best place to look for lab puppy?

McW

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 November 2011
Messages
570
Visit site
Hello knowledgeable dog people.

We are looking to add to our family of Labradors, any ideas on where to look, what are the best sites?

thanks,
 

UnaB

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 September 2008
Messages
2,478
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
Kennel Club puppy list, or contact the breed club as they will have a list of litters :D

Good luck with your search, make sure to check both parents are health tested as a lot of them still arent :eek:
 

Alec Swan

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 October 2009
Messages
21,080
Location
Norfolk.
Visit site
Planet Gundog, or Gundog Breeders UK.

Not always, but generally work bred dogs tend to be more amenable and accept training, where as some of the show bench types tend to be a little dense, and/or stubborn!!

Alec.
 

not_with_it

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 April 2002
Messages
4,019
Location
Yorkshire
Visit site
Where abouts are you based and are you prepared to travel?

A friend of mine breeds labs and springers. I cannot recommend her highly enough. All her dogs are easy to train and are as soft as.

PM me if you would like her number.
 

Julia0803

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2012
Messages
427
Visit site
Firstly don't touch any breeder who does not health test all of their breeding animals- so hip scores, elbow scores, annual eye test (bit like an MOT it needs redoing every year), and a clear or carrier (only if other parent is clear) optigen test are your minimums.

Secondly, I would suggest that you only look at breeders who breed with a purpose- to work or show, rather than they just felt like having a litter/trying to make some £. They are more likely to have spent time and energy researching pedigrees and taking time and care in raising the puppies.

I would firstly contact the breed clubs as they all carry a puppy list. I think you have to be a member to be included on the list and certainly health test your dogs. I would also look at champdogs.co.uk

I have two labs, both from show lines (not closely related but both very good lines, the parents of one has two sets of ShCh, JW, the other's sire is ShCh and JW and mum is 2RCC) Neither is stubborn. The younger dog has a brilliant natural retrieve and both dogs were very easy to train.
 

Inthemud

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 November 2011
Messages
301
Visit site
Having seen similar threads on other forums, people often advise that you insist on actually seeing hip and other health test results. The good breeders will be happy to show these off to you, some less responsible ones may be telling porkies....
 

Julia0803

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 January 2012
Messages
427
Visit site
If you find out the parents KC names before you view the puppies, you can then go onto the KC website, i think it is mate select, or a page off that, and if you type in the full name it will come up with all the dogs details in terms of health scores, PLUS details of parents, siblings and offspring. This will give you a really good idea if there is anything lurking in the lines and your dogs results were a fluke.

So for example, if everything else was equal in terms of showing record, other health scores, temperament, and good breeder, I would be much happier having a puppy from a dam who scored 7/7 or 8/8 for her hips, but whose siblings were 3/4, 3/3, 4/5 etc, than a bitch who scored 2/2 but came from a litter of 26/23, 15/15 or 16/4, as obviously bad hips are running in that line. Obviously, looking any any offspring (for both sire and bitch) is also useful, altho unfortunately they don't give the individual dog a name, just offspring1, offsring 2 etc
 
Top