Labrador Coat Colour
According to the Breed Standard, Labrador Retrievers only come in three recognised colours. These are Black, Yellow and Chocolate (also known as Liver).
We currently own yellow and black labradors and some of them carry the chocolate gene so we sometimes have chocolate puppies produced. While black is the DOMINANT colour in Labradors, yellow and chocolate are NOT RARE as some breeders will have you believe. We have never sold chocolate puppies for more than the price of our blacks or yellows as they DO NOT cost more to produce. In my opinion, there is no justification other than profiteering for a breeder to charge more just because a puppy is chocolate. Unfortunately, indescriminate buyers are 'willing' to pay much more as, in some cases, they have been 'led' to believe that chocolate Labradors are rare.
As an example, at a show once, I had three puppies from one litter with me that were out for socialization. Two of them were black and one was chocolate. A gentleman approached me with his wife and two children asking, "Is that chocolate puppy for sale?". I told him that the puppy was not for sale. The man would not take "no" for an answer and tried to barter with me to purchase the dog. He then said, "I will pay you $2500 on the spot in cash today!" When I said, "He is not for sale", the man kept upping his price. This man did not know me or my dogs, he had no knowledge of the puppy's health or breeding and was pushing me to sell him the dog for cash immediately - just because he wanted a chocolate dog. Needless to say, I sent the gentleman on his way!
Certainly, we all have our preference for colour but the breed is not the 'world's most popular dog' for its colour. Please look for temperament and soundness before you think about colour preference. There are some good breeders around that have a genuine 'interest' in producing top quality chocolate Labradors so not all are tarred with the same brush - please just do your research.
SILVER OR WHITE LABRADORS
I note that there are now numerous sites where you can find "silver" or "white" Labradors for sale. These ARE NOT recognised Labrador Retriever colours. Do not be 'conned' into paying more for one of these advertised 'rare' colours. Please see below the National Labrador Retriever Breed Council's Position Statement on Silver Coat Colour. Also, Labradors advertised as being 'rare' and 'white' are simply the lightest examples of the yellow Labrador, nothing more.
Link to National Labrador Retriever Breed Council's "Position Statement" 2010 on "Silver Coat Colour"