What to look for when buying a labrador puppy

A penis or a vagina

Here is a short two minute video I found informative. It may give you a starting point.


LINK


click on "picking a puppy" from the available videos.

Bump this in the morning. I will weigh in.

Go to Barnes and Noble. Look for the books by the Monks of New Skete. They have a book called The Art of Raising a Puppy. In the back of that book it goes through several puppy tests.

Things to remember:
A dog that will not allow you to roll them over on their back and struggles and snaps without ever calming will be difficult to train. (Hard Headed and Strong Willed).

A dog that rolls over and plays dead when placed on their back with no struggle will not take discipline well and may crack under too much training pressure. This will be an Omega type dog.

A dog that will allow you to roll them over and initially struggles then calm down is considered the ideal dog (according to the books).

There are intelligence tests in there as well. I suggest reading the back section or buying the book.

I would ask about their parents hips, elbows, eyes. Look for any tumors on the parents skin. I would see if either of the parents "Hop" with their hind legs any when they walk around.

Also, A Labrador that comes up to your waist and weighs 110 pounds is out of standard by AKC regs.

I read where someone said no backyard breeders, and to an extent this is true. There are people that are linked into professional breeders and raise dogs for them as a hobby and not necessarily for profit. These people have access to the best dogs in the country and are accessible. The breeder usually lines up all breedings and takes the top male/female pick of the litter, the litter owner will place the rest to good homes. This is how I get my dogs.

<---My yellow on the left. Her father has been on the cover of Labrador Quarterly twice. She is a certified couch potato...that retrieves.

Good Luck.