High Quality Labrador Breeders? *Update!

[didgery]

Why don’t you give your mom an IOU for a puppy of her choice whenever she’s ready? Wrap up a beautiful card with a message about how you would like to help her add another lab to the family, and that you recommend X, Y and Z breeders. That way, your mom can be part of the process and you can plan ahead to get the perfect dog for her. You’ll still have something under the tree to surprise her with.

One year when I couldn’t figure out what to give my tough sister-in-law, I gave her an IOU for a pair of goat kids. It was a bit silly because she lived in a tiny apartment at the time but I know she’s saving it and really does want to cash in!

[S1969]

[QUOTE=cowboymom;6008756]
He should think about why he wants a purebred-most purebred labs have major health problems any more. For a truly healthy one he’s going to have to wait and pay up.

If he wants just a good healthy dog I would twist twist twist his arm to go down and at least look at the shelter dogs. There are some really nice family dogs there, many of them purebred labs, many more that look like purebred labs or are crosses. [/QUOTE]

I don’t know much about Labs but this type of statement always irks me: “most purebred labs have major health problems”. This is probably true if you count all the “AKC registered” that are bred in puppy mills and backyards, but is probably not true of the labs produced by good breeders.

If you buy from a reputable breeder that screens for congenital diseases, you are far more likely to end up with a purebred that is healthy. Something you can’t say about the “good healthy dog” at the shelter, good karma and all. One of the main reasons people (like me) buy from a reputable breeder (and “pay up”) is to avoid hip dysplasia and other congenital defects.

Either choice is acceptable – breeder or shelter. But suggesting that a purebred from a shelter will be more healthy is really going out on a limb.

[boosma47]

Our 4 yr old female yellow is from LaRouche Labs, just outside Brunswick ME. Buoy is highly intelligent, strong, sound, of field lines and is drop dead gorgeous. She is also highly energetic and sensitive to having her nails clipped, hose baths, and having ticks taken off her

I believe they are still breeding on a small scale. Nice people, nice dogs. We prefer the field stock to the chunky, short, squat show standard. Buoy is substantial without losing any grace, proportion and athleticism.

Think you are wise to involve your mother in the decision, giving her an IOU. It is a big job raising a pup, as you know. Good luck with your search.

[Simkie]

@S1969;6008889

I don’t know much about Labs but this type of statement always irks me: “most purebred labs have major health problems”. This is probably true if you count all the “AKC registered” that are bred in puppy mills and backyards, but is probably not true of the labs produced by good breeders.

If you buy from a reputable breeder that screens for congenital diseases, you are far more likely to end up with a purebred that is healthy. Something you can’t say about the “good healthy dog” at the shelter, good karma and all. One of the main reasons people (like me) buy from a reputable breeder (and “pay up”) is to avoid hip dysplasia and other congenital defects.

Either choice is acceptable – breeder or shelter. But suggesting that a purebred from a shelter will be more healthy is really going out on a limb.

Yes. This. Thank you!

And for the OP…whenever I am looking for purebred labs (I am the “dog expert” within my group of friends, and they will often come to me for suggestions on where to find a dog), I start looking at http://www.gundogbreeders.com/ There are some interesting breeders with field titled dogs who post on there. I think it’s a reasonable place to start, at least. I’d still make sure sire/dam are cleared for whatever genetic issues labs have (hips, elbows, eyes, heart, etc) and agree it’s not a good idea to give a pet as a gift.

[Ben_and_Me]

[QUOTE=S1969;6008889]
But suggesting that a purebred from a shelter will be more healthy is really going out on a limb.[/QUOTE]

That’s not how I interpreted his/her post – I think they were saying that it is possible to get a healthy dog from either source…not necessarily that shelter dogs are healthier. Yes, your reputable breeder-purchased dog should be healthier, but that may not be the case.

And lets be honest – labs are predisposed to a lot more than can be determined by OFA/PennHIP testing or easily controlled by responsible breeding. Cancer, for one…

I think many of us were just pointing out to the OP that there are options for obtaining a purebred lab other than going to a breeder – it didn’t sound from her original post that she had explored all her options. But, at least she’s off to a good start by asking for recommendations on here instead of just googling or picking up her local newspaper.

[cowboymom]

I didn’t suggest that a shelter dog was more healthy than a purebred lab.

I said a healthy lab was going to be very expensive.

I said labs are prone to be very unhealthy unless you get a very expensive one.

I said there is probably a dog with an equally nice personality in the shelter.

And then I mentioned karma (and spelled it wrong) which got an honorable mention in your little irritable rant at me.

Go pee on someone else’s leg-I don’t need to hear more crabbiness from another [edit] dog elitist.

[LauraKY]

Why are shelter/rescue dogs considered (by some) to be less than desirable? I. Just. Don’t. Get. It.

Unless you are planning on showing your dog, why not adopt from a breed rescue?

[Ben_and_Me]

@LauraKY;6009124

Why are shelter/rescue dogs considered (by some) to be less than desirable? I. Just. Don’t. Get. It.

Because everyone knows someone who adopted a totally neurotic shelter dog (never mind that there are plenty of neurotic breeder dogs too!). And their n=1 experience far outweighs the hundreds and hundreds of folks who adopt happy, healthy, mentally-appropriate shelter/rescue dogs. I try to steer those folks to a rescue group like Saving Grace (www.savinggracenc.org) which pulls dogs from high kill shelters based on personality, not breed or type. I personally didn’t feel comfortable going to a county shelter – any dog is going to be anxious in that environment. A good rescue will give you a better chance to evaluate that dog’s true colors.

Everyone (well, my non-vet school friends) is blown away when they find out my little lab was a rescue. I get everything from “But she’s so normal and not crazy!” “She must be the exception” “I didn’t know they had dogs like that at rescues”

Yes, they do. They have lots of dogs just like her. She is wonderful, passed her Canine Good Citizen test on the first try, never barks, always wags at strangers, and lets me practice physical exams on her without even blinking. She also was PennHip evaluated earlier this year (a training exercise - she is spayed) and has only a “mild to moderate” risk of developing hip dysplasia. I keep her in good BCS (the only thing proven to delay the onset of osteoarthritis) for that reason.

I’m not hating on good breeder dogs either. Just not for me. And I think there is a lot of unfortunate mis-information floating around out there about rescue dogs.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;6009124]
Why are shelter/rescue dogs considered (by some) to be less than desirable? I. Just. Don’t. Get. It.

Unless you are planning on showing your dog, why not adopt from a breed rescue?[/QUOTE]

I wouldn’t call a shelter/rescue dog “less than desireable”. It’s just different.

When you buy from a good breeder you have control over some of the important factors in owning a dog: screening for likely congenital diseases, careful selection of parents to control for temperment, conformation, and specific breed traits. Your puppy is more likely to be what you expect.

If you want a lab because you like the temperment of a lab, you are much more likely to get that temperment by choosing a puppy from parents that have the temperment you like. It is inherited, to some degree.

Of course you can’t screen out or predict every single thing, but buying from a breeder is a good way of reducing the unknowns. In my opinion, getting a dog from a shelter is exactly the opposite, and you might also have to deal with issues caused by previous owners. (And despite this, there are many great dogs in rescues and shelters.)

I am always surprised at the anti-breeder sentiment for dogs on a horse-related discussion board. How many riders get their horses from a backyard breeder or the auction? Some do, of course, but lots and lots of riders carefully select their horse based on its breeding and its abilities. Why is it so different for dogs; that someone who chooses to buy a carefully bred dog is considered a nutty dog elitist. :rolleyes:

[2ndyrgal]

Try Birdstone Labradors

Don’t know if they have any but the puppys are gorgeous!!

[leahandpie]

I didn’t read all the posts- but this is where we got our pup!
http://www.ashlandkennel.com/

Here are some pics of him. He is growing up to be THE BEST DOG. He house trained in 5 days, has never chewed anything but his toys… and the sweetest, most playful, wonderful boy. And doing quite well as a retriever! He loves to swim and get his duck dummies.

getting bigger…

now…almost 8 months!

[UKYeventer]

I’m somewhat partial but http://www.finisheddog.com/home/default.asp breeds very high quality Labs. My family dog is by their stud Duckin’ Double Bogey. She was an amazing Field Trial dog when she was younger and is the perfect companion for me while I’m at college, even at the ripe ol’ age of 11. It’s funny when people see her, they all ask how old she is and I when I say 11, they say “months?” I then always get compliments about young and great she looks. I also have one of her daughters by their stud “Ima Rock star” and my brother has another one of her litter mates. All three dogs are fantastic working dogs but also great companions. I know this kennel is much farther away then you were wanting to go, but when we sold our dog’s puppies they went all over the country so it might be a possibility. Of course like others have said, they were all sold before they were even born…

[ponymom64]

I would recommend Legacy Labs in Carmel, NY

Kevin Bergeson (?) is the breeder - he was the head of husbandry at Guiding Eyes for the Blind, his main dog, Colby (Broad Reach Ruff Stuff) was the best Lab in the country for a few years, I believe.

I have two of his dogs and they couldn’t be better dogs. My yellow is 11 this year and you couldn’t ask for a kinder, more gentle dog. He was held back as Kevin thought he would show him but Leon was over breed standard in height, so he was sold to us at 4 months. I bought his nephew, Otto, two years later. We got Otto as an 8 week old but selected him some weeks earlier. He is a stunning dog, they both are actually. Gorgeous heads, nice dense bodies. Both have superior personalities, kind and patient with children and very loving.

I’ve recommended Kevin to several people over the years and all the dogs have been the same quality as mine

http://www.breeders.net/detail.php?id=210087

I prefer to get purebred dogs because I have children constantly in and out of my house and I want the security of knowing the temperment of the parents and grandparents of any dog I have in my home. While it’s not a perfect method for determining a good family dog it has worked for me. When my husband and I were childless, we did have a shelter dog and he was fabulous but once we had children, I wanted to be as sure as we could that our pet would have the qualities important to us and also would have the breeder to take the dog back if it wasn’t the right one for our home

[cloudyandcallie]

@LauraKY;6008054

Or you could give a shelter or rescue dog a home. Plenty of lab rescues out there.

Lots of good dogs and puppies at rescues and in shelters and at animal control, with the clock ticking.

However, if you want to pay and get the papers as well, Valcar has great English labs. They look like the labs in the New Yorker cartoons.:lol: I had a great Valcar lab whose grandsire went BOB at Westminister. But I’m an aussie person still.

I also agree that holidays are not a good time to get a puppy. So much excitement and people around and the chance to eat things that aren’t good for puppies. But for a rescued dog, anytime is good.

If there is a dog show near you, go and talk to the breeders there. They have reputations to protect, so they wobn’t sell you a dog with hip problems, etc.

[newenglandnative]

While I plan on rescuing a dog for my first dog, this one is mainly going to be my parent’s dog and a well-bred papered dog is what they prefer and want. So that is what they will get

I’ve sent out a bunch of emails to AKC breeders as well as ones that are relatively close to the route from Indiana to Massachusetts that have been recommended here so hopefully something works out! If not and we wait awhile for a litter it will be just as exciting then.

Also my family is very spread out across the nation so it is just my parents, my brother, and myself who are home during the holidays so there really isn’t any difference between Christmas and any other day in December. Except for the absurd amount of food we cook for four people as well as the increased intake of alcohol :lol:

[Lone]

[QUOTE=S1969;6009168]

I am always surprised at the anti-breeder sentiment for dogs on a horse-related discussion board. How many riders get their horses from a backyard breeder or the auction? Some do, of course, but lots and lots of riders carefully select their horse based on its breeding and its abilities. Why is it so different for dogs; that someone who chooses to buy a carefully bred dog is considered a nutty dog elitist. :rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Not really related to the OP’s question, but I wanted to throw in my two cents here! I’m a strong supporter of getting my dogs through the pound or rescues and I honestly can’t imagine ever getting a dog from a breeder.

For me, I want a horse to compete with. I’m not going to Rolex, but I definitely have some mid-level eventing aspirations which means I need a horse who is bred for the job (or at least for an athletic type job, a CANTER horse for example isn’t purpose-bred for eventing, but an OTTB is often a good fit for the sport). In my dog, I’m not looking for a competitive partner, I want a hiking/walking/jogging buddy, a friend around the house and a dog who will bark at scary strangers to make me feel safe. That means I don’t need a dog who has famous parents and great bloodlines. I would be nervous to get a puppy from the pound since you have no idea what they’ll grow up into, but if you check out an adult dog at the pound you have a pretty good idea of their personality and with a little time in the play area you can see if they’re semi-intelligent or dumb as a rock.

So- I guess that’s the difference to me. In my horse, I need one that is more-or-less bred for the purpose I intend to use it for since it’ll need specific talents to be appropriate for the job. In my dog, I don’t need one that has been bred specifically to do anything, just one that seems smart and affectionate. If you’re looking for a dog to do hunting trials or agility competitions, then it probably makes sense to go to breeder who is known for producing those kinds of dogs, but there are lots of dogs that are very well qualified for the family dog/buddy role hanging out at the pound.

[Horsegal984]

And if you want to find a happy medium between rescue and purebred, check out Southeastern Guide Dogs. We are the vet for one of their current dogs, one of their now-retired breeding bitches, and have seen several of their “flunk-outs” They ahve all been very smart, sweet and supertrainable. They also have not had many health issues, we mostly see them once a year, which in our line of work is a good thing!

Katherine
Vet Tech

[Simkie]

@Lone;6009565

So- I guess that’s the difference to me. In my horse, I need one that is more-or-less bred for the purpose I intend to use it for since it’ll need specific talents to be appropriate for the job. In my dog, I don’t need one that has been bred specifically to do anything, just one that seems smart and affectionate. If you’re looking for a dog to do hunting trials or agility competitions, then it probably makes sense to go to breeder who is known for producing those kinds of dogs, but there are lots of dogs that are very well qualified for the family dog/buddy role hanging out at the pound.

I’m pretty much exactly the opposite. I only have dogs from super established breeders. I want a dog that is as much of a known quantity as possible–I want the health record and the health screenings and competition record and good temperament HISTORY that comes with a dog that has a pedigree that goes back 18 generations. I want to stack the deck in my favor as much as possible. I want to know that is exceedingly unlikely that my dog with have temperament issues or hip dysplasia or juvenile cataracts. I don’t want the risk that comes with a complete unknown, and I want to minimize, as much as I can, the possibility of heartache due to having a dog that has an issue that comes from not screening breeding stock and selecting dogs that are free of disease. SO MUCH can go wrong, and SO MUCH is so preventable by screening breeding stock and selecting for positive traits.

I realize I’m not in the meaty part of the bell curve at all, and there are a lot of people out there who are 100% happy with their pets without requiring the background and history that I need. But this is what works for me.

[AKB]

I also like to get our Chesapeake Bay Retrievers from a breeder. I want to know that the hips and eyes of the parents have been certified, and that the parents are good natured. Our breeder sells puppies with the stipulation that if an owner has to give up their dog, the dog should be returned to the breeder to be rehomed. My parents’ Chessie was a return, due to divorce of the owners. Our girls were originally kept by the breeder as show and breeding stock. Then, at maturity, they had minor defects that would keep them from being top show dogs. They were then made available to us.

I feel like we have gotten the best of both worlds. We get top notch dogs, but also feel like we are helping prevent dogs from going into the unwanted dog population/breed rescue. Many good breeders have a policy that they will take their dogs back at any time. These dogs are usually great family dogs when they are rehomed. If you have time to wait for a dog, and don’t mind getting an older dog, rehomed dogs from the breeder are wonderful.

[Foxtrot_s]

Just a note - the OP’s family has had labs all their lives and she knows what they want. She asked for reputable breeders. I see nothing wrong with buying a papered animal even though a walk through a shelter could change the most decided of minds. I’m also sure she knows whether Christmas would be a good time for a dog, if she were able to purchase one. And what really irks me about breeders is that if they probably would not sell to the daughter if it was going to go to the Mom, then - just don’t tell them.

Hoever, if I was the recipient of such a gift, I would like to be there to help make the choice as part of the thrill.