Why should I register my
dog with AKC?
One of the questions I get on occasion is why I register my dog if it’s only going to be a pet?
There are a couple of reasons that registering your dog may be in their best interest. One is if you register online you get 30 days free health insurance. This may seem silly, but during that 30 days my husband’s dog broke her leg. AKC insurance paid $500 towards her surgery. That was very helpful. Puppies are very prone to disease and accidents, and this can be a life saver. How many puppies do you know have eaten something and had to have it surgically removed? Another reason is if something should ever happened to you and your dog needs another place to go, her papers will tell who her Breeder was. Breeders do usually take their dogs back at any time and may help your dog find a new home. Sometimes relatives do not know what to do or have the ability to take on a dog when you pass. This makes the dog more appealing to other people that might be interested. It tells them that the dog is in fact purebred and that the Labrador temperament and characteristics should be true to the breed. Lastly to show a dog in anything you really want it registered or the points will not count towards your dog or your dog may not be allowed to enter. Dock diving events like NADD, obedience, rally, and agility, will allow your dog to earn titles. Also if you have a child they may want to show the dog either in the breed or in 4H. This just gives you more options. Besides if you’re going to fork over the money for entry fees, you might as well be able to benefit from the points and titles!
**If you ever need help with registration, picking a name, or finding more information, please let me know!
This article was written for the CPLR. I thought it would be a great subject to elaborate on for the blog. So here it goes! The new and improved version! Unfortunately looking for a puppy to join your family is more than just a pretty face. All breeders and all puppies are not created equally. This is largely because every breeder has their hard and fast criteria for breeding or not breeding, and each has preferences for size, personality, working ability, etc. Make a personal connection with a breeder you feel shares your top criteria, and then wait for a puppy from them. Screen the breeder first, then ask about a puppy.
How do you make a personal connection? First of all talk on the phone or meet your breeder in person. You CANNOT get a feeling for someone in a text message or on Facebook. You need to have at least one real conversation. Listen to their stories and get a real feel for the dogs and the kennel.
Make a list of questions. What should be on your list to ask a breeder?
It takes years to learn pedigrees, understand specific lines, get a few generations under their belt so they know what exactly they are producing. Especially when it comes to dilute coats.
Do these align with what you are looking for in a dog? Do they have the breeds best interest and your best interest at heart?
If you are looking at a pairing, ask what flaws the parents have? Every dog has flaws and a good breeder knows what they are and will share them. If they say the dog does not have any flaws, run! This breeder is not realistic and is only trying to make a sale. Every dog has pros and cons and the breeder should be aware of them and pairing accordingly. Are they pairing the same dogs over and over again because it is convenient? Using the same in house stud to save money rather than using a dog that may compliment the female? Are they using different pairings to create genetic diversity and better the breed or just repeating the same breedings?
What do proven bloodlines mean to you as a buyer? If you are looking for a hunter, you want working hunters or dogs with hunt test and field titles. This shows drive, trainability, and instinct. If you are looking for a service dog, you may want a dog that has a history of service dogs, obedience titles, rally titles, and CGC showing trainability in specific tasks. If you are looking for a dock dog your want something with athletic ability and drive so you will want to look for hunt titles or dock diving titles. Stack the odds in your favor. Proven dogs and pedigree do that for you.
You are looking for things like torn ACL's, seizures, heart conditions, etc. Something that could not be tested for, but may be hereditary.
Make sure your breeder understands your lifestyle, activity level, favorite breed traits, and what your dog may be used for whether it is hiking, laying around the house, or hunting. This will help them pair you with a litter and a puppy later on down the line. Trust your breeders recommendation on a puppy. They are with the puppy day in and day out and see them as more than just a pretty face.
Avoid breeders that do them too soon. Though you are likely on a litter that parents are most inclined to suit your needs, not every puppy will be the same. Your breeder should be matching you with a puppy that has a suitable activity level and personality for your home. Puppies do not start showing personality until around 3.5 weeks and activity level until closer to 5 weeks. If a breeder is picking prior to 5 weeks it is a bit more luck of the draw than a calculated pick. Breeders that do picks between 6-8 weeks will have a far better pairing than one that does before. Another reason to pick pups AFTER 6 weeks is the first vet check is normally done at 6 weeks. Picking before may get you locked into a pup with a heart murmur or undetected overbite, or worse. What does that do to your pick now? Does this bump you to another litter or bump someone else off the litter?
Understand price. Ask your breeder how much the puppy will cost and what factors they use to help determine that? This will help you get more for you money when comparing two breeders side by side. Things to look for that add value? Vet check? First vaccinations? Microchip? Dewclaws removed? Started potty training? Health Tested parents? Titled parents? Titled pedigree? Well socialized? What other things are important to you? Puppy updates and weekly photos? Breeder support once your puppy is home?
Do not get on more than one breeders waiting list unless you are up front with all breeders involved about it. The breeder is picking you just as much as you are picking them. They are trusting you to take care of their baby after all. If they don't ask you questions and exchange stories, that is a red flag. They are just trying to make a sale.
Look through pedigrees, health testing, and references. Make sure you understand your guarantees. Good breeders will be happy to go through all of this with you and provide copies of everything. Get it in writing! Your breeder should have a contract. This protects your guarantees if for any reason you end up with an unhealthy animal and if they have hip and elbow guarantees. They should also want a contract so that they can help a puppy if for any reason the pup ends up in a bad situation.
Do they take their pups back? A good breeder will take their pups back at any time and any age. Most have the first right of refusal and will help re-home or a place to stay for the dog in a time of need. Do they offer breeder support? If you have questions regarding health, training, or problems, is the breeder readily available to help answer them or find the answers in the event that they don't know them?
Is you breeder active in the breed? Do they show their dogs? Involved in local breed clubs? Do they hunt with them? Dock dive? Do they have a group of peers they can reach out to and bounce ideas off of? These resources may also be helpful to you down the road.
If you have never owned a lab, research the breed and make sure you are prepared. Remember when you choose a breeder in most cases, you are choosing someone to help you with this puppy for the rest of the dogs life. In that case, don't choose a puppy, choose a breeder.
As a puppy breeder, one of the things that is constantly on our minds is puppy weights. From the time they are born, and yes, even when we see your recent post on Facebook, we are checking out the weights of our puppies. We cannot help it. It is a constant struggle for a breeder. We love those pups and it is our duty to them to help them find that happy medium. With Labrador Retrievers, the struggle is real. Lots of factors go into a puppies weight. First and foremost is the size of the parents. Field Lab puppies are most likely not going to be the same size as a litter of show bred puppies. If you have a 60lb Mama, you can expect smaller pups. Here is where the problem lies for me. So now factor number two comes into play: Litter size: This small Mom could maybe use a little help, but you want to let the puppies have at least 24 hours on mom before you start shoving bottles down their throats. The more they can get from Mom and less from you, the better their immune systems will do, etc, so there is a fine line.
How can you tell if you puppy is in good weight? Even in puppies, they should have a waist from the top. A slight indentation after the rib cage. Dont look for this right after your puppy has eaten as his belly will likely be full and distended. lol
You own a lab. They are ALWAYS hungry. Don't let them trick you into feeding them more than they need. This is not healthy. Dogs like animals in the wild dont know when their next meal might be so they take advantage of all food available at all times. It's their nature. Ad Libitum feeding, or free choice feeding is not healthy for bone and joints in big breeds and is not advised once your puppy goes home.
Meals vs Bedtime
One of the biggest challenges is balancing what goes in with what comes out. We advise feeding your puppy on a schedule. Your best bet for a night feeding is 4 hours before bedtime. This allows sufficient digestion time and should help you keep a clean crate through the night.
If you puppy gulps his food, eats so fast that he then throws up, or gets bored and destructive, you may want to consider a slow feeder. You can also create your own slow feeder by adding huge rocks to the bottom of your dogs dish that he must eat around. I say huge, because you want to make sure they are larger than bite sized. You can also turn feeding time in to training time. Hand feeding while your dog performs tasks is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.
When do I switch my puppy from Puppy Food to Adult Food?
Most puppies switch between 6 months to 1 year. With all big changes, I always say go with your vet recommendations. They are the ones who are seeing your pet, know weight patterns, and can see how your puppy is maturing. Personally, we tend to switch ours right around the 8 month mark. We own field bred labs that are high energy and of a slighter build. You might consider earlier on a more show bred dog with more weight and pressure on the joints. One of the best ways to switch is to stay within the brand. For instance, Taste of the Wild Prairie Venison and Buffalo puppy food and Taste Of The Wild Prairie Venison and Bison Adult would be a subtle easy diet change. As with any change in diet you want to make it very gradually, and despite the slow progress, you may experience some loose stools. Probiotics may help. If the stools remain loose for more than a few days, or contain mucus, please consult a vet.
Don't Pick A Puppy, Pick A Breeder
How long how you been breeding?