Hi,

We are in the process of looking for a labrador puppy and I know everyone says don`t look in the paper, but we have a `free ad` paper and it seems that all the local breeders use this paper to advertise their puppies in.

If the adverts says hip and eye scored will this mean the parents? not the puppies, what should the eye score be?

i know the average hip score is 16 in total (i think) i`ve been reading up on this!!! doing my homework.

Sorry for asking so many questions, but if we want a family pet, do we really NEED field and show champions in pedigree?

I am in the house all day long and will only leave the puppy for short periods when taking the children to school and intend to use a puppy crate.

We are short term foster carers for an 18 month labrador boy who is now going back home (who by the way is an absolute rascal) he has dead headed all my plants, carried everything to the top of the garden and our privet hedge is getting higher and higher with confiscated stuff!!

Sorry went of the subject of puppys, at the end of the day, all we really want is a healthy lab puppy as a family pet!!

I will say this about free ads paper NO DECENT BREEDER NEEDS TO USE THEM !

Wherabout are you in the country ? I will pass on some numbers to you.
You will pay just the same amount usually, for a well bred pup as a badly bred one, you need to ring round breeders and you will see the ones who are genuine and who are just money making schemes,and be patient to look for the right one,have in your mind precisely what you want dog,bitch,black,yellow,chocolate then when you contact a breeder you know what you want and once you make your mind up say for instance you want a bitch dont take a male just because there is only one there,and try to see at least the mother.And if the litter isnt ready yet wait ! its fun to watch the progress of your puppy and a decent breeder will let you visit to see the pups progress.
Remember too that eyes certificates on the dogs (Parents) in labradors need to be done yearly so if you see a certificate say 1999 its no good,the insidence of eye problems in labs are great please beware.
Get yourself a dogs today magazine and look at breed advisers you will find me there somewhere;) and ask as many quaestions as you like.
Good Luck

Hi Mattie

Thanks, I`m in South Yorkshire, but don`t mind travelling a bit of distance .

Eyes are not scored Suzy, they are a straight Pass or Fail. It's very unlikely in Labradors that the puppies would be eye tested, although in the collie breeds they should all be litter screened for CEA (which of course Labradors dont suffer from.) Check that the sire and dam's eye test is up to date. It needs renewing each year.

Regards, John

Mattie I have said it before and will again. It is not where a puppy is advertised but how it is bred. Mine is a numerically small breed and pups are sometimes feast or famine, or there is an imbalnace of sexes, and advertising is occasionally necesary to home the odd puppy or two. Most people use the specialist canine publications, but in the case of the weekly ones they are not widely available to the general public that are looking for a pet, but subscribed to by breeders and those who know how to source a pup via breed club etc. If bona fide breeders shun the local press and free ads, surely this leaves the potential pet buyesr entirely at the mercy of the commercial breeder, puppy farmer, or ill informed pet bitch breeder? Most people searching for a pet will look in the papers.

The Monthly mags work two months or so ahead, so a pup that is of homing age that is still available would not be advertised for a long time. I have found a few homes over the years by advertising locally, and they have been every bit as good or better than those I have had through the breed club (perhaps because you vet them twice as much :D, and it is easier to do so locally).

Perhaps it is different in numerically strong breeds but homes can be from one end of the country to the next, as there is rarely a breeder conveniently in the area that a potential home is located.

Even the best known kennels advertise sometimes, especially when most breed only occasionally, so don't always have puppies and enquiries on the go.

With any kind of advertising in my breed an advert may only yield one enquiry or so, if any, so it is best to advertise quite widely to secure just one home.

I never like to take more than two bookings for each sex in a planned litter in advance, as it can lead to disappointment, with perhaps no-one to pass them on to. Once the pups are born then they will be advertised.

Thanks for your replys,

i`ve been looking for a lab puppy everywhere, does anyone know of anyone who has a black bitch who will be ready from 1 week to 4-5 weeks? in yorkshire / lincolnshire / nottingshire area.

thanks

Hi
Have you tried contacting any of the breeders registered on this site? Also the kennel club site has a puppy sales list section and one for breeders, then there's www.gundogs.org which is where I eventually got my Archie from ( a breeder in Lincolnshire). Be prepared for a good grilling about your home life/kids/attitude to training etc. from any good breeder. Take time to visit the breeder and dam as many times as you can to make sure you get the right dog.

Apologies if you've already tried these avenues.
Best wishes
Cathryn

Hi Cathryn,

Have just registered with the kennel club and feel much more hopeful, thanks very much!!!!

Maybe we might get one after all. Thanks once again. There are quite a lot out there.

emailed you

I agree Brainless, from the buyers point of view it doesn't matter where they are advertised it is how they are bred and from the breeders point of view it doesn't matter where they are advertised it is how they are vetted. :)

Please be careful - re registering with the Kennel Club. The lists they give of available puppies are just a list of recently registered puppies and NOT an indication of quality or neccesarily what we here would call "reputable" breeders. Few people I know use those lists as good quality puppies are usually booked before or soon after they are born and rarely are advertised at all. Just be aware that there will be desirable AND the not so desirable ( in my opinion) puppies/breeders on the list. You would be better to search breeders on this site and contact a kennel this way. Mattie has offered to help - I would start there if I were you, she is very experienced I know what its like when you decide to get a puppy - you want it like- yesterday, but it does pay to bide your time and wait til the right breeder has puppies available. Sometimes this means waiting several months. Have you considered rescue? mattie could advise you about that too. Good luck.

I think the same applies re checking it out once you have the contacts, I've used the Kennel Club list and I'm certainly no puppy farmer but I'm just not known enough to have a big list (I have also let my breed club know when I have had puppies in the past confirming all health checks done etc but I have had enquiries from people who had been in touch with the club and yet were not told about my litter :)) Incidentally I don't think breeders on Champdogs are vetted either are they?