White labs will never have a black puppy until and unless some miracle happens and there is a gene present in white labs, only then can give birth to black puppies.
Because of the labs’ genetics, pet breeders have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to choosing the right dog breed and breeding a color of puppy according to your preferences. In this article, we will explain everything about how Labradors get their colors.
Can A White Lab and Yellow Lab Have Black Puppies?
As you may already know, it is all about genetics. Even in the animal kingdom the birth of a puppy, what they look like, and their breed is all dictated by genetics.
Black human parents in Africa have been known to give birth to albino children. It is not a rare event and the same goes for Labradors. Dark-colored parents can give birth to Yellow or light-colored puppies.
However, for white and yellow labs, they may not give birth to black puppies. The reason for this is that they do not have the gene that produces the black color in their offspring.
If the gene is there, by some miracle, then yes, they can have black and even brown puppies. But that is the only way for white and yellow labs to have darker-colored pups. You can mix the parents and that would be one way to get the right gene to produce the black color.
Did your puppy start out as a white lab, only to turn yellow later? Check out our post “Why Do White Lab Puppies Turn Yellow?” to learn more.
Can Black Labs Have White Puppies?
Yes, they can. It all depends on the genes that the two black parents carry. The gene for the black color is B and the gene for the brown color is b. If the genetic code of the parents is BB then they can only have black puppies. If it is Bb or bb, then there is a chance for brown puppies.
If one of the parents has the E gene, then it is possible for the parents to produce yellow puppies. Then there is the ee gene. This is the one that is needed for black parents to produce white puppies.
The color of the puppy you get will depend on what genes the parents have and there is no real way to guess which ones they have until the puppies are born. This is a very simplified explanation as there are more details involved in this breeding process.
What do you know about White Labrador Retrievers? Check out our post “White Labrador- A Complete Guide” to learn more.
What Happens When You Breed a White Dog With a Black Dog?
You get two wonderful parents that produce a very unique set of puppies. In reality, the color of the coats will not matter as Labradors are capable of producing puppies with different colors.
The color of the puppies you see will depend on the type of genes the parents have. A black dog could have a BB gene or BE gene while the white dog should have an ee gene. Those genes can combine and produce some colorful results.
There may be a red or silver lab, a yellow, brown, or black lab in the litter. This has happened before as there have been litters with just about every possible Labrador color in it.
As long as they are healthy, all colors of the Labrador will have all the characteristics of the normal black, yellow and brown labs everyone is familiar with seeing.
Are White Labradors Good? Click here to learn more.
What Color Labs Make What Color Puppies?
The most common result will be with yellow labs. They on carry the E or e gene and not the B or b gene in most cases. When you mate two yellow labs with the EE or Ee gene, etc., the only colors those parents can produce are yellow or yellow-related colored puppies.
These parents do not carry any genes that would produce darker puppies. The same goes for the brown and black Labradors. If the latter only has the BB gene, they can only produce black puppies.
The brown Labrador parent needs to have the b gene to produce more brown puppies but there is a possibility that they will produce black puppies as well if they have the Bb gene.
When you start mixing those genes, that is when you start to see litters with a variety of colors including red fox, white, and silver.
Some Final Words
To get the color of Labrador puppy you want, you need to make sure the parents have the genes to produce that color. Then not everything is certain that your preferred color will show up.
When it comes to breeding, it is all biology and genetics.
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Please note: We are not veterinarians and you use our advice at your own discretion. We always recommend that you consult your veterinarian whenever you have health-related conditions your furbaby is facing. With that in mind, as pet parents ourselves, we wish nothing but the best for your pet and their healthy and happy lives.