How To Find Good Labrador Retriever Breeders
Labrador Retriever breeders are not hard to find. After all, Labs are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world. But finding a good, reputable Labrador puppy breeder is really important.
Good breeders will health test their breeding stock, care for their own animals, be picky about who their puppies go to, and answer all of your questions with great knowledge, among other qualities.
It’s important to avoid puppy farms and pet stores. Even though their prices may be cheaper than good Labrador Retriever breeders.
What makes a good Labrador breeder?
Most people are aware that they should not buy Labrador puppies from pet stores or puppy farms. But that still leaves a lot of breeders to choose from.
Who can you trust?
Puppy farmers are harder to spot than you might think. They succeed by looking and acting like the friendly, welcoming people you would want to meet. What gives them away are the reasons that they breed from their dogs, and the way in which they treat their animals.
Don’t be nervous about asking lots of questions. It can feel awkward, but a good breeder will welcome them. If they seem frustrated or uncomfortable then it’s a warning sign that they may have something to hide.
A good Labrador breeder checklist
A good breeder has several defining features. All good Labrador Retriever breeders will:
- Take great care of their animals
- Health test their breeding stock
- Be picky about who they home their puppies to
- Be incredibly knowledgeable about Labradors
- Answer all your questions completely and candidly
- Introduce you to all the puppies in their litter, and their mom, in the place where they’re being raised
- Provide a lifetime of support and follow up care
Good Labrador breeders take great care of their animals
You won’t know for sure what conditions a breeder’s Labradors are kept in until you visit them.
But there are some revealing questions you can ask during your first telephone call or email exchange.
1. Find out how many dogs the breeder has
Good Labrador Retriever breeders will not have so many dogs that they cannot give them individual attention. They will have a warm relationship with each of their animals. This can be by showing them, working them, or embracing them into family life as valued companions.
2. Ask how often they breed from each dog
And the maximum number of litters each female dog has had. No good breeder will have more than one litter from a Labrador female in any twelve month period, or more than three litters from a female in her lifetime. And before any pregnancy they will ask their vet to give her a thorough examination and confirm she is in perfect condition for carrying a litter.
3. Where do their dogs live?
Puppies raised inside their breeder’s home will settle more confidently into your home. They’ll already be familiar with the rhythm of people coming and going, and used to the sounds of televisions, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and other appliances.
Any dogs used for breeding that are housed in kennels should also spend time daily inside the home. And any puppies raised in whelping kennels should be brought into the house, and visited outside, several times a day.
Hallmarks of good Labrador Retriever breeders – health testing
A good breeder health tests their breeding animals. The minimum health tests for Labradors required by the USA Labrador Retriever Club and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals Canine Health Information Center (OFA-CHIC) are
- hip scoring
- elbow scoring
- an eye exam
- a DNA test for Exercise Induced Collapse
- and a DNA for the dilute coat gene.
Optional but recommended health tests include
- a heart exam
- and DNA tests for Centronuclear Myopathy and prcd-PRA.
Get Proof of Testing
You can check over the phone that these have been carried out. But you must also ask to see certificates when you visit. If possible try and get copies of the health tests sent to you by email before you arrive. This avoids an awkward situation if they are not forthcoming at your visit.
Hallmarks of good Labrador Retriever breeders – smart breeding choices
Besides choosing healthy Labradors, good breeders will also take account of other factors which make a mating wise, or unwise.
For example, good breeders will make sure their sire and dam are as unrelated as possible. This maintains genetic variation, which keeps dogs healthy.
Good breeders can tell you the inbreeding co-efficient of their litter – an inbreeding co-efficient of less than 5% is best. Great breeders also consider the temperaments of sire and dam, and how this makes their puppies suitable for the lives they’re likely to lead (as pets, or working dogs, etc). They will also take care not to breed from nervous or anxious females who are likely to finding mating, pregnancy and whelping stressful.
Choosing a Lab breeder: Does pedigree equal quality?
People often write to me and ask how they can be sure that theirs is an ‘original Labrador’ or a purebred dog with a quality pedigree. The answer is to research carefully before you buy your puppy and make sure that you check all the puppy’s paperwork and certificates.
Most Labrador Retriever breeders specialize as either English Labrador breeders or American Labrador breeders. Decide which type of Labrador you want before you start searching for breeders near you. We have a detailed comparison here to help you make that decision.
After care and information
Good Labrador Retriever breeders offer a lifetime of support to their puppy buyers. They will answer your questions confidently and provide you with written information sheets on caring for your puppy. Good breeders will make sure you have a convenient way to keep in touch with them. They’ll encourage you to feel comfortable asking any questions you have, for as long as you need.
Most reputable breeders will also take a puppy back at any time in the future if you find yourself unable to care for it. Many actually require this in their puppy contracts. And best of all, lots of great Lab breeders offer holiday boarding!
So how can I buy a Labrador puppy from one of these good breeders?
There are a number of ways to find a good Labrador breeder. These include puppy advertisements and breeder advertisements in newspapers and online. Labrador breed clubs will be able to put you in touch with local Labrador breeders and this is a good way to start your search.
Find the Breeder First
It is better to find a breeder in advance than search for a pup and check out the breeder at the same time. Many good Labrador Retriever breeders have all their puppies spoken for before they are born. So you will need to get your booking in early. Most people have to wait for the right puppy, and good breeders will want to see that you are prioritising getting the right dog over the timing.
What about buying a puppy from an advertisement?
It’s tempting when the time is finally right to get a puppy to just type ‘Labrador Retriever puppies near me’ into a search engine. This will certainly deliver a lot of puppy ads.
(paid link)Some people regard puppy advertisements with great suspicion, but even reputable breeders occasionally need to advertise puppies. Especially if a litter is very large, or if one of their purchasers has to pull out at the last minute. However, you should treat any advertisement with some suspicion until you have satisfied yourself as to the breeders credentials.
Some breeders have their own website. This says more about their ability to set up a website than it does about their breeding practices, but it may give you an idea of what kind of a breeder they are.
Choosing your puppy
Once you have found a good Labrador breeder you may be able to choose a puppy. Don’t be put off if there is no choice. It is very hard to tell how pups are going to turn out at eight weeks old, and the fact that all the other pups are spoken for is a good indicator that your chosen breeder is in demand. The breeder may also feel that they know their own puppies best, and may want to match them to the right homes themselves.
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Hi, looking for a breeder of English, Show Stock Labradors. Ideally in and around Cheshire but would travel further for someone I can trust and rely on. Looking for a Chocolate or Red male puppy. Lost my chocolate boy last year at only 7 years. He had hip & elbow dysplasia and all became too much for him. Desperate to avoid, as much as possible, going through all of the heartache again so want to do all I can to find the right breeder. Any help and recommendations gratefully received. Thanks, Lisa
Good luck with your search Lisa, your local breed club is a good place to start.
My name is Brenda Gagliardi. I trained labs for children with Disabilities & disabled vets for 5 years. I grew up with Dogs & having lost my Mom to cancer & 2 brothers to a tragic accident my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, now early alzheimer’s. I saw the signs and took him for all of the testing because I’m very observant. I am looking for a yellow lab puppy in a fair price range. I live in a $1.2 million home that I can go on with my father who lives on the top layer with my adult nephew. The puppy would have free reign from my home to their‘s. I am very active and would do many things with the dog. After years ofWorking in real estate I am now doing interior design so the puppy can come with me to work or hang out with my dad and Nephew. I’ve been looking for a good trustworthy breeder for the last four months. Please call me back with my word that this puppy would have the most beautiful life possible. Sincerely, Brenda Gagliardi
I am looking for a good breeder in UK preferably in Surrey do you know any?
After having a black lab some years ago who lived a long happy life . Have decided now is the time took for another could you please give me so.e information on local breeders ?
I want to purchase labrador pure breed… Cau u suggest where can I find..
Hi.
We are looking for a fox red or Sandy lab in the Essex area. Can you recommend a breeder please.
Kind regards
Clare.
Hi any idea where I can purchase a puppy in Leicestershire willing to travel a bit further
Does anyone know of any reliable lab breeders, preferably near Birmingham?
Where do I find a good breeder in Western Cape, SA?
Wow!
Great and insightful article about such wonderful breed of dogs.
way more than getting one, how you get about that is equally important. It is a determining factor for you afterwards.
Do you know of any good breeders in Surrey ?
Good Information about Labrador keep updating
Nice Information regarding Labrador very informatic
Keep it up
Looking but not finding goldador / golden lab breeder, other than puppy mills. Any suggestions?
Hi, do you know of any good yellow Labrador breeders in Scotland? Preferably in the Glasgow/Ayrshire/Renfrewshire area. We are looking for a male yellow lab puppy. Thanks
Great article; however I do have one point of disagreement.
There is a growing body of research regarding how often to breed a female and how many times. With each season, the female’s body reacts as if it is actually pregnant for months after. This ages the uterus in the same way as if there had been an actual pregnancy.
A good breeder will never breed a female back to back if her coat has not returned, if her muscle tone has not returned and if she is unable to pass a physical exam OR if the Dam was not a good mother exemplified by leaving the litter too soon or being reluctant to care for it. A good breeder seeks out the advice of a vet prior to each mating – a Vet experienced in either breeding itself or in medically treating breeding stock.
We’ve found a breeder who seems great on most of these things: We’ve visited the puppies and seen them with mum, who is both a family pet and an active part of the day to day running of their farm (she’s working stock). She’s very knowledgeable, answering our questions about the pups openly. She was happy for us to spend as much time as we wanted with them. They live indoors with their mum and the family. She’s happy to keep one a few weeks longer as we have a holiday booked. The only concern is she openly explained that mum has never been hip scored – dad has been and his results are good. Should that be enough to make us walk away even though everything else looks great and mum herself seems fit, healthy and happy? Thanks.
Hi Nicky, This is a personal decision and only you can make it. If I were you, due to the high occurrence of hip dysplasia in Labradors I wouldn’t buy a puppy unless both parents were tested and had low scores. Ideally I would want them both elbow tested too. However, this is your choice and you need to weigh up the pros and cons too. Best of luck with your decision. Lucy
Where do i look for a good breeder in uk?
Help Me .. My lab puppy (black) is Skinny!!!
Im feeding him drools dry food , egg and pckt milk and whatever i can..
Everyone is telling he is hungry and skinny..!
Plz help!
Unfortunately I fell victim and purchased a puppy from a bad breeder. I had two labs from two different breeders, a black and a white lab. My black lab Harlow I still have but ended up having to let my white one go at the age of 3. I did my research on both my pups and both breeders seemed legit. My harlows breeder was awesome we still have contact and if I have any issues she’s always there to help. My white labs breeder totally different. Never there to help, paid for a ckc registered puppy but she could never get me my papers, so I called the ckc and she had been kicked out of the program, not a good sign. Anyway my white lab had a aggressive streak in her and the older she got the worst she seemed to be getting. I sent her to school for training and did everything I could until the day she took a snap at my grandson. I knew then at that moment she couldn’t be trusted. I fell in love with this dog and it killed me to let her go, but I had to put my grandchildren first.
My advice do lots of research, ask for references and call them. If I had to have done that I would have known about all the other people that this woman had scammed, and that she wasn’t a good breeder at all even tho she played the part very well. It’s not easy to have a pet fall in love and then have to let them go, I am lucky in one way, I know where my pooch is and I know she’s in a home with no young kids and very much loved and taken care of, but my heart still aches for her.
With all that being said, research research and research. Ask for those references. Best of luck!!
Do you know of any good labrador (in particular black labs) breeders in California? I am looking to adopt but have checked out quite a few breeders that dont appear trustworthy, i am tired of being let down time after time.
I should mention that i CAN’T pay over five hundred dollars to get the actual puppy.
Sorry Hannah, we are based in the UK. Good luck with your search.