What Colour Is 'liver': Cooked Or Raw?

[sandgrubber]

Chocolate/Liver is one of the three accepted colours for Labradors. Everyone likes chocolate better than liver, except, perhaps, the dogs, so no one ever refers to 'liver's'. I've long been curious whether liver meant that Weimerarner grey colour you get from cooked liver or the bloody dark red of the raw stuff. If it's the grey, then doesn't that approve the 'silver' Labrador as a choco? I've never seen a raw-liver colour on a Lab.

Edited September 26, 2011 by sandgrubber

[Guest Black Obsession]

Chocolate/Liver is one of the three accepted colours for Labradors. Everyone likes chocolate better than liver, except, perhaps, the dogs, so no one ever refers to 'liver's'. I've long been curious whether liver meant that Weimerarner grey colour you get from cooked liver or the bloody dark red of the raw stuff. If it's the grey, then doesn't that approve the 'silver' Labrador as a choco? I've never seen a raw-liver colour on a Lab.

I've always thought it was a way of distinguishing the dark chocs (livers) from the light chocs. I guess it's because of the rich, burgundy colour of fresh liver. No, I've never seen a rich, burgundy coloured Lab either.

ETA

Oh yes, of course, it's because of baked liver like those little dark brown crunchy liver treats. I forgot about those 'cause I've stopped buying supermarket treats.

And I've just remembered - I know someone who baked a liver cake for their Lab's birthday, and it was dark brown.

Edited September 27, 2011 by Black Obsession

[Kirislin]

I think probably closer to cooked but I dont think cooked liver looks like a weimeraner colour, more browny, rather like a chocolate labrador!

I've got some lambs fry in the freezer, when I get it out I'll take a pic raw and cooked.

Edited September 26, 2011 by Kirislin

[raineth]

I think its referring to baked liver when the surface goes that chocolate brown colour, not the inside that is that silvery-brown colour

Have you ever noticed though, when you're buying liver, that there is often a variation in the colour, from red-brown, to a lighter pink, light brown and grey? I always wonder what made the colour difference.

[Fatsofatsoman]

We met another Choc Lab on the weekend.

Me "nice another choc boy"

Him "no he's liver not choc"

Me "same thing mate"

Him "nope he's liver, he's darker than choc - that's what our breeder told us"

Couldn't be bothered explaining any more how they are the same.

So liver is used for darker chocs.

To be honest they're all liver - choc probably just came about because it sounds prettier for potential owners.

[Greytmate]

Most breeds use the colour terms fawn and liver. Labradors use yellow and choc. Same genetics different label. That happens with lots of breeds.

[poodlefan]

Chocolate/Liver is one of the three accepted colours for Labradors. Everyone likes chocolate better than liver, except, perhaps, the dogs, so no one ever refers to 'liver's'. I've long been curious whether liver meant that Weimerarner grey colour you get from cooked liver or the bloody dark red of the raw stuff. If it's the grey, then doesn't that approve the 'silver' Labrador as a choco? I've never seen a raw-liver colour on a Lab.

In horses "liver chestnut" is the darkest red.. also known as sorrel.

But I think it depends on the breed. "liver", "chocolate" and "brown" can be the same colour but referred to differently in different breeds.

I always tend to think of it as dark like the horses though.

That Weimaraner "cooked liver" colour is "rose grey" for them I think??? I think that's a better description.

Edited September 27, 2011 by poodlefan

[SparkyTansy]

Our standard states silver, mouse grey and roe grey. any departure from these colours, such as yellow or brown are serious or disqualifying faults.

I don't think that the colour looks like cooked liver at all.

Liver, brown, chocolate... same thing? What other breeds, besides labs, uses chocolate as a colour description?

The only time I use liver as a description for weimaraner colour, is when I am explaining that the grey is a dilute of liver, as opposed to black, which produces blue.

IMO if the lab is not meant to carry a "dilute" gene, then the "silver" labrador is not acceptable.

Edited September 27, 2011 by SparkyTansy

[wuffles]

Just to add some confusion, in Aussies it is "red"

I believe BCs use "chocolate"?

[flatchat]

Flatcoats have livers and yellows as well as the more usual black.

[pebbles]

Miniature Pinschers - Black, blue, chocolate, with the appropriate tan markings and solid red in various shades.

eta - My girl in my avatar was a chocolate with tan markings.

Edited September 27, 2011 by pebbles

[Guest Black Obsession]

To be honest they're all liver - choc probably just came about because it sounds prettier for potential owners.

I think chocolate Labradors should be called 'liver' or, even better, just plain 'dark brown' because it's sounds so boring. It might help to deter potential owners who are puppy farmers, back yard breeders and novelty buyers.

Even my 90 year old granddad said "You should get one of those chocolate ones!"

[The Spotted Devil]

Springers are 'liver' but the uneducated often call Em 'chocolate'

[dancinbcs]

The colour descriptions in standards were written before the genetics of the colours were understood, hence the utter confusion. Depending on the breeds concerned the colours are:

Pigment colours - Nose, eye rims, pads and coat. The eye colour varies with the pigment colour but does not match it.

Black - that can come in shades from true black to almost mahogany. In some breeds the mahogany is refered to as seal but no one has worked out the genetics of why a black has a tint yet.

Grey - is a dilution of black but is often refered to as blue. Ranges from pale silver to very dark grey/blue.

Brown - as a mutation of black is described as brown, chocolate, liver, tan or red. All shades from pale brown to dark choc are the same colour and there is no visible yellow pigment or dilution in a brown.

Silver - the dilution of brown is the colour of a Weimaraner but it can be called grey, lilac or fawn in some breeds.

Coat colour only:

Yellow can also be called gold, cream, tan, fawn, red or wheaten and ranges from pale cream to deepest chesnut. There is no brown pigment in a yellow coat. It is the ee extension gene that prevents the hair from being black. The coat colour is yellow but it doesn't affect the skin pigment so the nose and eye rims will be one of the four colours above.

All other colours are patterns made from combinations of the above colours with various pattern genes. The tan markings on a black and tan are the yellow gene. A sable is a combination of yellow with one of the pigement colours on each hair. A sable with very little black in the coat can appear the same as a yellow. Merles have patches of dilution on a base pigment colour.

Is everyone now totally confused.

Edited September 27, 2011 by dancinbcs

[Guest english.ivy]

I have a liver Pointer, often called "brown" by people on the street. He's the colour of cooked liver.

[poodlefan]

Just so we're all on the same page:

Cooked liver (blerk)

Raw liver

[Weibritty]

I have a Liver & White Brittany, although most people call it chocolate.

I'm assuming the term, Chocolate, Liver or Brown, used in breed standards is just a different interpretation of the colour which is used to describe a dark rich brown colour.

My Grey/Silver Weimaraner is certainly not a Liver colour - cooked or raw.

[The Spotted Devil]

Gee thanks for that poodlefan. Yes, I did enjoy my lunch

[poodlefan]

Gee thanks for that poodlefan. Yes, I did enjoy my lunch

I don't eat stuff that animals use to think, see or digest with.

That cooked pic is fairly yellowy.. you can get much greyer than that.

mmm boiled liver (on right)

Edited September 27, 2011 by poodlefan

[LizT]

I have a liver Pointer, often called "brown" by people on the street. He's the colour of cooked liver.

I have often heard people refer to the colour of a brown dogs nose as being 'liver'.