Where to find a bitch

[Tern]

Where can i find a Golden Labrador bitch who is pretty for our 4 year old black Labrador male carrying the golden gene (KC registered) And his stud fee would be free in exchange for a puppy (I think that's fair! )

This is my dog https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=269936166496779&set=gm.713675328666188&type=1&theater

 

[s4sugar]

Picture/link isn't working.
No such thing as a golden labrador and why would someone with a good bitch want to use an untried, untested male for a higer fee than a proven, fully health tested, stud dog?

 

[Clodagh]

Like s4s says, golden is a colour that doesn't exist in labs, so is he a retriever or a lab?
First pay to get his health tests done then look for a bitch. I assume he is working to a high standard or has shown successfully? If so, look online.

 

[satinbaze]

Bitch owners approach the dog owner rather than he other way around. The first thing you need to do is to have your dog health tested. For Labradors this means hip and elbow scored and eye tested by a BVA eye panelist. Then you need to prove that your dog is worth breeding from so that usually means success in some form of competition such as breed shows, obedience, field trials or in the shooting field.
Then you wait or a bitch owner to approach you

 

[Tern]

He was health tested as a pup, He is a Labrador ?? I then have a slighht hitch of that he is gun shy though his brother is not so he's not exactly going to pass that on to his pups, Although i have no yet of competed him he is great at agility..

 

[Clodagh]

He hasn't had hip and elbow x rays done though, which are the bare minimum needed. I beleive they cost several hundred pounds. You really would be better off finding a relation of his and booking a puppy, breeding is very expensive if done properly.

 

[Tern]

And i saw my mistake - I meant a yellow lab

 

[Tern]

He hasn't had hip and elbow x rays done though, which are the bare minimum needed. I beleive they cost several hundred pounds. You really would be better off finding a relation of his and booking a puppy, breeding is very expensive if done properly.

He has had hip and elbows done?? Im 99% sure i have hip and elbow scores..

 

[s4sugar]

You can't get hip & elbow scores on a puppy and eye tests need to be done annually. You also have to consider his parents scores as listed here; http://www.thelabradorretrieverclub.com/health.htm

If he is gun shy that alone is a good reason not to breed. Find a puppy from related but proven stock instead as anyone with a working bitch will not want a gun shy stud.

 

[Clodagh]

OK, I didn't realise they could be done with pups but I only ever buy the end result!
Try preloved then, but I would make sure the bitch has x rays and eye tests as well I have 2 friends who bought lab pups who were crippled by 12 months wih hip and elbow problems.

 

[Tern]

OK, I didn't realise they could be done with pups but I only ever buy the end result!
Try preloved then, but I would make sure the bitch has x rays and eye tests as well I have 2 friends who bought lab pups who were crippled by 12 months wih hip and elbow problems.

Oh don't worry a friend of mine brought a un-tested pup who now has severe hip dysplasia and is not guaranteed to live above 8

s4sugar i know for a fact he is hip tested, And yes i know gun shyness is downside but they aren't all perfect!

 

[Tern]

And i won't find related stock - breeder died of throat cancer i think it was unfortunately.

 

[Tern]

Keep forgetting to add things!! Vet tested eyes in December and they were all good I am not completely thick do not worry!

 

[milo'n'molly]

OK, I didn't realise they could be done with pups but I only ever buy the end result!
Try preloved then, but I would make sure the bitch has x rays and eye tests as well I have 2 friends who bought lab pups who were crippled by 12 months wih hip and elbow problems.

This, not bred dogs myself but have seen the pain and heartache when people have bought dogs from "breeders" who just wanted a litter from beloved pet or to make some money because they have a pedigree dog.

Make sure you get the health checks done on both dogs and be very strict with only going ahead if they are really good enough.

There is nothing sadder than a lovely, bouncy high energy lab puppy being in too much pain to run and jump and play when that's all they want to do

 

[s4sugar]

You know of a brother and I assume there are other relatives around? They don't have to be from the same breeder and it isn't difficult to backtrack through pedigrees.

Which vet did the eye testing as I help with some of the BVA clinics? Unfortunately we do sometimes see fails, often ones that have been checked by non specialist vets in teh past.

What are his hip score & what age was he tested? Elbows are usually done at the same time.

"And yes i know gun shyness is downside but they aren't all perfect!" It is a pretty big fail for a working type gundog!

 

[ester]

but surely it is best to breed from those that are as perfect as possible?

I think looking for a bitch who is pretty(!) that you can use to get a puppy from is an odd way of going about things to be quite frank.

 

[Alec Swan]

Tern,

whilst I wouldn't want to intentionally dampen your obvious enthusiasm, there are a few points that you may care to consider. The owners of the potential bitches that you seek may well have eyebrows going up and down! The points; firstly, and judging by your posts, would seem to be your rather obvious lack of experience. Secondly you have a dog which is gun-shy, but then whether he actually is gun-shy, or if he's gun-nervous, isn't too clear. Dogs which are nervous of gun-fire can often be encouraged to see gun-fire as positive, but that's a matter of training and an experienced approach. Genuinely gun-shy dogs are beyond hope. I can assure you that if he really is gun-shy, then it most certainly could be a heritable complaint, and a risk which no one with any sense, would run. Thirdly, I suspect that your offer of a pup in exchange for a covering, would encourage those who are equally inexperienced.

The Gundog world is awash with first class FtCh Labrador Retrievers. There are still very few which are yellow, as predominantly, Triallers want black dogs. There are some first rate 'Proven' dogs, with stud fees at less than the value of a pup. Why would anyone want to exchange a puppy for a stud fee, and for a completely unknown dog who has a claimed for problem, in that you say he's gun-shy. With no disrespect intended, I wouldn't even consider such a dog.

I'm sorry to pour cold water on your idea, but I suspect that your future ambitions may lead to disappointment.

Alec.

 

[Tern]

but surely it is best to breed from those that are as perfect as possible?

I think looking for a bitch who is pretty(!) that you can use to get a puppy from is an odd way of going about things to be quite frank.

Okay au maybe I didn't make my post very clear.. I am not breeding for a free puppy.. I would quite happily pay for it but the exchange would be free breeding for free pup if that's a no go then it'd be a stud fee then buying pup on separate negotiation the only reason I have said pretty is more the head build, mine has a very square and chunky head build and I personally dislike the very slim heads - that is my reason behind it. I do know that his has to be 'perfect' but I mean I have done extensive research beforehand but I wouldn't call top class labs that are obese in their stud pictures perfect!! Yes he is more nervous than shy of the gun but I do not go shooting enough really.

 

[Tern]

We have had people say that if they had not recently spayed their bitch because they could not find a dog then they would have used him, one who used to be a lab breeder and then knew about gun problems.

 

[CorvusCorax]

If you didn't wait til 12 months, have the dog sedated or anesthtised, x-rayed, plates submitted to BVA then a few weeks later a sheet with scores for each part of the hip and a total comes back, then you don't have official hip and elbow scores. It's not a procedure you forget having done.

He sounds like a lovely boy but if he doesn't have a show grading, isn't up for work (and some nerve/character issues are genetic!) and doesn't have the required health tests then he's not going to command any interest as a stud, there are tonnes of nice friendly pet labs out there x

 

[PorkChop]

This has got to be a wind up.

 

[Tern]

I understand what you are all saying but we'd like a son, not just any dog..

 

[CorvusCorax]

Tern, I love my dog to bits. He's health tested and has two modest working qualifications, hopefully more this year, and a brilliant five gen pedigree. I am not going to breed him...because I don't need to, and there are much better studs out there.

Who is going to go to the expense of whelping a litter of pups just because you want one pup? What if the bitch misses? What if there is only females? What of the other pups?

At least get him tested and get him competing and get some ribbons in the agility ring.

 

[Tern]

cc I totally agree with what your saying!! It's just we have been advised to cut him next year to reduce risk of testicular cancer and he truly would produce stunning pups.. Or plan B was to buy a GSD pup which will probably happen.

 

[twiggy2]

how old is he?

 

[s4sugar]

cc I totally agree with what your saying!! It's just we have been advised to cut him next year to reduce risk of testicular cancer and he truly would produce stunning pups.. Or plan B was to buy a GSD pup which will probably happen.

Well if the testicles are removed he can't get testicular cancer - but often testicular cancer is the first indication of cancer elsewhere so the chop can cause more problems than it solves. I have never known a dog with testicular cancer that didn't already have cancer eleswhere when investigated.
Ask yourself would you buy a GSD pup bred under the circumstansed you have described above?

 

[Alexart]

You're not sure wether he's been hip and elbow scored?! - not exactly something you forget, or at least your wallet forgets!! If he's not health tested, and that means more than just a vet look at him!, then I would get his nuts off and buy a pup from a reputable breeder who has done all the relevant tests and does not have a dog who is nervous of guns, and could potentially produce a litter of gun dogs who are also scared of the gun! There are a million lovely labradors out there, and lots in rescues who I'm sure were all from lovely dogs, but just because he has nuts does not mean he needs to reproduce or that he will produce something like himself, so you may end up with a pup that is chalk and cheese to your boy!! I doubt anyone with a decent bitch who compliments your dogs conformation would even look at your boy, the only people wanting a free breeding for the price of one pup are back yard breeders, especially since it costs a couple of grand at least to raise a litter so why wouldn't they go to a top show/gun dog instead?!!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Well if you do end up coming over to the dark side drop me a line and I'll steer you in the right direction as regards a pup, be warned, they're addictive!!

 

[Dry Rot]

This has got to be a wind up.

Oh, surely not!

(Facebook page is "not available". Over subscribed??).

 

[Cinnamontoast]

You sound like you are a total novice (not saying this in a nasty way) to breeding. Official BVA hip and elbow scores are what people are on about. They can't be done til a dog is 18 months so fully grown. It is totally unlikely that any pup will be like the sire. My two full siblings are hugely different, as were my other two full siblings.

It is unlikely that anyone bar a mate or someone who doesn't care if they produce a litter of potentially dysplastic pups would use an unproven stud. Please don't do it.