Hi, I'm interested in purchasing a labrador puppy.If you know of any suitable breeders located in the West Midlands of England, please let me know, my email is eleanor_l@msn.com .Any relevant information will be gratefully recieved.

Hi Eleanor, the best suggestion is to contact the SECRETARY of the Labrador Retriever Club details can be obtained from the Kennel Club. The secretary should have a list of breeders who have a bitch in whelp that can be reccomended by the breed club. Please do not look for an ad in the free ad papers selling puppies. Also remember that should you ask the Kennel Club for a list of breeders that have puppies for sale registered with them that on the list could be puppy farmers too. The Kennel Club makes no distinction from a good breeder to the very worst all have one thing in common the breeder has registered their litter of puppies with the them. Avoid too any breeder offering for sale puppies registered with the DOG Lovers UK. Be also wary of puppies sold with Irish Kennel Club Registration these puppies (unless you go to Ireland to purchase a puppy personally
yourself) will be imported and invariably bred on a puppy farm.
Pat

There is a very nice litter in Lincolnshire. email me at devonelitelabs@hotmail.com if you want the details

Re the kennel club list. I beleive they only let people who breed less than five litters to go on the list now.

That doesn't mean they are neccesarily good breeders, but not the volume ones.

Hi Brainless, the Kennel Club may, I do not know check how many litters appears on registers in one year and then ask for a breeders licence I do not know. They may also as you suggest not allow anyone on their puppy list that has registered more than five litters with them in the past 12 months. What I do know is that it does not stop breeders registering puppies from various different breeds in there own name or others. It also does not stop breeders from registering one litter with the KC and the next litter with an alternative registration company or selling a pup with pedigree only. By doing this the breeder is in fact able to breed from a bitch each season ie every six months or there about. This is the way they can and do hoodwink both the KC and the KC puppy list that is by I think it is better to be very wary when using this source to find a breeder.
Pat

midland counties labrador club sec 01733222649

It is like all rules, the ethical will abide by them, others will circumvent them.

I still think the KC list is a safer bet than the local paper, but there is no substitute for using your head and knowing what to look for in a good breeder.

You should always look for health certificates bein to hand, and that the breeder does something with their dogs other than just breed pups. You will see Trophies and Rosettes if they show or trial their dogs, or if it is a litter from a pet bitch, then it will b e obvious that she is one of only a couple of spoilt family members.

The places I would avoid are those who are cagey about yopu visiting, and won't show you around, and let yopu meet all the dogs. Nothingwrong with a breeder keeping some of their dogs in Kennels, but at least some should be longing around the house, and the kennels should be tidy, and dogs clean. I would also not want to buy from a breeder who seemed to have several litters at the same time, or other bitches due shortly, though of coursr it does sometimes happen t6hat two bitches are bred from close together, but I wopuld ask how come, and when didthey last have pups.

Always expect to see Mum, but Dad being on the premises may mean that they just use their own dog for convienience. If Dad is owned by them, ask why he was used in preference (he may have been brought in especially to complement the breeders bitches, but even then shoudl not be used more than once or twice on their own stcok).

Hope this helps. JMHO