GUIDE TO SELECTING A LABRADOR BREEDER

Let's face it! Not all breeders are created equal! But most everyone looking to acquire a Lab puppy wants a well bred, sound Labrador from a caring reputable breeder. So what do you, the prospective puppy buyer do to find a quality pup?

Each pure bred dog was developed or bred for a specific task and to look and act a certain way.  Each breed has a written breed standard or "blueprint" if you will and you can find the American Kennel Club "AKC" Labrador written breed standard {here}.

You may talk with people and be told or read that there are differences in certain Labradors. Some are called English Labs, American Labs, Field Labs, Bench Labs or Show Labs.  So is there really a difference and if so what is it? 

   Let me simplify everything thing for you.  A dog born in England is an English Labrador. A dog born in American is an American Labrador.  BUT some people have termed American Labs of English decent as English Labs or "type", however if the truth be known...ALL Labradors are of English decent as that is where the breed was later developed.  I think what is most important is knowing if the dog is of Show or Field Lines rather than American or English.  Not everything you find on the Internet is accurate even Wikipedia terms Labradors as either English or American and the picture examples they use are HORRIBLE and many are not marked properly.  SO...let us just forget about the two terms "English Labs" or "American Labs" and get down to what you really need to know!

 Show Labradors are also called Bench Labradors. The words "Show and Bench" mean the same thing so I will choose the word "show" to represent this type of Labrador.  Breeders of show Labradors, either American born or English born are concerned with the ENTIRE dog, this includes temperament, meaning; "what the dog should behave like", attributes such as working ability. meaning; "what the dog was bred to do such as "retrieving game" and of course proper conformation, meaning; "what the dog should look like". Show breeders are concerned for a Labrador that can adhere to the written standard or "Breed BLUEPRINT" which is the "Total Dog", not just one part of the dog but EVERYTHING.  Show Labradors are STOCKIER in build, have BROADER heads, DOUBLE coats, OTTER tails and most important is that they are MILD in temperament and EASILY trained.  A Labrador coming from a strong show linage will make excellent companions for family or individuals, they will also make great hunting dogs/retrievers as well as service dogs for the blind, handicapped and an endless list of other job titles.

  Breeders of Field Labradors breed for a dog that is geared high and has an intense amount of perseverance, a competition dog more or less.  Very little attention is paid to the written breed standard as per WHAT the dog is supposed to LOOK like.  Temperaments are  much more HIGH STRUNG as field Labradors need to have be able to meet a working demand. As for looks, Field Labradors are WIREY, LEANER, have NARROW heads and THIN coats and LONG SKINNY tails.   Field Labradors are great for field trials, any type of competition where speed is a factor such as agility, fly ball, etc.  They often do not make the best companion for young children or families that are not very active.  They need lots of exercise and early training. 

Many breeders of Field Labradors will argue that show Labradors can't hunt, are fat and cloddy while some breeders of show lines argue that field bred Labradors are way to hyper and hard to train and undeniably inferior with regard to proper physical conformation.  Well, there is truth to both sides but ultimately it comes down what type of Labrador that you prefer or at least what is best suited for your lifestyle. So if you are interested in field trial events then by all means a breeder of field trial lines is what you should be looking for.  On the other hand, if you are interested in a family companion, or show prospect then you should acquire a puppy from a show breeder. If you are looking for a hunting Labrador, then you can easily find a Lab from either a field or show breeder that is known for producing hunting companions and/or hunting titled Labs.

I don't want a show dog or a hunting dog..I just a good pet that is a Labrador!

But where are you going to acquire that pet from? 

The next step is finding a REPUTABLE breeder.
Newspaper ads are full of litters for Labrador puppies. Here are the facts....Reputable breeders do not advertise in local newspapers or cheap "puppies for sale" listings on pet web-sites.  What you will find in the find in the paper or puppy for sale sites are tons of backyard breeders and puppy mills. These breeders do not have the knowledge of interpreting pedigrees (lineage) so they will know nothing in particular about the genetic influence of the grand-parents, great grand parents, etc.  To the serious breeder, those names in their dog's pedigree are more than just black and white letters, they are specifics contributing to the gene pool, a map of sorts to help that breeder produce his ideal type. That name in the pedigree is a face, a characteristic, a serious fault or a compliment to their breeding program.
Back yard breeders have little if any understanding about genetics, whereas the serious breeder knows what colors will result out of a specific breeding or what problems that his or her line carries and how to avoid them if possible.
Most back yard breeders aren't interested in having their dogs screened for heritable diseases such as Hip Dysplasia or PRA.  They just see $$$ and use quotes such as "Our Labs have sound hips because they have never shown any lameness".
Well, bud you had better do your homework because half of the dysplastic Labradors appear sound and do not have a misstep!
I personally like the excuse that their Labs come from OFA'd parents so the pups are naturally free of Dysplasia.....NOT!   Both parents can be certified free of dysplasia and still produce it!  Gee, that is why it is called hereditary!  What you see outward is not always what you get. No Labrador, Bull Dog, Doberman etc is guaranteed free of the possible genetic inheritance of Canine Hip Dysplasia (CHD).  So no matter if the parents are certified as Excellent, Good or Fair, or if the entire 5 generation pedigree is OFA excellent, this will never mean that your new puppy is proven free of CHD.  What it does mean is that your puppy coming from certified parents is that your pup will have a decreased chance to develop the disease if all breeding stock in that pedigree has been prescreened and certified free of CHD.

Obviously pet stores are an outlet for puppy mills and you may even see or hear of "dog brokers" or "puppy finders", again these are some of the worst of the so-called breeders. 
Health and animal welfare is basically close to none with these guys and mass production is their idea of wealth at the expense of poor, unhealthy, ill-bred dogs. Many of them die before they are even old enough to breed.  It is a sad reality that if these dogs that eventually make there way from the mill into the pet shops or even farther into a persons home, are eventually put to sleep because of serious health and/or temperament problems.
Several years ago while watching our local news, a story came on about a possible puppy mill hauler.  A man coming from Missouri, driving a box van broke down.  He had his van taken to a near-by repair shop and left.  When the van was brought into the bay to start the repairs, the mechanics heard sounds of whining dogs coming from the back and decided to investigate. When they opened the back of the van, there was puppies stacked upon puppies and of all different breeds! Most of them suffering from severe heat exhaustion and some too late to save!  The police and animal control was called to the scene immediately.
Later, after an investigation, the man reported he was hauling pups in for retailers (pet stores). All of the puppies were confiscated and placed in our local shelter. People from everywhere, came in to adopt these poor puppies as a result of the shelters massive overload.  The adoptions were a huge success but these pitiful puppies...a result of a puppy mill, were all sickly and none of them could even come close to meeting the written standard for their breeds and just think...these pet stores are selling these ill- bred, unhealthy, pups for several hundred to thousands of dollars! 

The internet is a vast source for Labrador Breeders to advertise on but unfortunately there are just as many puppy mills and back yard breeder web-sites as there are reputable ones. A fancy website with pretty pictures of puppies does not prove anything.  I know of several websites that have stolen my pictures and entire pages that are in fact just puppy mills.  One example of my stolen material is listed here: http://www.khkennel.com/files/National.htm 

 Also you will find what seems to be a reputable breeder from their advertisements or their sales pitch but in actuality they are careless breeders that can talk the talk but can't walk the walk.  In other words, they may have dysplastic Labradors and they lie to you about their clearances or tell you that a Penn-Hip lower than the 50 percentile is acceptable to breed from. They quickly bad mouth other breeders and try to pressure you into a quick sale!  Demanding that the deposit be sent with a certain time frame or they will sale to someone else.  Good breeders do not dare do such despicable things.  Their puppies have homes waiting by the time they are weaned and many before they are born.  If a Labrador litter is 8 weeks or older and the pups have not previously been spoken for then you may want to question the breeder as to why the pups have not already been reserved.

On a similar note:  I recently came across a website of a so-called Labrador Kennel here in Tennessee advertising an entire litter of 3 week old show quality puppies for $300.00 to $500.00.  PLEASE BEWARE!!!  No puppy can be deemed show quality!  Educated and reputable breeders will use the term show prospect  the word I would like to emphasize here is..PROSPECT!!!   NO PUPPY, and I mean not any single pup can be determined to be a show prospect at only 3 weeks of age.  Any reputable show breeder will tell you that with luck and an exceptional quality pedigree and champion parents, that only one or two pups out of a litter will possibly make the grade of show prospect at that is not until 7-8 weeks of age at the absolute earliest! 

QUESTIONS TO ASK BREEDERS

1). Do you show your Labradors or participate in hunt test, obedience trials, agility, tracking or field trials? (The answer should be yes too at least one of the above). If these breeders are true to what they say, they can either provide you with show pictures and or copies of their title certificates issued by the AKC or other registries. If breeders do not participate in any of these types of events, chances are they are backyard breeders! 
2) Do you OFA, CERF & PRA certify all of your breeding stock? (The answer should be an astounding YES). **NOTE**Penn-Hip is not a certification program so if the breeder has done Penn-Hip only they should also do OFA!   OFA is by no means a perfect system and I have seen many OFA films not pass and wonder why just as I have seen many films that were questionable come back with a certification number. 
If you are concerned about OFA clearances. Go to OFA by {clicking here} and then click on "search OFA" and a screen will pop up prompting you to give the dogs breed, AKC registered name and/or registration number to search by. If the prospective parent dog(s) are age 2 years or older and the breeder claims to have OFA clearances, then your search will confirm this by using their database.  If you search reveals, "no query found" then it is obvious that the dog is not OFA certified or perhaps just has an OFA prelim on file. **Please note that dogs under the age of two years may be OFA prelimed but are not entered in the OFA database for searching until they are re-xrayed and certified after age two.  You can also inquire about CERF (eye certifications) using CERF's searching database. {Click here} to learn more about CERF.
3). When do you release your puppies into their new homes?
Good breeders would never let their puppies leave before 7- 8 weeks of age! 
4). Do you provide written guarantees and what shots, etc do your puppies receive before leaving? Many breeders advertise guarantees, but just what is in their guarantee?  For starters, get it in writing! Verbal guarantees aren't worth anything! Like most other large breeds, Labradors are subject to Hip Dysplasia, Elbow Dysplasia, OCD, Cataracts, PRA, Entropion, Congenital Defects and the list goes on.
A good breeder will offer written guarantees for all the above including general health that will allow you time to have your vet examine the new puppy.  Most all guarantees provide replacements and/or reimbursements.
Breeders should provide at least 2 series of shots for puppies leaving at eight weeks and more if older and deworm the pups every two weeks until they are fully weaned and ready for their new homes.
The breeders should have all the pups checked for heart murmurs, hernias, infections and parasites before you acquire the pup;  Any puppy found to have any minor problems should only be sold at a discounted price and the buyer should be aware of the problem BEFORE the purchase is finalized.
At the time of sale, you should expect to receive AKC papers or a written bill of sale guaranteeing that you will receive papers along with the parents registration numbers for documentation. You should get the pups current feeding schedule with a small supply of food, health records and the breeders recommendations pertaining to the welfare and care of the puppy.  The reputable breeder expects you to sign a contractual agreement giving them first right to take the dog back if you cannot keep him/her and also outlines the terms of sale for a companion, show or a breeding prospect animal.
One huge difference between a real breeder and a so-called breeder is that a real breeder is not going to end his or her relationship with you when that puppy leaves!
5). What is the price of your puppies?
All breeders vary in prices. But established, reputable breeders usually sell their puppies from $800.00 to $2000.00.  Labrador breeders that advertise with the words "rare", "white", "silver" "massive" "miniature" "blue- eyed" "green-eyed" or other "odd" expressions that you do not find in the written standard, are not and I repeat ARE NOT knowledgeable in the aspect of Labrador genetics and should be shied away from!  This is another topic but I must mention here anyway, there is NO SUCH THING AS A WHITE OR SILVER LABRADOR!  Please take the time to read the Labrador written standard!

6). Do you sell to brokers or pet stores?  A good breeder will take immediate defense to this question!  A bad breeder may hesitate and answer yes or they may try to work their way around this subject.  This is one question very few people would think of asking but I think it is important and you should always follow up with...I want to know because, I would only purchase from a reputable breeder that cares about the individual homes his or her puppies are placed in.

7). Can you provide a list of references from previous puppy purchasers and your veterinarian? Call these references and find out from the owners if they are happy with the breeders services and support and what problems if any they have experienced with the breeder. Ask the veterinarian how he or she would rate this breeder on the quality of his or her animals, care and concern regarding their dog’s health.   If you can’t get a list of references, then find another breeder.  It is fair to say that not all puppy purchasers will be totally pleased in every aspect, just as not all persons are happy with the restaurant that ate at last night or their experience in returning an item that they purchased from the mall.  Just the same, find out why, and what the breeder did or did not offer to the buyer to make things right.  Also remember that good breeders have stipulations pertaining to the care of the puppy by the purchaser and there are time limits and stipulations to guarantees and contracts.
8). Ask that the breeder to send you a picture of the parents, a pedigree of the anticipated litter and copies of the parents certifications. 
9). What type of deposit is required to reserve a puppy? Breeders will set different deposit amounts, but it is only acceptable to put down a deposit that you know will be refundable if the breeder cannot furnish you with a puppy out of the specified litter.  It is not fair to ask the breeder to refund the deposit when you have decided to cancel because you found a puppy elsewhere or decided that the timing was bad.  The breeder could have easily accepted a deposit from someone else instead of you and if you cancel then the breeder is faced with having to re-advertise, provide additional care and up-keep for the puppy until a new home becomes available and that is expensive!  So be absolutely certain that you are ready for a puppy from that particular breeder before sending any money!
10). Can I come and temperament test the litter and pick out my puppy? If only I could count how many times this question has been asked by people that have gone and read a magazine article or a few pages from a book regarding temperament testing. So maybe you have read about the Campbell Puppy Behavioral test or some other  “specialized test” to decide which pup is right for you. You want my opinion?  Hogwash!  How many litters of puppies have YOU raised? How many hours during an 8-week period do you watch over a growing litter of pups?  What do you know about pecking order and canine behavior?  Well, if I had to guess it would be very little.  Temperament testing can not be done in the course of an hour or even one entire afternoon! This is a daily process that evolves from the BREEDER watching and interacting with the litter each and everyday, during feeding, cleaning, and grooming.  It is fair enough to say that puppies get tired, get cranky and if your timing is not just right when you come to visit, you may disregard a puppy that could be the perfect match for you.  Also, pups that may have just received inoculations may be lethargic for a while.  You need to rely upon the experienced breeder to select a puppy for you.  The breeder should ask what you want the pup for, i.e. companionship, hunting, show and so forth.  An honest breeder will evaluate a puppy and place him or her into the home that he is best suited for.

11). Puppy factory or Good breeder?  Please, please, please shy away from any breeder that has several litters of puppies on the ground or several different breeds of pups for sale.   Puppies are like children, they demand a lot of attention and care.  A breeder can only devote his or her time in socializing, proper care, cleaning, etc to one or two litters at once.  More than this is an indication that someone is doing it for money and no other reason.  

MY FINAL SUGGESTIONS

Visiting breeders and their dogs is a good way of seeing whom and what you are dealing with.  If you cannot visit and will be relying on shipping services for your puppy, then make sure you have been given very good references from persons that have actually meet and visited the breeder and dogs in person.  Be respectful, when you make an appointment with a breeder, realize that they are taking time away from their families and or other jobs to set aside time for you.  It's very wrong to make an appointment and not show up! It is equally wrong to assume that a breeders home is open 9-5 everyday, so you can just pop in unexpected or call at dinner time or late at night.  These people have individual lives outside of dogs just as you do; they may be shopping, gone to their son’s football game, a funeral or at another job.  People just seem to consider a dog breeder as someone that is at their beck and call but not so! 

When and if you go and visit, here are some general things to consider.  Be wary of commercial sized operations…those that hold huge numbers of dogs and many litters are present and are raised on grate floors like rabbits and employees are running about.  Regardless of how clean they are, they are considered elaborate puppy mills because there is no way they can produce that many litters at one given time and have individual “family” homes waiting for each…. Shipping them across the country to different retailers is how they stay in business!  GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!

Really good breeders kindly forbid you from visiting a litter until they are several weeks of age.  They may request that you do not visit another kennel the same day so as not to contaminate their facilities with viruses that you may have unknowingly picked-up on your shoes when visiting another breeder.  They may ask you to take off your shoes or not allow the puppy down on the ground.  These breeders are serious and in no way are they trying to offend you.  They just know by experience that good healthcare for their pups begins with prevention!  View their dogs and ask questions…don’t be shy if you think something is not right or acceptable…bring it to their attention.  On the other hand, do not expect to never encounter dog poop either! You are visiting puppies and there is three things puppies do continuously and that is sleep, eat, poop, sleep, eat, poop and on and on!  A breeder has to work their butt off to keep puppies clean and I mean WORK!  So if while you are visiting, you find one or two poopies or the pups decide to let you witness their “duties” then all the better. Look at the stool and if it is firm, then great. On the other hand, if it is runny, really smelly, contains blood or mucus then of course there is a high possibility of an underling health issue that the breeder needs to address.
All dog runs should be cleaned daily of feces and hosed down and disinfected. If you visit a kennel with mounds of dog poop everywhere or if puppies are wet and smelly then that is definitely not a good sign. An individual dog will average 2 too 4 bowel movements per day depending upon their diet.  They always tend to poop when they get excited or are let out for some exercise…just the breeders luck…doggy gets a visitor, gets excited and bares all to everyone!  That is okay…expect that, just don’t tolerate more than what is acceptable.  Check water pails for green mold.  This is a sign of an extremely lazy person who lets the water become stagnant and does not disinfect. 
Be courteous and do not open gates, pick up pups or reach in a kennel without asking the breeder first and if you have young children, be sure to keep them at bay an do not allow them to grab at the puppies or older dogs.
Checking out the breeders’ dogs in general: Happy dogs stem from happy puppies.  Dogs behind kennel fencing are sometimes mistaken as hyper or aggressive. Understand dog behavior…you are a stranger, you walk by a kennel run, the dog barks and jumps up.  For the adult Labradors, they are saying…”over here, come pet me…woof, woof”!  Check out their tails…wagging a hundred miles an hour!  They are not hyper or aggressive, they just are pleading for your attention, after all you are someone new and they just love the opportunity to ham it up for someone they have never meet before!  Have the breeder let them out one by one.  If they are raised and trained properly, they will only want to lavish you with a wet tongue or go find something that they can entice you into a game of fetch with…maybe a stick, a ball or even the poor cat that wants no part of this game!  But once the breeder speaks…they listen! Sit, come, down, stay…. Whatever you say boss!  That is a Labrador and a trained one at that!  If you visit a kennel and the breeder pulls out a dog and snaps on a shock collar, well that is just too obvious that the dog has to be electrocuted into obeying because it is a hyper, hard-headed, non typical Labrador and is clearly not a good candidate for a companion home or that of being a prospective sire or dam for puppies.
As for the puppies.  These guys need lots and lots of attention and proper socialization from birth on.  If you witness a litter or puppy that is shy, withdrawn, runs to the corner to hide when a human is around then please don’t waste your hard earned money just because you feel sorry for the pup.   True Labrador puppies are cautious at first then after a minute of reassurance, will quickly warm up to strangers. The poor little ones that shiver and whine or tense up are a risky investment and unfortunately have not had enough socialization or proper treatment. 
If the breeder has a kennel full of dogs that are not trained with a minimal of basic obedience, they have to keep the dog on a tight leash for you to pet, then it should not be a mystery as to how they raise their litters should it?

Good luck in your search of finding a wonderful companion! 

For a Vet’s view on what is a breeder, please {click here}.



Copyright 2000-2010. Teresa Gordy.