labradors - and any dog breeders?

[OnlyWantsOne]

Hey

Looking for some advice, we have a lab - she's one this month and we LOVE HER :)

we've decided we'd like a second dog, I'd quite like a slightly smaller breed, spaniel maybe - but DP has suggested he'd like another lab.

Ours is quite small, and she's just had her first season but we're prob going to have her "done" in 12 weeks time.

so, back to the point - we bought our lab from a friend of a friend on a complete impulse, i was 7 months PG and we have a 4 year old, but still best thing we ever bought

this time I'd like to do a tad more research - how do you find a good breeder, not just some puppy farmer?

Plus, whats best to look out for? Our lab is very small, shes quite narrow and short - from a working dog breeder, 3 of her siblings are now on a local estate as gun dogs.

... what signs should I look out for?

If it's specifically a lab you're looking for then try the kennel club website and their list of accredited breeders.
We just got a yellow, but took a lot of time and looking before we got lucky. Yellows are harder to find for some reason (though my friend who's a vet said you couldn't pay her to have a chocolate! Though they do seem v popular at the moment! There were waiting lists for yellows with the reputable breeders but worth the wait maybe if that's what you want...
Good luck. Ours is a monkey though :o

Ask the breeder you got your current dog from as a start?

The KC do have an accredited breeder scheme, but it doesn't guarantee a good dog, or a good breeder. What colour lab are you looking for - and do you want another working type or a show type this time around?

Where roughly are you?

Dare I suggest Lab Rescue? :o

Apart from the very obvious reason for suggesting it, it may make sense as your current one is approaching adolesence and probably still in training. A pup will need training seperately and will be hard work as a result, hence an older dog or bitch might be more suitable, particularly as you have a babe and a 4 yo too.

Hi there, i have a lab and i found this forum here Anything you could ever want to know about getting a lab pup is there. Ancually anything you need to know about them full stop is there. Its a bit like mumsnet for dogs lol

Someone who does hip and eye testing before breeding, someone who asks you at least as many questions as you ask them, someone with no more than two breeds around, someone who can show you the mother of the pups and who is happy for you to visit several times before deciding for sure, and someone whose dogs you like. That's a start!