The dogs above are two purebred Labradors, and the white spots you see on the coats are not the result of the distortion or aging of the photo.
They actually are black dogs with what might be called “reverse Dalmatian spots.”
This coloration is quite rare in Labradors, and because of its rarity, no one knows its genetic basis. It just occasionally pops up in Labrador litters.
Countess Howe, one of the major forces behind the modern Labrador retriever breed, called this color “hailstone.”
A very similar color also pops up in greyhounds, where it is much more common.
I have tongue-in-cheek called this coloration “ich” (pronounced “ick.”)
If you don’t know what “ich” refers to, well, there is a condition that occurs in freshwater fish called “ich.”
The official name for the disease is called Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, but most aquarists shorten it to “ich.” It is also called “white spot disease,” because it is easily recognized when one sees small white flecks on the gills and body of an aquarium fish.
The disease is caused by a protozoan called Ichthyopthirius that establishes itself on the body of the fish. Each white fleck is actually where a protozoan has set up a residence. These parasites wind up damaging so much of the skin and gill tissue that the mortality rate from fish affected by the disorder is quite high.
Of course, these dogs aren’t affected by anything other than some novel color phase.
It just happens to remind me of the deadly fish disease.
However, looking at these Labradors, I’m sure many will be reminded of the old cartoon 101 Dalmatians, where at one point, the Dalmatians try to sneak past Cruella de Vil and her minions, Horace and Jasper, by rolling themselves in soot and trying to pass themselves off as Labradors. Everything goes according to plan, until melting snow hits the dogs’ coats, revealing that they are Dalmatians and not Labradors.
(BTW, if you can’t tell the difference between a Labrador and a Dalmatian that is dyed black, there is no hope for you!).
Reblogged this on Pippakins Animal Watch.
Back in the day I had a phase of breeding fancy guppies. My young son Mark and I were members of the Fancy Guppy Association, but as with dogs the breeders went too far with those long tails which weighed the male guppies down so they barely swam at ridiculous head raised angles. We used to show them in one pound jam jars and the main UK show each year in Birmingham was called “The World Championship”. Afterwards all the exhibits got auctioned for quite large sums. The winners were usually those which came over from Hong Kong by plane. Their breeders had an unfair advantage, we thought, because they were able to breed them in Hong Kong’s tropical climate in open air ponds where they fed naturally on kama khazi mosquitos. One of the best foods for these guys in England was chopped up garden worms which were comprised of about ninety percent protein I believe. Anyway, Mark and I were lucky that none of our fish got the dreaded ich to which you refer.
Incidentally, eat you heart out dog breeders, our guppy females gave birth to multicoloured hundreds and there was never any problem finding homes for them – or you could always feed a few million to your cichlids..!
Don’t know if it happens in Labradors,, but there is a skin problem in Goldens know as icthyosis. It does not cause white spots, rather flaking of the skin. Can range from very mild, to extreme (which seems tombe more common ini European lines). Referring to the “hailstone” Labradors as having “ich” might be confusing.
If you know fish, it’s not confusing at all.
Ichthyosis is a genetic disorder in humans also; I’m a carrier and my son has it. The genetic skin disease usually goes by the full name, and the fish parasite is almost always abbreviated, so not confusing to me at least. Throw in some ichthyosaurs for some real ichthyo word fun!
It really does look like ich doesn’t it?
I am glad to have hardy fish, like my green sunfish, who just don’t seem to get ich. I’ve only had one fish before die from it, and it was a wounded Blind Mexican Cave Tetra.
“Snowflake” in Appaloosa Horses
I’ve seen the white spots in Beagles and Irish Setters, as well.
It is neat to see that it has occurred in Labradors, too. In the blog post I mentioned the Tetrarch spots, but there is also a similar pattern known as birdcatcher spots. Those are commonly believed to be connected to skin problems, perhaps allergies to insect bites, though it is not an explanation that tends to be popular.
If any of your readers have had dogs with these kinds of markings, I would love to know about them. I’d be particularly interested if they changed over time, either disappearing and reappearing elsewhere (which is widely reported in horses with birdcatcher spots), or progressively getting larger or more extensive.
I have a hailstone Labrador. His mother was chocolate and the father golden. All nine pups cam out black with white spots! They were not noticeable in the first few weeks and we did think that something had splashed them when they first started to appear. As they grew over the weeks, they became more noticeable. My Uncle who bred them actually sold them on cheap as he was worried no one would want them. Within weeks he was receiving numerous phone calls from people who had seen this pups about and wanted one!
The spots never disappear or change now (He is 9 months old.) They are more noticeable depending what light he is in. People pay a lot of interest when he is out on walks. Apparently this breed were culled in the past because people wanted pure colours. We think he is absolutely beautiful though :)
Hi, I know you have a new blog and also am aware of your feelings about breeding practices, but I am wondering if you have any advice to offer. My 13 year old granddaughter has her heart set on a puppy for companionship and emotional support. She has her heart set on a small mild mannered, cuddly and affectionate fur ball. Any chance you can offer some advice? Thanks very much. Louise Werner
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