Purchasing a new puppy?
A reputable labrador breeder should offer the following information about their litter.
1. Why did they produce this litter? Why did they choose to breed the dam to the sire? A good breeder will tell you what thier goals were in selecting the sire. For example, we breed for three main traits (1) Healthy dogs (2) Family Dog Temperments (3) Hunting Desire.
2. Dogs from working bloodlines are bred for health, they are going to have a pedigree of dogs that had good hips, good elbows and that were capable of hunting. Although the hunting traits may not be important to you... in order to earn these titles these dogs had to be trainable, smart, focused and healthy. Look for Field Champions (FC, AFC, CFC or CAFC), Hunt Test (JH,SH,MH, HR, SHR, HRCH) and obedience titles (CD, CDX, UD, UDX, OtCH) or agility titled dogs.
3. Are these dogs healthy? Ask for the following clearances:
OFA Good or Excellent Hips; this is a standardized exam for hip displaysia. For more information on Hip Displaysia: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1569&aid=444.
EIC status; Exercise Induced Collapse is a genetic disease. Dogs may 'carry' one copy of the defective EIC gene, but will not show any symptoms. Since the puppy has to have two copies of the gene to be effected, both the sire and dam should be tested, one can be a carrier.
However, if the dog has two copies of the defective gene, the dog will collapse when exercised. For more information go to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center: http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vbs/faculty/Mickelson/lab/EIC/retrievereic/home.html
CNM status; CentroNuclear Myopathy, is also a genetic defect that causes a muscular dystrophy type disease in puppies. Since the puppy has to have two copies of the gene to be effected, both the sire and dam should be tested, one can be a carrier. For more information on CNM: http://www.theretrievernews.com/Library/Articles/Veterinary/GenteticTestforMuscularMyopath
1. Why did they produce this litter? Why did they choose to breed the dam to the sire? A good breeder will tell you what thier goals were in selecting the sire. For example, we breed for three main traits (1) Healthy dogs (2) Family Dog Temperments (3) Hunting Desire.
2. Dogs from working bloodlines are bred for health, they are going to have a pedigree of dogs that had good hips, good elbows and that were capable of hunting. Although the hunting traits may not be important to you... in order to earn these titles these dogs had to be trainable, smart, focused and healthy. Look for Field Champions (FC, AFC, CFC or CAFC), Hunt Test (JH,SH,MH, HR, SHR, HRCH) and obedience titles (CD, CDX, UD, UDX, OtCH) or agility titled dogs.
3. Are these dogs healthy? Ask for the following clearances:
OFA Good or Excellent Hips; this is a standardized exam for hip displaysia. For more information on Hip Displaysia: http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1569&aid=444.
EIC status; Exercise Induced Collapse is a genetic disease. Dogs may 'carry' one copy of the defective EIC gene, but will not show any symptoms. Since the puppy has to have two copies of the gene to be effected, both the sire and dam should be tested, one can be a carrier.
However, if the dog has two copies of the defective gene, the dog will collapse when exercised. For more information go to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Medical Center: http://www.cvm.umn.edu/vbs/faculty/Mickelson/lab/EIC/retrievereic/home.html
CNM status; CentroNuclear Myopathy, is also a genetic defect that causes a muscular dystrophy type disease in puppies. Since the puppy has to have two copies of the gene to be effected, both the sire and dam should be tested, one can be a carrier. For more information on CNM: http://www.theretrievernews.com/Library/Articles/Veterinary/GenteticTestforMuscularMyopath
