Josh & Jenna. Texas.
Parents of: Farmer's Deschutes Cinder Cone Red "Chutes" the Labrador. (And the cat, Stewie. Hidden Content )
Instagram: @jenfarm_ & @farmer_bram
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Hey I didn't even know some of that stuff!
Jen
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dogmom (07-10-2017)
You've gotten some good feedback. I would just stress the importance of a reputable breeder mentor IN THIS BREED. Labs are very different dogs in purpose and conformation to any of the hound breeds, and breeding them should take that into account along with their unique health issues. You might try to connect with people in a local AKC-affiliated Lab club like the Greater Atlanta LRC: galrc.com GALRC. This is an organization that will consist of many breeders dedicated to the Labrador breed. Many of them show their dogs and hunt over them. Even if the club is not local to you, they may be able to help steer you towards folks who could mentor you.
Your average rescue Labrador is not necessarily representative of the breed in looks or temperament. Tons of folks breed Labs to fill the demand for pets with little regard for health, form, or function. If you are serious and passionate about this breed, you'll get a mentor who is reputable and has lots of experience not just breeding but competing in one or more venues in the breed successfully. You'll also find worthy breeding stock, and do all the recommended health testing before breeding (final hips/elbows, prcd-PRA, yearly eye exam with ACVO, EIC, echocardiogram, CNM). The sport of dogs definitely needs more passionate, informed, reputable breeders, but what it doesn't need is any more backyard breeders, especially in Labradors -- we've got more BYB and "just breeding pets" breeders in our breed than any other because of high demand for Labs.
Annette47 (07-11-2017), Charlotte K. (07-12-2017), Tanya (07-11-2017), windycanyon (07-11-2017)
THIS!!!! I breed and I also serve as a Rescue Taskforce member w/ the LRC, Inc. I am pretty sure the SE US is our biggest challenge w/ regard to Lab rescue based on the emails we get.
If I can only make one more request that I've not noticed here, that is if you breed, you need to make provisions for those puppies for LIFE. IOW, life time return policy for every puppy you produce.
I am likely getting an 8.5 yo back to rehome in a month or so due to owners' failing health. It's just part of the game. I've gotten back ~4 dogs over the years, 5 if you want to count the one puppy I got back after ~4 days because she wouldn't stop howling in her crate at night (they had tossed her in the basement all alone at 8wks despite my suggestions!). Anyhow, in general it's the oldsters I get back. Just one 18 mo old who had very good training toward JH, but the others were 7 and older. Still, very very easy to rehome because their owners did a fantastic job of raising / training them and they were still healthy.
TIA. Anne
Hidden Content
The WindyCanyon Girls (taken Summer 2018)
IntCH WindyCanyon's Northern Spy CDX RA JH OA OAJ CC (14.5 yrs)
IntCH WindyCanyon's Ruby Pink BN CD RA CC (4.5 yrs)
IntCH WindyCanyon's Kanzi BN CDX RE JH (5 yrs)
IntCH WindyCanyon ItsOnlyMoneyHoneycrisp BN RN CC (16mos)
IntCH WindyCanyon's Pippin BN RI CC (2.5 yrs)IntCH WindyCanyon's Envy CDX RE JH CC (10.5 yrs)
IntCH HIT WindyCanyon's Kiku A Fuji Too CDX RE JH CC (10 yrs)
barry581 (07-11-2017), Charlotte K. (07-12-2017), dxboon (07-11-2017), jenfarm (07-12-2017)
All of us who volunteer for our local breed club and/or parent club receive dozens upon dozens of requests every year to rescue/rehome Labs from young puppies to the oldest seniors for every reason under the sun -- some understandable, and some insane reasons. I would say that 99% of the time, in my experience, if people had gone to a reputable breeder they wouldn't have to be calling a club or rescue to deal with their Lab. So yeah, not really interested in seeing any more Lab "breeders" join the fray unless they are going to do everything the right way -- get a mentor, join a club, prove their breeding stock deserves to be bred via competition, do the full scope of health clearances (not just the bare minimum), raise puppies that are healthy and well-socialized for their future purpose, and stand behind every single puppy you bring into this world from their first breath until their last breath. That means if one of your puppy people brings you back one of your pups as a geriatric dog with incontinence and dementia, saying they no longer can care for the dog, you take that dog back. Period. [That is actually something that happened to one of my club members and they took the dog back, because that's what a reputable breeder does.]
And to state the obvious, breeding "the right way" is NOT a good way to make money. In fact, over time, it's probably a money pit. Anyone who is making tons of money off their dogs is very suspect IMO. Corners are getting cut somewhere.
windycanyon (07-12-2017)
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