How do you find a quality dog breeder?

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Zack1978

Zack1978

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Hi everyone,
In the future I will be looking for a choc lab puppy, and I want to find the best quality dog available. I would like a dog of "English" stock. So what are some tips of finding a good quality breeder, and avoiding a "puppy mill"? Does anyone know of quality breeders on the east coast? What should I expect to pay for a quality dog? Any and all help would be great.


Thanks,
Zack
 
I got nothing for for labs in particular except watch for hip displasia, (SP?)

If you want to stay away from inbreeding stay away from show lines, that often means going to what a show breeder would call a "puppy mill".

Those breeding show dogs are breeding for a type/look, many do "line breeding" (inbreeding) to get/maintain that look along with this comes genetic problems. once the look is achieved and the dog becomes a champion they breed the hell out of this already inbred dog and after a few decades this spirals out of control and ruins a breed.

If you are looking for a pet find someone working on health temperament and intelligence not so much "type"
 
My brother's choc lab just had puppys. Sorry to say he does not have any for sale. His lab if is from Idaho and has English in the blood line, the sire is block head choc from Colorado. I would suggest contacting the AKC, they may be able to help you out. Also, I have found that people who breed labs for hunting are more picky about who they breed with. Choc labs usually are better than yellow or black due to the fact that they are so anal about the choc labs involved with breeding are factored chocolate w/out any yellow or lab in the mix for at least two generations. Those that breed hunting dogs will often make sure that the dame or sire have been checked for hip displasia. If you'd like I can try and get you in touch with the lady he sired through in Denver.
 
I tried to adopt a dog years ago and was told that since it would be home all day (like very dog I own or have owned) then I was an unfit home. As long as the wife and I both work, I guess "rescue" is out of the question.

I'll be looking for a choc lab in the spring, family companion, not a hunter, prefer English as I want a smaller, blockier dog. I'll let you know what I find. Our Lab/Golden mix is 10 and we'd like to start prepping the next generation for when the golden girl eventually passes on. :(

Right now I'm leaning towards these guys but haven't started making visits to breeders yet. Pritchett's Labs
 
Last edited:
Atticus said:
That's not what he asked.

Contacting the AKC is a good idea. You also want a "hunter" and not a show dog line. Hunters tend not to have the hip problems and are, in my experience, brighter.
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True. That is not what he asked but "a good dog breeder" is an oxymoron.
 
Atticus said:
I am a cooperative person by nature.
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I do so hate the W.T. breeders though that sell the poor inbred dogs at flea markets. (no pun intended).

Unless you really need a working dog bred to do a specific task, rescuing a dog from a pound or the spca is best thing to do.
 
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