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THE TRUTH BEHIND "Silver" LABRADORS[/center]
A dog's genetic makeup is very complex (like us) and many genes are involved in coat color. The same genes are all present in every dog however only certain ones get "turned on" like a switch and others are off depending on what breed or what goes into a puppy in the case of a mixed breed. A Labrador's coat color is dependent on many genes being turned on and off. The ones we commonly think of that dictate color in our breed are the B and E genes. Other genes like T for ticking is always turned off and still other genes like the A gene causes a dog's coat to be a solid color. We know that If a lab has BB or Bb then black is dominant and if it has bb then the dog is chocolate. However the E gene acts as a epistatic gene or "masking" gene; in other words if the dog has Ee or EE then the color is dependent on what is present at the B gene (BB, Bb, or bb) but if the dog has ee then it will always be yellow no matter what is present at the B gene. A yellow that has a dominant B gene (BB or Bb) will have typical black pigment on the nose, lips, and eyerims and a yellow that is homozygous recessive at the B gene (bb) will be a Dudley. <SNIP >
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http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/silverlabs.html
