About Breeders
Jetta and her newborns
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Labrador Retrievers are very popular, and there are a lot of
people breeding Labs. Unfortunately, the quality of purebred Labs
is highly variable.
The search for responsible breeders is not always an easy task. There are significant differences between ethical and unethical breeders. The information on selective breeding principles, how to find a breeder, and what to avoid may help you find a happy, healthy Labrador puppy from a reputable, ethical breeder.
WHAT IS A BREEDER
By Peggy Adamson
~ A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment.
~ A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting!~ A Breeder gives up the dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in favour of turning that all important Show into this year's "vacation".
~ A Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) in the hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.
~ A Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight.
~ A Breeder disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to mouth to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing life into a tiny, helpless creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.
~ A Breeder's lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions once snoozed.
~ A Breeder's hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but
ever so
gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.
~ A Breeder's back and knees are usually arthritic from
stooping,
bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but strong enough to enable
the breeder to show the next choice pup to a Championship.
~ A Breeder's shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from
competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a
thousand defeats and frustrations.
~ A Breeder's arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of
puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.
~ A Breeder's ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being
talked about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone
receiver), often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the
whimper of a sick puppy.
~ A Breeder's eyes are blurred from pedigree research and sometimes
blind to her own dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to the
competition's faults and are always searching for the perfect specimen.
~ A Breeder's brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees
faster than an IBM computer. It is so full of knowledge that
sometimes it blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good bonings,
fine ears, and perfect heads... and buries in the soul the failures and
one that didn't turn out.
~ A Breeder's heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope, everlasting.. and it's always in the right place!
~ Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are BREEDERS!!