Advice on Finding a Breeder & Choosing a Puppy

It is all about Minimising Risk

Finding A Breeder

Victoria, Australia

In Victoria, Australia, if you contact the Labrador club puppy line 1900 931 099 you will get phone numbers of people (Lab club members) who currently have litters who do have hip scores, but it will not tell you the colour of the puppy - you will need to ring and ask. Also ask about elbow scoring.

(Other states in Australia: look here. Not in Australia? - go to Google and type "labrador club" your country.)

Good and caring breeders will be checking you out just as much as you are checking them. You may have to wait for a suitable pup to be available (getting a dog is not an impulse buy) .

Find breeders and ask lots of questions:

1. Are the Sire and Dam Hip & Elbow scored and what are the scores?
    Hip Scores that add up to less than 12.5 (the breed average), are good.
    Educate yourself about hip and elbow problems and the scoring systems and what it all means, so you can ask intelligent questions (same goes for the breeder so they can give intelligent answers). Ask your Vet to explain it all in simple terms if the information is too "medical" for an average persons understanding.
    Canine Hip and Elbow Dysplasia Resources
    OCD Information

2. Are the Sire and Dam checked each year by a Veterinary Ophthalmologist?
    (see http://www.labbies.com/eye.htm for more information)

3. Have either the Sire or Dam ever produced any pups with any of the hereditary diseases?
    The problem with this question is getting a straight answer. Breeders who say they have never had any problems are either (a) very new to breeding, (If they are new to breeding, are they aware of the potential for problems?) (b) don't care and don't know - ie they have not kept in contact with the owners of their pups, or (c) lying.
If the answer is yes, ask what has been done about minimising the risk of it happening again.

4. Does the breeder have a contract of sale that protects the pup, acknowledges the chances of hereditary problems, and reimburses you in the event of a problem occurring?
   If yes, this is a strong sign that the breeder knows their breeding lines and takes responsibility for any "bad" outcomes.
    Example of a Health Warranty: http://www.labbies.com/warranty.htm

5. When looking for a Chocolate pup, it MAY be best if the pup is the result of a Chocolate to Black OR Black to Black OR Yellow to Black breeding. (See Chocolate Genetics page.) Long term breeders of Labradors have found that the dominant Black traits will improve the soundness of all Labradors. Check out the warning... Note that this is not a scientifically proven fact, just the "labrador lore" from some experienced breeders.

6. Visit the home of the breeder that sounds good:

can you trust this person and can go back to them for help if problems occurs?
check the mother dog (and the sire if possible)
look for clean, loved and well cared for pups
look for pups that are not over fed - ie the breeder is aware of minimising the chances of hip and elbow problems through diet.

Please do not consider pet shops or puppy farms - they can be a really bad scene and they should not be encouraged. Look at http://www.labbies.com/petstores.htm for more info (quite distressing in parts).

It would be good to buy a pup from a long term breeder who is very strict about hip and elbow scoring and has been practicing a "scientific" method of breeding for may generations.

This will lessen the chance of the hereditary diseases, BUT nothing can absolutely guarantee that your pup will have no problems.

More informaion on GENETIC DEFECTS AND BREEDING PRACTICES IN THE LABRADOR RETRIEVER Jack Vanderwyk, January 2004

Our Chocolate puppy planning (all in the past)

Mother's Pedigree (Coco) Father's Pedigree (Whitman)

Whitman.jpg - 27009 Bytes
Hampden Prested (aka Whitman) (not a very good photo)

Hip & Elbow & Eye assessments
Please note that even with these good elbow scores, this mating still produced 2 of 6 pups with OCD in their elbows. This was a Chocolate to Chocolate breeding.

Coco - Hips are 4,4 = 8, Elbows 0,0 Eye examination result is all clear
Whitman - Hips are 4,3 = 7, Elbows 0,0 Eye examination result is all clear

Choosing A Puppy

This advice from http://www.kerryblues.org/KB/PICKING.HTML

" Let's say you've done all your homework and found a good and reputable breeder.

When you meet the litter, try not to fall in love with the biggest and boldest puppy. Many a dog owner has "let the puppy pick them" only to discover they have adopted a dominant handful. If you think about it, he was acting dominant even then, but his behavior was interpreted in a human way instead of a canine way. ...

How are normal puppies of friendly breeds likely to behave when you visit the litter? They'll probably crawl all over your feet, tug at your shoelaces, lick your face, and generally be cute as buttons.

Stand and observe the litter. Watch how they interact with each other. Is one extra submissive? Is one bossy? Who is the most daring? The best single piece of advice we could give you about picking a puppy is to stay away from the extremes. For most people and families, the best dog for them is neither the most dominant nor the most submissive. Middle of the pack is most likely to net you the dog of your dreams.

Trust the breeder, describe what you're looking for/can tolerate and they can help pick out the best pup of the litter for you."

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