What All The Best English Labrador Breeders Have In Common
English Labradors have been one of the most popular breeds of dogs for quite a while, especially with families and first-time dog owners. However, finding the perfect labrador for your family is unfortunately not quite as simple as just searching ‘English labrador breeders’ on Google and buying a puppy from whatever the top result is. There are many good, responsible breeders out there, but there are also plenty who don’t have the dog’s best interests or the owner at heart. But how can you tell you the difference? Here’s what you should be looking for to find the best English labrador breeders.
What Do The Best English Labrador Breeders Do?
A good breeder is the best place to get your Labrador puppy. A good breeder will have a love of the breed and might often be active in things like showing or field trials.
A good breeder won’t just breed on a whim because they think their dog is cute or they like the idea of puppies. They also won’t breed only for profit.
Responsible breeding of any dog takes a lot of time and dedication. Unfortunately, there often isn’t much money to be made in responsible breeding due to the costs of proper care, so most breeders choose to breed largely to improve the breed of dog they love.
Good breeders of English Labradors:
Always carefully match up a sire and a dam to breed puppies with the right traits and temperament
Take care of the welfare and living conditions of their dogs
Perform any needed health checks to reduce the risk of inherited diseases
Can provide certificates of pedigree for both parents of any puppies
Will provide information and help to you throughout the life of your labrador
Matching For Breeding
Many good labrador breeders are involved in the competitive circuit in some way. They will carefully breed their dogs to improve the breed for a particular purpose, such as field trials, showing in the ring, or obedience.
In each discipline, different temperaments and qualities are desirable. Most breeders breed for dogs that will make good family pets.
A responsible breeder will take into account the strengths and weaknesses of the parents in the hopes of achieving a better dog in the next generation.
A less responsible breeder will match up any dogs of the same breed just to get puppies to sell. There will be no thought given to the pedigrees of the parents and how compatible they might be.
Welfare And Living Conditions
When you buy from a good breeder, they will probably want to meet you. This gives you the chance to meet the puppy’s parents and see what conditions the puppies are being kept in. In addition, this is a good chance to screen out any less than reputable breeders.
A good breeder will be raising their labrador puppies in their home or in kennels that are clean and well-maintained.
If you notice a little bit of mess from the puppies, this is usually nothing to worry about, but the premises should not look dirty and neglected.
Puppies need to be socialized early to get used to different experiences, surroundings, and people. So if you notice that the puppies seem nervous around you, as though they aren’t used to people, this could be a red flag.
If the breeder is good, all the dogs, from puppies to adults, should look healthy and be social and friendly. If you notice any health or temperament issues, walk away from the sale.
Health Checks
The best English labrador breeders will have put their dogs through a range of thorough health checks before they decide to breed from them. Any with genetic or health problems will likely have been neutered or spayed to improve the overall line.
You shouldn’t just take the breeder’s word as gospel when it comes to health. For example, a bad breeder may tell you that their line has been vet checked, but a good breeder should be able to show you certificates that can verify their health claims.
There are two main important things to check.
Are the parents free of hip dysplasia? This will be checked for once in the animal’s life after the dog has turned one year old.
Do the parents have clear eye certificates stating that they are free of Progressive Retinal Atrophy, or PRA, and retinal dysplasia. These checks should be carried out annually.
It is also a good idea to talk with the breeder about other common illnesses that their breeding stock might have, so you can make an informed decision and know what to expect.
Breeders aren’t required to test for other health conditions, but a responsible breeder should be aware of common ailments and be honest about their likelihood.
A bad breeder will likely not bother to put their puppies through any health checks. If you get your puppy without these checks, you are supporting bad and even dangerous breeding practices, gambling with your dog’s future health, and gambling with high vet bills in the future.
If the breeder you are considering is unwilling or unable to show you proof of the health of their dogs and won’t discuss genetic diseases with you, it would be unwise to buy from them.
Ongoing Help To Care For Your Puppy
A good breeder of English labradors will give you a lot of information on how best to raise and care for your dog, both before you collect your puppy and throughout the life of the dog.
The breeder should have a lot of knowledge, and if they care about the puppies, they should be happy to answer any questions you might have.
They should be happy to offer advice on diet, training, health, and care and provide you with the contact details of any important organizations.
Smoky Mountain Labradors is one of the top English Lab breeders in the country and strictly follows all of the practices for reputable breeders. With nearly 4 decades of experience breeding in the dog world, you can be confident that you are getting the highest caliber English Labrador puppy available.
