My lab puppy has a light brown nose and paws. We are currently dog sitting a golden retriever and I noticed how black his nose was and realised most Labradors have black noses as well which led me to a google search. Do you think she is a Dudley? Some pictures I’m the gallery below https://imgur.com/gallery/PiVQn
Yup, there's a Dudley if ever I saw one. The nose isn't necessarily a reliable indicator; my yellow boy's nose goes quite pale in the winter, and a friend of ours has his sister whose nose goes really pink! But neither are Dudleys, as they have the black gene. A Dudley is a yellow that doesn't have any black colouring in the genes and carries chocolate instead. A better indicator is the colour of the rims around the eyes; Dudleys will be pink or liver, as your girl's are whereas yellows who have the black pigment will have black rims. The change of nose colour is often called "snow nose" or "winter nose" and it's where the enzyme that makes it black is damaged by the cold.
Also just wanted to add - there is absolutely nothing wrong with Dudleys, other than for some reason they are penalized in the show ring... Maybe at some point fashions will change, and they'll become immensely popular. She's certainly a beautiful girl!
I thought she might be! Just wanted the opinion of people more experienced, thanks for the quick replies. Interesting to know about the nose colour change in winter as well!
Yeah I did read about that as well, she’s a family pet/companion we don’t intend on showing her or breeding her. She’s a lovey dog, so well behaved and been a pleasure training her so far. I was a bit on the fence whether to add a dog to the family but she’s fit in so well and is great with my son. Best money I’ve ever spent!
No, the breeder didn’t say anything. It wouldn’t have changed anything for me though. Is this something the breeder should disclose? Everything else seemed above board, and they seemed reputable. When I enquired about coming to see her lab puppies she said she had one female left (which is what we wanted) and that was only available because she was going to keep her but decided against it in the end. We got to views all the pups and the Mam and dad.
I’ve just asked my partner and she said she could have mentioning something about being a Dudley, might not have realised at the time because we didn’t know what it was.
Sure, I mean it wouldn't matter at all - unless you intended to show her or breed from her. I just think a reputable breeder (which yours sounds like) should tell you.
A 'Dudley is a term used to describe a yellow dog that has a brown gene instead of a block. It is noticeable that the nose is more pink instead if black and that the eye rims are pink not black. The pink colouring can also be seen in the paw pads. There are no health concerns, just can't be shown in official shows because of the pink coloration
I would say that your puppy is a chocolate with a yellow coat which simply means that the nose is brown (not pink) and not black. A "dudley" lacks pigment completely; your puppy's photo appears to show a brown nose; as for the eye rims, with the eyes closed it is difficult to tell. What color are the pads of your puppy's feet?
