Picking up our puppy tomorrow!

[BeataK]

Correction: she is 7 weeks today, not 6. We are going to wait until she's 8 weeks. The mother is 1 1/2 and the father is 4 with no health conditions. The breeder is reputable and has excellent reviews. We will receive the puppy's paperwork (for her shots) when we pick her up. They said she is weened and eating puppy chow (Purina). Anything else I should look into?

as stated above mother is a bit too young. The fact that parents seem to be healthy doesn't mean their puppies will be healthy as well if there are no genetic test done on parents.
Being you I'd reconsider taking that puppy...and writing that I'm not mean I'm just sharing my experience - I took Barney from quite similar breeder. Knowing next to nothing I just wanted the puppy to be KC registered. Don't get me wrong, Barney is lovely & I love him to bits but we're constantly struggling with his health ( elbow & hip displasia, very serious allergies etc) he surely won't live too long ... I learnt my lesson in a hard way. With Shelby I was much more careful, spent days looking for right litter but it pays off - she goes to vets for jabs (or health tests ). Please be wise

[kelsyg]

I recommend insurance, anyway. The sooner, the better, so there can be no pre-existiong conditions.

[munnfamily]

Everyone - THANK YOU for all of your advice. I found out that NO genetic testing has been done on the parents. My husband and I passed on this puppy, and are going to look elsewhere. If I didn't join this site today, I wouldn't have known what to look out for. If anyone knows of any reputable breeders in the Ohio area (preferably Cleveland/Akron/Columus area, please let me know! THANKS AGAIN!

[colding]

From the sound of it, I think you have made a good decision to find another breeder.

[MightyThor]

When we decided to get a lab from a breeder I had no idea where to start. I found this board back then and the information here helped me find the right place to get a healthy, happy pup. Take a look at this post, it will answer a lot of questions and this is the kind of information that helped me find our little guy.

Asking About Breeders or Where to Get a Puppy

[dxboon]

Everyone - THANK YOU for all of your advice. I found out that NO genetic testing has been done on the parents. My husband and I passed on this puppy, and are going to look elsewhere. If I didn't join this site today, I wouldn't have known what to look out for. If anyone knows of any reputable breeders in the Ohio area (preferably Cleveland/Akron/Columus area, please let me know! THANKS AGAIN!

I'm sure this was tough, but a really smart decision. Investing the time and money to get a well-bred puppy from a reputable breeder will be worth it in the long run. The Central Ohio Labrador Retriever Club is based in the Columbus area, and will be a good resource for you to get some information about what to look for in a breeder and who you might contact in that area: Central Ohio Labrador Retriever Club Homepage. Also, one of our members, Piccadilly, who you can PM once you have 10 posts, may be a good resource for you. She is in Michigan, but will be a good resource for breeders in Ohio, also.

[Maxx&Emma]

I am so happy to read your decision on this litter! I have no doubt you have made the right choice and will be much happier in the future. It may take some time but you will not be sorry.

You need to get your post count up to 10 so members can send you PM's with names of breeders. You can start with finding your local Labrador club, they often have litter listings. You can also Google Labrador breeders in your area. After you find breeders there are very helpful members that can let you know if you have found a reputable/responsible breeder.

Wiishing you the best of luck in your search for a healthy Lab puppy!

[POPTOP]

Know that was a hard decision to make, waiting and wanting a puppy but I think it is the right decision. Since we do not name breeder names on this site, a liability issue, get your post count up and you can use the PM feature. Think you only need 10 posts. That's easy to get by going on the Labrador picture section and making a comment, or any of the other sections.

There are good responsible breeders in your area. There are several breeders on the lab board also who will be able to help.

[WhoopsaDaisy]

Wow, I'm sure that was a tough decision after waiting 5 years. I'm glad you signed up when you did! A very wise decision and I'm sure people will PM you soon.

[munnfamily]

Ok, so I can reply 10 times on my own thread and I can PM people?