Guide to Buying A Labrador Retriever
(Taken from the NLRC website.)
Considering buying a Labrador Retriever? We think you're choosing a wonderful breed!
Before you decide, ask yourself some questions. Can you resist buying the first cute puppy you see, on impulse? Are you prepared to make a commitment to a dog for the next 10-15 years, even if you have life changes such as moving, new babies, or kids going off to college? Full responsibility for a dog is not a job for children; it requires a responsible adult, at least supervising, and should be carefully considered. The commitment is not a small one; training a Labrador to be a pleasant companion requires considerable time and patience. Labs don't become well-behaved all by themselves! They require substantial attention and exercise throughout their lives; they are active and social animals and don't do well when stuck in the backyard and forgotten.
Labrador puppy chewing and digging can be destructive. Do you have an appropriate environment for a puppy and are you willing to live with puppy mistakes? Remember that Labradors are not fully mature until around three years of age, so that's a long puppy-hood. Are you willing to spend the money it takes to provide appropriate care, including quality food and supplies, annual vaccines, heartworm testing and preventative, and spaying or neutering? Are you willing to wait for the right puppy from the responsible breeder of your choice? Remember, finding the best puppy for you is well worth the wait.
Buy a well-bred dog from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders take care to produce healthy, typical Labradors with good temperaments. Don't bargain-hunt and don't buy a puppy from a pet store; often those puppies come from poor breeding, may have been kept in poor conditions with inadequate socialization, and are sometimes more expensive than puppies purchased from a responsible breeder. Responsible breeders do all they can to avoid producing serious problems, including aggressive or shy temperaments, hereditary health defects such as hip or elbow dysplasia, or early blindness from hereditary eye diseases. Remember that "AKC papers" are not an indication of quality in the dog. They only mean that the dog's parents were AKC registered.
Written by Vicki Blodgett
Reprinted from THE LABRADOR CONNECTION
Beware of Pet Store puppies and Back Yard Breeders
PET SHOP or DEALER.
The puppies are poorly bred and raised. They are thought of as merchandise
to be sold for a high profit. The high profit results because little
has been put into the breeding or the care of the puppies. Many are
sickly. Pet shops rely heavily on impulse buying, which is no way to
choose an addition to the family.
BACKYARD BREEDER.
This is the person who owns a pet and thinks it would be fun to have
puppies, that it would be a great experience for the children, or that
the bitch should be bred once before she is spayed. Even worse, perhaps
it's being done just to make money. Usually this breeder knows little
about the standard or history of the breed or pedigrees and still less about proper
care. The backyard breeder is not aware of breed problems, and doesn't
care. This person's only goal is to produce puppies, and when the fun
is over, to sell them quickly.
The Case for Spaying and Neutering
Many reputable breeders sell pet quality puppies with the agreement that the animal will be neutered. These puppies are sometimes sold at a lower price than the show prospect puppies, even though they have the same excellent pedigree and have received the same care and attention.
The basic disposition and temperament of your dog WILL NOT be changed by removing his or her reproductive capability. Neutering a male can make him more tolerant of other males, but neutering will not, by itself, turn your dog into an obese, lazy animal. . .that is the result of excess food and insufficient exercise.
Benefits of spaying include not having to worry about accidental breedings, the stress and inconvenience of confining the bitch in season, risky mismating shots, and unwanted puppies. The spayed bitch will not develop uterine infections or tumors of the reproductive system as do so many older unspayed bitches.
The American Kennel Club permits spayed and neutered dogs to participate in all phases of obedience, tracking, field work, agility and junior handling, but not in most conformation classes.
