How hard can it be to find a well bred, nicely socialised pup?  I thought I'd found a lovely litter - phoned the breeder, asked some questions, asked her if she'd like to ask me anything and she said no!  Surely she should care a bit more than that! Needless to say, I didn't buy from her! 

As an aside, I have just seen a litter of black labs online, apparently KC registered, which all seemed to have some white on - toes, chin etc.  Can these be pure lab?

I've come to realise the trick is to look ahead, before your actually ready for a puppy, this is what I've been doing, and it makes such a difference to be looking objectively at a breeders ethos as well as their dogs, rather than just breeders who have a litter on the ground and ready to go, which restricts your choices massively.

If you contact the breed clubs and tell them you are looking for a pup from a responsible breeder, health tested parents etc.  You'll have more chance finding that special breeder who has bred for all the right reasons and will ask you as many questns as you ask them :-)

If you're looking for a Lab, there should be a breed club fairly local to you :-)

From what I've Hurd lads can have small white markings but it's a fault. If your looking for a lab pup there are so many people breeding them I wouldn't look for a pup I'd look for a breeder then Waite For that perfect puppy.

I found it very easy to find a good breeder but then again mine is a small breed. I started looking long befor I was ready to get the pup. After picking my breed I looked on the kennel club site to see what health testing should be done, then I looked on the breed club site, champdogs, and the kennel club  and made a list of breeders that did the testing and contacted three breeders. One was the closest and the other two were one's I liked the photos of there dogs. I asked them some question about the breed that I couldn't find the answers to and a bit about themselves. Two got back to me and one offered to meet me at a show that was nearer me. So I went along and met the breeder and the parents to be. we had a long chat and took the dogs for a walk, and invited me to come to there home when I was next in the area (they were 4hours away). I went on there waiting list and think I went to there home two or three times befor the pups were born. I had to Waite longer than expected as they didn't get a mating the first time and the breeder offered to pass me onto another breeder but I said no thanks I wanted one from her so waited 2 years in the end but couldn't be happier with my girl.

Here's a link to the list of Labrador breed clubs http://www.labradorbreedcouncil.co.uk/web%20pages/Breed%20Clubs.html. Be prepared to travel, it will be well worth it for the right pup. Any breeder who doesn't want to know all about you should be avoided. They should be able to answer all your questions but should have plenty to ask you. You'll need to consider whether it's a pup from working or show lines you want and always check those all important health test results.

As someone who used to breed collies I found it easier to assess a person when they turned up as anyone can say anything over the phone even to the questions you ask.

A small white spot on the chest is allowed in most standards but all of them having white on toes and chins seems a bit strange to me.  I'm not a breeder but I know our Canadian standard pretty well and I'd stay away from that litter.

What questions did you ask?  We babbled on so much about our wonderful rescue, an English Springer Spaniel, when she died and we went to see a Lab breeder that I think we told her just about everything she might have wanted to know.  :)  Fenced yard, our experience, our plans for hiking, biking, canoe trips etc.  As other noted, we visited in person.  Not always possible but we went up to see puppies 3 or 4 times before bringing one home.

Thanks everyone! :)

I wondered when I went to get Bella (rescue Stb) in June after my beloved Sal passed that the rescue were not asking many questions then I came off the phone and my OH said you told them everything barring your National Insurance number there.....and have been on the phone for 1&1./2 so maybe I gave them information without them asking. I babble. 

You find out a lot more from letting a person chat.  I find when asking questions, people seem to have a 'response' but if we get chatting, you can find out in a roundabout way what you need to know.

Saying that, when we found our breeder of our pup, she let me babble on for hours.  When I eventually went to her home, we gabbed again for hours.  I think I even told her my knicker size!  there was not a thing she didn't know!  Only thing she HAD to ask was wether I was home during the day or worked. You'll know when you find the perfect one.