I'm not sure if I can post this and I'm sorry if I shouldn't be posting it. We are after a Labrador puppy. Now in 2002 we paid £250 for my first black Labrador. In my eyes she was priceless. Now since looking at several sites including the KC and champdogs prices range from £350-over £1000 I will pay the going rate for a Labrador pup but what is the going rate. Thanks
I would say "it depends" First and foremost, you want to ensure that the breeder is reputable and performs all the necessary health tests, such as hip and elbow scores, eye test, exercise-induced collapse, HPNK and others. These tests don't come cheap, so will push the price up, but you can't afford not to have them done. The puppies at the lower end of that price range are likely people who have chosen to have a litter from their pet dog and may not even be aware that these health tests should be done on both parents. Here is some more information: https://www.thelabradorsite.com/health-screening-for-labrador-diseases/ Alongside health, you want to ensure that the puppies are being bred ethically for temperament. For example, I love my boy, Shadow, with all my heart, but I would never breed from him because he is too highly strung. If I compare my latest puppy's temperament with that of the older two, they are worlds apart - she is solid as a rock compared to the older anxious pair - and that comes down to responsible breeding. The next thing to look at is what you want the dog for. The higher end of the price range will be from either very good show stock, or very good working stock, with Champions in their recent pedigree. There are lots of generalisations flung around when it comes to field vs show dogs, some of which are a bit of snobbery, others which have some basis in fact. Dogs from show lines tend to have a broader skull and a shorter leg-to-body ratio (about 50:50) compared to dogs from field lines, which tend to be finer boned and longer legged. You will often hear that field line dogs don't make good pets because they're switched on all the time. I can tell you that's not necessarily true; my two older ones are from strong field lines and have been able to settle in the house perfectly well since they were puppies. Similarly with my current puppy, who is from show lines. However, because the field lines dogs were bred for working ability more than for solid temperaments, neither of them is an easy pet dog, far from it. But, that is just my experience with the dogs I have and there are plenty of people breeding working Labradors with far more solid temperaments than my two. Getting back to price, you need to ask yourself if you need a dog from top-notch working lines (are you intending to enter tests and/or trials?) or from strong show lines (are you intending to show the dog?) and, if not, then you probably don't need to be looking to the absolute top of the price range. If what you want is a good companion, then look for one who comes from pet dogs with all the health tests, solid temperaments, good with children (whether or not you have your own - I don't, but it was still a problem that I had dogs who were scared of children, as they would bark at them in the street), and looking the way you like. Make sure the puppies are brought up in a home environment. I would always choose a breeder with some experience over a complete novice, just in case there are any complications. And choose one with a good contract, who will take the puppy back without question if needs be, and will cover any necessary medical costs incurred by a breeding fault for the first "x" months. If you have any questions about particular breeders, we don't encourage discussion of individual names on the open forum, but feel free to PM me if you'd like me to give my thoughts.
Well when we were looking a year and a half ago, it was at the upper end of that spectrum for health tested pups with good scores, from a local reputable gun dog trainer and breeder, who raised the pups in the home around lots of noises, exposure to farm life, and so on. There were cheaper ones but they hadn't done all of the heath tests @snowbunny has mentioned. The litter we went for were bred for temperment and also came from champion working lines (not that we're working our dog but that did factor in to the cost).
What an excellent reply from snowbunny. Not much to add, except a comment to this: I fully agree. I had also heard that showline dogs don't make good pets because they are bred for looks rather than temperament. I'm sure that's not necessarily true either. We paid 1300€ for our pup this year. He's from a working line, registered and hip/eye scored parents, a responsible breeding programme to keep a wide gene pool, full health check-ups for the puppies. Puppy came with a comprehensive instruction folder, lab leash, rucksack, chew, bowl, etc. The breeder held a follow-up event for the whole litter at 5 months, and run everyone through retrieving practice. No complaints from us.
We paid £700 for Tatze, both parents with excellent hip scores and health results. She was sold as a pet dog from Champdogs, she was raised in a busy household kitchen - which is what we wanted.
I've heard show-line dogs are too stupid to be trained etc etc. It's mostly nonsense, but there are some grains of truth in most stuff, or at least support from studies of one. At the shows I've been to, there has been incredibly little in the way of argy-bargy between dogs, which is amazing considering the close proximity of them. And in order to be successful, they have to be supremely confident; they are manhandled by strangers, in noisy environments with people and dogs buzzing around all over the place. Confident dogs are obviously less sensitive, so, if you're using aversive methods, would need harsher methods to train them. We laugh at how solid Luna is in comparison to the oter two; if there's a hint of me opening a door towards the older two, they will leap up and skitter away. Luna will stay there, not moving even if I am pushing the door against her. She doesn't care a jot. If I raise an eyebrow at W&S, they can take it to heart. Luna wouldn't care if I detonated a bomb in front of her However, I knew when I chose a breeder that I wanted a dog who wasn't just a pretty face, so chose a dog from parents with strong show lines but also proven working ability. Parents are everything
And THIS is my dream temperament! I like the way this thread has gone down the road of focusing on what the different lines can offer and what determines the price between different breeders vs. simply talking about price. I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that the purchase price of a dog is pretty much irrelevant when compared to other costs over the lifetime of a dog. Heck, even for the costs of the first couple years of that dog's life. The only reason I even remember what I paid for Duncan (progeny of champion dam and sire) and Brogan (part of a rescue litter) was that I always thought it was funny that the price from the excellent breeder and the adoption fee from the rescue group were precisely the same.
Wow. Thank you so much. I wasn't sure what was acceptable to post, where the line was drawn. I might take you up on that offer of PM'ing you.
Yes very good reply. Just what I was after and other valuable info from others who have commented Thank you
First of all thank you so much for such informative replies. We are after a dog with a very good temperament, so either show or working line. My main concern is - we have s Labrador who is 4 years old. We took her on when she was 2. She came from a very poor breeder and as a result of this she is one nervous dog. We have worked so hard with her over the last 2 years the results are amazing. But she is still a very nervous and anxious dog. So really I'm looking for any further advice that could help our little girl improve and become even more confident. Also a very good companion for her and us. We lost our 14 year old lab in May this year. We had her put to sleep as her time had come. She was in pain and had started to suffer. One other question please. If we have a female now is it advisable to get another bitch or a dog? We've been told by a breeder it doesn't matter so long as they are bred from a good temperamented lines. Thank you again
Hi Tammy , first of all I am so sorry to read about your recent loss , they leave massive holes in our hearts and lives x I an understand your concerns about your current resident dog and can only speak from experience in that having a second dog can really help a nervous anxious dog to build confidence , well done to you for helping her to overcome her issues , rescuing is a very rewarding but tiring thing to do , I know ! Speaking just from my own experience again , I think I would err towards having a male dog this time . Where Labradors are concerned, it doesn't really make a vast amount of difference which mix you go for , as they will generally rub along nicely but as your girl is an anxious dog , a male might be easier for you , lots of luck x
Well, my older pair (they're only just three years, so I probably should stop calling them "older" ) are one of each sex. Shadow is entire and Willow is spayed. Shadow can be reactive to male dogs so I decided it was safer to get a female pup when I was choosing my next. Didn't matter, they both hated her on sight anyway! Oops! It took a couple of months before I felt truly comfortable with them all out together, but since then they have all adored one another. I'm sure, in hindsight, they would have been exactly the same with a male puppy, but it sure would have worried me more at the time, with Shadow's history with boys. I don't think the sex really matters if, as you say, the temperament is good. Be prepared to have to keep them separate for a while, except under very controlled conditions just in case it comes to that. But, you'll most likely find that your current dog is fine with a new puppy. Mine are just very jittery beasts. Again, having a puppy with a rock-solid temperament is a good thing if there is a chance of your older dog being a bit snippy. Luna had amazing body language from the outset from being around lots of other dogs, and recovered very quickly from the other two being nasty towards her, rushing her pen etc. A more timid puppy might have been affected by that.
@Tammy Cooke , I just realised I my post may have come across as critical of you for asking about prices. I didn't mean that at all! It's a totally valid question. I just meant that I found everyone's answers really interesting and relevant to my own puppy hunt. I'm also sorry to hear of the loss of your girl in May. It doesn't matter what age they are, that's a tough road. Lastly, @snowbunny is a great one for advice on anxious dogs as well. I've learned a lot from her posts on her experiences with her own anxious pup.
Hey, @Tammy Cooke, maybe you and @Emily_BabbelHund should join forces on the puppy hunt. You can see from her status of "Longest on the Forum without an actual dog" that she really should be puppied up by now....
She was my sisters dog Kate, they bought her from a questionable breeder and didn't really do much research prior to getting her nor did they have the time of the experience to help her. My partner (Jim) and I fell in love with her when we looked after her for 2 weeks while they went in their hols. She was brilliant then, quite nervous but nothing I was worried about. The year after she stayed with us for a week and she was a different dog entirely. She had been attacked by another dog in the local park, this and the fact that she was nervous to start with, made her even more nervous. When my sister returned from holiday, myself jim and Sadie our other lab at that time, were so sad to see her go. Sadie went in to her quiet self and life didn't seem as full. I think my sister and her husband were struggling to manage her and when I asked if we could take her on permanently, my sister finally agreed but her husband took some persuading. It broke their hearts but they knew it was best for their girl. So September 2015 we took her in and it's been hard but very rewarding. She was a very nervous, to the point of aggression. Now she is like another dog completely. She is more confident and she's come out of her shell. When Sadie passed her nervousness returned significantly. Sadie was a big sister to her and she had a way about her that nobody messed with her and Shiko gained confidence from this, she fed of her confidence. So we need another confident dog, we have the determination and time to give in order to make this work. I'm excited at the thought of this adventure but feel very guilty at thinking about another dog so soon after my girl Sadie has passed. I know she had a brilliant life, me and Sadie had it rough but we got through it. She was my rock through some pretty horrendous times. We think of her daily and yes I still cry but not for long as we then remember one of the antics she'd gotten up to when she was with us and these antics continued right to the very end. X
Hold on to the good memories they help so much and I sympathize totally don't feel guilty. Just have fun with your new pup
Please don't feel guilty Tammy , a heart always has room for more love . I lost a dog last year , and felt just the same , but this little rehomed one of ours needed love and my Lab Sam needed another friend just as your dog does. Thank you for sharing your story , I wish you much luck in your search , try to look forward , the memories will still be there x
Don't feel guilty; it's been a few months since you lost your lovely girl, Sadie. My daughter was so determined to get me another pup after my last beautiful boy passed on, she put a deposit on a pup (from an only very recently pregnant bitch) a mere two weeks later. So four months later and I had a new puppy (which had/has a number of genetic problems as per my explanation on another thread). Despite the problems, I love him to bits for his own self - he'll never replace either of my two previous Labs, and by the same token, no other dog in the hopefully vastly long future will ever replace him.
Please don’t feel guilty. I got puppy Tatze when Gavin was a very old man - 15 years, knowing she would console me when he went. It did him good as it happened, but my reason was for me. It’s very, very hard to lose such a loved member of your family, be kind to yourself xx .
