Good evening,
Please can anyone recommend a lab breeder in Kent. I have looked at the breeders on here but there are hundreds! It would be nice to hear some recommendations based on personal experience. We have 3 children (apart from the past year we have had a dog since the children have been born so they are all used to dogs) 
I have already emailed a few but we are hoping for a puppy later this year and I know many will have long waiting lists.
Thanks in advance.

Tawny Hill Gundogs

Are you looking for a working or show bred puppy?

Some breeders dogs are heavily inbred with COI higher that the breed average & don't do all the health testing on the parents, your ideal puppy may be outside of your local area.

You can check out the health test status by using the KC website health test page search portal. Just a case of putting the dogs registered name into the portal & all recorded results can be found on the dogs record page.

Good luck finding that special puppy

Thanks. This is one I've looked actually.
Do you have a dog from there?

Thanks for your reply Ann.
We would be looking for a working line but just for a pet.

My friend has just got their third puppy from there.   So they must be good.   This one is more lively than the others were.

Just had a look at a couple of their dogs on the KC health test results. Neither had any dna testing done at all. Hips elbows and eyes yes but no dna. I don’t know the kennel but that is the only thing that would concern me.

Ok thanks very much.

Thank you for this and for taking the time to do some research for me. Very much appreciated.

You’re welcome

I know u have said u are wanting a working lines but don't disregard dual purpose.

Thank you.
Yes, we would absolutely consider a dual purpose.
Seems like very long waiting lists at the moment, so we may end up going for a rescue. Our last dog was a rescue and the plan was a puppy now then then a rescue in a year or so, but it may have to be the other way round!

I love ok just across the border into Essex the Baileydale dogs. Great character, fully health tested with good results and great show line dogs which have proved their worth, some of them in the working field too.

If you want working lines then have a look in Sussex, Highholt, Wylanbriar and Riversway.
Please do make sure both parents are hip and elbow scored, BVA eye tested yearly and the DNA tests SD2, EIC, HNPK and PRA.

Thanks, I'll take a look. We are certainly happy to travel out of Kent.

Great, I'll take a look. Thanks very much.

Yes I’d second Wylanbriar and Highholt - both very good working kennels. I know Wylanbriar have gorgeous labs, in temperament and looks, and have used a few studs from there before - all studs are fully health tested and scored from both kennels as far as I know, but double check.

I know Di from Wylanbriar also has a few dual purpose too, they all work but look more ‘show type’ although all in very good condition not the heavy show type you can sometimes see.

My family have had a Riversway sired dog and know some of their lines 
Wylanbriar I know a few of their dual purpose dogs and love them. Highholt when I've seen updates on matings they fully health test their bitches.

Oh really, I’ll look into Riversway. I love the dogs from Wylanbriar, Suedey was a big fave of mine, and Callum who she has now is gorgeous too.

suejaw:  > they fully health test their bitches.

Brilliant recommendation - visite their site early last year!  Hope they fully health test their Studs too.  Didn't dig any deeper as everything slowed down, :

They don't own males. They use health tested males owned by other people

I'm not a fan of the very slender bodies or heads, takes away from what the breed ever was. The split is getting worse in type as the years go on.
My family have always owned working lines but always had broad heads and the correct barrel bodies, not the slab sided like many have now.
I know a few Tom offspring. Suede I never met but he from photos was more for me and believe she showed him a bit too?

suejaw:  > They don't own males. They use health tested males owned by other people

That certainly sounds perfect what with EBV/COI etc. I'm looking at listing my youngest male Lab as a suitable Stud (providing bitches suggested are relevant).
So do they breed many litters per year?  Didn't get that far on the site.

> I'm not a fan of the very slender bodies or heads, takes away from what the breed ever was. The split is getting worse in type as the years go on.

Totally agree, the girl I used with Suedey was more working than he was but still the proper lab head, bred them to get a good mix and was so chuffed with the result - all have the ‘proper’ broad lab head and what I’d describe as lean and working broad bodies. Not too slender and narrow.
Ah lovely Tom, I only met the gang late a couple years before Tom retired such a lovely boy thought. Suedey was gorgeous, I could’ve taken him home - I kept a girl back from that litter and she’s the spittz of him lovely big chunky head. Totally love the Wylanbriar dogs - it’s usually a round trip of 500miles to use the studs but it’s so worth it.

Thank you. I'll definitely have a look. Unfortunately, I think I should have started to look about a year ago. Such long waiting lists everywhere.