The first rule anyone considering getting a Labrador is to carefully consider the breeder. This is so important as the time spent in advance will save much time and trouble in years to come.

Avoid the Color Sale
I am still amazed that from time to time I will see an ad in the paper advertising a litter with 1 rare Chocolate Lab? If you find a breeder whose idea of qualifying you as an owner of one of their pups is asking what color you prefer…. RUN and RUN fast. When talking to a reputable breeder they are more interested in what type of life you will provide to their pup and the color of the pups most likely will no even be mentioned.

Ask Plenty of Questions
If someone is calling their self a breeder, they should be only be breeding to improve the breed. Now how are they going to improve the breed if they do not know it inside and out. Do your research ahead of time and make a list of questions. Ask about the labs history, traits, health issues etc… You will quickly find out if this is the type of breeder you can trust. For instance when getting our Lab our first question was “Why are your breeding Labs”? For this answer we got many I really love the breed. If you get this type of stock response dig deeper. Ask why do you want to breed though, you ca love the breed by simply having one? We knew we found we found the right breeder for us when the response was, “I feel that the Labs in the United States have over time lost the Sporting Ability. I am trying to improve a proven champion conformation line by installing champion field characteristics”. Now this is what we wanted to hear and obvisouly someone that understood the breed standard.

Be Prepared to Have Questions Asked
If you are offered a pup without any questions being asked about you and your lifestyle, do nottake it as a compliment that you seem like a great person, RUN… Yes you will most likely do a lot of running away when searching. Most breeders love the pups and want first most to know they are placed in a suitable environment. Be prepared to answer questions about who will care for the dog, where will the dog stay, what will you do for exercise etc… Also many will ask many personality type questions such as if you prefer the outdoors or indoors. This is to make sure the Lab is right for you. In many cases a breeder will turn away potential buyers they do not feel would do with a Lab added to their house.

Check on CERTs
This is so important and a must to do. Make sure that at least the parents have been Hip and Elbow certified. This helps reduce the chance that your pup will develop Hip Dysplasia or Elbow Dysplasia. Also see if the parents have Eye CERTS on their pedigrees. Labs have been known to be prone to Progressive Retinal Atrophy and breeding stock should have their eyes checked annually to ensure they have not developed thislate onset health problem that can be passed to the pups.

Decide What You Are Looking For
The most important thing to do is consider what you and your Lab will do together. Are you looking to join in confirmation competition? If so you will want to check the bloodlines and research the ancestry of the line to see what champions your puppy is coming from. Maybe you are looking for a hunting companion? In this case a review of the ancestry can show past field trial champions. Maybe you are just looking for a companion? In this case, the amount of show champions do not matter, focus on finding a healthy pup from a good line.

Although time consuming, these suggestions will greatly help you in finding the right Lab for you. The short time spent researching will lead to years of companionship that is unbelievable.

Additional Resources
Find several Dog Breeders of different breeds.

Find Dog Adoption resources for different breeds.

Learn more about Puppies