Haha, was that how you decided? Abrams is a beautiful dog and I do really like Chessies. But I think lab wins over the unknown. I feel too attached to the breed to get a different retriever.
I'm having a real hard time finding a local lab breeder. There are some fabulous bench breeders around but I want to find someone in the middle. I was going to go with a breeder in washington but I don't think she'll have puppies in the time frame that would be ideal for me. She just whelped one litter and it has all chocolates, but they're spoken for anyways. I think I'm going to email her anyways since I don't seem to be having any luck in alberta. But I still need to dig!
Also, for anyone who might have any good leads, please PM me if you know of any good breeders within BC, Alberta, Sask, WA, and Montana.
Yup, I had been set on getting a male black Lab for like....five years. Then as time started drawing closer, I was all like, "Well, maybe I should get a smaller dog, since I'll be renting and moving and God knows what else." So I started researching smaller breeds, mainly the various types of Spaniels. Then I was like, "But man, I really really like Retrievers...." So I started looking at Lab breeders again. Then I was all like, "But I really like a more serious, protective dog, and Michael is going to be gone and I'd really like to have a dog that would give me a sense of security, but I really like Retrievers and can't have a commonly banned breed due to renting/moving...."so I started looking at Chessies (and Curlies).
And since I couldn't find any Labrador breeders in my area breeding the type of dog I wanted (moderate type, I hate heavy bench dogs and super wispy field dogs) and the Curly coat type wasn't doing it for me (although now I think I'd LOVE it) I said, "Okay, a Chessie!" ROFL Then Abrams' breeder had a litter just when I needed one and she had a person back off her wait list so I could get a male, and wahlah, Abrams became mine.
And, Zhucca, I'm *pretty* sure I know what breeder you are talking about in WA, and if you like the dogs she produces, she is SUPER helpful and would be more than happy to point you in the direction of some local breeders. I'm clear in Indiana, and I had emailed her at one point or another to ask her if she knew of anyone in my area and she was able to point me to someone in PA. So even if she isn't going to have a litter in the time frame you want, she is super nice and super helpful and should help you find a breeder in your area that will.