Newbie from Indiana

[BIG BOB]

My name is Bob Bramlett .... I am a high school teacher in the Hoosier state. I, unlike most of you, do not own a Lab....YET. I am very interested in getting one -I want to learn to be a therapy dog handler...and own a therapy lab... i have a small lake place up north and i want a companion who might want to take a few swims with me as well....LOL

any and all suggestions are welcome. FYI - I am meeting with a Master Trainer to start my training in about two weeks....

[smartrock]

Hi and welcome!

While I have a couple of labs, they are not therapy trained. They are my constant companions, though, when I'm not working. My first suggestion would be to check out some of the threads on this board that go over what sorts of things to look for in a breeder. Then start looking for lab breeders in your area or close enough that you would be willing to drive to pick up your new pup, assuming you want to start with a puppy. While there are lots of dogs in rescues or shelters that may be trained for different types of therapy work, it sounds like you want to find a dog that you can be fairly certain that its temperament is that of a well bred labrador retriever. There are many people who breed labs but not all necessarily take the care needed to make certain the dogs they breed have all the health clearances for orthopedic, cardiac, eye, or other genetic issues common to labs. There are breeders who advertise online who appear to talk a good game and have a good site, but they may be brokers or puppy mill breeders who breed in large numbers without taking the care to make sure the dogs are worth being bred to begin with. Reputable breeders will be aiming to breed dogs that are healthy and have the lovely temperament that labs are known for.

You could also look to see if there is a labrador retriever club in your area where you could get to know some other lab loving folks, breeders and trainers. Once you get a certain number of posts, 5-10, people on here who do know of breeders around the country might be able to send you private messages to point you in a good direction. We are not supposed to name or recommend breeders or kennels on the open forum.

Asking About Breeders or Where to Get a Puppy

How to spot good Labrador Breeders

Good luck- let us know how the search goes!

[smartrock]

duplicate post

[BIG BOB]

Thanks Sue..... I am excited but concerned because i have a 7 YEAR old pug that is a little bit spoiled. Lol... I don't want her bad habits to rub off.

[BIG BOB]

Good looking lab family you have Sue.

[Abulafia]

Hi—

We have an almost 6 month old black lab girl whom we are training as a therapy dog (primarily to work w/ kids w/ reading, or in the hospital).

I had not intended to look for a dog to do therapy work... I think that's something you have to wait on, to see if it matches the dog's personality. In my case, her trainers suggested it, so we are training her. We can't test her until she hits a year, though, so we'll see about that when the time comes.

My main advice, as others have said, is that you research your breeders, starting now. Look at their websites, their dogs. See what qualities they breed for, and learn the main differences in dogs bread for "field" or "bench" / "conformation." Email the breeders. Ask questions, but expect them to ask many more from you.

I picked our breeder based on the looks of their labs, the quality of their facilities, the obvious love they have for their dogs, and the fact that they breed for temperament. It so happens that they produce amazing show lines, but that wasn't what I'd been looking for.

So: research, research, research. Talk to breeders when you've found one or two you are interested in. If you have a therapy training program in your area, ask them about breeders.

And good luck and welcome!

[dxboon]

My suggestion is to talk to breeders in your local AKC-sanctioned Labrador Retriever Club. Not sure where you are located in Indiana, but here is a list of clubs in your state and surrounding areas:

Indiana
Hoosier Labrador Retriever Club: Hoosier labrador Retriever Club - Home

Illinois
Winnebago Labrador Retriever Club: Winnebago Labrador Retriever Club

Michigan
Huron River Labrador Retriever Club: Huron River Labrador Retriever Club

Ohio
Central Ohio Labrador Retriever Club: COLRC | Central Ohio Labrador Retriever Club
Miami Valley Labrador Retriever Club: Welcome to Miami Valley Labrador Retriever Club
Lake Erie Labrador Retriever Club: Home | Lake Erie Labrador Retriever Club (LELRC)

Based on your description of what you'd like to do with your dog, and the fact that you have an existing smaller breed dog, I think a history of proven, correct Labrador temperaments from the parents of your future dog are key. Also, Labs, like many breeds are plagued with several health concerns, so it helps stack the deck in your favor of getting a healthy pup if you go to a breeder who does all the requisite health clearances. At MINIMUM you want to see proof of hip, elbow, eye clearances. That is very minimal. Final orthopedic clearances are not accepted by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals prior to 2 years of age. The required testing for the Labrador breed to obtain a Canine Health Information Center number are:

Hips, Elbows, Eyes, EIC (exercise induced collapse) with optional testing for CNM (centronuclear myopathy) and the D-Locus (test for dilute gene). Tricuspid valve dysplasia (a heart condition) is another serious affliction that affects Labradors, and I personally would look for the parents of my future puppy to have been cleared via echocardiogram.

Be prepared to fill out a puppy buyer information request, and talk to/meet the breeder to be vetted. Most good breeders have waiting lists for a puppy, so you might have to wait a bit to get the right puppy, but if you go to a reputable breeder who breeds for temperament, health, and is a good steward of the breed, the wait and cost of the puppy will be well worth it. Good luck!

[BIG BOB]

dxboon. .... Thanks for the info. I'm investigating a breeder and in conversations with a training center for advice. I am not sure what my time line will be but I am gathering advice and going to educate myself before I take the leap.

[Tanya]

welcome
absolutely take time to research what a "good" breeder is, and how to identify them. picking a breeder is really a key step in the process and to do so you need to know what questions to ask and what to look for (health clearances, temperament, their breeding program, socialization...). especially with such a firm goal in mind. a good breeder should recommend the puppy in the litter that best fits your goals of therapy work (though obviously no guarantees).

"pure bred" does NOT mean well bred. too many people willy nilly breed their dogs because they are pure bred with no real understanding (or want to understand) all that should go into a breeding to ensure the best health and temperament for the puppies. a Labrador is not a Labrador because it is "pure bred". it is a labrador retriever thanks to it's genetics and the work the breeders up the line put into breeding properly. ( and after that there is all the socialization and training aspect to be done of course!)

For therapy visits it's often not overly complicated. you need to start with basic manners and just normal pet dog stuff. I did therapy visits with my lab for a few years. He's a rescue but seemed to have the temperament for it. We sorta went to the test at the last minute (there was a cancellation so it was sudden). We passed then worked with a local group to find a placement and training. The training for "me" wasn't too long and location specific. The group i worked with generally don't take in very young dogs - but I forget the age limit (might have been 1 or 2 years old).

ETA: oh and yes they do learn from other dogs in the house. it's never to late to teach an "old" dog new boundaries though!

[BIG BOB]

Thanks Tanya. .... I'm looking at a well bred dog that has a great family temperament. It's being raised by a well respected dog trainer that will sell it to me with only breeding rights for her to produce other puppies. .... the pup I am looking at is a male so his part isn't as big of a deal.