Buying a Labrador puppy, tips/advice please!!!

Harrie123

Harrie123

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I have decided to buy a Labrador puppy!!! Its been something I have wanted to do for years, having not had a dog for a while. But now I finally feel like I can have one.

Now I am fairly particular about the type of dog I want, I would like black, or foxy red (but I hear they are like gold dust!) but the main thing it that it is a lean sporty type. So my question is how do I tell? Are all lab puppies short, dumpy and wrinkly? What is the best way of telling how it will turn out? If it was a foal I would have a pretty good idea!!!

Also if anyone could recommend a breeder or give me anything else to look out for I would really appreciate it!

Saying that if I see a puppy that I really like all of the above will go straight out the window!!!
 
I do know of some fox red pups in cambridge, I think there were only a few left tho. They have fabulous parents and good hip and eye scores, which is the most important thing you can check with labrador parents. PM me if you want the number to see if they still have any.
 
Working type Labs are the lean sporty type BUT they will need a lot more excercise:o Like any Lab they are still life supports for a stomach and will get fat if they can eat enough and if they don't do enough!:eek::D

The Moo is a 'working' type and in comparison to my sister 'show' type is much leaner and leggier and a lot more agile. Both however are lovely dogs and given half a chance will kip on the bed/sofa etc etc they love kids of all ages - they recognise them as good sources of food....;):D

Some gratuitous piccies of The Moo :cool:

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No pictures of the idiot as a puppy as he came from Labrador Rescue - as did my sisters:D My parents last Lab was a fox red - she was adorable but could be very naughty!:eek: She was also from a working stock so was a leaner type:)
 
Two words - health tests! You need puppies from parents that have good hip scores, eye scores and ideally also elbow scores.:) There is info on here if you scroll down the page: http://www.thelabradorretrieverclub.com/health.htm

Also, be sure that the parents have good temperaments, Labs should be as soft as they come but sad to say some unscrupulous breeders care more about flogging Andrex puppies to the punters than breeding only from healthy and good tempered parents:( Meet the parents, see how they respond to you. Talk to the breeders. Good breeders will give you the third degree on why they should sell you one of their precious puppies - this is a very good thing, so don't be put off! Be suspicious of a breeder who is more interested in your cash than the kind of home you can offer.

As Tinsel says, the working types need more exercise (once they are old enough not to damage their joints) and mental stimulation so be sure that you are ready to give this:)
 
If you are buying a puppy make sure that both parents are hip and elbow scored, best score for hips is 0:0, best for elbows is 0 on each elbow, also make sure that THOSE dogs are from several generations of low-scoring parents, a good breeder should be tripping over themselves to show you their health test results.
I know people think 'it's only a pet, I don't want to show or work' but hip and elbow dysplasia happen to pet dogs too x

Saying 'but my dogs are sound/they've never been lame/theywork well/they've never had a problem' does not cut the mustard with me, personally - health tests cost money, good breeders spend the money regardless of the impact it may have on their 'profit margin'.
 
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Agree with all the above, but would just like to mention that it is not always possible to meet both parents. Obvioulsy you should meet the mother, but breeders quite often do not own the dog they use, this is to enable them to bring in new lines. My Evie's father is in Germany, so I didn't meet him but did know the line and was able to check hip scores etc back many generations.In some cases I would be more suspicious of people who can show both parents, it may just mean they have a dog and bitch and decided to have puppies without any real thought to whether they suited each other etc. Not saying this is always the case but something to be aware of.
 
Agree with all the above. I got a pup ten days ago. He is 9weeks and the most intelligent dog iv met. He already sits,says please,stays upto about 2m distance. He sleeps straight through the night with no mess and doesn't ask to go out.
He is from field lines met the mum not met dad but seen pics and checked his lines. I would say tho i think my pup will need alot of exercise when he is big-i will only be working part time so not a huge issue. Although he is also happy to sleep once he uses his already huge amounts of energy! Very intelligent and therefore if not using there energy they Wilson destroy!
 
We have had 2 black labs now. the first was absolutely mad! Like ran away for hours on end while we walked around ainlessly calling her name. Dragging us everywhere and just generally crazy.
We went through proper breeders the second time with out now 7 month old black lab pup and shes perfect. Really laid back and calm. Will have her mad 5 mins but have had comments on how well behaved and quiet she is.

One thing I will say is check their teeth! Some labs have dog equivilent of "parrot mouth" where the upper jaw is over shot. Out lab has perfect showing conformation but we cant show her because of this. They do say the jaw matures the slowest but our 7 month pup lower jaw is still over and inch shorter than her top jaw so dont really think its going to catch up now.

Also, Our lab looked like this when we first got her (breeder fed them all they could eat- not a good idea with labs generally :P) :
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Then grew into this:
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and now this:
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What about seeing if your local rescue has any pups in? Our local pound has multiple labs in, and currently a lovely pup-no idea why its been handed in :( Worth a visit to the local rescue even just to convince yourself what type of dog you want as you can see lots of different personalities in one place.
 
Hi

My family occasionly breed labradors and my tips for buying a labrador are:

Check the pedigree of the dog - check for inbreeding and how close, the closer the inbreeding the more prone they are to health problems.

Ask to see the Dam and Sire - this will help you deterimine the outcome of you puppy. If possible ask if they have any older pups out of both parents.

Ask the parents hips, elbows and eye scores

If you want a lean looking lab, my advice is to choose a working labrador, show dogs are built to be heavier than the working dog.

Lastly i would always buy a puppy from a Kennel Club registered breeder.

Although ours are working dogs they have adapted to many lifestyles (Gundogs to couch potatoes).

Any more questions you can email me.
 
Thank you so much for your help, and the lovely picutres! It is certainly food for thought. I will bear it all in mind when it comes to finding a puppy and may well be picking your brains on the breeding lines in the near future!!!
 
My black, lean, working, bitch is off for mating next week so pups will be ready end of April ish. We have gone back to the dog we used for her previous litter as the pups have been soo lovely. She had 12 in the last litter inc 1 fox red. I have kept in contact with all the pups and all the owners are thrilled with them. they went to a range of home from a pet in Richmond to picking up/shooting homes. I have 6 people wanting pups from this litter already.
Both parents health tested with good hip scores & eyes - dog has good elbows too. KC reg etc.
Pics on my profile.
 
yes it's sad isn't it? tbh I was offered one of these puppies and they have wonderful scores so much so that a lady who used to breed top workers with brilliant scores is actually having one, now she doesn't breed anymore. But I have a 7 year old lab that I just don't think would cope with a younger sibling, she has been our 'baby' for too many years and I just don't want to rock the boat. Such a shame when there are just so many unwanteds in the UK.
 
Both of our labs were given away. The first one, Honey, was my friend's sister's dog, and she couldn't cope with her and a toddler in a terraced house in the town with no garden. She was like a hairy oildrum when she arrived. She soon settled down into a lovely dog, and we decided to get another rescue lab. Rory came to us at 12 months after having four previous homes. He is a sporting type, and SO athletic and SO energetic - so be very sure of what you are taking on. If he has had tons of exercise he is a lovely dog, if not he is a nightmare whirlwind of energy...

Would you consider a rescue lab? There are so many labs given up - usually by townies who think they're buying a fat lazy dog, not something that is designed to work.
 
brace urself for purpetual motion we have a 13 week old lab cross rottweiller at home and she doesnt stop. literaly only sleeps in the evening. our old dog, lab cross doberman cross rottweiller sleeps most the time now xx
 
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