Anonymous
05/20/2020 12:42
Subject: Retriever breeders
OP, you should cast a wide net and don't be taken in by fancy websites. I found several "pretty" Lab breeders who had great pictures on their sites about the beautiful farmland in Virginia where they have lots of puppy porn pix, but with absolutely no information about lineage or health clearances. One even told me she had no Lab puppies available but could get some from a neighbor, but went silent on me when I asked questions about health clearances. Ding ding ding -- a puppy mill with a fancy website.
You might also broaden your search to include a started Lab puppy. If you want an ESA dog that can travel with your son or accompany him to public places, you will need a well-trained dog even if it's not trained to service dog standards. Labs are large and strong and puppy training them is quite an undertaking if you want them to be non-reactive to other dogs, strangers, or stimuli you might find in public places.
You might also broaden your search to include a started Lab puppy. If you want an ESA dog that can travel with your son or accompany him to public places, you will need a well-trained dog even if it's not trained to service dog standards. Labs are large and strong and puppy training them is quite an undertaking if you want them to be non-reactive to other dogs, strangers, or stimuli you might find in public places.
Anonymous
05/19/2020 17:17
Subject: Retriever breeders
OP here. Thank you everyone. I have done my research, and found that the lab will be ideal for our needs. We want a puppy, because it will serve as an ESA for our son and it would grow with him. Getting a rescue that may not bond for a long time is too much of a risk.
I want the lab so I can have a running buddy.
I want the lab so I can have a running buddy.
Anonymous
05/19/2020 14:32
Subject: Retriever breeders
Lycinan goldens is fantastic. I did extensive research 9 years ago when we got ours.
Anonymous
05/19/2020 14:23
Subject: Retriever breeders
chilbrook, she literally wrote the book on breeding labs nothing comes close.
Anonymous
05/19/2020 14:16
Subject: Re:Retriever breeders
Anonymous wrote:Gainesfield Labradors has beautiful dogs.
We looked closely at Deep Run Farm when interviewing breeders but ended up going with another. Our lab is wonderful but the breeder is a PITA so I would not recommend.
+1. Beautiful dogs but didn’t enjoy our communication with the breeder
Anonymous
05/19/2020 14:15
Subject: Retriever breeders
Anonymous wrote:You might think about widening your geographic search to make sure you find the right breeder as a lot are not close-in in DC.
Please make sure you educate yourself on the genetic diseases both Labs and goldens are subject to because of rampant overbreeding, and make sure any breeder you decide on has documentation that their breeding stock has the full suite of clearances. Here's a helpful list for Labs:
https://www.woodhavenlabs.com/clearances.html
We nearly put money down on a Cresthill puppy, a breeder that does have the right certifications, but I found the owner impossible to communicate with and I would not have been able to visit the puppies and pick one out for myself -- it was a get what you get situation and that's not acceptable. I also don't think given their volume that those litters are raised in a home but in a kennel, which I don't think is the best approach.
We ended up going with a breeder in PA, but this was an amazing breeder I found that I would have gone with if there had been any puppies available within the time period we were looking:
https://rbrandl.com/
Here's another one that again the timing wasn't right for us but I was impressed with them and their communication:
http://dsretrievers.com/
Just a comment on Cresthill. We’ve had totally opposite experiences. The owner is completely transparent has responded quickly whenever we have reached out. She talked at length about what we were looking for, our experience with labs, etc. We have gotten two labs from her over the years and have always been able to visit the litter multiple times and knew exactly where we were in the picking order. Both dogs have had perfect temperaments for family living.
Anonymous
05/19/2020 14:08
Subject: Re:Retriever breeders
Gainesfield Labradors has beautiful dogs.
We looked closely at Deep Run Farm when interviewing breeders but ended up going with another. Our lab is wonderful but the breeder is a PITA so I would not recommend.
We looked closely at Deep Run Farm when interviewing breeders but ended up going with another. Our lab is wonderful but the breeder is a PITA so I would not recommend.
Anonymous
05/19/2020 13:02
Subject: Retriever breeders
You might think about widening your geographic search to make sure you find the right breeder as a lot are not close-in in DC.
Please make sure you educate yourself on the genetic diseases both Labs and goldens are subject to because of rampant overbreeding, and make sure any breeder you decide on has documentation that their breeding stock has the full suite of clearances. Here's a helpful list for Labs:
https://www.woodhavenlabs.com/clearances.html
We nearly put money down on a Cresthill puppy, a breeder that does have the right certifications, but I found the owner impossible to communicate with and I would not have been able to visit the puppies and pick one out for myself -- it was a get what you get situation and that's not acceptable. I also don't think given their volume that those litters are raised in a home but in a kennel, which I don't think is the best approach.
We ended up going with a breeder in PA, but this was an amazing breeder I found that I would have gone with if there had been any puppies available within the time period we were looking:
https://rbrandl.com/
Here's another one that again the timing wasn't right for us but I was impressed with them and their communication:
http://dsretrievers.com/
Please make sure you educate yourself on the genetic diseases both Labs and goldens are subject to because of rampant overbreeding, and make sure any breeder you decide on has documentation that their breeding stock has the full suite of clearances. Here's a helpful list for Labs:
https://www.woodhavenlabs.com/clearances.html
We nearly put money down on a Cresthill puppy, a breeder that does have the right certifications, but I found the owner impossible to communicate with and I would not have been able to visit the puppies and pick one out for myself -- it was a get what you get situation and that's not acceptable. I also don't think given their volume that those litters are raised in a home but in a kennel, which I don't think is the best approach.
We ended up going with a breeder in PA, but this was an amazing breeder I found that I would have gone with if there had been any puppies available within the time period we were looking:
https://rbrandl.com/
Here's another one that again the timing wasn't right for us but I was impressed with them and their communication:
http://dsretrievers.com/
Anonymous
05/18/2020 19:48
Subject: Retriever breeders
Stormy Point in Stafford VA
Anonymous
05/18/2020 18:56
Subject: Retriever breeders
Piney Creek, near Richmond.
Anonymous
05/18/2020 17:36
Subject: Retriever breeders
Belquest in Mount Airy is a fantastic breeder for labs. We’ve had four dogs from them and they’ve all been wonderful.
Anonymous
05/18/2020 17:33
Subject: Retriever breeders
Can folks share their experiences with various DC-area retriever breeders (golden or lab)