About Ashland
Ashland
Labradors is located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee on 30 Acres with 2
ponds, creeks, waterfalls, pasture and wooded areas for the dogs to
enjoy.
Raised around dogs and horses all my life, my first litter of
Labradors to born under the "Ashland" prefix was in 1984.
Over the years I have been active in many different areas of the dog world from
hunting test, obedience and agility trials to conformation shows. I
have held dog training classes for the public, worked as a field/hunt test
trainer, obtained certification as a Vet technician, ran a Labrador rescue
organization for a number of years here in Middle Tennessee and was founder and
past President of the Labrador Breeders Club of Middle Tennessee.
Currently, I continue to compete in conformation shows with my dogs and still do
some occasional obedience trials and hunting test. I also co-own two
Bullmastiffs, both are currently competing for their championships. Our
family also owns one English Mastiff male, "Gunner" whom has 4 champion points to date,
is mostly a family pet and guardian of our home. My youngest
daughter Kristen often accompanies me at the shows, is my ringside assistant and
she also competes in Junior showmanship
Aside from my Labradors which is a full time job in itself, I also enjoy a number of other activities such as operating M/T Performance along with my best friend, business partner; Mark Brown. Mark also enjoys attending the dogs shows and just happens to co-own several Labradors and the Bullmastiffs with me.
When I am not showing or working dogs, you will find me off the beaten path
"dirt or payment" riding motorcycles or dirt bikes, traveling to bike
shows, drag races or other related events and then kickboxing several times a week which I
have found is the absolute best thing to compliment my a
ctive
lifestyle. I have seven children, 5 boys, 2 girls. Four of them are still at home, the
others off to college or making a life for themselves with their family and two
very precious
grand-daughters!
Since the tragic loss of my husband of 23 years
in early 2007, my Labradors,
children and business enrich my life and keep me busier t
han ever. I have
to give a lot of credit to my partner Mark for all his wonderful support!
Breeding Program
My main purpose in breeding is to keep one of two puppies to continue on with my bloodline and breeding program, the remainder of the pups are placed into pre-approved family homes. I only have one to two litters per year and only breed when I have 100% of my time to commit to raising a litter of pups.
I
have a very
strict breeding program. To begin with, I only breed from proven Labradors that
are of
correct, low-key, easily trainable
temperaments, excellent physical
conformation and outstanding retrieving
desire for which the breed was
originally developed. I feel that
a Labrador being a sporting breed and
developed as a hunting companion should be able to do many task for which
it was bred for. Not all show labs can hunt and not all hunting labs
can show. I think it is imperative to produce a Labrador that can do a
little of everything including being first and foremost a great family
companion. 
Each Labrador that that I own has or will participate in either conformation shows, obedience trials, hunting test on top of being personal companions for our family. Before breeding each one is screened for hereditary problems such as Hip Dysplasia, elbow dysplasia and eye diseases and they must pass their certifications and/or preliminary evaluations from the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) and ACVO or CERF (Canine Eye Registry Foundation) prior to being bred.
Ashland
litters are whelped and raised inside my home, until they leave to their new
families and I take great pride in
providing our pups with the right start
from
birth until the day they leave for
their new homes. Daily socialization for
each pup is mandatory and much enjoyed
by both humans and dogs! Ashland pups
are always clean, free of fleas and
other parasites. Our pups are not kennel raised.
My commitment to this
breed is lifelong. To me, raising
Labradors is a full time job. Dog
breeding should not be taken
light-hearted, as a part-time venture or
side job. Some breeders claim they are
"hobby-breeders", which I personally believe is a term that
describes someone that cannot give a
hundred percent of their
time. Breeding should be
left for those that take it most
seriously and can be their
twenty-four/seven for their
animals. After all, dogs are
just like young children and need
supervision and someone to depend on
every single day and that cannot be done
effectively if it is just a
"hobby".
I
strive to produce the best possible
example of the Labrador Retriever in
both temperament and conformation with
special attention paid to health and
longevity. A correctly bred
Labrador should excel in trainability, a
truly eager to please and intelligent
disposition . When mature, around
3 years of age, they should have a calm,
pleasing and sunny nature about
them. They should never appear shy
or aggressive. A great Labrador
will never meet a
stranger, in other
words, everyone is his best friend, even
the neighbor's cat!
Aside from this, a well bred Labrador will adhere to the breed standard. The Labrador should be a well developed dog, of medium size, broad head and bodied and well muscled. He should not look long and weedy, and equally objectionable are those Labradors that are fat and have slow, cloddy like movement. He is a well balanced dog of moderate bone, thick "double coat" and otter-like tail that should come straight off the back and move left to right as if propelling him through the water.
Most all pups are sold to family homes. Just because I show and breed, does not mean that I only sell to show or breeding homes. Those pups deemed show prospects usually remain here at Ashland. Only on occasion will I place a show prospect into another home and under certain qualifications. Pet pups are sold with AKC papers marked "LIMITED" registration and a transfer of sale agreement which outlines the purchasers commitments to owning one of my Labradors. Every Ashland pup will be accompanied with their own personalized portfolio which includes a letter to your vet, the pups medical records and follow up health schedule, AKC papers, certificate of pedigree, photos of sire/dam as well as pictures of most all other relatives listed on the pedigree, recommendations on feeding, training, housebreaking, health issues, etc. A puppy kit is also included which comes with a small bag of Pro Plan puppy food, pups first collar, toys, and a sample of the Nu Vet supplement and more good stuff.
For me, the most important thing of all is
that our Labradors makes peoples lives full and bring enjoyment not only to
myself but to
the many families and individuals that
own one or several of our Labbies
...that is by far the best
accomplishment! Ashland has proven it's quest to breeding the true Labrador as
it was origin
ally
developed as evident by the titles that carry from show champions,
hunting companions, therapy dogs, search & rescue and for the physically
impaired.
INTERESTED IN OWNING A LABRADOR PUPPY?
I
have a high demand for Ashland bred
pups and sometimes my waiting list can
be extensive. I do not breed or
sell pups for Christmas or for gifts in
general nor do I breed for a color
fad! For anyone interested in an Ashland pup, I offer a very
comprehensive information packet that
goes more in depth than the info here on the website. The packet includes
specific info on:
Ashland's Breeding Program.
How
the pups are raised.
Ashland's exclusive
written guarantees.
Shipping Information.
Purchasing Information.
Rebates.
Current & Future litters.
Purchaser and Veterinary References.
Puppy Buyer Questionnaire
Reservation Form
and much, much more!
No Ashland pup is sold
without the prospective buyer first
reviewing our packet and completing and
returning the questionnaire/application
and reservation form.
Please feel free to call me anytime to discuss the availability of pups or to request our packet.
TERESA GORDY
615-792-3024
