4 Quick Tips for Picking the Best Pointing Lab Breeder for You

 

Or at least one man’s very humble opinion…

Its late at night. The kids are asleep, (or out of the house and then – hey who cares), your spouse is conked out as well. Its just you and the fire, your computer or phone, and the search for a new pointing lab. As you begin your search it quickly becomes evident that:

·      There is a whole lot of useful information out there about where to buy a pointing Labrador.

·      Not unlike buying a car, there are hundreds of useless opinions out there about where to buy a Black, Yellow, or Chocolate Pointing Lab.

·      It is quite difficult at times to tell the difference between what is useful and what is useless.

 

SO…the all-important question. Who raises the best pointing labs? Who is the best pointing labs breeder in the country? Where do you get your next hunting buddy?

As stated, the volume of information out there makes this a challenging question. Why, dear reader would I reply that way? Why don’t I simply answer “Hunters Point Kennel” with gusto and fan fair, screaming out loud that we are the best pointing labs breeder in the country?

 

Because there are LOTS of excellent folks raising excellent dogs out there.

The world of dog breeding is, at its heart, a giant competition. Folks from all over compete in sanctioned activities with their Labrador retrievers (both pointing and flushing) – and when awarded titles and glory – parade their dog’s accomplishments all over god’s green earth. Competitors then scream to the world how amazing their particular dog is and brag it up to all who will listen. This advertisement allows breeders to separate their puppies from everyone else out there’s puppies – in theory selling more puppies.

All this bragging and discussing makes it quite hard for the average buyer to separate the wheat from the chaff. If you have ever looked at retriever forum you will know what I mean. If you haven’t, go check it out. Everybody who has an opinion (and trust me, everyone has one – and most are full of crap) about retrievers excitedly drops their wisdom and knowledge on that site for all to see.  So, what should you look for from a breeder & or breeding pair of dogs when buying a pointing Labrador?

• SOME combination of Hunt Test or Field Trial Titles.  Titles are your (the buyers) way of verifying that the animal in question is capable of what the breeder claims. There are many breeders that claim their dogs are the best. The titles the animal has won is the proof.

• Health Guarantee and Basic Health Screenings. The last data I saw from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals stated that on average a Lab with excellent hips bred to another lab with excellent hips will yield dysplasia 6% of the time. If I was going to buy a dog, I would want a health guarantee.  Most well-bred pointing labs these days are going for well over $1000 dollars. That is a bunch of money to spend and not have a health guarantee.

• Does the Breeder Care about their animals? Obvious this one, right?   Does the guy/gal care about their critters. Food/Water, Warm/Cool Places to get out of the weather, etc. Do the dogs look clean happy and healthy?  It goes without saying that it is a bad idea to support a puppy miller.

• Do you get along with the individual on the other end of the line? There are many excellent breeders out there. There are lots of good genetics out there. There are also many folks that have great stock – that I would not ever buy a dog from because I personally can’t stand to even look at them.  I would love to sell everyone that calls me a dog.   No doubt. But there are some folks out there who simply are not going to like me – for any number of reasons. Sometimes, getting a dog is simply about being comfortable with the folks whom you are getting the dog from.

As always good luck in your search, and if we can answer any questions, please get a hold of us.