What Is a Dudley Lab?

Dudley labs lack the pigment in the eyelids common to yellow retrievers.
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The Labrador retriever is a beloved pet and show dog. The American Kennel Club accepts three coat colors for show: solid black, yellow or chocolate. The Dudley lab is a particular type of Labrador lacking pigmentation in certain areas -- therefore making it ineligible for show but more than welcome as a family companion.

Lack of Pigmentation

Dudley labs have no pigment in their eyelids, lips, paw pads or nose. Therefore, while most labs will have colored flesh in these areas, Dudley labs have no apparent color and appear pink. Labs with different pigments that deviate from the show standard -- a yellow lab with a chocolate pigment, for example -- are not Dudleys, even if their coloring might lose them points on the show circuit.