Hi, I'm looking for a young Labrador, about 9 months of age male or female, must be from working lines (no show). Do not want chocolate! The youngster will be trained as a gundog and to be a family member. Can anyone help me?

Where about are you based as lab rescues often have youngsters up for adoption.

Think you may be better to try and find a forum that has as its main interest working dogs, there are also papers and magazines that have adverts for working dogs, Hare and Hound and also the Shooting Times come to mind but would think there are a number that would carry such adverts.

try your local lab club...

To travel a distance for the right dog would not be a problem.
Already get the Shooting Times but have never heard of the "Hare and Hound" (sounds like a pub! ) but I will ask at the newsagents to order it.
Working gundog forum sounds like a good idea. Local Lab club I will have to find ours. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and suggestions. I just don't want a puppy, and was hoping that someone may have known of someone else who had one that they had no time for or couldn't manage. I will follow up on all of your suggestions.

If you ask for "Horse and Hound" the newsagents can order it for you.:-)

"Horse and Hound"

Ops! senior moment, I knew what I meant.

Do think that if you are wanting to train for work you do need to know a fair bit about this dog and unfortunately rescue will not do unless they are able to tell you about the puppies background.

Your local library may be able to help some still carry copies of publications, mind you some may not these days so perhaps a bit of creative internet searching may help.

Try International Bird Register too.  Loads of working dogs on there for sale some of which have been trained or started.  Sorry, IBR is an on-line thingy. Google it and you will find it.

Try UK Gundogs

http://www.ukgundogs.org/

Yes of course!  I've looked on the Felstead site but completely forgot the UK Gundogs site, thanks for reminding me.

International Bird Registry, I will Google this site later this evening, thank you. Just Googled this site but can't find a dog section!!

Let us know how you get on!

Google The Gundog Club, plenty for sale on there.

> The youngster will be trained as a gundog

Will you train with a club or trainer?  It might be worth talking to him/her/them, I was speaking recently to a local gundog trainer (he also runs a boarding kennel) and he was, in conversation, telling me about all the litters he knows of!  Many of these people are well connected and would also be able to give you good advice about which breeders to approach and which to avoid.  I suspect many have interesting stories or real life experience that could be invaluable in your search.  I found out a lot in an unprompted talk - just imagine what I would have learnt if I'd really asked him some questions! :) 

As an aside I find it surprising that you don't want a puppy - from my limited knowledge of those that use their dogs in the field, they prefer to choose their puppies from known parents and have them from 7/8 weeks.  One person I know says it's vital if you want to guarantee a good retrieve and soft mouth...

Our best friend is a professional gundog trainer, and our gamekeeper is a Lab man himself so will have loads of help there. I am in no great hurry but prepared to wait untill what I consider is the right dog for me. Thanks for everyones comments and help.

One person I know says it's vital if you want to guarantee a good retrieve and soft mouth...

That isn't true, as long as the dog has had the right start. I have working/trialling working Cockers and if I'm buying in a dog I prefer to get them at around 5-6 months old. I have limited spaces so to have the best chance of getting what I need I prefer to see them that bit older so I can see more of their personality and judge levels of drive, focus and trainability. They obviously have to have been in the right kind of environment up to that age though (it's more important what they haven't been allowed to do than how much actual training they've had) and I look for specific lines, it took me a long time to find my bitch and I looked at quite a few pups before I bought her, but as soon as I saw her pedigree and then met her I knew she was the one, I had never seen such focus and drive in a 5 month old puppy. She has been perfect from day one, she's now 3 and is an OFTW, she's one win off FTCh and in over 20 trial runs at novice and open level she's only been out of the awards a handful of times. My older male dog who I bought from his breeder (a gundog trainer) at 5.5 months is a fantastic working dog and my day-in day-out shooting companion, again I was able to get a good measure of him before I bought him.

To the OP it's not too difficult to find an older gundog pup, most good working breeders/trainers should be able to help you. A lot will run on several pups and then sell the ones they don't want to keep themselves, often they will have had at least basic training. If you know the lines you're looking for I would get in touch with the breeders directly and ask if they have any older pups for sale and/or if you go shooting and you've seen dogs you like there ask where they are from.