We are NOT a puppy mill. We have several very special AKC English Lab litters a year. Our dogs are house pets. The puppies receive lots of age appropriate stimulation, including exposure to noises from household appliances, vacuum cleaners, tv, and radio to gunfire. They receive lots of handling and socialization. We have plenty of friends, children and grandchildren that love helping with the puppies socialization.
We require our English Lab puppies to be spayed or neutered once they have reached their full grown gorgeousness. If they are "fixed" before this, it can stunt their growth causing problems in the future. It is best to wait until about 18 months of age, when their growth plates have closed. Spaying females too young can cause repeated problems with vaginitis, among other things. We insist on first right of refusal should you not be able to continue caring for your puppy.
All our puppies are sold with Limited AKC Registrations, which do not allow any offspring to be registered. Breeders do this to protect the quality and health of their bloodlines and Labrador Retrievers in general, which have been number one in AKC registrations since 1992. Breeding only generations of cleared parents for decades greatly increases the probability that YOUR puppy will not have these health issues.
ALL breeds of dogs have health concerns and genetic issues. They just differ by breed. The mixing of other breeds with purebred Labrador Retrievers to produce gray and silver coat colors introduces new potential health problems and genetic issues that are foreign to the Labrador breed. A negative Dilute Color Gene Test (no d gene) proves the dog has not been contaminated with these gray and silver coat producing genes, are truly purebred Labrador Retrievers, and are therefore eligible for AKC Registration and acceptable to the National (Parent) Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. Registration of mixed breed/Labrador puppies as Chocolate Labrador Retrievers is fraud.
There are AKC policies and procedures for those working to establish new breeds within their system that are not being properly utilized by these alternative coat color enthusiasts. "Interestingly, the original breeders of "silver" Labradors were also involved in the Weimaraner breed. .... The Weimaraner is the only known breed in which the universality of dd is a characteristic." Frances O. Smith, DVM, PhD Chair, Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. Genetics Committee. "The Issue of the Silver Labrador," is available on the LRC, Inc. website that can be found through the AKC website at www.akc.org.
Hips and other joint issues are not entirely genetic, but can be influenced by such things as nutrition and injuries. It is unwise to let young dogs jump into or out of pickups, off decks or other high surfaces, or to overstress their quickly growing bodies by pounding their joints jogging, especially on hard surfaces. Obesity is another contributing factor in straining developing joints.
Prior to their adoption, our puppies will have Vet Exams with Report, AKC Reunite microchip, first shot and multiple wormings as required.