Labrador Breeders

NicolaAllOver

Hi everyone,

Might be a long shot, but I'm hoping to get a Labrador pup for my partner when we move back home at the end of February.

I'm just wondering if anyone knows of any breeders, or anywhere that you may have gotten one yourself. I've heard all the horror stories about puppy farms so I'm a bit weary of where and who to buy from.

Thanks!

tk123

If you contact the breed club they'll be able to put you in touch with breeders who are planning litters. When I called when we where getting Lucy I had 3 names I think and chose the one that was the best fit for us and SOOOO glad I did because she's just perfect

DBB

I would strongly encourage you to look for a breeder who breeds working (as in gun dogs... Not guide dogs) Labradors, as the show lines (and guide dog lines) tend to have terrible joint issues.
People who breed working gun dogs generally don't last long in the game if their dogs can't work due to elbow and/or hip dysplasia.
Ideally, try to find a breeder of working gun dogs who also has the pet dog "market" in mind, so breeds not just for health, but for fantastic temperament too... I'd want to see the pups spending time in the breeder's house every day, being handled gently by different types of people (men, women, kids of varying ages), going for spins in the car, experiencing meeting visitors to the home, loud noises, vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, washing machines... You get the picture. Unless the breeder clearly and demonstrably goes out of their way to get pup experiencing lots of *stuff*, you need to be aware that dogs bred in quiet, rural homes are the ones most likely to feature with behavioural problems later in life.
One last thing... Labradors (and a couple of other breeds) are of late really over-represented alongside breeds most likely to develop resource guarding issues... Possessiveness over food, toys, chew toys etc... This trait is probably somewhat inherited, but is doubtless also "switched on" by the breeder in the early days, for example allowing pups to share one food bowl is a recipe for switching on growliness over food... Not supervising play with toys the same. The first thing all pup owners should do with new pups, regardless of breed or creed, is to play swapsie games with toys and chews, and at every mealtime, withhold some food, then deliver it in installments to the pup's bowl just as he gets to the end of what's already there... Adults, kids and visitors should practise these simple troubleshooting exercises with pup... If you've no kids or regular visitors, make bloody sure you beg, borrow or steal some whilst pup is between 8-16 weeks, the earlier the better.

volchitsa

Ive said this before, but I got a great tip (not sure who from now) which was to feed the pup by hand, if possible no bowls at all for the first two weeks or so (obviously only really works if you're feeding kibble). The main idea there was bonding, but I imagine it is likely to make the pup happier about people handling his food as well.

Being a first time dog owner I wasn't even aware of all the issues there could be when choosing a pup, but with hindsight resource guarding was a definite possibility, since she was from a litter of 10 where the mother was quickly unable to feed them all, and they were fed from a single bowl as you describe, but she's been fine. (We also did the adding nice stuff to her food as she's still eating, which I feel helped too).

DBB

Feeding from the hand is no harm at all. The reason I like to add food in installments to the bowl as pup is feeding is because, behaviour-wise, I prefer to have things as close to where I ultimately want them to be... So, because the pup will ultimately eat out of a bowl for his lifetime, I like to do bowl-related exercises from the outset.
Food guarding isn't just about the dog being OK about people handling his food. A sizeable chunk of food guarding has the human's approach to the bowl as part of the cue for the dog to start feeling antsy, so approaching the feeding bowl several times at each mealtime to deliver more helps to prevent, or diminish, this large element of what's going on with resource guarding.
It is without doubt a good idea for kids particularly, but also strangers, when they walk up to feeding puppy, that they throw something really tasty and lovely into pup's bowl, kids approaching bowl = jackpot!
Similarly, I'd advise never getting angry with a pup when you discover he has stolen something he shouldn't have... Keep it light hearted, swap for something he can have, and leave it at that. With time, pup can be taught, gently and with a fun attitude, to give stuff up very willingly and without resentment... The human response to "bold" things a puppy does can cause future behaviours that make the initial robbery of the tea towel a very small problem in comparison!