Why are Labradors so expensive? Would get a rescue, but we already have a cat....

[bacardiandcokeplease]

....which is apparently a no no with adult rescue dogs.

Have always wanted another lab. I had one growing up and was completely in love with her. Have been constantly looking online and you can't seem to get one for less than £550! Seems so expensive to me! I've been out the loop for a while though. Not even sure we paid for our dog and she wasn't a rescue.

I don't suppose anyone has or knows of anyone who has, or will have a lab or lab x pups and just want them to go to a good, loving home? We have a good sized house and garden. Loads of fields close by (as in a two minute walk away) and I'm a SAHM, so will be around most of the time. We'd be happy to pay something of course! Just not £550+.

TIA

Wait a few weeks and there will be lots of ex Christmas puppies advertised!

Any half-decent rescue would offer to cat test a rescue. Many, many do this. I suggest you join some groups on FB (usually much more up to date than websites)

Golden Retriever UK Rescue not just goldens, many labs also.

LRRSE even if you're not in the area, probably worth joining

Labrador Rescue Trust

East Midlands Labrador Rescue

Lab Rescue Kent

Southern Lab Rescue

There's also Labrador Lifeline and Black Retriever X

I wouldn't rule out an adult dog because of the cats. Many rescues foster dogs in family homes with cats so can tell you whether the dogs are happy with cats or not. Many labs are given up before they are a year old, and as pp have said, many pups will need new homes by the end of January:(

Thank you both. That's really helpful.

I made the mistake of posting this on Chat, under a different name also, but have been flamed for it! Bizarre

I didn't flame you.

Please do look into rescuing, they will help the newbie settle with the cat and if youre adamant you want a lab then wait and one will come available

No flaming in the dog house, only constructive advice

dona, sorry! No, you didn't. You actually gave some very good advice! I hadn't thought about doing that. Does that happen often then?

I agree about looking at some of the smaller rescue. Quite a lot of them would rehome with a cat.

Failed/withdrawn dogs are available for adoption from both Guide Dogs for the Blind and Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

£550 is actually a pretty low price for lab puppies. A well bred puppy from a decent breeder with all appropriate health testing in place is more likely to be priced around the £800 mark. If that's not something you'd be prepared to pay then short of buying from a puppy farm/BYB then rescue is really the only other option.

It's worth keeping an eye on all breed rescues as well as breed/type specific ones. Labs are immensely popular in this country and do turn up in rescues on a fairly regular basis. As previous posters have said many rescues will cat test the dogs they have in rather than having a blanket "no cats" policy for all their dogs.

Smaller rescues often foster dogs rather than kennelling them. So they will be able to advise better about cats.

Also didn't flame you, but I stand by what I said in the Chat post: you won't get a well bred lab for under £550.

Agree with Trionic, £550 is too low - if you want a health lottery, get a rescue. If buying a puppy, you are very unlikely to find one with the appropriate hip, elbow and eye tests to maximise your chances of a healthy pet. If you think this doesn't matter, the difference in vet bills could very easily change your view in the future.

My lab was about that price. He's a beautiful boy with a great pedigree. Came from a lovely lady who bred his mother. I found out about her through Mumsnet when I lost my old boy and came on here to talk about him. No regrets, he's a great dog. Well, when he's not being a typical lab and helping himself to my kitchen worktops.

I think that's cheap for a well bred quality dog of any breed
I would expect to pay around £800-£1000 for a properly health tested dog from proven lines and more for a 'rarer' breed.

An option would be a rescue but you would most likely be older than a standard puppy, typically 6-12months is prime dumping age once the cuteness wears off.

Try blackretrieverx rescue on Facebook they always seem to have lovely dogs!

Honestly, if you find pups that cheap don't buy. Most breeders don't turn a profit if they are breeding ethically. Showing (having a third party attest to the quality of the dog), health tests etc aren't inexpensive. Please don't buy a backyard bred dog that only fuels the overpopulation problem. A rescue lab shouldn't be too hard to find. Or try contacting breeders who may have young dogs they held back for showing but ended up with a fault. Breeders are often willing to let those dogs go at a fraction of a pup price. You get a well socialised lovely dog for a bargain and you don't have to deal with a young pup.

I think labs are prone to hip/elbow problems so a puppy from health checked parents may cost more due to the tests. If getting s puppy you really want one where the parents have been hip scored.

I agree that a cat doesn't mean an adult rescue is a no. Rescues may well cat test a dog. They may know a certain dog has lived with cats before. I got a greyhound who came to mine on a morning cat trial to see how they all got on before I adopted.

Only really repeating what others have said, but having a cat shouldn't stop you from being allowed to adopt a rescue, as some of them will have lived peacefully with cats before. It'll likely still be a fair bit of work to get your cat used to the presence of a dog in its home, but with patience and the establishment of plenty of dog-inaccessible escape places for the cat, it should be fine.

Also, DO NOT buy a £550 Labrador, whatever you do. That's backyard breeder or puppy farm price. Our last Labrador (bought 14 years ago) was what we considered extremely cheap then, considering her great pedigree and full health checks, at £450 in 2002. Other pups whose parents were of lesser pedigree/quality (but still from reputable breeders) were all £600+ even back then...

I didn't flame you but stand by my response to you. We have bred labs and it is very expensive if it's done properly and responsibly-vaccinations, checks, insurance, scoring, registration....£550 is a farmed puppy. Again, as I said before, people were passionate about animals and there is nothing wrong with that.

My labs breeder had done all the health checks, vaccs, chip, etc. She wasn't in it for the money but perhaps we were just lucky.

Anyone who breeds dogs for the money should not be breeding dogs.

MsAdorabelle You were lucky to find a good breeder selling for less than most - just like we were back in 2002 - but, while there are going to be a few exceptions, a too good to be true price is generally just that, so it's good to be suspicious.

I have a rescue Labrador which the vet thought was dumped by a puppy farmer around age 5. She's a beautiful, calm dog with no hip issues. She's old now but has only minor old dog problems.

We had two cats who treated her with disdain but there was no conflict.

Getting her as an adult meant that she was fully grown and it was easier to judge her temperament and health. She wasn't house trained but willing to learn. She found walks a delightful new experience and stairs mystifying!

I gave the rescue £80!

Keep looking at different rescue centres. We were in the same position 3 years ago, two cats and a 6 year old ds. Finally found a 6 month old lab at a local rescue centre. He passed the cat test and was considered one of the few suitable to live with children under 7. He is amazing and well worth all the months of searching different rescue centres websites. It sometimes just takes time to find the perfect one!

Here he is...