Puppy Buyers' Toolbox

Please take a moment to read through and print this page before you add a new dog to your home.

Looking for a Labrador Retriever Puppy?

Because we, in rescue, often receive or must reject the results of irresponsible breeders or irresponsible puppy sales, we have compiled this page to help you make the right choice in a puppy. Before you fall in love with the first adorable Labrador face you see, take the time in an initial phone call to ask the following questions. You may not find a breeder who fits 100% of these criteria but don't settle for anything less than one or two negative responses. At the end of the list you will find questions to ask yourself. You should be able to answer all of those affirmatively before you begin your search.

Remember you are adding a new member to your family for the next 10-15 years. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO BARGAIN HUNT!! Prepare to spend at least $1000-$1,600 or more for a well bred puppy. (This figure is for Labrador Retrievers -- other breeds will vary.)

You may have known someone who has (or you yourself may have) purchased a "backyard" bred dog, or a "pet store" or "puppy mill" dog and had great success. However, the high number of serious problems seen in the breed today makes this course of action a serious gamble. Chief among these problems are temperament abnormalities ranging from aggression to shyness to hyperactivity. Hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, eye problems causing blindness, heart defects that can severely shorten life span and auto immune disorders and cancer are also becoming prevalent.

Responsible breeders will do all they can to avoid these problems by researching pedigrees and screening parents for certain inherited problems before breeding. Remember that clearances on the parents don't guarantee that the puppies will be free of problems, but your chances of buying a healthy puppy are greatly improved if the parents have been cleared.

Keep this checklist by the phone when you make your calls and... Good Luck!!!

• Where did you find out about this breeder? Responsible breeders usually have a waiting list of puppy buyers. They usually don't find it necessary to advertise in newspapers or with a sign out in the front yard. Having a hard time finding responsible breeders? The American Kennel Club, www.akc.org has links to national and regional breed club puppy referral contacts. Keep in mind that membership in a club is just part of the equation.
  
  
• Do both parents (the sire and dam) have a hip clearance and an elbow clearance from the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals), PennHip or Wind-Morgan? Ask to see the certificates. "My vet okayed the x-ray" is not a valid clearance. Prelims can be done before two years, but some dogs can fail to get final OFA clearance at two years, even if they passed before. OFA passing scores for hips are "excellent" "good" and "fair". All are considered normal. Elbows have just one level of clearance - "normal".
  
  
• Do both parents have current eye clearances from an Opthomologist or CERF certificate (Canine Eye Registry)? This must be re-done every year. Ask to see the certificates. A new genetic marker test (OPTIGEN) is being used to predict which dogs carrry the gene for PRA, a late onset form of blindness, but a CERF exam is still necessary to rule out other disorders.
  
  
• Do either parent have other clearances, such as Heart or Thyroid? These are some of the other problems labradors can have and some breeders are checking for. An inherited heart defect called TVD (tricuspid valve dysplasia) can be a problem in Labradors. At the very least, a reputible breeder will be knowledgeable about this issue. (If you mention "TVD" and get "huh?" as a response, this may be a tipoff that you are not dealing with a responsible breeder.) NOTE: some breeders advertise "DNA profiled" parents -- this is NOT a health clearance or proof of quality, at least at this time, but merely a means of proving parentage.
  
  
• Are both parents at least 2 years old? A female Labrador under the age of 2 may not be mature enough to raise a litter. Final hip clearances cannot be obtained before that age. OFA reports that prelims are about 95% accurate but a small precentage may not pass at 2 years.
  
  
• How often is the dam bred? If it is every heat cycle, this is too often, and may indicate that profit is the primary motive for the breeding.
  
  
• Do all four grandparents, siblings of the parents and any other puppies that they may have produced have these clearances? A responsible breeder will keep track of these statistics and honestly discuss any problems that have occurred in the lines and what has been done to prevent them from re-occurring.
  
  
• Is the breeder willing to provide you with references and telephone numbers of other people who have purchased puppies from them?
  
  
• Will the puppy have a limited registration with a mandatory spay/neuter contract? A breeder who cares enough about the breed to insist on these is likely to be a responsible breeder.
  
  
• On what basis was the sire chosen? If the answer is "because he lives right down the street" or "because he is really sweet," it may be that sufficient thought was not put into the breeding.
  
  
• WILL THE BREEDER TAKE THE DOG BACK AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON, IF YOU CANNOT KEEP IT?! This is the hallmark of responsible breeding (and the quickest way to make rescue obsolete).
  
  
• Is there a written guarantee against congenital health or temperament problems, that does not require you to return your puppy or euthanize it?
  
  
• Will the breeder be available to answer any question you might have for the life of the dog? Is this someone you would feel comfortable asking any type of question?
  
  
• Is the breeder knowledgeable about the breed? Is he or she involved in competition with their dogs (field, obedience, or conformation)? This shows a willingness to measure the quality of their dogs against others of the breed.
  
  
• Are there a majority of titled dogs (the initials: CH, OTCH, CD, JH, WC... before or after the names) in the first two generations? The term champion lines means nothing if those titles are back three or more generations or there is only one or two in the whole pedigree.
  
  
• Is the dam available for you to meet? Although the best stud may live far away, the breeder should be able to show you pictures and answer questions about his temperament and health. Note: owning a "breeding pair" with little in common other than being of the same breed is often a sign of an ill-informed breeder. Even responsible breeders who might happen to have the perfect sire at home rarely use the term "both parents on site," knowing that the dog's other qualities are more important than his location!
  
  
• Have the puppies been raised in the home -- not in a kennel, barn or the back yard?
  
  
• Is the breeder knowledgeable about raising puppies, critical neonatal periods, proper socialization techniques? Puppies that are raised without high exposure to gentle handling, human contact and a wide variety of noises and experiences OR are removed from their dam or litter mates before at least 7 weeks, may exhibit a wide variety of behavioral problems!
  
  
• Does the breeder provide you with a 3-5 generation pedigree, a contract to sign, copies of all clearances and guarantee, health records and material to help you with feeding, training and housebreaking?
  
  
• Have the puppies temperaments been evaluated and can the breeder guide you to the puppy that will best suite your lifestyle? A very shy puppy will not do well in a noisy household with small children, just as a very dominant puppy won't flourish in a sedate, senior citizen household. A caring breeder will know the puppies and be able to show you how to test them so that good matches can be made.
  
  
• Do the puppies seem healthy, with no discharge from eyes or nose, no loose stools, no foul smelling ears? Are their coats soft, full and clean? Do they have plenty of energy when awake yet calm down easily when gently stroked?
  
  
• Do the puppies have their first shots and have they been wormed and vet checked by the time they go to your home?
  
  
• Does the breeder have only one or at most two breeds of dogs and only one or two litters at a time? If there are many breeds of dogs there, the chances are the breeder cannot devote the time it takes to become really knowledgeable about the breed and if there is more than one litter at a time it is very difficult to give the puppies the attention they need and may indicate that the primary purpose for breeding is profit, rather than a sincere desire to improve the breed.
  
  
• Does the breeder belong to a Labrador Retriever Club and/or a local All-Breed Club? Is the breeder actively involved, or does he or she merely pay yearly dues?
  
  
• Do you feel comfortable with this person? A good breeder will become your "dog-in-law" -- will you be comfortable asking for advice? You may not be an expert on dogs, but you probably know people. Trust your instincts!
  
  
• Are you feeling intimidated or pressured? If so, keep looking!

• Take full responsibility for this dog and all its needs for the next 10-15 years? This is NOT a task that can be left to children!
  
  
• Invest the considerable time, money and patience it takes to train the dog to be a good companion? (This does not happen by itself!! !!)
  
  
• Always keep the dog safe; no running loose, riding in the back of an open pick up truck or being chained outside?
  
  
• Make sure the dog gets enough attention and exercise? (Labrador puppies need several hours of both, every day!!)
  
  
• Live with shedding, retrieving, drooling and high activity for the next 10-15 years?
  
  
• Spend the money it takes to provide proper veterinary care including but certainly not limited to: vaccines, heartworm testing and preventative, spaying or neutering and annual check ups?
  
  
• Become educated about the proper care of the breed, correct training methods and how to groom? (There are many good books available, invest the time to read a few.)
  
  
• Keep the breeder informed and up to date on the dogs accomplishments and problems?
  
  
• Take your questions to the breeder or other appropriate professional before they become problems that are out of hand?
  
  
• Have the patience to accept (and enjoy) the trials of Labrador puppyhood, which can last for three years, and each stage afterward?
  
  
• Continue to accept responsibility for the dog despite inevitable life changes such as new
  babies, kids going off to school, moving or returning to work?
  
  
• Resist impulse buying, and instead have the patience to make a responsible choice? Timing the acquisition of a new puppy to coincide with a special event (Christmas, birthday) rarely works out perfectly, and may lead to some unfortunate choices. Better to give a "puppy IOU" to the recipient, and to make them part of the selction process.