In Part one of “A Chocolate Lab,” we talked about the genetics behind a chocolate Labrador Retriever, and who it was that first documented the color in a litter.

In part II, we introduce you to a dog with possibly the best name for a chocolate Lab: Kennoway’s Fudge.

In 1940, Kennoway’s Fudge became the first clearly American-bred chocolate Labrador to be registered with the American Kennel Club. Before him, chocolate Labs were not widely recognized, let alone registered, in the United States. Fudge’s registration (we’re guessing that Fudge was his call name) signaled the beginning of broader popularity for this color in the breed, and it really took off in the 1960s.

Fudge was the result of a breeding between Jericho Paul, his sire, and Kennoway’s Frolic, his mum. Since both of Fudge’s parents had the influential British field trial champion, FTC Banchory Night Light (a descendant of Buccleuch Avon), in their respective pedigrees, Fudge was the result of a close line breeding, which, as far as we can tell, was intentionally designed to preserve and promote the chocolate color within the breed which had been rare (and often overlooked, if not culled) in earlier decades.

No known photograph of Fudge exists, nor could we find evidence of any dog show awards. However, Fudge’s appearance in the AKC registry helped pave the way for the recognition and breeding of the chocolate color. With this official recognition, breeders began intentionally including chocolate Labs in their breeding programs, knowing that future generations of chocolate Labradors could be traced back to a recognized American foundation dog—Fudge.