Maxx&Emma (10-05-2015)
Any breeder who is advertising "white" Labrador puppies is not a breeder worth supporting. It's one thing for pet people to use casual terms, but if a breeder is using non-standard terminology, it's more than likely a backyard breeder trolling for sales.
Maxx&Emma (10-05-2015)
Anne, I appreciate your post and it was very well put. Also another person mentioned how Xmas is a very hectic time for a puppy, that was well said, thank you. I am a very responsible pet owner, family has had dogs ever since I was born and cats for that matter. I have a cat and dog at the moment, my kids love them and my oldest is really into going out bird hunting with daddy and we have talked about it for years. Hence all the research and even coming on a forum from people who have been in the position. I want a dog in good health, temperament (since I have kids and other animals), as well that has hunting in the background. I can agree with the person about buying supplies for the puppy with our kids first and wait for the litters after xmas. I understand a breeder with a female goes along the females time and ovulation and such. But do some breeders wait til they get a group of people for a specific sire and dam to have puppies from? Meaning I pick out a sire and dam? We know what we are looking for will cost money but we would really like to stay in the 300-500 range. Just looking for great people who love their dogs and into hunting.
Abulafia, thank you your post was very well put.
Abulafia (10-04-2015), Charlotte K. (10-06-2015)
Unfortunately you are not going to get a quality puppy for $300-500. It's just not going to happen. You can train an older dog to hunt though, so why not adopt a younger dog from a rescue instead. Trust me, the $500 you spent on a pup from a crappy breeder could potentially lead to a lot of heartbreak. Breeders charging bare-minimum are certainly not doing the health clearances. Now that said, there have been many instances of folks buying from a bad breeder and still getting a nice dog, but if you have kids and need to rely on temperament, I wouldn't risk supporting a bad breeder.
Jen
Hidden Content
Abulafia (10-04-2015), Charlotte K. (10-06-2015), Tanya (10-04-2015)
OP, I think your best bet is to PM with Anne at Windy Canyon, as she indicated in her prior post to you. The things you are looking for; sound temperament, healthy, proven hunting pedigree will come with a higher upfront cost, but with kids and other pets in the picture IMO it's money well spent. There is no such thing as a cheap dog. You pay upfront to stack the deck in your favor that the dog is cleared of known genetic diseases and comes from lines with proper temperament and ability, or you spend less upfront and pay, literally and figuratively, for issues later. At $300-$500/each the puppies most definitely are not from parents who have had all the apropriate health tests to rule out common problems for Labs. Labs are prone to several diseases that can easily be ruled out, but if the breeder doesn't run these tests and the puppy is affected, they are potentially life-threatening to the dog, and heartbreaking (and financially draining) for the owner.
Also remember that a reputable breeder is breeding first and foremost for themselves, to perpetuate and improve their own lines. They are not waiting for puppy buyers to sign up and pick and choose sires/dams to fulfill their needs for a puppy.
Charlotte K. (10-06-2015)
Absolutely. I think this is something a lot of prospective dog owners don't understand. Real breeders are breeding for themselves, and then happily place their dogs—the ones they don't keep—into pet homes. This is how you get dogs bred for health and temperament: the breeders are doing their bet to make the best dogs they can, because they plan to keep one.
If there is a $500 cap, then I think a rescue dog is the best plan. Many areas have pure bred Lab rescue groups, even. You may still end up paying more than $500 (the costs cover vetting, etc.), but you would end up with an older dog in need of love.
Unfortunately, in that price range you are looking at puppy mill dogs, possibly a BYB situation. I would not support this, but I would also not want to deal with the health issues that are likely to crop up later. Both the cost and the heartbreak would be devastating to me. Doing Lab rescue, most of the dogs were from this price range (they were mostly owner surrenders so we had their paperwork, registrations, etc.) and I can't tell you how much we spent on hip and elbow dysplasia surgeries! Double hip dysplasia surgery for a 9 month old was several thousand dollars. Not to mention you have children and temperament is of the utmost importance. Dogs in that price range are not bred with proper temperament in mind.
At the very minimum, when you are searching for a breeder you'll want the testing done on the parents: Hips, elbows, eyes and hearts. If you are going to have one criteria, this should be it. Any breeder that does the health tests is going to be more likely to pass in other areas (temperament, most importantly) than those who do not test. For those who do not test, I would ask them why not? They'll probably say they have a good track record or their dogs are pet only or that's how they keep their prices low. These are all good excuses when you're purchasing a used car, but not when you're getting a new family member!
Had to google 500 dollars to see how much it was, it works out at £329!! That wouldn't buy half of a decent puppy of any breed over here!!
Have to agree with the above posts, a good pup will cost upwards of $1000. But I STRONGLY suggest going with a lab rescue. In my area there are two that I know of and it's all beautiful pure bred labs, with rescue deposits within your price range.
Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet? | |
|
|