Any information on Labradors?

[LabBreeder]

I already own 2 Labs. A black female and a chocolate male. Both are AKC registered.
I know a good deal about them already from various books and internet resources (as well as reputable breeders)...however, I think you can always learn more. Especially when you are hoping to breed in the future.

Any information on breeders in Mo, specific encounters you've had with Labs, information you've found because you own one, health, etc. would be appreciated.

 

[simchi]

Hello LabBreeder , I too would love to know more about this breed . I have one yellow Lab at the moment She's wonderful .

 

[SummerRiot]

maybe Momof7 will catch this thread

She breds working Labs.

 

[simchi]

That would be good . Not like I want to breed any dog yet but it's always good to learn more . This is my very first time in handling Labrador , like I said she's wonderful . I wouldn't mind to be a hobbyist breeder in a few years time maybe .

 

[SummerRiot]

I took in a friends lab for 4 months while they went away to England.

the SMARTEST dog I had ever worked with! in the first maybe two weeks she was with me she learned SOO many tricks solid!

crawl, spin(in the direction I pointed), speak, wave, play dead, putting her head between her legs like she was in trouble(adorable to see!), roll over.. omg there were so many more.. she learned SOO quickly! She was completely people obsessed but wasn't the type of dog to be in your face and jump all over you. She ignored other dogs as well! Didn't chase anything she wasn't supposed to and LOVED to swim! She went up to my cottage with us.
She promoted me to want a lab sometime hehe
I still get to visit her every now and then and she comes over for short visits and Riot LOVES her.. she on the other hand was sick of seeing Riot in the end lmao!

 

[LabBreeder]

i'm just glad someone finally saw this thread...LOL.
i've been looking at pics of momof7's Labs while hunting and with their retrieves afterwards. They are good looking dogs and great at what they were bred to do!
i've got books on genetics, health, training, breeding...been looking online at various breeders and asking/seeing what they do...everything i possibly can to be as informed as possible.
you know some people think Labs are aggressive and bitey? they also think my Halti (head halter) is a kind of muzzle...even AFTER i explain that it just deters her from jumping and pulling on me.

btw, we have a "labrador corner" in our home...LOL we have our (almost) 2 year olds pedigree framed, her two registrations and a photo framed, 2 black and 2 chocolate Lab pictures (2 8x10 and 2 poster size), 2 puzzles, a collectors plate, a glass head on a stand with a black lab sitting in front of it, a figurine, a truck (with removeable yellow lab in the back) that plays "stand by me" and numerous pics of our babies....LMAO...ya think we like the breed??? oh yeah, and a Ducks Unlimited (old timey) piece of sheet metal with labs in front of a fireplace...hand painted. (you usually find them at older stores or truck stops with collector items).

it'd be nice if someone offered some more infor. btw, if you have any questsions about your yellow lab i might be able to help some.
i do know that yellows are more prone to sunburns and skin conditions.

 

[joce]

The last two labs I took in were more dobe in behavior than lab! They are sure not the nice dogs I grew up with. they are still sweethearts,they jsut don't have the "if you got robbed I'd help tie you up and drag out the tv"attitude.

I noticed them while we were having a bon fire one night and went to take them a hot dog,and they did their little pfftt barking at me. But they followed me back after the hot dog. But they kept going back to the spot in the road infront of the church and all I cna guess is that right were their owner dropped them off. It was the saddest thing to see this poor dog jsut lying in the road. You know some little kids loved these dogs,they had nailpolish on.

I called all the pounds,shelters,etc and had them for a week and no one claimed them adn I was secretly plotting how I could keep six dogs! I would causually look for homes but I really didn't want them to go so how great was it to find out that our new neighbors wanted to get a lab. It worked out great. One of their new owners works at a vets office so I didn;'t even have to pay for altering and everyhting was really cheap for thme. they have alittle girl who the dogs love. I don;t think they would ever let a thing happen to her.

they named the yellow one bonnie and the black one bowe.
bonnie is still chubby,but other than that they are great and I still get to see them jsut about every day!

I will get a yellow girl again someday buts its so hard to find a good breeder anymore. My girl I grew up with was named abbey and she was like my babysitter not my pet. I wish I had pics of her online. I need a new scanner.

My cousin has a black lab thats baout ten now but when she was younger she would retrieve anyhting. Her favorite was rocks. You had to ask people at the beach not to throw them. She broke sooo many teeth. At a park by us we'd throw a rock in the stream and she would go dive under and not come up untill she got something,sometimes twenty feet down the river. Her teeth are like nubbs now though. I feel so bad for her cuz she really is young,she just doesn't get around good naymore.

 

[LabBreeder]

i'm almost positive that if those Labs hadn't been dropped off or neglected they wouldn't have even barked or had a "dobe" attitude. (not that dobe's are mean, but they have different attitudes than a Lab) i mean, if you'd gotten dropped off and didn't know why, i'm sure you'd be testy too.
i've never seen an aggressive Lab. I've seen a female snap at another younger female who'd just come into her first heat...but that's to be expected when the younger one was a visitor and the other was "alpha female" (they were outside dogs). neither was ever hurt btw.

i'm so glad they found homes and they look absolutely gorgeous...even if one is a little chunky

these are my babies. Black Tear of Cheyene (Tira) and Gunner's Mate (Gunner)

It's hard to get a good "action" or "standing" shot of either of them. They love the camera and just want to pose for it. Every time she see's the camera she automatically sits. LOL Every time he see's it he wants to investigate...which means he's WAY to close. LOL

 

[joce]

Theres a lot of them out here who are aggressive. Its jsut bad breeding. The vet guessed the female had been bred multiple times too

they still act protective,its jsut whats in them. there are some labs that will down right eat your arm off. Its because no one pays attention to what they breed. Just throw twp dogs together and think they'll make money.

Poor bonnie waddles around everywere. I swear seh cna't eat that much but she jsut doens't loose any weight. its funny watching them fetch cuz she'll run the black one over trying to get the ball and its like he oges flying. She doens't get how big she is!

I love lab puppy pics! I love my dobe but I honeslty think lab pups are sooo much cuter(I swear byron jsut glared at me )

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

Labs are so overbred, it's disgusting. There are so many mean labs, when they're supposed to be the sweetest dogs on earth with not a mean bone in their body. There are so many huge labs...they're supposed to weigh 55-70 lbs. NO MORE! They're supposed to have nice otter tails, not curly tails. They're ears are floppy and near their head, not sticking out and then floppy.

Ugggh I hope and pray the Labrador will go back to what it's supposed to be.

 

[simchi]

Hello SummerRiot , If am not wrong is Riot a Malinois ? Very sturdy and your Rough Collies are Elegant .

For your information , I am from a far far far far far land across the ocean . And the home bred Labradors are alot more smaller than what I see from the State and UK or those Labs from western country are 'slight' overweight . My Fala is about 7 to 8 months old and should I say she weighs a diminutive 46lbs , of course females are always smaller . Apart from the size , she has beautiful ears dangling down the head and a very strong otter tail .
Thanks LabBreeder , I would definitely ask you alot about my fala in the time to come .

p/s : Bonnie is so pretty .

Fala , 2 to 3 months here .

 

[LabBreeder]

lmao...i thought my Labs were the only one's that slept with their feet straight out behind them! it's the cutest thing.

i don't know where everyone is seeing these aggressive labs at, but i'm glad mine aren't that way...neither were their parents. Tira is 5-7 lbs overweight, but she still only weighs 70 lbs. i've seen some bigger labs, but none bigger than 80 lbs (guessing at weight here) IMO. i know my babies have the ears, head, body, tail and temperament of a normal, original Lab. sometimes i do wonder if Tira's head may be on the small side, but then again, she's a female and females are smaller (most of the time) anyways.

 

[LabBreeder]

 

[MomOf7]

I saw this thread a long time ago..I wanted to wait and allow others to post before I gave any information.

First off I want to address the subject of labs being over bred.
Yes they are way over bred. I cannot look at the classifieds without seeing lab puppy litters. Most from bybs. There are a few people I know who raise nice litters and are very well known who do place classifieds they also include info like cerfs ofas guarantees. I think this allows a door to be opened to the general public. Many people looking for a lab dont really know where to go or what all it takes to breed one of quality. Some see the high price and dont bother calling, some see the ad and wonder why such a high price and call to find out.
Its amazing the amount of clients who care about health and breeding you can get from just one ad in a paper. Yes I too have placed an ad. I have found some awsome clients who got awsome pups as a result. They dismissed all the other pups who were half the price or less to get a pup from a responsible breeder. I also have referred them to people who have litters.
I honestly dont know where I get all the calls from now. As I dont have any litters or any ads out and havent for quite some time. Guess word of mouth gets around fast.
Anwho. I believe that the increased numbers of litters are from mills and bybs.
I have at the most 2 litters a year. Hardly enough to offset the cost of my breeding program/competitions. I am out alot of $$ last year and dont expect to ever break even. What people fail to realize its not for money. Its for the love of the breed.

Next is the matter of thier looks I would like to address. As this world has changed so has the lab. There are extreme looks on both ends of Show and Field bred labs. You have the show who are looking more like a rotty, and field who dont look like a lab at all. As I sell to hunting homes/test homes the pedigree has to say alot. That means I cannot campaign my dogs as hunting dogs if they have show in thier lines. Its the hard truth. I personally like the classic look of a lab. Square head, boxy frame, strong and healthy looking.
I have one female that represents this. I am searching for a well bred male who has those same looks right now. As I too believe its important to keep as much as the classic look as possible

Next is the matter of thier temperment. I would never breed a lab that was like a dobi. Yes they are good alerting dogs but should never bite. I believe that for any breed. Again I would like to attribute this to the mills and bybs and careless breeders who think they are doing the right thing.
Lets not forget that alot of temperment is enviornment. I have had rescues who were labled as vicious or overly protective. I know it had alot to do with thier previous home. After a month or two here and a good home they were as happy as any lab should be. There are exceptions I am sure.
None of my dogs would ever bite to the best of my knowledge and experience. If I even thought they would, they would be altered and rehomed to the right home or be kept here as a pet. I have yet to encounter that.

Skin issues...Many labs are effected with skin and allergy issues. No one knows how much genetics has to do with it for sure. Again dogs who have allergies/skin issues that are ongoing should not be bred.

To me most of this is common sense. You also have to consider the fact that we are not God and cannot controll genetics completely. There are pups who can come out with any of these issues. Its always a possiblity and risk when breeding. All a breeder can do is take good genetics and breed to good genetics coupled with abilities and being mindful of health issues that may or may not be genetic. This is true for any breeder of any type of breed.

Breeders of labs need to use common sense and try not to get caught up in the trivial.
Also there should be a limited registration which in my type of labs is widely frowned upon. I never sell a pup without a limited unless its to a kennel or breeder that I know will do the responsible thing. Again this is not a common practice for people who breed field bred labs. Its becomming more accepted but not as much as I would like. I am a little different than most responsible breeders of labs. I dont keep mine penned up they are apart of my family and I do all litters on a LR (limited registration). I have clients who have chose me over other breeders because of this. All my pups are raised in my home, again not a common practice. They each get individual attention and assesment. I give them the biggest head start on life as I possibly can. Which is great because my pups are well rounded and very social and well on thier way towards house breaking.
I believe that the first few weeks of thier lives is the most important. So I expose them to as many things as possible. Swimming, feathers (dried wings or freshly dead ducks or pheasants), people, dogs, noises, different terrain.

I hope that this has helped LabBreeder in some way by answering any questions and also addressing concerns from others about the lab breed.
I of course know little about Show breeders/Kennels so I cannot speak on thier behalf.
Feel free to pm me if you have anyother questions or post them here.
Thanks
Kristine

 

[Leslie + Chessies]

It's too bad that labradors are not the dual purpose dogs they once were. I really cannot imagine some of the short, heavy dogs I see in the ring doing well in the field.

 

[MomOf7]

It's too bad that labradors are not the dual purpose dogs they once were. I really cannot imagine some of the short, heavy dogs I see in the ring doing well in the field.

Ill second that. The split is so huge its going to take a act of God to get the breed back to where it should be on both ends

 

[ihartgonzo]

I have to add to the "aggressive Lab" thing... I have met more aggro Labs than any other breed, period. Then again, by appearance and by talking to owners 90% of the Labs I've met are certaintly from BYB's! I know lots of families in my neighbor alone with Labs, who breed them because it's "cute" and they can make some money off of their poor dogs. I've seen dozens of Labs all at once at the dog park who bite, pin, and attempt to dominate every other dog in there. It is definitely out of their character... I attribute that to stupid breeders AND stupid owners, though. I feel bad, because Gonzo now has lots of fear aggression built up against strange big dogs, especially Labs, because he was badly injured by a black Lab when he was under 1 year old.

Just a note, the few field-bred Labs that Gonzo has met are some of his best friends and the only growls they give each other are in play. =D That says a lot about good breeding.

 

[simchi]

I too agreed that aggravated aggression in Labs due to unethical breeding . However , I dont see more than 3 Labradors from where I stay . And Labs' reputation/temperament is still intact in here the Malaysia , people prefer mini dogs here .

 

[rowdy ridgeback]

I got my Lab from a breeder in NC that used both the female and male for hunting. He was purebred with AKC papers $100. We were looking at all the girls. We decided on one. My husband had never had a dog before. When we went to leave when he was picking up the dog, I said make sure it is a female. Well when we got home, um Chad, this is a male. He said, well it had nipples. LOL. That is how we got Jake.
I wish someone could have warned me about Labs. OMG! He soon became Dogzilla. The first two years of his life almost gave me a heart attack.
He is now 5 years old and a wonderful dog. He does not fetch or like water but he is a hunter. We lived on an acre in when we were in NC and it was completely fenced. He has killed, rabbits, turtle, snakes, and a endless supply of birds. All in our yard. The hard part was getting these things from him. He is now very lazy and just likes being inside. Never had an accident inside. Very friendly. A great dog. No health problems. He is the taller and leaner style. Did I mention will do anything for food.

 

[ihartgonzo]

I kind of wanted to add something, in general, about breeding dogs...

My Border Collie is ABCA registered. He "fits" the standard. He has his HIC (Herding Instinct Certification) and I could probably get his first trial leg if I really worked my butt off with him. He has his CGC, Flyball, Agility & Obedience titles. He isn't aggressive at all. His hips & elbows & eyes are fine, and I could easily send them in and get them certified. I have met 3 people who were interested in breeding their BC girls to him (GOD only knows why?).

So... why don't I breed him? 1) I cannot dedicate my LIFE, at this point, to researching, owning, working, & breeding Border Collies! 2) I would not even *consider* breeding him if he didn't have superb lines, a superb breeder who supported me, excellent conformation (he does have a gay tail occasionally) that was confirmed at least by a knowledgable judge/breeder, and he was a Herding champion. 3) He is neutered now!

It upsets me that people thinks it's ok to breed as long as their dogs are mediocre. And even if they think they're dogs are the bees knees, that cannot be confirmed unless it is PROVEN in trials, shows, & health tests. I think about... if everyone whose Border Collie could fetch a ball, looked fine, and herded their kids around, bred their dogs how many thousands more BC's would be dying in shelters? If everyone whose Labs could fetch a dummy, looked fine, and likes to swim, bred their dogs how many thousands+ more Labs would be dying in shelters? That is my view on breeding in general. The last thing this country needs is more dogs, so why would anyone with a conscience want to breed anything but the BEST?