Labradors

Labradors

What is a Responsible Breeder...And How Do I Find One?

The information contained here might be lengthy, for which I apologize. Please do not let my verbosity interfere with your acquiring the information I have to share here, because the more information you have, the better armed you are against the unknowledgeable, ignorant (i.e., lacking information) breeders who wish only to sell their dogs and take your money, offering far too much probability for heartache in return.

Breeding responsibly should encompass an entire world of purpose, thought and knowledge, and should even include a very clear-cut and unwavering sense of moral obligation and conscience. Breeding responsibly is more than having your Labrador deemed healthy for breeding, and with a fine temperament, by a cursory health examination by a veterinarian. Just as true beauty is more than skin deep, true health is more than skin deep, and cannot be completely determined by a simple health exam. A responsible breeder looks beyond the beauty to the brains, the underlying genetic make-up and overall general health of the Labradors being bred. This breeder will have knowledge of the health, temperament, faults and strengths of not just the Labrador being bred, but the parents (and siblings), grandparents (and siblings), great-grandparents, etc., and going back as far as 7 or 8 generations or more, thereby ensuring to the highest extent possible, the overall health, temperament and intelligence of the entire bloodline. There is a lot more to genetics than simply that which meets the eye. And believe me, EVERYTHING that affects our Labradors, whether physically, emotionally, or behaviorally, is, to a great extent, genetic!!

A responsible breeder breeds only for themselves (not to simply make puppies), to improve their own bloodlines and that of the future of the breed as a whole, regardless of personal agendas, current fads, fancies and always with improvement of the breed being of utmost importance. A responsible breeder breeds to the breed standard, ever striving to reach the unattainable - the "perfect" Labrador. This breeding business is an art, and one that is a precarious and carefully maintained balance between health, intelligence, temperament and beauty.

A responsible breeder WILL:

· breed ONLY to create better dogs as defined by their breed standard

· be able to compare their own dogs with the breed standard

· ensure to the highest extent possible, both the bitch and dog being bred are healthy and clear of hereditary diseases

· very carefully research any planned or potential breeding

· help you select the right puppy for you, your family and home situation

· guarantee general health until your puppy sees your own veterinarian

· never require you to return a genetically (or otherwise) affected dog that is refunded or replaced

· guarantee temperament for life, usually with few conditions

· raise puppies in the house, not in a kennel (there are VERY few exceptions to this rule)

· socialize puppies from the day they are born

· have and share intimate knowledge of each individual puppy's personality

· work their dogs - conformation, obedience, agility, herding, tracking, etc

· be interested in your puppy throughout its life and will want to keep in touch with you

· be available to you any time you have a question or problem

· provide you complete vaccination and health records

· provide pedigree, copies of health certificates on parents, where available

· provide food and exercise recommendations

· require that you return the dog to them if, at any time, you are unable to keep the dog

· ALWAYS be willing to take back one of their dogs, regardless of reason

· freely share information about the breed and their own dogs

· take advantage of educational and learning opportunities - seminars, training, etc.

· usually not have the sire of a litter on the premises

· believe the only stupid question is the one you do not ask

· allow you to meet other of their dogs, including the dam of the litter, and any available relatives

· keep any puppies they cannot place, for forever, if necessary

A responsible breeder will make you feel as though you are adopting a child - which may sound silly - but believe me, to the breeder, it is not. A responsible breeder invests their heart and not an inconsiderable amount of time and money into their breeding program. Placing the puppies with care is simply an extension of the breeder's care for the breed as a whole. Taking responsibility for the lives they have created should be of paramount importance to them. They may also encourage pet homes to do genetic testing on the puppies they take home, perhaps offering a refund on the purchase price for such tests, so the breeder can have a more extensive, broader knowledge of the genetics of their bloodlines. This knowledge is essential in order to continue to produce the best possible Labradors.

Avoid the breeder who:

· Does not ask questions and is only interested in your money.

· Makes you uncomfortable or lives in questionable/unacceptable surroundings.

· Pushes you to buy their puppy, rather than work to find the best puppy for you whether theirs or someone else's.

Remember, it should be important to the breeder that you acquire the right puppy or dog, and that the puppy or dog finds the right and best home, whether you deal with this breeder or another. This may mean the breeder may refuse to place a puppy with you, choosing to refer you to another breeder - it is always the breeder's discretionary responsibility and right to do best by the puppy, who has no voice of his own, while offering you the best information possible toward your finding the best - the right - puppy for you.

Common Myths and Misconceptions...

Purebred or "AKC Registered" equals health and quality. This could not be further from the truth! The quality of the dog is only as good as the genetics passed on to him by his sire and dam.

A quality breeder has many dogs and litters. This, too is FALSE. The number of dogs a breeder owns should be directly proportionate to the ability to care for the numbers present. Numbers or lack thereof does not constitute good, bad or indifferent.

A breeder with many breeds is a quality breeder. FALSE again. It is difficult enough for a breeder to concentrate on the standard, diseases, temperament and bloodlines of one breed. To add several more breeds would simply dilute the quality and quantity of information that breeder may have of the different breeds owned and being bred.

Champion pedigree equals health and quality. This is also FALSE. Champions in a pedigree do not tell you anything about the health or underlying genetic quality of the dog, and having champions in the pedigree does not increase your dog's value.

Purebred dogs should be bred because they are purebred. This is FALSE. There is nothing that automatically makes a dog valuable for breeding, the least of which is simply by being born to a sire and dam that are purebred. Breeding quality goes far deeper than the paper on which a pedigree is written, deeper, even, than the outward beauty or obvious intelligence of the dog.

The vet says she's healthy and it's OK. FALSE! The quality of health of any bitch or dog to be judged worthy of breeding cannot be known without several different tests for various genetic diseases, as well as knowledge of the ancestry of the dogs being considered for breeding. A simple, cursory examination performed by your busy veterinarian is not sufficient to determine or warrant the health of any dog for breeding.

Breeding is good education for the kids. NOT TRUE! Unless, of course, you wish to teach illness, deformity, disease and death, possibly even inconsolable grief of the pregnant bitch if none of the litter survive - all of which are possible with any litter that is bred, but especially those that are misinformed or unknowledgeable. Breeding "for education" could easily turn out to be the most expensive - and saddest - lesson you could ever teach or learn!

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