Origin of Chocolate Labs

March 18, 2022

The origin of chocolate Labradors - header image

Studying the pedigrees of chocolate Labrador Retrievers, you often wonder where the chocs are coming from. All of a sudden they are there, out of the blue. I studied the files in the LabradorNet database, which contains the pedigrees of more than 90,000 Labradors, and came to the conclusion that there are roughly 8 routes to the origin of chocolate Labs.

One of the reasons that you'll find no chocolate Labs in the older files, is that they weren't in fashion for many decades, so they just weren't registered. However, the blacks and the yellows carrying the choc gene kept reproducing, and that's why we're able to trace them all the way back to the late 1800s.

Note: This article was written by Jack Vanderwyk. After his death his domain name was usurped by someone else. Fortunately I had a copy of his work and it's shared here in a tribute to the research he did on Labrador Retriever pedigrees.

ORIGINS OF THE CHOCOLATE GENE

According to the studbook of Buccleuch Kennels, the chocolates in that kennel came through FTW Peter of Faskally (1908). However, Peter of Faskally was a descendant of Buccleuch Avon (1885).

Peter of Faskally

Buccleuch Avon

The Earl of Feversham had some typical specimen of chocolates, his Nawton Pruna (who produced yellow offspring) did well at field trials in the years preceding the First World War.

One of the chief supporters of chocolates was the Hon. Lady Ward of Chiltonfoliat, near Hungerford, the dogs from her kennel being very typical with particularly good tails and coats. Her chocolate bitch FTW Darry of Chiltonfoliat (Braeroy Darkie) (1930) was sired by an unregistered chocolate dog called Jimmy, while her dam descended from the chocolate Flatcoat Clyde (see further down).

Mr. J.G. Severn of Tibshelf Kennels wrote: "My first experience of the chocolate Labradors was in February, 1938, when I visited Dr. Montgomery of Sutton Ashfield, about three miles from Tibshelf. We had mated his black bitch Shelagh of Brasidonia to my black dog Danilo of Tibshelf. Result: 4 blacks, 2 chocolate dogs, 1 cream bitch. I later bought Shelagh and mated her again to Danilo. Result just the same."

Miss Wills of Metesford Kennels produced several chocolates in the late 1940s, early 1950s, but their descendance is not known.

CROSSES IN THE EARLY BREED

Further more we should keep in mind that there are a lot of missing links in our database, and sometimes the reasons for this are rather obvious. I found 21 interbred or fullbred Flatcoats or Chesapeake Bay retrievers in our Labrador retriever database, all born in the U.K. between 1914 and 1933.

Of all the 21 interbred or fullbred Flatcoats or Chesapeake Bay retrievers, most of them being Field Trial champions, we could only track the ancestors for more than two generations of two dogs. The information about the ancestors of the other 19 interbred dogs was simply removed from the files in the 1930s. It seems that some well known Labrador breeders didn't want the public to know that their successful dogs were partly the offspring of interbred dogs.

Two well known Chesapeake Bay retrievers were a dog called Jolly, who sired the male Labrador retriever Jolly Sam, born before 1933, and the bitch Corydalys, who was the dam of the female Labrador retriever Micklefield Juno, born before 1925.

Clyde, born before 1923, was the "liver" (chocolate) Flatcoat retriever who sired the male yellow Labrador FTW Folkingham Bexter (1925), who in turn sired the yellow bitch FTW Limekiln Rhoda (1927). She and the yellow dog FTW Golden Morn (1926) had a litter that was registered as "half Golden Retriever and half Labradors". The separation was by coat length, because all puppies were yellow. Apparently the third generation showed some traits of the original breed involved.

The chocolate Labrador may not have been very popular prior to the 1960s, but they were mentioned as early as 1927, in The Book of Dogs, published by the National Geographic Society in 1927: "This Labrador dog, crossed probably with the English setter, and perhaps with other breeds, produced the Retriever, which may be either black or liver-brown." (The yellow Labrador was organized in The Yellow Labrador Retriever Club, in 1924.)

ROUTES TO THE EARLY CHOCOLATE GENE

Route 1 (version 1):

- Morningtown Tobla (f, choc, < 1976) - Brentville Ebony (f, black, <1974) - Knavery Mistress Meg (f, black < 1972) - Sandylands Mark (m, black, 1965)
- Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder (m, black, 1960)
- Mallardhurn Pat (f, yellow, < 1958) - Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949) - Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
- Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][st_image image_file="https://justamere.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Sandylands-Mark.jpg" image_size_wrapper="" image_size="full" image_alt="Sandylands Mark, a famous show champion Labrador Retriever and stud dog" image_alignment="center" id_wrapper="image_fdd536cac8f3d3e21e9f3c9a780623b9" ][/st_image][st_text el_title="Sandylands Mark" text_margin_top="10" id_wrapper="text_ee2bb854c3a5e4ec7be402f33a30736e" ]

Sandylands Mark

Route 1 (version 2):

- Morningtown Tobla (f, choc, < 1976) - Brentville Ebony (f, black, <1974) - Knavery Mistress Meg (f, black < 1972) - Sandylands Mark (m, black, 1965) - Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder (m, black, 1960)
- Mallardhurn Pat (f, yellow, < 1958) - Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949) - Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Boris de Main (f, yellow, < 1930), child of: Sceptre (m, colour unknown, not registered, < 1928) and Countess (f, colour unknown, not registered, < 1928). However, Buccleuch Avon, born in 1885, so almost 40 years before, is known to have produced some chocolate offspring, so it's more likely that either his sire Malmesbury Tramp, or his dam Malmesbury June (f, black, 1880), or both, already carried the chocolate gene.[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][st_image image_file="https://justamere.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Reanacre-Mallardhurn-Thunder-1960-e1682638638659.jpg" image_size_wrapper="" image_size="full" image_alt="Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder, an English show champion Labrador Retriever from the 1960s" image_alignment="center" id_wrapper="image_c289d382003fbdbc6f4a52a23d679d7c" ][/st_image][st_text el_title="Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder" text_margin_top="10" id_wrapper="text_d1c8ad849fe459926c5cf15ae198bb35" ]

Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder

Route 2:

- Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer (m, black, 1969)
- Sandylands Tandy (m, yellow, 1961)
- Sandylands Shadow (f, black, 1959)
- Diant Pride (f, yellow, < 1957) - Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949) - Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][st_image image_file="https://justamere.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Follytower-Merrybrook-Black-Stormer-1969-e1682639040835.jpg" image_size_wrapper="" image_size="full" image_alt="Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer, a show Labrador and prepotent stud dog" image_alignment="center" id_wrapper="image_561b6197c9676a065fb8d4803dfb49ab" ][/st_image][st_text el_title="Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer" text_margin_top="10" id_wrapper="text_2034d43c2c3092e178d84394236fd34a" ]

Follytower Merrybrook Black Stormer

Route 3:

- Fabracken Comedy Star (m, black, 1979)
- Martin of Mardas (m, black, 1975)
- Ballyduff Marketeer (m, black, 1974)
- Sandylands Mark (m, black, 1965)
- Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder (m, black, 1960)
- Mallardhurn Pat (f, yellow, < 1958) - Poppleton Lieutenant (m, yellow, 1949) - Poppleton Golden Sunray (f, yellow, < 1947) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][st_image image_file="https://justamere.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Fabracken-Comedy-Star-e1682639413905.jpg" image_size_wrapper="" image_size="full" image_alt="Handsome black Lab named Fabracken Comedy Star, standing near a river" image_alignment="center" id_wrapper="image_38c75d728a04949b17ced37f170e64e5" ][/st_image][st_text el_title="Fabracken Comedy Star" text_margin_top="10" id_wrapper="text_84291af2c46e69adce952479c459fe52" ]

Fabracken Comedy Star

Route 4:

- Olivia of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1954) - Lawrie of Blaircourt (m, black, < 1952) - Fiona of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1950) - Treesholme Thunder (m, black, < 1948) - Triumph of Treesholme (m, yellow, < 1946) - Poppleton Golden Sherry (f, yellow, < 1944) - Poppleton Golden Gleam (f, yellow, < 1942) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][st_image el_title="Martin of Mardas" image_file="https://justamere.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Martin-of-Mardas.jpg" image_size_wrapper="" image_size="full" image_alt="Martin of Mardas, a black Labrador Retriever show dog" image_alignment="center" id_wrapper="image_e734f3b0a0096ca2dfc744a3f6f7239d" ][/st_image][st_text el_title="Martin of Mardas" text_margin_top="10" id_wrapper="text_8e5de3eab75d9ef9a6612bcb60cd3b36" ]

Martin of Mardas

Route 5:

- Pride of Craigavon (m, chocolate, < 1974) - Taffy of Keithray (m, black, 1965) - Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt (m, black, 1958)
- Ruler of Blaircourt (m, black, 1956)
- Olivia of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1954) - Lawrie of Blaircourt (m, black, < 1952) - Fiona of Blaircourt (f, black, < 1950) - Treesholme Thunder (m, black, < 1948) - Triumph of Treesholme (m, yellow, < 1946) - Poppleton Golden Sherry (f, yellow, < 1944) - Poppleton Golden Gleam (f, yellow, < 1942) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][st_image el_title="Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt" image_file="https://justamere.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Sandylands-Tweed-of-Blaircourt_1958-e1682640236289.jpg" image_size_wrapper="" image_size="full" image_alt="Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt, a famous show and stud dog" image_alignment="center" id_wrapper="image_27143f1855b06221b27c5477b20d4dfa" ][/st_image][st_text el_title="Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt" text_margin_top="10" id_wrapper="text_7acb8cc03d8e84e302c769847201f742" ]

Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt

Route 6:

- Cookridge Oscar (m, chocolate, < 1960) - Bickerton Salmon Prince (m, yellow, < 1958) - Blondie of Gloamin (f, yellow, < 1956) - Raider of Gloamin (m, colour unknown, < 1954) - Marquis of Gloamin (m, yellow, < 1944) - Poppleton Golden Major (m, yellow, < 1940) - Poppleton Black Lancer (m, black, 1934) - Haylers Danilo (m, black < 1932) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900)
- Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897)
- Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891)
- Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885)
- Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).

Munden Sentry

Route 7:

- Chocolate Lady (f, chocolate, < 1954) - Harehope Bliss (m, black, 1936) - Weston Bunty (f, black, < 1934) - Adderley Tyke (m, black, 1929) - Adderley Trim (f, black, 1927) - Beningbrough Tanco (m, black, 1924) - Banchory Corbie (m, black, 1921) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][/st_column][/st_row][st_row ][st_column span="span6"][st_text el_title="route 8" id_wrapper="text_4b035793d80c131265930cb8ade3a015" ]

Route 8:

- Hiwood Mike (m, black, 1935), via Pettistree Dan (m, black, 1934)
- Quest of Wilbury (f, black, 1930)
- Muntham Raven (f, black, 1924)
- Banchory Corbie (m, black, 1921)
- Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915)
- Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878), AND via Pettistree Poppet (f, colour unknown, < 1933) - Cransford Flapper (f, colour unknown, < 1931) - Peter of Bircham (m, colour unknown, < 1930) - Banchory Danilo (m, black, 1923) - Banchory Bolo (m, black, 1915) - Scandal of Glynn (m, black, < 1913) - Shelag of Glynn (f, black, < 1911) - Shelag (f, colour unknown, < 1909) - Munden Sentry (m, black, 1900) - Munden Sixty (m, black, 1897) - Buccleuch Nith (m, black, 1891) - Buccleuch Avon (m, black, 1885) - Malmesbury Tramp (m, black, 1878).[/st_text][/st_column][st_column span="span6"][/st_column][/st_row][st_row id_wrapper="elm_644b0daa73335" ][st_column span="span12"][st_text el_title="more research" id_wrapper="text_be01bbdf89f946df3eba025f8762c099" ]

MORE RESEARCH

I researched some 30 well known chocolate Labrador Retrievers without any known chocolate ancestors, and their pedigrees all fit in with one (or several) of the routes above. Please keep in mind that famous Labradors like Boothgates Headliner, Lindall Mollie Malone, Morningtown Stormette etc all descend from Morningtown Tobla (route 1).

Aroscas Chocolate Surprise: route 1, via Sandylands Mark.
Bradking Cassandra: route 2, directly and via Ardmargha Mad Hatter and Sandylands Mark.
Brendale Brown Betty: route 2 and 5.
Brentwoods Sweet Molly Brown: route 2, via Mardas Brandlesholme Sam's Song.
Captain Kirk of Rangeways: route 1 and 2.

Castlemore Bramble: route 1 via Sandylands Mark, route 5 via Pride of Craigavon.
Charway Mattie Brown: route 3.
Charway Sally Brown: route 2.
Chocolate Lady: route 7, via Harehope Bliss.
Cookridge Oscar: route 6, via Bickerton Salmon Price.
Cookridge Tango: route 5, via Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt.
Could Be's Chestnut Wrangler: route 4, via Could Be's Rusty Rock, Could Be's Haven Rock, Indian Valley Rob Roy, Bart of Blaircourt and Rush of Blaircourt.
Follytower Brownthorn: route 2, via Charway Blackthorn of Follytower.

A chocolate Labrador Retriever laying on a boulder

Castlemore Bramble

Gunfield's Super Charger: route 8, via Shamrock Acres Super Drive, Super Chief, Paha Sapa Chief II, Freehaven Muscles, Grangemead Sharon.
Gunotter's Chocolate Nip: route 5, via Harris Tweed of Ide and Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt.
Haverhill's Brown Belle: route 1, via Dickendall Flip Flop, Sandylands Midas and Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder.
Ironwood Cocoa Mocha: route 8, via Del Tone Colvin, Cork of Oakwood Lane, Coastal Charger of Deer Creek, Little Pierre of Deer Creek.
Lawnwoods Chocolate Fudge: directly via route 2, and route 1 via Lawnwoods Tapestry and Reanacre Mallardhurn Thunder.

Gunfield's Super Charger

Lawnwoods Hot Chocolate: route 2.
Lenches Chocolate Liquor: Route 1 via Lasgarn Ludovic and Sandylands Mark.
Loughderg Fiona: route 4, via Ruler of Blaircourt.
Marbra Leprechaun: route 2.
Pride of Craigavon: route 5.

A famous chocolate Labrador Retriever, Lawnwood

Lawnwoods Hot Chocolate

Pumerang Connection With Stormley: route 2, the easy way via Harrop Black Jack, or take the detour via Stormley Lynx with Pumerang, Ravenshall Charmer at Stormley, Clayford Music At Midnight At Stormley, Lawnwoods Midnight Folly and Lawnwoods Fandango.
Roydwood Rowntree at Ravenshall: route 1 and 2, via Keithray Lucinda, Contessa of Keithray and Sandylands Tandy.
Simandem Sam Browne of Balrion: route 2, via Charway Blackthorn of Follytower.
Sorbus Brown Jay: route 5, via Alvgardens Sam, Alvgardens Jet, Alvgardens Flap, Sandylands Twanah and Sandylands Tweed of Blaircourt.
Tracers Sweet Georgia Brown: route 2, via Follytower Chevalier of Ranfurly and Follytower Augusta.
Waltham Galaxy of Condor: route 1, via Jayncourt Stormer and Sandylands Mark.
Whisky Creek Brown Buina: route 4, via Indian Valley Raed Wulf and Bart of Blaircourt.