Fox Red Labrador Puppies Are Standouts In The Color Category

By Kenneth Anderson


You don't have to be a dog lover to love Labradors. These sweet, fun loving, affectionate animals win over everyone they meet. Labs are wonderful additions to families. They love rough housing with kids and are happy to intermingle with other household pets. Labs can come in almost any color, from dark chocolate brown to a cream that is almost white. Fox red Labrador puppies still turn heads though, because of their unusual and colorful coats.

These pups don't rate a separate category just because of their color. The kennel clubs lump them in with the yellow Labradors. Within this category shades are allowed to range from cream to the rusty shade of the Foxes. The shades can vary on the back, ears, and underside of a dog. As confusing as it may seem, your red Labrador is actually yellow.

In the early days of the breed, the rust colored pups were often culled from litters. Owners didn't want them for hunting dogs, their main purpose back then, because they stood out in the fields. That alerted the prey and made kills harder. Hunters preferred the black dogs. Blond Labs get instant recognition today, but at one time, they were fairly rare. You saw rust and dark yellow dogs much more frequently.

The rarer the light colored Labs became, the more people valued them. Breeders were quick to realize there was money to be made by breeding the blond Labs, and began to breed out the darker coated dogs. For years now, blond Labradors have been the number one choice on the list of favorite breeds.

The tide has turned now though. During the time when the light color Labs were so popular, the rust color was bred out and became rare. Once they became the rare Labs, their popularity rose. Today breeders are actively producing the rusty Labs to meet the increasing demand.

Blond was the accepted color for so long, those unfamiliar with the breed have questioned the authenticity of the fox reds. They don't believe these are full blooded Labs. One reason may be that there has been controversy over silver Labradors. A lot of owners believe they are the result of a union between a Labrador and a Weimaraner. Red Labs are just as authentic as their blond cousins though.

Because of the rising popularity of their rust color, some breeders are being accused of taking advantage of the demand for these pups, and breeding them without regard for the health or safety of the litters. The detractors, many of them breeders of blond Labs, say the sole motivation is financial gain because the fox reds command higher prices than the lighter colors.

There may be some truth to this, but it is not unusual for people to take advantage of supply and demand. When you are considering one of these pups, it's more important to make sure you are working with a responsible and reputable breeder. No matter the color, Labs will continue to be loved.




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