Seeking reputable Labrador Retriever breeder

[Anonymous]

Pp here. I thought this thread was started in Jan of 2016, not 2015! I had no idea I was replying to an old thread. Please ignore my previous post, as I'm sure the op is long gone.

[Anonymous]

If your not a hunter you will receive a puppy (their choice) which is most likely one of the lesser quality dogs. Also if appearance is important be careful they don't try to give you one which is of inferior quality.

[Anonymous]

I could give a flying crap with what people say or think especially the dog park crowd. My decision to get a dog from a responsible breeder was just that, MY decision and MY money to invest as I see fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I could give a flying crap with what people say or think especially the dog park crowd. My decision to get a dog from a responsible breeder was just that, MY decision and MY money to invest as I see fit.

This has been discussed on her ad nauseum but there really is no such thing as a responsible breeder in a world where we still euthanize millions of healthy dogs every year.

But I get that people need the Labrador to go with their Range Rovers - nothing but the best!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do all of you pay so much for a purebred when you can get an amazing dog through a rescue? You'd be saving a life and getting a great dog. I think it's so sad so many people go to breeders.

That's okay. Some people see value in breeding, others don't. There are plenty of dog owners in this country.

I greatly admire people who adopt rescues. However, as first time dog owners with two young kids, we wanted to know what we were getting. With a rescue dog, you can never be sure.

I know someone whose adorable, small, cute puppy ended up being part rottweiler (after being told he was something else by the rescue organization). He's a sweet dog and they love him, but owning a rottweiler mix would make me nervous. Certain places won't take him for boarding and many people are scared of him.

I know someone with a rescue dog who has horrible anxiety problems. It was really sad and she ended up putting him on an equivalent of Prozac, which helped, but did not cure the issues. It seemed he had been abused in the past or held on to a fear of abandonment. This dog has been extremely high maintenance and is lucky to have an owner who has the time and patience to properly care for him.

My sister has had a rescue dog who has constant diarrhea since they adopted him four years ago. They have spent thousands on vet bills, tried every drug, food (gluten-free, etc) and other remedy possible and she's still cleaning up at least a couple times a day inside their house, not to mention, the diarrhea is impossible to entirely clean all the times he goes outside. He can't make it more than a few steps from the door, so she's constantly scrubbing her driveway and her kids are always stepping in it. They're in a horrible position right now- they don't want to send him back to the rescue org b/c they feel bad for the dog and their kids love him. However, my sister feels like the dog is ruining her life.

These are all extreme examples. Most rescue dogs end up being great pets. And you can have health or behavior issues with purebreds. We all know that many purebreds have particular health problems. However, with a purebred, you go in with a lot more information, which make the odds better that the dog, especially if it's a puppy, will be a good fit for your family.

Our puppy came crate-trained from the breeder at 12 weeks. He was also well on his way to being housebroken. Perhaps we'll look into a rescue dog one day, but with two children, a busy life and a tiny backyard, I needed a certain type of dog to make dog ownership work for our family. We selected the breed based on characteristics we wanted in a dog and he conforms perfectly to what we were expecting.

I totally agree. If you want a specific breed and you aren’t experienced and/or don’t have the time go through a bredder. We have a rescue lab and young kids and I feel like we got lucky. She was only 1 and an owner surrender to a shelter. Other than having to be exactly where I am at all times, her issues are limited. Watching my kids with her makes me realize that a dog with serious issues would have been a big risk.