How To Pick A Breeder
The first 8 weeks of your puppy's life will have a great impact on
the dog that he will become. It is important to do the
appropriate research, ask questions, and find a breeder you trust
and feel comfortable with. Similarly, a reputable breeder will
ask you many questions because they want to find the most
discriminatory homes for their pups.
Reputable breeders offer at minimum:
- Health Clearances: This does not mean annual shots and
check up. A reputable breeder will have hip and elbow
certification through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
(OFA) and will be able to provide a copy of both parent's
OFA certificates. A reputable breeder will also have yearly
eye exams done on their breeding stock which screens for
inheritable eye diseases. A certificate from the Canine Eye
Registry Foundation (CERF) or ACVO eye exam form should
also be provided for both the sire and dam of the litter.
This is the bare minimum for health clearances that a
reputable breeder should offer. Some breeders are also
doing OFA heart clearances and Optigen testing. With the
current testing available, one puppy parent should have an
Optigen A1 or Optigen Normal Clear rating which means
that the puppies will never be affected by the most common
inheritable form of PRA.
- Guarantees: Reputable breeders stand behind their dogs
and offer a written guarantee on hip and elbow dysplasia
and inheritable eye diseases.
- Reputable breeders will take back a puppy or dog they have
produced at any time for the life of the dog, if it can no
longer be cared for by it's family. Most times, this is
contractually enforced.
- Reputable breeders have a litter objective. This includes a
goal for the particular breeding, why the stud dog was
chosen, and what the breeder is hoping to improve upon. Is
the breeder hoping to keep something for him/herself from
the litter? If yes, then the litter is good enough for the
breeder to want to continue his/her lines on these dogs.
- Reputable breeders sell all pet puppies on Limited AKC
registration with spay/neuter contracts. Limited AKC
registration provides a way of preserving and protecting the
breed by allowing only the best, most worthy specimens to
be bred.
It is also important to find out how the puppies are
socialized, and where the litter is born and raised.
The worst assumption to make is that all Labrador
puppies are the same, and that all are raised the same.
Even the most reputable of breeders do things very
differently. Research and don't be afraid to ask
questions. And don't pick a puppy based solely on price
and availability because you aren't purchasing a product,
this is a companion who will be devoted to you for the
next 10-15 years. Waiting for the right puppy from a
breeder you trust is worth it!
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