labrador puppys coloring

Question
my lab just whelped 7 puppies. the sire is black, she is yellow, all the puppies are black except two of them have yellow tips on their paws. is this normal? i would appreciate anyones input as to color standards for labs. thanks

Answer
Hi Mike,

Congrats ! However these will be testing times for you - the pups will give you sleepless nights - Enjoy this as much as you can. It's the best time you'll have with the lovely angels.

There is nothing wrong with your pups. The color of the pup is purely genetic. Sometimes 2 labs, both yellow, their parents yellow, grandparents yellow, will mate and have all pups as black !! That's cause somewhere in the lineage there was a black mate. That's why inbreeding is practiced by breeders to retain the color and characteristics of a particular lineage.

The 2 blacks that have a yellow tip on their paws - is it the fur or the skin ? Show it to your VET the next time he comes for a checkup.

A piece of advice - DO NOT handle the pups in front of your bitch. She will forget you are her guardians when it comes to her pups. I have been bitten once by my female lab cause i was trying to reach into the crate to pick up a pup. BE CAREFUL - she's a dog, doesnt' understand your intentions. She'll misinterpret body movements.

Best,
Sam