fabulous dogs.
My Daisy is yellow with a brown nose. It was black until about 16 weeks and has gradually gone pinky brown. I didn't think she was a Dudley because her other pigment around the eyes and muzzle is black- is that right? She is from champion show lines but family pet- obviously we wouldn't get to show her with her brown nose- but she is super pretty anyway
@First timer Having read around quite a bit my understanding is that a TRUE 'Dudley' is a yellow dog with pink nose, muzzle, eyes and paws and they are disqualified from the show ring. A yellow dog with brown nose etc. can be shown but the colouration is regarded as a fault, and Daisy if you wanted could be shown as it sounds as if she is a yellow girl with black nose, muzzle etc, and is showing a normal reaction in the nose fading from black. Being from champion show lines does not prevent the birth of yellow dogs with brown noses or 'Dudleys' although, personally, I would expect those champion show line breeders to have tested their dogs to eliminate the risk of producing dogs with obvious faults, it is after all a simple DNA test.
A lot of yellows start out with a black nose that later turns quite brown, especially in the winter months. But they still have black lips, dark eye rims, darker paw pads etc. In contrast, Dudleys have no black pigment at all. So your dog is not a Dudley
My boy Shadow is like yours @First timer - he had a completely black nose when little. In the winter, it goes very pink and then back darker again in the summer - although it's never gone back completely black again. He's not a Dudley, because he has black pigment elsewhere. His pigmentation is the last reason he wouldn't reach the show ring I've not looked by I'm sure you will know the answer, Rachael - in the show ring, is it considered preferable to have a yellow who retains a perfectly black nose? I can imagine dogs wearing nose-muffs to protect them from the cold
In the show ring a judge is looking for black pigment on a yellow dog, but they're looking at the eye rims, lips etc, not just the nose. Provided there's evidence of good pigmentation round the eyes and lips I wouldn't think that a 'snow nose' on a yellow would be particularly penalised. A fully black nose would definitely be seen by show owners as a 'nice to have' though.
@Oberon I'm wondering whether anyone would use black felt pen to blacken the pink nose for the show ring? It will be interesting to see if Daisys nose goes darker again like Shadows @snowbunny It's very cold here in Melbourne so I guess we'll see as it warms up over next few months.
I don't know about black pen but I'm sure some people give in to the temptation to dye or paint noses... I expect that it's disallowed in the rules but that wouldn't stop some from doing it.
Some people might do that, just like some people in every walk of life might do unethical things. There are lots of people, myself included, that would go to extreme lengths to avoid altering a dog in any way whatsoever. And for me that includes neutering, tail docking (sorry, I know that's controversial but I'm talking about the show world, not the working world), or even trimming a feathery otter tail - or anything at all.
Heh, I poke fun at Shadow's silly fluffy tail. I tell him I'm going to chop off his feathery bits, and his bloomers, too. I never would, obviously - they're too cute as they are - and the fluff might even be hiding the fact is tail is too skinny by half I'm a bit sad that he lost the coiffeur he had as a young pup; his tail looked like a perfect fishtail braid!
Ah we've got pantaloons too...but I do admit to giving them a trim! And a lovely little kiss curl at the end of his stumpy tail that I would NEVER mess with ...I've never noticed Shadow had a fluffy tail Fiona? X
Bloomers? Fluffy pants? Pantaloons? What are we talking about here ladies? The fluff on the backs of their "thighs"?
