# Light areas on chocolate's coat? (See photos)



## flyaway (Sep 2, 2009)

Any ideas what is making his coat turn like this? The contrast between the dark/light areas is greater than the photos suggest. It's not a recent phenomenon- more like 5-6 months. He eats quality food, stays inside while I'm at work, and doesn't seem to have any allergies or anything. He does get those nasty eye boogers a lot.

Also, is it weird that he only weighs 55 lbs at 1 yr when his "dad" was 80 lbs and "mom" 65 lbs? He was neutered at 11 mos.

He's a great dog, but we get lots of "is he a lab?" questions and "is he purebred?" I don't really care about this, but I do worry a little about his development.


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## YardleyLabs (Dec 22, 2006)

I've seen several that get bleached out spots in the summer. One pup looked like a cheap floozy with a sort of bleached blond cap as if from a bad dye job.


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## Kirkd (Nov 18, 2008)

I had a male that did that in between summer and winter coats


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## Erin Lynes (Apr 6, 2008)

Looks like dead or sunbleached hair. 

As for his size, he is a proper healthy weight and looks like a pretty fine Lab to me. I meet a lot of people who think Labs are supposed to be 100 lbs but they are not. I'd say you lucked out and got a dog instead of a moose - dogs are much nicer to hunt with, imo.


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## gundog3664 (Feb 19, 2010)

My chocolate labs coat is like that on her back and tail. In the summer or in direct sun makes their coats fade i think. But ive recentley switched dog foods from hunters edge to pro athelet and notice that her coat has gotten better.


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## Kasomor (Nov 29, 2008)

Nice looking lab PUPPY.

Your dog is a puppy...he needs to mature. Look at the size of his paws and the breadth of chest. I'd be really surprised if your boy weighed 55 lbs. at 3 years old. 

AND better lean than fat ...you don't want him to look like a SHOW lab do you?? :razz:

I was a new years shoot a number of years ago and a bunch of the guys were oohing and ahhing over this YL. He was HUGE at 14 months waddled when he walked, had a pendulous dew lap and rolls of fat. He couldn't run with out huffing and puffing Great hunting dog...would have had a heart attack on the way to the blind but folks thought he looked great!

I had to stuff my fist down my throat to shut my self up so I wouldn't verbally attack the guy for killing his dog with food.


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## ChocOneUp (Aug 26, 2009)

my chocolate does this a bit in the summer but in the winter its back to the solid dark chocolate coat


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## Whistler (Jan 14, 2010)

brush him get the dead hair off


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## Northern Light (Mar 13, 2010)

Looks like exactly what happens to our chocolate boy. He gets this way in the summer. Looks like sun and dead hair to me. 

Cute puppy!


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Whistler said:


> brush him get the dead hair off


Ditto. The sunbleaching is worst at the first year. Brush him.


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## Cleo Watson (Jun 28, 2006)

Ditto to all above, summertime and dead hair. Mighty good looking boy to me. Anyone asking if he is a Lab must be use to seeing those overstuffed ones in the show ring.


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## Justin Allen (Sep 29, 2009)

As others have said, dead hair. It is no longer attached to the skin, my choc looks the same.


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## trapper1 (Mar 19, 2008)

MY Lab IS THE SAME WAY BUT HIS MOTHER WAS A LIGHT CHOCOLATE AND THE fATHER WAS VERY DARK.


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## Steve Hester (Apr 14, 2005)

Whistler said:


> brush him get the dead hair off


Yep, exactly. He's blowing his coat.


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## Wayne Nutt (Jan 10, 2010)

My grandson's chocolate lab was the same way, dead hair. Brushed with a furinator (sp?). You should get one. They are amazing. They really get the dead hair off quickly. After furinating she looked fine.


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## retrieverman (May 20, 2009)

Try a furminator. Good looking dog.


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## Jason Glavich (Apr 10, 2008)

I agree with all the dead hair posts.
My male and female choco get this, a good brushing everyso often takes it away.
My male has really long fur for a lab (at least I think anyway) and his does this a few times a year. Especially when the weather changes.


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## flyaway (Sep 2, 2009)

Thanks for all of the responses and advice. I will work on brushing him more often.


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## greencaps (May 30, 2009)

+1 on the furminator and my old chocolate dog did the same thing in the summer time (sunbleached and dead hair).


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## ElCapitan (Jun 30, 2010)

My 14 week Chocolate male has the same issue. Its right on the top of his head and ears. 

As far as people asking if he is a purebred, most people are stupid and see all of these overweight labs and think that is the norm.

You have a good looking pup if you asked me.


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## metalone67 (Apr 3, 2009)

Great looking dog. Tell others to go pound salt on the purebred comment. You know other wise. I bet he has the heart of a lion at a mear 55 lbs. I know my yellow does.


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