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The Fox Red Labrador isn’t a separately recognized color by the major kennel clubs around the world. It’s just one of the somewhat wide variation in shades of Yellow Labrador available.
The American Kennel Club Labrador breed standard states: ‘Yellow–Yellows may range in color from fox-red to light cream, with variations in shading on the ears, back, and underparts of the dog.’
So the term Fox Red Labrador is actually a bit of a misnomer. It’s a Yellow. But seeing a more common yellow and a red side by side in the picture above, I think you’ll agree it is a fitting description!
History of the Fox Red Labrador
Like most colors of Labrador in the earliest history of the breed, I’m sad to say the majority of fox red Labradors were culled at birth.
The Lab was a working dog used during hunting pursuits and the hunting fraternity heavily favored the Black Labrador over all other colors. And so red labs were relatively uncommon.
But in a reversal of the trend today, in the early days of the breed the more common shades of yellow that existed were dark yellow to fox red.
The lighter shades of yellow and cream that we think of as normal today, were actually quite rare. In fact, the first ever registered yellow was a dark golden color.
Ben of Hyde, registered in 1899 and seen in the photograph to the left, shows he’s a relatively dark color and until the 1940s, this was certainly the norm.
However, through the mid to late 1900s, lighter shades of yellow and cream became more fashionable and breeders sought to selectively breed for these colors.
After some research I have two theories about why this may have been the case…
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Why Did The Fox Red Labrador And Darker Yellow Colors Fall Out Of Fashion?
This is mostly my opinion and not concrete fact, but the two theories I have on why the lighter colors of Yellow Labradors became more common are:
- Firstly, during the early years of the breed the darker yellows and reds were more common. So when a pale cream or very light yellow was born, it seemed more exotic, rarer and hence more desirable. So breeders started to selectively breed for these colors and hence less and less reds were born.
- Secondly, since the middle 1970s, a famous brand of British toilet paper, Andrex has used a pale Yellow Labrador in their television adverts. Their adverts went on to be shown in over 130 countries for over 35 years. So most people’s view of a Labrador Retriever is that of a pale yellow lab.
Personally, I think these two events played a massive part in the shift of people’s opinion of how a Yellow Labrador should look.
Most colors centered on a cream to light golden color. The dark yellows and reds fell out of fashion. But in the last 10 or 15 years, the range of available shades in the Yellow Labrador have once again widened.
The Fox Red Labrador And Rising Popularity
Lighter colored Labradors were rare in the early history of the breed. They stood out among the crowd and so they were more desired.
This caused breeders to try to match the demand and selectively breed for lighter colors.
This behavior eventually caused the decline of reds by actively ‘breeding the color out’. Due to a lack of popularity of the dark red coat colors, it all but disappeared.
But this new-found rarity in turn made the darker red Labs more desirable. It’s they who now stand out against the lighter colored crowd in modern times.
So now there are many breeders who are selectively breeding to try to obtain litters of reds to meet the demand of people who want the rarer color. Things have turned full circle.
Controversy Around The Red And Darker Yellow Shades
Being uncommon in comparison to the black, paler yellow and chocolate shades does make some people question the red Labradors pedigree. They question whether in fact they are a pure bred Labrador or not?
However, unlike the so-called Silver Labrador Retriever that is surrounded by accusations of outcrossing Labradors with Weimaraners to introduce the diluted coat color to the breed, no such controversy surrounds the darker colors of Yellow and Red Labradors.
They are a genuine, pure bred Labrador, with a history going back to the earliest days of the breed.
How Come They Cost So Much?
Another controversy is the fact that Fox Red Labrador breeders charge a far higher price than breeders do for the more traditional colors of the breed. They advertise their dogs as being a rare breed and charge a premium.
There is some truth in this, but this controversy also follows many other breeds and colors of dogs. This fact is true for ‘White Labradors’ (just very pale Yellows) and years back it was true of Chocolate Labradors too.
Personally, I agree with the fact it’s a simple case of supply and demand.
If there aren’t enough to go around, people will pay more and a breeder would be silly not to take advantage, just as they would in any other industry.
Are Breeders of Reds Irresponsible?
There is some anger among the traditional color breeders for the ‘unethical breeding practices’ accused of some red lab breeders.
It’s said that some breeders will blindly breed for color with complete disregard for the health of the animals or for conformance to the standard.
There is some evidence to support this in a very few small cases, but there are some highly responsible breeders too and I think the good do outnumber the bad.
So please don’t be scared off the shade for health reasons, just be sure to research the breeder and blood line of the kennel first…as indeed everybody should no matter the color of Lab you wish to buy.
Is The Fox Red Lab Temperament Different?
Many people have asked if different colored Labs have different temperaments. Is the Fox Red Lab temperament different from the other Lab colors?
In our experience, no a Fox Red lab has the same loving, friendly temperament as black, yellow, and chocolate Labs.
Further Reading:
For those of you that have a real interest in the Fox Red Labrador and would like some further and much deeper reading, I would suggest you take a read of the following three articles over at penara.com.
Penara are a USA based breeder (Iowa) of Fox Red Labradors. From what I have read on their site, they are highly ethical and very responsible. They are certainly very knowledgeable!
- For a good history of the shade, including pivotal moments and important dogs through history: History of the shade
- For general information on Fox Red Labradors, including genealogy, temperament, pricing etc, please read: About a fox red Labrador
- For a good discussion of their struggles and successes in the show ring and field, and also for some stunning photos, please see: Fox Red Labradors Today
What Are Your Thoughts?
Do you own a Fox Red Labrador and have a story to tell? What do you think of the controversy surrounding the higher prices these dogs command?
Or the accusations thrown at some breeders concerning the health of the dogs in their breeding programs?
We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
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89 comments
I have a fox red lab her name is Bella. Bella is not my first red lab.
18 years ago we had a beautiful yellow lab (Princess). Princess was an excellent hunting dog. We breed Princess so we could keep one of her daughters. We breed her with a Black lab. Princess had 8 pups. 2 black, 5 yellow, and 1 red. We kept the 1 red lab (Angel).
I didn’t pick angel because of her color I just had a great bond with her. Angel was the first to open her eyes, the first to eat mush from my hands, the first to climb out of their little puppy area in the house. My husband use to joke with me saying she wasn’t a real lab “there must have been another dog in the wood pile” LOL!
Sadly we no longer have Princess or Angel. Princess lived to be 17 and Angel 14. When we lost Angel I was heart broken (princess also of course).
3 years ago I was blessed to find my Bella. I once again didn’t pick her due to her red color. But I have to say I really love the red color. I think red labs are beautiful. I get so many compliments from people on how beautiful my Bella is. I get a little mad when people ask me if she’s a golden retriever and when I tell them she’s a pure breed lab they look at me and say “really”? But every once in awhile I’ll meet someone who says “wow what a beautiful red lab”.
Hi Bonni.
I think due to the relative rarity of Red Labs in comparison to the other colors, they’re almost seen as a bit ‘exotic’ so when people do see one they’re all the more striking. I certainly make a fuss and comment a lot more when I see one because I hardly ever see them in the UK. They really can be quite striking when their color is quite deep.
You say you didn’t pick Angel or Bella for their color…but all your labs have been Red?! Haha…I think there could be a little bias in there Bonni, something sub-conscious maybe? You’re hooked on them! :-)
I don’t suppose you have a nice photo of Bella you’d be willing to share on my facebook page? I regularly post a ‘Labrador of the day’ that belongs to a reader of the page and have yet to be sent a pic by an owner of a red.
Thank you for commenting!
I found your site because I was doing a bit of research on fox red labs. I just lost my fox red lab in February. JD was a wonderful boy. We got him at 8 weeks old through a friend and I was skeptical about him being a pure bred puppy until I did my research. JDH was 11 years old when he passed and I miss him terribly. He was definitely a mama’s boy. JD was a gorgeous dog and people were constantly admiring him. My vet thought he was one of the most beautiful dogs he had ever seen. People did always think that he was a golden retriever and I would always have to explain the fox red color. I would love to share a picture on your Facebook page if you could send me the link to your page. Thank you.
Teresa McKay
Yaphank, Long Island, NY
Hey my name is john and I’ve been looking everywhere trying to find a fox red labrador-I live in Atlanta, GA so anything close would help. I been searching but it seems like no one in georgia breeds fox red labs, but if anyone can provide any good info I would appreciate it.
Hi John,
Unfortunately I’m not in contact with many breeders at all. You could try asking on labradors.com facebook page (click to go there) which is HUGELY popular, and also go to their website to ask too. It might be worth a try to also Google ‘labrador forum’ and you will get a few hits where you could start a thread asking for help and I’m sure somebody would respond. Sorry I can’t be more help. Good luck :-)
Hello,rather late to reply but try a rescue centre and not a breeder..i have a lovely red lab who is an ex breeding dog and very messed up initially.shes fine now but would never ever go to a breeder.
Sounds like your red lab must of originated from a breeder to. It’s nice the that you adopted as well I myself much prefer to buy from a reputable breeder with a long track record, I like to know where my dog is from its background and temperament I realize to that some people preferred to adopt because they can’t afford to buy from a breeder. I have a red fox puppy coming soon but is still with the breeder/trainer. I don’t however believe in buying from backyard breeders or puppy mills.
I have located a breeder near Eugene, Oregon. http://Www.coldcreekfarms.com. Good Luck
Kathy
Thanks for helping Kathy :-)
its ok i love her so much
We a have a beautiful fox red lab puppy she was the only one from a litter of seven. We live in the atlanta area. Email if interested for more information
A friend of the family just got a red fox lab in Woodstock, ontario. If u read more of these comments there is someone breeding a red with a red now. Contact Mary
Hi Mary
I live in Tavistock, ON & work in Woodstock. Id be very interested in finding a red lab retriever. I wonder if we have the same friend with a Red. Thank you!
I have a fox red Lab and will be breeding her with another fox red lab this year, if interested email me. [email protected]
Six years ago I picked up a red fox lab at the Marion County Animal Shelter, South Carolina.
Their records may show you there this lab came from.
I have 18 month red fox , his name is Red prince, hes a bloody nitemare lol , i did get warned at vets , they can be yampi; and good luck, i thought omg , they were right, but i love him, he can’t help it lol
B&L Chocolate Farms in Robertsdale, Al. (5 hours from Atl.?) Has a red fox lab puppy they are going to breed. Look them up on Facebook – you will find a pic of the puppy. We saw the puppy when we picked our puppy up.
I have a female that I would like to breed you know where a male is
Not sure where you are located, but my brother has a male fox red. I bred him with my fox red 3 years ago and had great puppies! we live in MN
We have an English male Fox Red AKC. Texas.
I have a fox red that I am looking to breed
Contact Mary. She just posted below she will be breeding a red with a red. She lives in Atlanta too
I totally agree with the golden retriever comment! I own a fox red lab named milo. He is my first dog and just so happened to find him on craigslist just looking for a yellow lab and found him. At first I didn’t believe the breeder when she called it a fox red lab; I was thinking “these are not pure bred”. After doing some research on this color, I became obsessed with the color and had to have him. He is the coolest dog and am still so fascinated with the color and agree when people mistake him with a golden retriever or think he is no lab. I hope to see more of this color :)
I have owned black, yellow, chocolate, and now a fox red. I love all the colors. But then I love labs great breed of dogs
My grand puppy (13 weeks old ) is a fox red .. and his name is Milo also (lol) .. he is the most beautiful puppy .. he has a orange red nose .. and light light golden brown eyes .. he is just georgous .. never heard of such red fox lab until my daughter brought him home . .. I love him to pieces .. Milo is the best .. yours and mine
I have a red lab they are very pretty my male was a rescue I love him dearly
Received a new foster dog a couple of weeks ago, and am sure he’s a Fox Red. Asked a breeder to take a look at some pics of the dog, to get his opinion. The dog is very intelligent, already has quite a few commands on him, excellent prey drive. Would you know of anyone that could help give advice and/or assist in breed indentification?
Hi Brenda,
Did you adopt or you work in a rescue? (not sure when you say ‘received a new foster dog’). You can have a reasonable guess from the look of your dog, but you will never be absolutely sure unless you know the dam and sire.
If you go to my facebook page (link on the right) I can post a pic or two to the page and see what others think? It’s quite a responsive page, should get some opinions :-)
I have a Red Fox Lab, I got him from a rescue centre, he was dumped and was living out of black bags etc he was only 1 year old. He has so many health issues, he is breaking my bank account. He has an overshot bottom jaw, he has had operations on both elbows for OCD, he has allergies and the latest is an under active thyroid, but he is the most gentle of souls, and loves everyone, he has become very slow when out on walks and still looks for rubbish to eat with cat poo top of the list, the more arthritic he becomes the more stubborn and scheming to give me the slip to go and look for rubbish he gets. He will be 8 in July if the rescue centre got his age right. but people say what a lovely “old” lab he is!
Bless you Fran, it sounds like he wasn’t winning in the lottery of life…until he met you! It’s sad to see a dog prone to so many health problems :-( Sounds like he’s still mischievous (giving you the slip) and happy due to your efforts and love though :-)
I have a one year old fox red lab. Great dog. Smart, eager to please and loves to retrieve. She’s also a Dudley. She’s great in the house and the field. I got her from Top Gun Kennel just west of Palatka Fl. , her ancestry goes back to Huntfields kennel in Ms. The only thing I have to be careful of is the skin on her paw pads. The Florida heat on solid surfaces will cause them to blister and peal. Tessa is wonderful addition to our family. She’s also a great traveler.
When it’s hot outside we are told by our guide dog trainers to hold the back of our hand to the ground for 10 seconds. If it’s too hot for the back of our hand then it’s too hot for our puppies.
I am a very happy owner of a 5 month old fox red lab dog.
I had only seen 3 in real life in the past 2 years but was instantly drawn to the striking colour.
I had a chocolate dog and a very pale (white) bitch who both sadly left my family this summer.
I was researching a breeder of fox reds when I came across this pup who due to a change of circumstances was being advertised again. He was 12 weeks when I got him.
The funny thing is now that I’m investigating the history of reds, is that my pup is the spitting image of the fox red in your picture at the top of the page. Same white flash on his chest and very handsome.
So far my Rusty has settled into family life. He has started gun dog training and I’m astonished at how quick he has picked things up. Most people I meet have said that to get the red colour, another breed of dog was used then bred out again. It’s refreshing to learn that these beautiful dogs were almost the original Labradors. But how fickle some people are to chop and change what is in fashion! All I need now is a black lab then I’ve had my lot :-)
Hi Ali,
I’m always quite taken aback at the color myself. Like you I never really see them around, just the odd one here and there and I think it’s the uniqueness and rarity that grabs my attention to be honest…So maybe I’m one of the fickle fashion followers. (My clothes may say otherwise, haha ;-) )
Rusty sounds great, you should send in a pic to our facebook page. Red labs always get a great response on there and I’d love to see a pic of Rusty too!
Sorry to hear of your loss this Summer Ali, that never gets any easier, my heart goes out to you.
I fell in love with red labs when my Rusty Boy was born to an otherwise all light and cream litter. Over the years I looked for a female and finally found one with an excellent AFC lineage including several MH, JH and FC AFC for both her sire and dam. I had her DNA tested for EIC, RD/OSD and prcd/PRA – and she is clear for all, CERF good and hips OFA excellent.
So then I started looking for a male with the same health clearances. I now sell one litter a year of red labs with my dam and a sire from Keepsakes Labradors who have red males with AKC champions in pedigree. My pups are 1/2 English and 1/2 American so they are both beautiful and smart.
It is disheartening that others are breeding the dogs without health checks or by performing DNA just on the sire. I just sold an 8 wk old fox red female to a family in CA who said they had been looking for almost a year but found no pups with proof of champion lines or full health clearances. So they ended up shipping my pup from South Florida to CA so they could get a healthy happy puppy.
Hi Judy,
Thanks for sharing your story and thoughts :-)
You make a very good point: Finding good breeders that do all the necessary checks is a bit of a minefield and from what I read even more so when it comes to rarer / harder to find breeds and colors. But with the rise of so many dog focused websites, social pages (facebook and so on) and the sheer number of people who participate in these communities, the pressure on breeders to be responsible is getting higher and higher and generally speaking prospective owners are far more educated in these matters than even just a few years ago. A very good thing for the future of the breed overall! You sound knowledgeable and very responsible with your breeding which is lovely to see so well done you. You’re setting a great example!
I just checked out your facebook page…my god, how cute are some of those puppies! Some? I meant all of course, haha. Anybody reading this, check out the pics on Judy’s page: https://www.facebook.com/foxredlabs.leger And if I can have a Dollar for every time you say ‘want’! haha.
Wonderful article, I appreciated it as I until recently had a red lab. Shadow was with us for close to 11 years and had to be put down 3 months ago unfortunately. She was the kindest, most gentle dog I ever had. Not only was she a great family dog, but also was a terrific hunter for waterfowl and upland birds alike. The picture at the beginning of this article reminds me of her, with the white patch on the chest.
I will no doubt be getting another lab when I am ready, and hope to find another red. I used to get so many compliments on how beautiful she was and also heard how its not everyday you see a lab that color a handful of times as well. If only our wonderful companions could stay longer with us…
Shadow sounded lovely, Jeff. I couldn’t agree more it’s sad they leave us so quickly, been through a few in my 36 years on the planet and it never gets any easier.
You’ll have to let us know if you do get a new pup…swing by the facebook page and post up a pic!
Thanks for taking the time to share with us :-)
I have what I am convinced is a Fox Red. His name is Hank and the most beautiful and loving smart boy ever! I wish I could post a picture. We rescued him from he shelter as he was a stray. They indicated he was a lab retretriever mix. One day someone approached me and asked if he was a Fox Red. That prompted my research. He’s identical!!! He’s almost 7 today and I wish I could clone him. I’ve looked at sites that offer Fix Reds but not many have the white star on the chest. Beautiful characteristic of the breed in addition to the deep color. Amazing beautiful creatures!
Hi, I have a fox red Labrador with the white mark on his chest. His name is Freddie he was from a litter of 9, 7 boys and 2 bitches, all of them had the White mark on their chest. I often get stopped when out with him asking if he’s a pure breed because he’s red but they always follow on with how gorgeous he is. They are stunning looking labs with a lovely temperament. I wish I could clone Freddie too.
I have had two Lab my go Sam was a white, he was my baby. My second lab, Beautiful golden, Gus, extremely smart far ahead of all in his puppy classes. Sadly Gus at 11 months developed parvo, he survived, the high graver destroyed his Nervous system. We were heat broken and lost him 2 1/2 years later. I have seen the Fox Red picture and would love to have one. How is a red as a service dogs?
I’m a diabetic and my eyesight isn’t as great as it use to be. I love the beautiful deep red color. And if the reds are as smart as my other Two. what a bonus. I want a puppy so I can train him/ her myself like I had trained Sam and Gus before he got sick, his last two years of his training was all the love my husband and I could dish out.
Me and my wife have a red lab and it is by far the smartest dog I have ever had and I’ve had a lot. It understands English and I believe she could talk if trained. She unlocks and opens doors, obeys verbal commands without training and thinks she is human. She has most gentle and humble nature while hiding a ferocious and protective side seldom seen. She is loved by children and adults as well. Has no fear of other dog at all. Tommy will be loved and cared for forever.
Hi Stan,
She sounds great, and very clever! Thanks for sharing! If you have time (and the inclination) you could share a pic of her to our facebook page, linked to to the right there (if on desktop…right at the bottom on mobile). We rarely get any ‘fox red’ lab pictures and would love to see her :-)
All the best,
Mark.
Love your website! We have an 11 year old Fox Red Lab. Our vet has dissed our dog from the start, saying he’s not a true Lab, he must be a Lab mix, regardless of pedigree. I only knew that he was a dark yellow Lab. When we chose him, we picked the darkest of the litter, since we knew that most people wanted light yellow Labs and he was going to be a family pet and color didn’t matter as much as personality to us. And he has a great personality! When we got him, our kids were one and two years old. He was their buddy and they did all the things toddlers will do with a dog and not once did we hear a growl or a snarl or anything. Our Fox Red loves kids, cats, you name it!
We returned to our breeder 5 years ago to get a second Lab and we brought along a picture of our Lab. The breeder said, “You got the Fox Red! We had no idea what we had when we bred him” and proceeded to tell us that they were rare. I had no idea. I had never heard the term “fox red Lab”.
I do know that we’ve often gotten comments like, “Is he a Golden?” and always answered, “Nope, a Lab, just a dark yellow one”.
I wish that breeders would not continue to breed lighter and lighter yellow Labs. I like the darker color but it seems to be fading fast.
I put a couple of pics of our boy on your FB page.
Marie
Your boy sounds great Marie! I too love the color, very visually striking. I look forward to seeing (and reposting) your pics on facebook!
I enjoyed the discussions on the Red Fox Labs. I just had a litter of 11 on 10/11/15. She, her name is Rubee, a black American lab, and Reid, a black American lab produced 8 black and 3 yellow pups. One of the black pups has a white blaze on this chest. Of the 3 yellows, one has a distinctly darker coat, very much like the picture above. Is this considered a Red Fox lab?
Also, any comments on the white blazed puppy? I’m uncertain of how I should feel about darker color yellow or the white chest pup, comments welcome.
This is my first litter and I want to learn as much as possible to become a quality breeder, however we have owned Labradors for 30 years.
Do you know of any fox red breeders in Westchester New York or the surrounding areas? I’ve had a yellow that lived 15 years and a black that died suddenly at 3. Fox red is beautiful.
Hi Kathy,
I’m afraid I don’t. Have you tried a good google search and ‘The Labrador Club – Find a Breeder’ search?
I have a wonderful Fox Red lab that we thought was a yellow. The breeders were selling the puppies very cheap and it was a home breeder, so the litters were in the house with an active family. They didn’t say a word about him being any different, nor did they charge us more. He has the brown nose and eyelids which makes him even more rare, and a white patch on his chest which I think I read precludes him from showing? Or the brown nose and eyes do…something. They were released young, 6 weeks, but we didn’t realize it until we already had him. We didn’t choose him for color at all, we chose him on personality. He actually still acts like he did then in a lot of ways! He is a lover and a snuggler, he is not aggressive in the least and doesn’t get it when other dogs are…he looks at them like they are from outer space! He is respectful of other animals, and his BFF in the house has always been my smallest cat, who he now outweighs by 60 pounds! All he ever wants to do with another animal is make friends and play! If they are too small to rough-house, he plays chase with them. He is super social with people too, and loves going out and about! Since I started the weekend I brought him home, he is even totally comfortable at crowded places like fairs and farm markets. I have only ever seen one other one, at the farm market, and she looked just like him but a little smaller face! Would love to get another relative, but after a while the breeders disappeared.
He sounds fantastic Cindy :-)
Our family has a red lab named Marley. He’s approximately 2.5 years old. We got him a little over a year ago from a wonderful family who just couldn’t give him the love and attention he needed. He has made a great addition to our family and is so good with our 6 year old daughter. She calls him her “fur brother” He is a beautiful deep red color and we get so many compliments on him. He’s a big baby who loves to cuddle and doesn’t know how big he really is!
Hi.
I have two beautiful pure bred,Fox Red labs called Lexi and Autumn. Lexi is short, stocky, smooth silky coated with a short nose. And is 2yrs 5mths. Autumn is tall, powerfully built, long nosed and with rough curly coat. And is 14mths. I also have a beautiful white lab called Nancy. She is white with a honey stripe down her back and on ears and head. And is 22mths old. As you can tell from their names, they are all girls. When I first got my girls I had every intention of having them trained and took them to a couple of places. But unfortunately, due to my circumstances. My finances prevented me from continueing with their training. I am disabled and a senior citizen. I did make some inquiries as to whether a trainer / breeder would take my girls on and train them in exchange for a choice of pick of litter from each one when they have had a litter. Which was met with a positive no. I can however understand this because there would be no guarantee that I would adhere to my offer. And regardless of the fact that I am completely honest and my integrity has never been an issue. The problem now is that as they are getting older it will become increasingly harder to train them. All three of my girls have excellent pedigree with Hundreds of FTC’s and Crufts pedigree in their ancestry. But because of my situation they have none of their own. I don’t want my beautiful babies to just have litters without having the training as working dogs. So here is the question. Can anyone help me resolve my situation.
I would have no problem with letting the girls board, except for the personal issue of me missing them like hell. ( ha ha ha ). I know my is usually frowned upon but my email is [email protected]. If anyone can help or can give me some imformation. Thanks everyone. And bye for now.
We had a fox red lab bitch in the 90’s, she came from the Chasend line (Chasend Bronze Eagle) the breeder bred choc’s black yelow & red labs, she had about 19 at the time all working gun dogs. Sunshine was actually listed on her pedigree as “Rust Red”. As was her mother & grandmother. Her father was yellow. We had a litter from her with a black father & had 5 black pups and 5 yellow, ranging from a rust dog to a very pale lemon bitch. Sunshine was a glorious colour & at that time, 30+ years ago very unusual. Personally, I love all the colours & think there is nothing as good a s a Labrador in the dog world, just saying….
I have a 6 yr. old registered fox red male and a 3 year old black Nine of the 10 pups were fox red with one lighter. Our first lab was beautiful yellow with light and dark shading. That is what I thought I wanted when we added our third lab, but when we saw this litter they were gorgeous. Love the fox red. He has always been very calm, intelligent, and wants to please.
We have a red fox lab, she is 9 yrs old, shes had two litera and had only 1 red fox lab…i purchased her from a dog finder she is registered and ahe is from south Dakota, very loyal dog.. also her coat is very smooth and silky would love to have another one.
We have a red fox lab that was a service dog for an autistic girl for about 8 years. He has the best disposition of any dog I have ever had and still thinks he is a puppy at 10 years old. I highly recommend this breed. Jake follows me around wherever I go and makes friends with everyone he meets. We will try and find another one if anything happens to Jake. Very well trained and loyal.
In 1980 I purchased my first Lab. I was duck hunting farm ponds in the hills of the Ozarks. I would let the wind blow them to a shore or throw rocks or limbs close to move them. Several times I had to disrobe and wade in, pretty primitive retrieving. I wanted, looked for and found a lab. All I knew was the sporting magazines of the era showed labs swimming to shore with a Duck and pictures of them retrieving Pheasants. I had to have one.
My Dad who also was hunting ducks over ponds wanted one also. One day Dad called, I’ve found some registered Labs. Yea, now what?
We went and looked, it was a sad trip. A young boy and his Dad had built kennels on concrete and made a nice set up. The boy was in business. He found the male from an add, 2 years old and was a college kids house dog. He found 4 registered females and they were soon bred. His Dad was doing the smart thing, teaching his son how to run a business, save all proceeds for his college and responsibility. All was well for them until the young man became sick, Leukemia. Worst case scenario. It broke his heart but they sold all. We were the first ones there and I bought the Male. Dad and I co bought the female. I have never forgotten the young mans face, sad because he had to sell but not mature enough to know what was in his future.
The male had never hunted, probably had never been in the woods or a pond.
I took him woods walking and shot a few squirrels, he retrieved them. I worked on his sit and stay commands. I had him retrieve balls and sticks from a large pond. After a few retrieves he quit the childs play.
On Sept 1st I broke a Dove’s wing. It hit the ground running and run into a doze pile. I thought we would not see him again. Diamond Duke was out of Ozark Mountain Brute on his papers. His Daddy had to be a stem winder.
Duke was a big Lab but he kept going and found a small egress, he came out with the Dove and brought it to me. Later we set up on a gravel bar on the river in the late afternoon. I dropped a Dove that hit the fast water and was only a spot quickly. Duke went after him, swam back against the strong current and gave me the Dove. Teal season opened perhaps Sept 15th. We were at the big pond, 3 acres of water. I rolled a teal, broke it’s wing. Duke went after him, pushed the duck to the middle , the duck started diving, Duke swam circles and when he saw the Duck he would go after it. The Duck eventually tired and went ashore, under a large multiflora rose. Duke went in and caught the Duck, he then swam the 100 yards straight to me and handed me the Duck. This dog was a miracle, no training and he is doing it perfectly. In a former life he had to be a great hunter.
Duke was Black until you squatted and ran your fingers thru his fur with the sun behind him, he was a rainbow of Golds, Reds and yellow,
About 50% of his pups were pure Fox red. I knew nothing about Fox reds at that point. Folks bought them, I raised 3 or 4 litters and we sold the female.
My job moved me and I ended up close to the epicenter of the midwest flyway. Duke and I hunted almost daily as I worked evenings.
Everyone who saw him said they’ed never seen one as good, who trained him? My reply was, this one was born trained. Some laughed and some gave me the stare.
I realized he was getting close to the end and bought a registered female pup out of world champions on both sides. He passed before she was old enough to breed. That was 26 years ago, I still tear up when I think of him. There is a wives tale that Red’s are not smart and don’t hunt. If these naysayers ever had the luck to see old Diamond Duke they might say no other color hunts as well.
I learned how to train Labs as none I’ve owned since then were born trained.
I’ve bought a few pups that did not live to hunt, I tore up the papers and gave them to families as pets, I’ve trained a few and sold them. We bought a super nice female pup from Mikes labs. She has been great. Loves to hunt and is smarter than most.
My last lab had to be put down 1.5 years ago, last week my wife said we need to get another Lab out of hunting stock. She is thinking Chocolate, I am thinking a Fox Red out of the Ozark Mountain Brute line.
Does anyone have any Fox Reds of this line? If so I’d like to talk to you.
We adopted a Red Fox Lab 3 1/2 years ago. She was listed as a Golden Retriever mix and I stumbled her listing by chance. Her owner was moving and downsizing. When we met with her and the volunteer at the shelter, she was totally out of sorts, but we took a chance and applied to adopt her. That night the volunteer texted me and said that she thought the dog was a Red Fox Lab. I googled it and sure enough she matched the images and decription perfectly. She is the best dog ever. She’s smart, protective, silly, loves belly rubs, and sleeping behind the curtains. We are blessed everyday to have her in our lives. She does have allergies and we feed her high quality grain free food. She’s spoiled (no dog on the furniture lasted about a week), but we wouldn’t trade her for anything! We would adopt another Red Fox in a minute. (We prefer adopting.)
I do own a Fox Red Lab, and I love her. She has the best temperament, easy to train, and just a joy. I love her color and wish I now had the chance to breed her, but to late for that.
She came from a private kennel that had the mom and dad, and she was very well priced I thought.
Thank you for the information on this wonderful breed, I sure do love mine.
Rose
I am looking for a fox red lab in the MD/DC/VA/DE area. Any ideas of where I might be able to find one? I’ve contacted a few breeders and have not gotten any responses yet.
I have Ruby a 3 YO picked up from a rescue (sounds like there’s a lot of that going on). I was looking for a bird dog and my hunting partner has a fox red. She’s wonderful, a bit traumatized when I first got her, but a happy dog (rolling around on the floor with my son right now).
One hypothesis for the past popularity of black labs (and other dark coats) is that they are much less visible to wary waterfowl. Keep in mind, they were sporting dogs before they were pets. Ruby blends in very well with both wheat and water rush.
I have a fox red labrador named Razzberry. She’s 12 years old, and i’ve had her since she was 2. I’ve always loved her color and appearance. There where some questions about her being a goldie, but she is in fact a pure breed lab. She came from a chocolate lab mother that my aunt owned, who has now passed, but I love my lil Razzy to death. We would’ve bred her, however she has hip displasia so it wouldn’t be wise to have her have puppies.
I love my dog so much. (PS, if you want to see pictures, either kik me on mettadot or email me at [email protected]!)
*since i was 2* i apologize
I love this looking to breed my chocolate girl with a red fox me thank you for sharing x
i have a fox red lab called Daisy ,she is a beautiful natured girl, very loyal . It was pure chance we got her , my son went to pick a puppy and she was the only one left ,nobody wanted her because of her colour . needless to say my son thought she was adorable and when we met her so did we . we have been questioned with regards her breed but she came from a pedigree breeder and our vet assures us she is as she should be ,just that she is a fox red colour .
Great thread,
We are picking up our Fox Red pup from a lab breeder next week, went looking for a black to replace our last one Cooper who passed a year ago….at first I was not to be deterred, black was it! We were second on a list for the next litter. The Breeder did have a litter of all ready spoken for Fox Reds. Beautiful Puppies!….and then we found out that a family had backed out of one of the Red due to job transfer……couldn’t help our selves…..Red it is! We love Labs….and very selfishly…only have no wait one week
Try keepsake kennels just south of Parkersburg, WV. We just picked up a fox red puppy yesterday. The kennel is purely labs, but they clearly focus on Fox reds. Website has list of current and upcoming litters. Good luck
To Joe who was asking for reds around D.C./VA area, Try keepsake kennels just south of Parkersburg, WV. We just picked up a fox red puppy yesterday. The kennel is purely labs, but they clearly focus on Fox reds. Website has list of current and upcoming litters. Good luck
We found a fox red lab on a lab rescue site. I got email alerts when a new dog was put on the site. I was the first person to call and I passed their screening questions. A family had to move to Germany and couldn’t take their sweet Daisy with them. She is the smartest dog we have owned. I agree with another post on here, I believe she understands what we are saying. Very athletic and a natural hunter. She also sleeps with us, something I said I would never allow…lol.
Fox red labs are the SWEETEST most gentle caring dogs in the world. I had a yellow lab and she was a amazing, but Sophie – my fox red – is given the compliment of “the biggest sweetheart” at EVERY vet place and other outings. I have never loved anything more than I love her and highly recommend this dog!
Question about breeding? I am a hobby breeder and only breed about one litter every other year.
I have a very good Chocolate Female. We breed her once before to a Chocolate Male and produced a very good litter of 8 Chocolate pups.
My female come out of a Black Female with Yellow in her background and my Chocolate Male that had Black and yellow in his back ground.
If I breed my Chocolate Female to a Fox Red Male what mix of pups colors could I expect.
Not finding any info on that color match up so far.
What is the chance of throwing Dudley’s in that mix?
Hi, I’m interested in this also…
I have a female chocolate and interested in breeding with a fox red
Funny story, I had Aubie for 14 years (he passed of natural causes in his sleep last September). I got him when I was a 21 year old newly wed, from an ad in the paper–a couple had found him and his two “siblings” roaming the woods together after being dumped by the roadside in the heat of a Georgia July. They were about 9 weeks old maybe? He looked like a pure red fox lab (which we didn’t know existed until after he’d died), his sister was a puffy black chow, and his brother was somewhere between chow and a third kind of dog that I don’t even remember anymore.
It never occurred to me he could have been pure bred, and totally unrelated to the other two puppies. There were no black markings on his tongue, so no chow, and his fur was DEEP red. Every breeder’s page I look at I choke up because I would bet money he was show quality … and someone just tossed him to die in the woods. My gain.
What’s sad is finally finding out that there is a way to get just a tiny piece of him back, that there’s indeed a breed that looks like him, but with two small children under the age of four and a husband out of work, I can’t afford that unbelievable price tag on my salary alone. I suppose that’s the irony. I wish I had bred Aubie when I’d had the chance, but I didn’t know then what I know now. Or that when he died we’d have a German Shepard who would miss him so badly that she carries his collar around with her (it’s the most pitiful thing you’ve ever seen. I wish she liked my kids, she might feel better).
So there ya go!
Iv got an awesome Red lab named Killian, I got him from Wildrose In Mississippi 8 years ago, he’s in great shape still and Im looking for a female of breading age , not just to bread but to waterfowl hunt with as well, Do you folks know where I might find such a dog, maybe in a rescue situation or adoption ? Iv had several hunting dogs in my life , Im 56 years old and have a great homelife for another dog that would live in my home , not in a kennel . Thank You Tom
My Red Lab is Ruby, shes my best friend.
Smartest dog I’ve ever owned.Both her parents were champions, Pointing Labs.She has the pointing trait too, but mostly tennis balls.She mostly flushes the birds when we hunt.She is 6 now and never had puppies.Would like to breed her with another good red lab.
Hi, I have two Fox red Labradors, Hugo and Izzy. Hugo is two and Izzy 7 months. Not related but Izzy follows Hugo everywhere. Hugo is super smart, swims like a fish and can retrieve swim toys of a particular colour on command. He can jump/ climb 6ft stone walls and is my best buddy. Izzy has a mind of her own, bless her, but she is trained to the whistle like Hugo and she has just started swimming the width of the river which is so lovely to see. It is definitely more work to have two of them but they are great company for each other and make me smile everyday with their antics….
I have a red lab. His name is gregory. Kind, sweet and playful. On his early stage some says he looks like a golden retriever. But his parents are all black labs.
I have a beautiful Fox Red lab and he is amazing. He has to be the most loving loyal boy. His name is Tanner and is a big boy. 113 pounds of love. He is asleep in my lap right now. I actually hesitated ( for about 2 minutes once I saw him) about getting another Lab because we had a Chocolate that was very sweet but he would never settle and just lay down. I’m so glad we took the chance with our Tanner because he is the love of our lives. ❤️
From the other side of the atlantic: we have a 4.5-year-old black lab and a 4-month-old fox red. The red came from a local woman who has had 2 litters from her bitch. All owners of 1st and 2nd litter dogs are in a WhatsApp group and we share the joys and trials of raising the pups. In the UK the Red is still very rare, though becoming more popular. Pups can cost up to £3000, those from our lady’s litter were £950. There has been some recent unscrupulous activity during lockdown where pups of many breeds have tripled in price. Our breeder was offered up to 3 times the price she sold her labs for by people desperate to get one. She was far too honourable to be tempted.
We are very pleased with our girl, Tuppence, and other than her colour is just a typical lab. We know her mother and brother from first litter and frequently meet in the fields locally.
The question I have about labs, regardless of colour, is why would you have any other breed? Grand dogs.
Hi — I have a 7 year old Fox Red Lab named Yoda. I’ve had 6 dogs and he is by far the smartest, funniest, sweetest dog I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. I have no idea how much they cost, we adopted Yoda when he was 2years old— we are his 5th family. What I can tell you is that they are so incredibly smart and playful, that they can be insanely obnoxious, and if you don’t have the time and patience they need and want, it could be a very unhappy dog (and home) Especially if you’re bringing a puppy into the home. Our Yoda is 7 and still behaves like a rambunctious puppy most days. Fortunately, my husband & I have the time to give him… I don’t know what I’ll ever do without him— he’s my heart & soul.
We are picking up our first red fox in 2 weeks after owning 5 black labs over the years. My 2 current labs will be amazing Mums to her. We are so excited …
Nice to see so many folks own red lab. How much do they cost and if sprayed is there any difference between male and female ?.
Where can I find any red fox labs in San Francisco bay area ? Do breeders out of state ship the pups ?
We have a male fox red rescue that is about 6yrs. His name is Winchester (my daughter named him). He is the gentlest, friendliest dog you’ll ever meet. Also very handsome. We get compliments on his looks all the time. He’s a favorite at the vet, and he loves going there to see all his “girlfriends”. Our other dog is a blue heeler mix. He’s another story and a handful. We love both of them. We get so attached to them. Wish they lived much longer than they do.
We have 2 fox red labs Ginger and Lucy. They are sisters from the same litter.They are 17 months old and we got them when they were 8 weeks old. They are so beautiful and smart and mischievous. We hired an amazing dog trainer and she has helped us tremendously. It has been an absolute joy working with our girls. They make us smile and laugh everyday with their antics. They are so loving and affectionate and make our family complete.
My wife and I recently lost our Yellow Lab Riley. He was a rescue so we never knew his true age but our vets best guess was 6-8 years old. We have a Australian Shepard/Siberian Husky mix named Zeb (bonded to my wife) who seemed lonely. I of course was lonely and began to look for another dog. After missing out on a couple different German Shepard’s,, I saw a local Colorado Springs Rescue had a rather odd looking puppy. He was so cute, and looked a lot like a Golden we had for 13 years named Perry. The rescue had no idea and said he was a mutt. We took him home anyway! I began to do research online and saw a Red Fox Retriever for the first time. I scanned the images and found a puppy that looked suspiciously like MAC. The vet verified my conclusion. Forget the genetic disorder … I like that he is a rare breed. Forget the AKC … the Red Fox Retriever may not be certifiable or win trophies, but our MAC catches plenty of attention when we are out and about!
Have a Red Fox lab that’s 4 yours old now and a Black lab that’s going on 9 now from the same breeder. Both beautiful dogs and smart. Breeder delivered both dogs to our house from Texas (we live in Wisconsin) both dogs came to us when they were 8 weeks old. I’ve trained them for upland bird hunting and they are a joy to watch. Thinking of getting another one can’t ever have too many labs no matter what color. Although I am partial to the Red.
my son’s chocolate male just sired
a litter of 9 with a Black bitch. Both were fully medically checked before for hip, elbow, eye , and general health. Both come from good breeders with long lines of quality dogs. My son’s grandmother was a beautiful Fox red. 7 of the pups are black and 2 are red. Will the reds stay red as they mature?
I had A Fox Red Lab, Chaz, a female from age 3 until she was 17 ½ years of age. I was her 9th owner and my home was her 7th home. We bonded. She was an amazing dog. The Vets were amazed how calm and well behaved she was. Her heart rate was almost normal at the Vets. She loved children and almost all people. My former Marine son, who has had 2 Labs—said she was the most intelligent dog he had ever known. She was a once in a lifetime friend and companion.
We have a fox red lab and when she is outside her nose is always to the ground as a hound. A yellow lab lives a few doors down and I don’t see her behaving like that. However, she is a fun dog.