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GUIDE
TO BUYING A LABRADOR
Considering buying a Labrador Retriever?
We think you're choosing a wonderful breed!
Before you decide, ask yourself some questions. Can
you resist buying the first cute puppy you see, on impulse?
Are you prepared to make a commitment to a dog for the
next 10-15 years, even if you have life changes such
as moving, new babies, or kids going off to college?
Full responsibility for a dog is not a job for children;
it requires a responsible adult, at least supervising,
and should be carefully considered. The commitment is
not a small one; training a Labrador to be a pleasant
companion requires considerable time and patience. Labs
don't become well-behaved all by themselves! They require
substantial attention and exercise throughout their
lives; they are active and social animals and don't
do well when stuck in the backyard and forgotten.
Labrador puppy chewing and digging can be destructive.
Do you have an appropriate environment for a puppy and
are you willing to live with puppy mistakes? Remember
that Labradors are not fully mature until around three
years of age, so that's a long puppy-hood. Are you willing
to spend the money it takes to provide appropriate care,
including quality food and supplies, annual vaccines,
heartworm testing and preventative, and spaying or neutering?
Are you willing to wait for the right puppy from the
responsible breeder of your choice? Remember, finding
the best puppy for you is well worth the wait.
Buy a well-bred dog from a responsible breeder. Responsible
breeders take care to produce healthy, typical Labradors
with good temperaments. Don't bargain-hunt and don't
buy a puppy from a pet store; often those puppies come
from poor breeding, may have been kept in poor conditions
with inadequate socialization, and are sometimes more
expensive than puppies purchased from a responsible
breeder. Responsible breeders do all they can to avoid
producing serious problems, including aggressive or
shy temperaments, hereditary health defects such as
hip or elbow dysplasia, or early blindness from hereditary
eye diseases. Remember that "AKC papers" are not an
indication of quality in the dog. They only mean that
the dog's parents were AKC registered.
Is
a puppy really the right dog for me?
If you don't have the time or facilities for socializing,
housetraining, and obedience training a puppy, it's
possible that an older dog would be a better choice.
Mature Labradors usually adapt very well to new homes
and can form very deep bonds. You can investigate Labrador
rescue or find a responsible breeder who may have an
older dog to place in a new home.
How
do I know a breeder is responsible?
Look for a breeder who:
- Is knowledgeable about
the breed. Most responsible breeders continually
test the results of their breeding programs by participating
in conformation shows, obedience trials, field trials,
or hunting tests.
- Is knowledgeable about
raising puppies. Even puppies with the best hereditary
temperaments can exhibit behavioral problems if
they are not socialized sufficiently or if they
are removed from their dam and littermates before
seven weeks of age. Socialization done by the breeder
should include ensuring that each pup receives frequent
human attention, is handled frequently, and is exposed
to a wide variety of noises and experiences.
- Takes steps to keep the
puppies as healthy as possible. Before puppies go
to their new homes, they should have been wormed
or checked for worms, and should have received their
first shots.
- Takes steps to prevent
occurrence of hereditary defects in the puppies.
Both parents should have hip clearances from at
least one of the following registries: OFA (Orthopedic
Foundation for Animals), PennHip, Wind-Morgan, or
a foreign joint registry. Many breeders are checking
parents for elbow defects as well as hips. Both
parents should also both have current eye clearances,
either from a veterinarian who is a diplomat of
the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists
(ACVO) or from a foreign eye registry. Be sure to
ask about health clearances; responsible breeders
will be happy to tell you about them and will honestly
discuss problems that might occur in the parents'
lines. Avoid breeders that tell you their dogs don't
need health clearances because they've never had
a problem, or those who tell you that their "vet
said the dog was ok." Remember that clearances on
the parents don't guarantee that the puppies will
be free of problems, but your chances of buying
a healthy puppy are greatly improved if the parents
have been cleared.
- Does not breed bitches
every time they come in season. This is extremely
hard on the bitch and may indicate that profit is
the breeder's primary motive.
- Chooses breedings carefully.
Ask why the particular sire was chosen. The
answer should be thoughtful and knowledgeable.
Answers such as "because he lived close to me" or
"because he's such a cute dog" generally don't indicate
a breeding that is being done to produce puppies
that are better than their parents (the goal of
every responsible breeder). One indication
of a quality breeding is if the majority of dogs
in the first few generations are titled (CH, OTCH,
FC, CD, JH, WC and so on, before or after the dogs'
names). If the titles only appear generations
back or if there are only a few in the entire pedigree,
they don't mean much.
- Lets you meet the parents
of the puppies. Bitches may be sent long-distance
to stud dogs, but the breeder should be able to
show you photographs of the sire and answer questions
about him.
- Evaluates puppy temperaments
and helps you choose the puppy that is best suited
to your lifestyle. A very active puppy won't
do well in a sedate environment, and a quiet puppy
may be overwhelmed in an active household with noisy
children. Remember that most breedings are
done so the breeder can choose a puppy to carry
on his or her own lines, so you may have to wait
until this choice is made when the pups are 6-7
weeks old. After that, the breeder can help
you decide which pup would be most suitable for
you. The breeder has spent extensive time
with the litter and know the puppies best, so their
advice is important.
- Will be willing to take
the dog back at any time if you cannot keep it.
Responsible breeders do NOT want their puppies
to end up in an animal shelter or in a less-than-ideal
home.
- Is someone you feel comfortable
with. You may not be an expert on Labradors,
but you do know about people. Use your intuition.
The breeder should be available for the life
of the dog to answer questions, so this could be
a long-term relationship. If you don't trust
the person, don't buy a dog from them.
- Will provide appropriate
documentation with the puppy, including registration
papers, pedigree, and a health record.
- Is concerned about your
future plans for the puppy, particularly whether
you're thinking of breeding the dog. Many
responsible breeders sell pet-quality animals with
mandatory spay/neuter contracts and/or Limited Registration
(meaning that offspring of the dog cannot be registered).
This is a good indication that the breeder
cares enough about the breed to ensure that only
the very best representatives are bred. Some
breeders may be willing to change the Limited Registration
to a Full Registration if you present the dog to
them after maturity, having had all its health clearances.
Then, if the breeder thinks the dog is of
good quality and temperament, they may change the
registration and help you with the selection of
a good stud dog. Only the dog's breeder can
make this change.
How do I find a responsible
breeder? First, educate yourself. Read books
on the breed. Attend dog shows, hunting tests,
field trials, or obedience trials, and talk to the Labrador
exhibitors. Be willing to spend some time on
the phone, talking to breeders, and looking for referrals.
Most responsible breeders will have a list of
puppy buyers before they do a breeding, and usually
don't have to advertise in the newspaper. Please remember
that the great majority of Labrador breeders are hobby
breeders. They are not "in business," breeding
is not their profession, and very few of them make money
on their dogs. It's a labor of love for the breed.
Please give them the courtesy you'd give to your
own friends and neighbors. You may not find a breeder
that satisfies all these criteria, but these guidelines
should be helpful in finding the best puppy for you
and your situation. Good luck in your search
and enjoy your new Labrador friend. Your time
and effort will be well rewarded! Suggested Reading
List The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks
of New Skete. 1991. ISBN 0-316-57839-8 How to Raise
a Puppy You Can Live With by Rutherford and Neil.
1981. ISBN 0-931866-09-X The Versatile Labrador Retriever
by Nancy Martin. 1994. ISBN 0-9944875-31-9
Written by Vicki Blodgett
Reprinted from THE LABRADOR CONNECTION
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© 2000-2006 National Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. All rights
reserved.
Articles, photos and graphics may not be reproduced, by any means,
without written permission from
the NLRC, Inc.
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