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Puppy
Checklist
Please
take a moment to read through and print this page before you add a new
dog to your home.
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Looking for a Labrador Retriever Puppy?
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Because
we, in rescue, often receive or must reject the results of irresponsible
breeders or irresponsible puppy sales, we have compiled this brochure
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 them 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 $400-$600
or more for a well bred puppy.
You may
have known someone who has or you may yourself 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 make this
event unlikely to reoccur. Chief among these are temperament problems
ranging from aggression to shyness to hyperactivity. Hip 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.
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.
Do both
parents (the sire and dam) have a hip 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.
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.
Do either
parent have other clearances, Elbow, Heart, and Thyroid? These are some
of the other problems labradors can have and some breeders are checking
for.
Are both
parents at least 2 years old? Final hip clearances cannot be obtained
before that age. 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.
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
reoccurring.
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)?
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.
Do you
feel comfortable with this person, after all you are entering into a decade
long relationship? Are you feeling intimidated or pressured? If so, keep
looking!
Questions
to Ask Yourself...
Are
You Prepared To...
- 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?
If you
answered yes to ALL of the above you are ready
to start contacting breeders. Start early because most responsible breeders
have a waiting list ranging from a few of months to a couple of years.
Remember, the right puppy or adult dog is
worth waiting for!!
A word
about rescue dogs...
Rescue
dogs may or may not be responsibly bred. However, since they are adults,
we are able to evaluate them for any signs of a problem before you fall
in love, something that can't be done with a puppy. We consider this
only one of the many advantages to adopting an older dog!
Modified
from Original by Cheryl Minnier by the Lab Rescue of North Carolina
Thanks to their wonderful group for allowing us to use it here!
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