Welcome fellow dog lovers. When planning to get a Lab, people tend to have many questions in mind.
However, “what color Labrador is the smartest?” is a common question among others.
Since black Labs are famous for their gentle and kind temperaments but are they smart? Yellow and chocolate are other colors of lab retrievers available.
Now, every coat has been known for a different role. For instance, black labs are hunting dogs, Chocolate ones are pets, and yellows are guide dogs.
Most believe that black dogs are the most intelligent ones. This comes from their quick learning abilities and extreme intelligence. Maybe why they are work dogs.
But that doesn’t answer our question. Here are other factors that will help you understand which lab is smarter.
Are Labs Intelligent?
Stanley Cohen, a dog intelligence expert, claims lab retrievers to be the seventh most intelligent dogs in the world.
A study in the book “Intelligence of Dogs” shows that breeds including golden retrievers, labs, poodles, and German Shepherds learned nearly 250 signs, words, and signals.
These intelligent breeds needed no more than 5 repetitions to understand new commands. Plus, 95% obeyed the 1st command.
How Labs Have Been Used So Far?
Lab retrievers are a part of the gundog group for them being sweet-natured, eager to please, and friendly. Common Lab colors include yellow, chocolate, and black.
Labs are known as good companions for the house. Besides, they also serve as wonderful work dogs because of their trainability and high intelligence.
The breed is excelling in several jobs such as:
- Detection of explosives and drugs for the law reinforcement
- Assisting in search and rescue missions
- Conducting service work for the disabled
Labs are very versatile. They also excel in several kinds of dog competitions such as obedience, show and field, and agility.
Are Black Labs Smart as Compared to Other Labs?
In early times, most labs were black. So, it was regarded as a perfect color for work dogs. The ancestor of labs, St. John’s Water Dog was also black.
So, you are most likely to get black as an answer to “what color Labrador is the smartest?”
Till the early 1900s, chocolate and yellow labs faced selective slaughtering as they were thought to be undesirable.
Since black dogs can merge in grasses and woodland easily, preys are less likely to see them. For this reason, bright yellow labs aren’t considered good for hunting.
Yellow labs are still acceptable but chocolate ones pose more challenges in training them. That’s why they are considered suitable for show rings more than hunting.
What Color Lab is Easiest to Train?
Among dogs, the black gene is a dominant one. So, you will find more black labs than all the other colors of this dog breed.
The primary reason for this is that people believe blacks to be cleverer as compared to chocolate and yellow labs.
However, yellow lab retrievers have proved themselves to be equally intelligent and hardworking to black labs. Yellows are famous as guide dogs for the blind.
For chocolate labs, most people think them to be stubborn and not willing to get trained in sessions.
That’s because chocolate labs are getting more popular in the show rings. Today, we have a chocolate lab generation favored for their conformation and looks over intelligence.
Another reason is the chocolate lab’s sudden popularity spike. Seeing this, irresponsible breeders passed on the color of the coat ignoring the work genes.
However, a clear relationship between a dog’s intelligence and coat color hasn’t been established yet.
What Color Labrador is the Smartest?
In general, labs are considered smart irrespective of their color. The breed is ranked 7th in terms of intelligence among different breeds in the world.
However, still, people ask “what color Labrador is the smartest?” And many refer to black as the answer to this question.
Black labs have a huge history that goes through several generations of them being chosen and raised as work dogs.
Hunters desire their companions to be intelligent and have an instinct. And black labs possess those qualities.
Besides, the popularity of chocolate, as well as yellow labs, has also increased in some years. Those labs have proved their worth by performing in competitions and work.
So, intelligence and temperament come from good breeding and not the color of a dog’s coat.
In other words, yellow, chocolate, and black puppies can be a part of the same litter if raised equally.
And, irrespective of the color, Labrador retrievers are one of the favorite breeds because of their kindness, intelligence, and adorable nature.
It’s this personality that makes them trainable in all areas.
English vs American Black Labs
Usually referred to as American labs, most black labs have been raised as hunting companions. Others bred exclusively for show rings are known as English labs.
However, the classification of American vs English Labs is more about the purpose of a Labrador than the country of its origin.
But it’s more challenging than it looks. You can’t assign every puppy a purpose at the time of its birth just like that.
What’s Your Lab’s Color?
If you are a lab parent already, what color is it? And, if you have experience handing Labs of multiple coats, do they have different intelligence and temperament?
FAQ’s
What Color Lab is the Dumbest?
The Labrador breed of dogs has 3 distinct colors yellow, chocolate, and black. Overall, all these 3 lab colors are active.
Comparatively, the chocolate labs are not very active as compared to the other two colors of the breed. So, people consider them the dumbest.
What Color Lab is the Most Popular?
As per the AKC (American Kennel Club), black labs are very famous. A chocolate lab is the 2nd on the list followed by yellow.
The primary reason for this is black is the dominant color and present for generations as work and hunting dogs.
What Color Labrador is Most Expensive?
While blacks are the most popular, many people prefer yellow or chocolate ones as they are not that common. This tends to make them more expensive dogs.
On the other hand, black labs being the most common and popular breed are the least expensive.