The Labrador has been added to the list of breeds that can be tested to determine whether they carry the gene for long-haired coat. Long-haired coat length is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Therefore, dogs that are carriers of the long-hair mutation will appear to be normal (short hair) themselves, but will likely pass on the long-hair mutation 50% of the time.
Here is some history that I was able to glean from a few web sites:
The Labs behind the "quirk/throwback" in Switzerland were imported some 30 years ago. The two imports became champions, one became the Bitch World Champion with two puppies (one definitely carrying the gene) from her first litter gaining the titles of Junior World Champion.
A possibility is that the gene comes from the St. Johns dog, a progenitor of the modern Labrador. The drawing of the St. Johns dog portrays a shaggy dog with a long coat and the actual "Breed Points for the St. Johns or Labrador Dog", published in 1879 called for a very different coat than the one we now see as typical. Here is the quote:
"COAT is moderately short but wavy, from its length being too great for absolute smoothness. It is glossy & close, admitting wet with difficulty to the skin, owing to its oiliness, but possessing no undercoat".
Actually, one of the factors that influenced the formation of the LRC of Great Britain in 1916 was the problem of inter-bred Retrievers. Up until 1917, the KC allowed registration under the breed they most closely resembled and the 1915 Lab Crufts winner had a sire that was a purebred Flatcoat with relatives in that breed's ring.
Other thoughts from the LRC, Inc. are that particular dogs and particular bitches carry the same gene perhaps linked to an interbred retriever as far back as the 1930's or farther:
"It was not uncommon in the early days of the breed and after WWI to use, for example, to use the offspring of a Flat-Coated Retriever x Labrador Retriever cross to refine or adjust a trait in the Labrador Retriever.
Many old pedigrees note that a particular dog or bitch was "interbred". One of the well known Labradors imported into the United States in the 1930's had an interbred bitch in his pedigree 3 generations behind him. Those interbreds were probably short coated but may have carried a gene for long coat. So when two Labradors who carry the common gene are bred, it is more than likely a "long hair" throwback will result.
You will not find references to "long haired or long coated Labrador Retriever" because the trait is not part of nor recognized in the breed and breeders would quickly eliminate a Labrador that would produce the trait from the gene pool."
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12 comments:
We have a 4 months old black lab who we know is pure, but he has
slighlty longer hair, specially around the ears. Everyone asks us if he is a Black "golden retriever", but we know both parents and grandparents of this pup. Any thoughts? Is it possible this hair is just puppy fur that hasn't come off (the vet's oppinion) or could he be a long haired lab?
We have a blacl lab that has long hair and are also asked if she is a pedigree. So any comments would be good. She is a pedigree
We too have a dog where we have thought the same thing. The father is a British lab and the mother is an American lab. The litter contained 2 long-haired labs and the rest were short-haired. We were thinking the father had golden retriever in him, but the breeder told us that he was all yellow lab.
He too has long hair behind his ears, on his back, and on his legs.
So....can anyone shed more light on this topic?
I have bred Labs for about 15 years and never had a "long haired Lab" until last year. We bred our stud back to one of his 4 yo daughters and there were 2 long haired pups in the litter. We have had our stud since he was a 8 week old pup, and had raised 3 generations of the bitches decendants. All with standard short hair. Our now 9 month old female sports a coat somewhere between a normal lab and a golden. Anybody with an answer I would really appreciate hearing from. Thanks, appaloosalady41@yahoo.com
We have a 1 year old Yellow with long hair. Her mother and father both have short hair. The breeders tell me that the bitch has long haired puppies in almost every litter. We also have her brother, he is a completely common short haired Yellow. I didn't believe she was purebread until I read up on the subject. I though she was a Golden mix at first. She is a beautifull dog with a wonderfull personality.
We have a long haired labrador. She has AKC certified parents, etc. going back 5 generations. The breeder, Gateway Labs, has done genetic testing and research, which is published on their website, to trace recessive genes for the long hair. Four of the 6 puppies in the litter have the long hair. They do not look like black golden retrievers, but more like miniature (80 pound!) Newfoundlands, with round heads and some jowl and drool. Very cute and we love her but admittedly a fault in terms of breed standard. I have a hard time explaining this when people ask what kind of dog she is--it really is a throwback gene to maybe when Newfs were part of the original breed.
We also have a long haired golden lab mother was a black short haired lab dad a gold short haired . My daughter has the sibling to our pup who is a typical short hair chocolate you could never believe they are from the same litter 2 bitches had the long hair trait from the litter , she is stunning even the vet thought she was a retriever . Shes different and we love her very much .
We have a lab with the same thing 5 years ago I look up a lot of things
one thing that you have not said was wat i FOUND 30 YEARS AGO AND RE FOUND 5 YEARS AGO
WHEN OUR GIRL WAS YOUNG
she looks like a flat coat and her body wrong for a lab
and the akc if we would have tested hher would of only said she was from this mother and dad
YOU SHOULD NOT MATE A YELLOW AND A CHOCOLATE BECAUSE IT BRINGS OUT THE WRONG RECESSIVE GENES
ALSO IF YOU LOOK BACK IN THE LAB BOOKS I THINK IT WAS THE DOG
THEY FIRST CALLED LABADOR
WAS LONG HAIR AND BLACK AND WHITE OR CHOCOLATE
THERE ARE A LOT OF lAB BOOKS OUR THERE IREAD MOST OF THEM
AND SOME GOOD STORIES
andyandcece@windstrean.net
Well if you bred ur male back to a daughter ....if i read it right thats asking for trouble an frankly discusting and cruel, you are very lucky not to have had any serious or obvious problems, dogs in ther natural enviroment wouldnt even do this as thers only 2 breeders in the pack, so nature is cleverer than some people at least totally irresponsible..!
your results of a defect from inbreeding (father to daughter)
Results are NOT a result from inbreading father to daughter. It is a recessive gene. Yes, they do exist. Mine resembled a golden. Unfortunately she died of a congenital heart defect at 1 year 9 months. She was a beauty.
I am looking for a lab with the longer coat. If u breed again and have any please contact me at dguage@aol.com
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