"Dudley" labrador retrievers

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#1
I was looking at info. on labradors because I was wondering why Midas looks so different from so many other labs I've seen. I think wikipedia may have somewhat given me an answer! I've never heard of this before, but their picture of a "dudley" labrador retriever looks remarkably like Midas. It says that the lips and eyelids have no black pigment or coloration and that this is a rare trait and a fault in the show ring... Midas has no black, that I've seen, on his nose, eyelids, lips or gums. They're all the same shade of pinkish brown, which is what the site says makes a lab a "dudley"

the wiki link with a pic of the Dudley lab -- this dog also has the same eye color as Midas, that light amber yellow color which didn't show up so well in my pics of him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dudley_(dog)

here's Midas, you can see the same coloring on his nose, eyelids and lips:


Does anyone know much about this trait in labradors? Is it a sign of possible genetic problems? (Midas was from a bad breeder, but so far has been healthy)...
he's also pretty small for a lab, he's about 8 months old now but still has only grown a little taller and isn't nearly the size of most of the labs I've met. The breeder said the other male in his litter was quite a bit taller and heavier at the same age. Also, this might just be something certain labs do, but he always holds his tail in a "U" shape -- is this unusual? most of the labs I've seen have a tail that looks a lot shorter and straighter than his
 

Zoom

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#2
Dudley isn't really a type, but a coloration like what you described. I believe it's a fault as well. Midas is still probably a great dog, but not one put together "on standard". They're not supposed to be giant dogs though. Don't worry though, 95% of the labs out there these days aren't either. Or so it seems anyway.
 
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#4
You do indeed have a dudley lab. Though they are not "correct", they are beautiful. They are basically a yellow lab with chocolate or lack of pigmentation. Woodhaven Labradors has some great articles:
http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/yellow-pigment.html

Here are some informative posts in a great lab forum:
http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/showthread.php?t=89537&highlight=dudley
http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/showthread.php?t=68155&highlight=dudley
http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/showthread.php?t=28984&highlight=dudley
http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/showthread.php?t=61116&highlight=dudley
 
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bubbatd

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#5
My X son-in-law had a very poorly bred Golden . I would have called her a dudley Golden . She was a healthly , loveable girl though and I DID talk him into spaying her !!
 
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#7
I started to wonder about the wikipedia page saying they're rare since I've seen quite few pics of labs with the same kind of coloring as Midas on that site Leslie posted...thanks for the links, I joined that forum too hehe :)
 
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#8
My parents yellow lab has pigmentation around his eyes etc, but, his nose is black in the summer and turns Dudley in the winter--is that normal for yellow labs?
 

noludoru

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#12
I wish I knew, that's something I've wondered about for ages. We only have yellow labs in our neighborhood, for some reason, and every single one of them have snow noses. although my neighbors who moved out last summer had a red dudley lab--his coloring matched his nose! :D
 

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