Hi I'm new here. I'm looking into getting a Labrador puppy in the new year. Can anyone recommend a good breeder? Thank you.
Welcome to you. Here is a great place to start - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/8-steps-to-buying-a-healthy-labrador-puppy/ Champ Dogs is good too, but check for inbreeding - https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health/for-breeders/inbreeding/ Be sure to read this too - https://www.thelabradorsite.com/what-to-expect-of-a-new-labrador-puppy/
Hi and welcome to the forum. The majority of members are in the UK, but it's not exclusive. We have Australians, Canadians, Americans, people in Dubai, Spain, Germany... we're quite international, really Where in the UK are you and how far are you willing to travel? Do you know what sort of Labrador you want? Do you want him or her just as a family pet, or would you be interested in trying your hand at dog sports or showing? Are you after a specific colour? These answers will help people direct you better.
I'm in Lancashire. I would be willing to travel but hopefully not to far as I would like to be able to visit the puppy. I'm after a male golden lab. Just as a family pet. I work at a dog day care and all our labs are happy, friendly and very sociable. I have just lost my alsation cross at 13 years old. Had dogs all my life and been working with packs of 30+ for 2+ years.
Sorry you lost your doggy friend I can't help with breeders in that area; my latest puppy came from southern Scotland and she doesn't produce yellows (the proper term for any Labrador that is white/yellow/gold coloured). I'm sure other people will be able to help. The twin pillars of choosing a litter are finding parents with brilliant temperament and brilliant health checks. You need both parents to be scored for their elbows (must both be 0:0) and their hips (as low as possible, and certainly below the breed average). It's not good enough for only one parent to be tested. Eye test are also very important - these should have been done within the last year, and then there are a handful of other tests that you should have either the dogs tested for or, if you know one parent is completely clear, the other may not need to be tested as there's no way the puppies could be affected. These include CNM, HPNK, EIC and SD2 - the articles @Boogie linked to explain more. Temperament is massive and is a pet thing of mine. I chose my latest pup to be from parents who were completely bullet-proof, because my older dogs (both three years old) have anxiety issues, and it's hard to have to deal with it in daily life. It can be a much more difficult thing to judge than health tests, but if you find parents who don't have any reactivity to other dogs or people, who get out and about in loads of different situations in their lives and just get on with it, then you'll have an idea that they are robust and so will more likely produce robust puppies. A confident puppy has its own challenges, to be sure, but they are easily dealt with by training, whereas dealing with a dog that is scared or anxious is emotionally draining, take my word for it! Do you have a preference as to the shape/type of Labrador you want? I don't know if you're aware, but the breed has split into two parts, one the "show" dogs and the other the "working" or "field" dogs. In general, the show dogs tend to have the traditional block head, about a 50:50 ratio of leg length to body depth and thicker bones, which can make them look shorter and heavier. Field/working-line dogs are often lighter of bone, with narrower heads and a longer leg-to-body radio. This isn't always the case; you do get field dogs with good conformation and lovely blocky heads, too. Then, of course, there are a multitude of dogs who come between the two - they aren't bred to either work or to go into the show ring. But you will probably still notice a split in dogs that have a thicker head and those that have a narrower one. You'll hear all sorts of stereotypes when looking one way or the other; that field-bred dogs are unable to relax and show-bred dogs are untrainable. It's all rubbish! My three-year-olds are field-bred and spend most of the day snoozing more than happily. My youngster is show-bred and is bright as a button who loves to learn.
FWIW, Goldens refers to Golden Retrievers, Labs come in Black, Chocolate, and Yellow. Some Yellows are almost white, and some are "Fox Red" A few Chocolates are a Silver color similar to Weimaraners. Some breeders try to market them as a special color, but I think the breeders and judges consider it a defect.
