Genetics, Health Study and Facts

A chocolate Lab is a Labrador Retriever with a brown coat. The American Kennel Club (AKC) registers chocolate as one of three Lab colors, and its breed standard says the shade can run “from light to dark chocolate.”

One UK study of vet records (McGreevy and colleagues, 2018) found that chocolate Labs’ median age at death was 10.7 years, against 12.1 years for non-chocolate dogs. That’s a small sample from one country, and the researchers suggest a restricted gene pool may be involved, which they say needs further investigation. Our Labrador Retriever guide has the size ranges and health tests.

Author Credentials

📝 Written by: Coral Drake

🔍 Reviewed by: Brianna York, Former Veterinary Technician

📅 Last updated: 12 October 2026

Sources opened 8 October 2026.

What Does the AKC Standard Say About a Chocolate Lab’s Looks?

Shade and markings

The standard puts it this way: “Chocolates can vary in shade from light to dark chocolate. Chocolate with brindle or tan markings is a disqualification.” It allows a small white spot on the chest in any color, but calls it “not desirable.” The AKC registers chocolate under code 071.

Brown nose, eyes and eye rims

On a chocolate, the standard says the nose is brown, and a nose that fades to a lighter shade isn’t a fault. Eyes are brown or hazel, and the eye rims are brown. Black and yellow Labs have black noses and black eye rims.

Same breed, same standard

Your chocolate Lab isn’t a separate breed. The AKC publishes one Labrador Retriever standard, and black, yellow and chocolate share its color paragraph. Yellows “may range in color from fox-red to light cream.” Our black Lab page covers the black coat.

Why Are Some Labs Chocolate?

A Lab is chocolate when it gets a chocolate (b) version of the TYRP1 gene from each parent, according to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

One gene decides black or chocolate

The TYRP1 gene has one version for black (B) and versions that give chocolate (b). Black is dominant to chocolate, so a puppy is chocolate only when each parent gives it a chocolate version (bb). A Lab with one of each (Bb) looks black and carries chocolate, so it can produce chocolate puppies.

A second gene can hide the color

The MC1R gene decides whether black or chocolate color shows in the hair. A Lab is yellow when it has two copies of the recessive version (ee). Black or chocolate pigment is still expressed in a yellow Lab’s skin, just not in the hair.

UC Davis adds that two yellow Labs can only have yellow puppies. Some black and chocolate Labs carry one yellow copy, so two of them can have yellow puppies. A yellow Lab can also carry two brown copies: its coat stays yellow, but its nose and foot pads turn brown, according to the UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Laboratory.

Silver Labs

Silver isn’t one of the AKC’s three Lab colors. We’re writing a page on silver Labs.

Do Chocolate Labs Have More Health Problems, According to One UK Study?

In one UK vet-records study (McGreevy and colleagues, 2018), chocolate Labs’ median age at death was 10.7 years against 12.1 for non-chocolate dogs. Ear infections were recorded in 23.4% of chocolate Labs against 12.8% of black, and a skin condition called pyo-traumatic dermatitis in 4.0% against 1.1%. Other compared conditions, including overweight, degenerative joint disease, periodontal disease and lameness, did not differ significantly between colors. The study doesn’t show coat color is the cause.

What the researchers looked at

The study comes from McGreevy and colleagues, in Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2018. It used VetCompass records from UK primary-care vets for 2013. The researchers counted 33,320 Labradors, 176 recorded deaths and a random sample of 2,074 dogs for disorder data.

Age at death: 10.7 vs 12.1 years

Among recorded deaths, the median age at death was 12.1 years for non-chocolate dogs (139 dogs) and 10.7 years for chocolate Labs (34 dogs). The median is the middle value, so half the dogs died younger and half older. The paper reports the difference as statistically significant (P = 0.028). The median for all 176 recorded deaths was 12.0 years.

These are the ages at which dogs in the records died. They aren’t a lifespan for chocolate Labs.

Ear infections and skin: colors compared with each other

In the 2,074-dog sample, the paper reports ear infections (otitis externa) and a skin condition called pyo-traumatic dermatitis by coat color. It describes both differences between colors as statistically significant.

What the researchers suggest

The authors suggest a possible reason. Chocolate is recessive (see above), so breeders who want chocolate puppies may breed from certain lines that “may inadvertently increase” puppies’ predisposition to certain diseases. They write: “It is possible that a more restricted population gene pool has a higher carriage rate of the disease risk genes involved in ear and skin conditions. This finding merits further investigation.”

They also say the shorter age at death in chocolate Labs “may reflect differences in lifetime burden of disease, notably disorders of the integument,” which means the skin.

What the study can’t tell you

Every dog in the study was a UK dog seen by a vet, so the results may not match what US vets see. Some results rest on small groups, such as the 34 chocolate deaths. The authors call these “relatively small sample sizes,” which risks missing real differences, and warn that running many comparisons risks false positives. They also say the demography of “an entire population, rather than the veterinary population, may be difficult to infer from clinical data.”

Mortality was a “secondary aim,” taken from clinical records that “may arguably not provide an accurate representation of all mortality events in the population.” For ear infections, the paper’s own overall figure is lower than all three colors, which we can’t reconcile, so this page compares colors only with each other. The study doesn’t show that coat color itself shortens a dog’s life, and it doesn’t show the opposite. Ask your veterinarian about ear and skin care for your dog.

Are Chocolate Labs Harder to Train, According to Two Surveys?

Two owner surveys differ. A UK survey of 1,978 Labs reported lower trainability scores for chocolate dogs. An Australian survey of 225 Labs found no difference by coat color, but trainability fell as dogs carried more brown TYRP1 copies. Both rely on what owners report.

A UK owner survey

Lofgren and colleagues analyzed owner surveys (the C-BARQ questionnaire) for 1,978 UK Kennel Club registered Labs, in Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2014. Per its abstract, chocolate dogs were more “agitated when ignored” and showed more “excitability” than black dogs. They scored lower for “trainability” and “noise fear” than both yellow and black dogs.

The abstract adds that working status (gundog, show dog or pet) was more often linked to personality differences than other factors. It says the effects may be due to “the experience and training of the dogs, the work-related genetic strain of Labrador Retriever or most likely, a combination of both influences.” We read only the abstract.

An Australian owner survey

Van Rooy and Wade asked owners of 225 Australian Labs about 21 behavior traits, and 34 of the dogs were chocolate (Canine Genetics and Epidemiology, 2019). They wrote: “Our results do not support that chocolate-coloured Labradors are more hyperactive or aggressive than either black or yellow Labradors.”

Trainability scores varied with the TYRP1 gene but not with visible coat color. In 63 dogs with DNA results, trainability decreased as the number of brown copies of the gene increased. The one trait that varied significantly with coat color was aggression toward familiar dogs, where yellow Labs scored higher than chocolate. The authors add: “Further validation is required.”

What the breed standard says

The AKC standard describes the ideal disposition as “a kindly, outgoing, tractable nature; eager to please and non-aggressive towards man or animal.” We found no AKC statement on color and temperament.

What Does the AKC Say About a Chocolate Lab’s Coat and Size?

The AKC describes the Lab as having a thick, water-repellant double coat that sheds. The standard calls the coat “short, straight and very dense,” with “a soft, weather-resistant undercoat.” We found no data on size or shedding differences by color.

How Common Are Chocolate Labs?

In UK vet records for 2013, 23.8% of Labs with a recorded color were chocolate (McGreevy and colleagues, 2018). We found no US figure.

The 2019 paper also says yellow has recently overtaken black as the most popular color in UK registrations. Black was the largest group in the vet records, and our black Lab page covers that color.

How Do You Choose a Chocolate Lab Puppy?

If you want a chocolate Lab puppy, start with the parents’ test results and the breeder’s answers. The Labrador Retriever Club sets out the minimum clearances, and our state pages list breeders to contact.

Ask for test results, whatever the color

The Labrador Retriever Club lists the minimum clearances for a CHIC number. They are hip and elbow evaluations, an eye exam by a boarded ophthalmologist, EIC and D Locus DNA tests, and a permanent ID. These tests don’t cover ear or skin problems.

Questions to ask a breeder

• Which health tests did both parents have, and can I see the results myself?
• Can I meet the mother, and can I see where the puppies are raised?
• Is everything in writing, including registration papers, the contract and the color name on them?

We couldn’t trace a reliable, sourced price for chocolate Labs, so we don’t give one. Our guide on how to find a reputable Labrador Retriever breeder covers red flags and paperwork.

Labrador Retriever breeders by state

Or see Labrador Retriever breeders in all 33 states.

Where to Go Next

Pick the right type

We’re also writing pages on yellow Labs, white Labs, fox red Labs and English vs American Labs.

Raising a puppy

Frequently Asked Questions About Chocolate Labs

Do chocolate Labs live shorter lives?

The evidence is limited. In one UK study the median age at death was 10.7 years for chocolate Labs (34 dogs) and 12.1 for non-chocolate dogs (139 dogs); the authors suggest a restricted gene pool may be involved and say that needs further investigation.

Do chocolate Labs get more ear infections and skin problems?

In McGreevy and colleagues’ study, ear infections were recorded in 23.4% of chocolate, 17.0% of yellow and 12.8% of black Labs in a sample of 2,074. A skin condition called pyo-traumatic dermatitis was recorded in 4.0%, 1.6% and 1.1%. These are UK vet records, not a US rate.

Why are some Labs chocolate?

Chocolate is recessive at the TYRP1 gene. According to UC Davis, a puppy is chocolate only when it gets a chocolate version of the gene from each parent.

Are chocolate Labs harder to train?

A UK survey reported lower trainability scores for chocolate Labs. An Australian survey found no color difference in trainability, but scores fell as dogs carried more copies of the brown TYRP1 gene, and it says the finding needs validation.

Are chocolate Labs more hyperactive or aggressive?

An Australian owner survey wrote: “Our results do not support that chocolate-coloured Labradors are more hyperactive or aggressive than either black or yellow Labradors.” A UK owner survey scored chocolate dogs higher on excitability than black dogs. Both rely on what owners report.

How common are chocolate Labs?

In UK vet records for 2013, 23.8% of Labs with a recorded color were chocolate. We found no US figure.

What color are a chocolate Lab’s nose and eyes?

The AKC standard says a brown nose, brown or hazel eyes and brown eye rims.

Is chocolate an official Lab color?

Yes. The AKC registers chocolate (code 071), and its standard says chocolates “can vary in shade from light to dark chocolate.”

The Bottom Line

A chocolate Lab has a brown nose, brown or hazel eyes and a coat that runs from light to dark chocolate, according to the AKC. The brown coat is recessive, as UC Davis explains. One small UK vet-records study recorded a median age at death of 10.7 years for chocolate Labs against 12.1 years for non-chocolate. Two owner surveys reach different results on training, and both rely on what owners report.

Ask the breeder for the parents’ test results, whatever the shade. Our black Lab page covers the black coat.