The Silver Labrador - A Trojan Horse Following recent Kennel Club actions (in offering “silver” as the first colour option when making an online application to register a litter on their new website), and in grateful tribute to Labrador enthusiast, Jack Vanderwyk, who sadly died in August 2016, I am delighted to republish below Jack’s excellent article on this topic, which he kindly wrote for the Club’s 2015 M.C.L.R.C. Yearbook. Readers will note that references in Jack’s article relate to circumstances at that time.
The Kennel Club Registers Dilutes as Purebred Labrador Retrievers – A Trojan Horse Caroline Kisko ([then] Kennel Club Secretary and Communications Director) has admitted that The Kennel Club will register any pups from KC registered parents, whether they are black, yellow, chocolate, ‘silver’, ‘charcoal’ or ‘champagne’. Furthermore, these diluted dogs can be entered in shows. The Kennel Club leaves it to the Judges to decide whether these dogs meet the standard. Our first problem is that the dilution gene (d) is alien to the Labrador Retriever breed. The dilution gene originated in a shabby puppy mill in the United States several decades ago where several pointing breeds were running loose together. In an effort to create a “pointing Lab”, the dogs were allowed to cross breed with Labradors. One of these breeds was the Weimaraner, and many of the diluted “Labradors” we see, especially those of the past, resemble the Weimaraner in several ways. It’s not only their appearance and behaviour, but also their diseases, which shouldn’t be introduced to our bloodlines. Various expressions of the dilution gene have been noted. Some dogs with dilute colour display minimal or no health problems, other dogs experience hair loss and skin problems. Colour dilution alopecia (CDA) and black hair follicular dysplasia (BHFD) can accompany coat colour dilution. These diseases cause recurrent skin inflammation and drying, bacterial infections of hair follicles and severe hair loss. Late 2013 a 12-week-old female silver Labrador Retriever was submitted to the Comparative Ocular Pathology Laboratory of Wisconsin and was diagnosed with Malignant Uveal Schwannoma. Scientists believe that the dilute colour mutation may contribute to the cause. Other disorders that could travel with the dilution gene are heritable Weimaraner genetic issues such as trembling disorders, autoimmune related vaccination sensitivity and intolerance, Von Willebrands Disease, hyperuricosuria causing painful bladder and kidney disease, and behavioural problems that are more common in the Weimaraner, such as separation anxiety, and dominant, protective, territorial temperament. Minimizing occurrence of these conditions would mean minimization of the dilute mutation. Selection against dilution is important in breeds that display health issues associated with the mutation. It is also important 42
