What to look for in Labrador Pups?

[Nuke]

It's a lottery, you would have to observe them all the time to give yourself a chance.

Plan ahead and get to know the owners of dogs you like and then let them select the right/best puppy for you.

/M

[Walker570]

All but one of my pups I have used my judgement right or wrong. I asked for them to be turned out onto a field or lawn whatever then picked the dog which wanted to go on an adventure. My best dog by far, a chocie lab, broke away from the whingy whiney group and had his nose into the rushes round the garden pond. Try not to buy the last to be sold although that can bring surprises as a viszla I had and trained for a friend for six months also turned out to be a serious character and he never told a lie. He had fantastic drive and nose and was the runt of the litter, rejected by the original purchaser.  Yes it is a lottery but by just watching how the pups react can be a big help.

I'm afraid I disagree with Nuke.  If I'm having a dog I will choose which I buy, so easy to get fobbed off and however the dog turns out is your own making.

[London Best]

Out of all the dogs I’ve had, the best three pups all picked ME.

[Dave at kelton]

We were only discussing this topic during a break in the picking up this week. So many stories of the quietest dog in the litter turning out to be a real fire cracker and the runt being a real bruiser as an adult. We all concluded it was a lottery and you take your pick and work with what’s in front of you.

I have travelled all over the country to get the right pup for me. I even recall going to S Wales for one particular pup only to come away with another from a different litter. It’s nice to get pick of the litter but often impossible so you just have to back your judgement.

The top trainers will go through a lot of dogs discarding many that don’t meet their aspirations. So, for those of us who pick up one dog every few years, we just have to accept what we get and make the most of it. In forty plus years I have only ever moved one dog on. A great retriever and well trained but wanted to work for himself not me so not a team player bit great one to one. From top trialling lines too.

[London Best]

There ain’t a man alive who can pick the best pup from a litter, whatever they tell you.

[CaptC]

It’s a bit like going into a primary school classroom and trying to point out the one who will go to Oxbridge? 
Interaction with the pups is always good. Some sit and stare, others run away and the bold ones bite your shoes.  

[Rob85]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

Out of all the dogs I’ve had, the best three pups all picked ME.

Exactly how I pick my pups, I get in among them and the mother and just watch for a while and then you start to see which one has that curiosity about you and wants to come and play and be with you.

My current pup is coming along nicely but I don't think she's going to be the biggest Lab in the world.

Bailey is a handsome wee beastie if I do say so myself

[Walker570]

I only had one pup chosen for me.  Back in the 80s I wanted a GSP to replace Mole who had died in a fit(I'm sure because of parents being OLD when concieved but thats another story) and I went to Mrs Petri-Hey who at the time was producing some excellent stock. I visited and she said she did not have a GSP for sale. She had a yard full of viszlas and I was struck with one and offered to buy  it. She smartly told me that dog was far too clever for me. However we parted good friends and a few weeks later received a call to see if I still wanted a viszla because she had put my name on one from the dog I wanted to buy and a bitch at a farm almost in the North Sea.  I pointed one out from all the pups when we arrived and that one was the one which Mrs Petri-Hey had suggested. He turned out to be a superb dog............ but there again have any of us ever had a bad one, if they are not a 'tool' but family?

[Dave at kelton]

2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

I only had one pup chosen for me.  Back in the 80s I wanted a GSP to replace Mole who had died in a fit(I'm sure because of parents being OLD when concieved but thats another story) and I went to Mrs Petri-Hey who at the time was producing some excellent stock. I visited and she said she did not have a GSP for sale. She had a yard full of viszlas and I was struck with one and offered to buy  it. She smartly told me that dog was far too clever for me. However we parted good friends and a few weeks later received a call to see if I still wanted a viszla because she had put my name on one from the dog I wanted to buy and a bitch at a farm almost in the North Sea.  I pointed one out from all the pups when we arrived and that one was the one which Mrs Petri-Hey had suggested. He turned out to be a superb dog............ but there again have any of us ever had a bad one, if they are not a 'tool' but family?

Had my current new recruit to the team chosen for me by the breeder, a top trialler whom I also pickup with from time to time. She knew what I expect from a dog and was looking for. It has proved to be a perfect choice as, whilst on his toes has settled brilliantly this season and is really hitting the mark as a youngster. 
what we have in common is the person choosing knew both her dogs and us. I would never leave it to a stranger!

[CaptC]

46 minutes ago, Dave at kelton said:

Had my current new recruit to the team chosen for me by the breeder, a top trialler whom I also pickup with from time to time. She knew what I expect from a dog and was looking for. It has proved to be a perfect choice as, whilst on his toes has settled brilliantly this season and is really hitting the mark as a youngster. 
what we have in common is the person choosing knew both her dogs and us. I would never leave it to a stranger!

Zackly! You could end up “being sold a pup” as they say. 

[12gauge82]

On 30/11/2022 at 06:46, Nuke said:

It's a lottery, you would have to observe them all the time to give yourself a chance.

Plan ahead and get to know the owners of dogs you like and then let them select the right/best puppy for you.

/M

It's not an exact science, but it's certainly not a lottery. 

23 hours ago, Walker570 said:

All but one of my pups I have used my judgement right or wrong. I asked for them to be turned out onto a field or lawn whatever then picked the dog which wanted to go on an adventure. My best dog by far, a chocie lab, broke away from the whingy whiney group and had his nose into the rushes round the garden pond. Try not to buy the last to be sold although that can bring surprises as a viszla I had and trained for a friend for six months also turned out to be a serious character and he never told a lie. He had fantastic drive and nose and was the runt of the litter, rejected by the original purchaser.  Yes it is a lottery but by just watching how the pups react can be a big help.

I'm afraid I disagree with Nuke.  If I'm having a dog I will choose which I buy, so easy to get fobbed off and however the dog turns out is your own making.

Spot on. 

Your also spot on that a runt can sometimes throw up real suprises sometimes. A runt has to learn to be smart to get what they want and figure things out, they can't simply muscle their way in like some if their other litter mates, which can on occasion produce some very good dogs, although obviously it doesn't always work like that. 

[12gauge82]

22 hours ago, London Best said:

There ain’t a man alive who can pick the best pup from a litter, whatever they tell you.

Maybe not, but it would be more correct to say using a combination of experience, research and selection of correct lines and breed. It will vastly improve your chances. 

[London Best]

1 hour ago, 12gauge82 said:

Maybe not, but it would be more correct to say using a combination of experience, research and selection of correct lines and breed. It will vastly improve your chances. 

Obviously.

[CaptC]

It’s still a gamble even with the best research. “ A friend of a friend” is to be avoided. 

[12gauge82]

1 hour ago, London Best said:

Obviously.

As was your comment 👍

[Dougy]

We picked ours because he was the one sitting inside the food bowl eating his dinner while the rest of the litter were all around it. 

We called him Buster, the name was well suited. But must say he's very well mannered with a stubborn character. 

[PERCE]

We've bred quite a few litters & the litter dynamic changes as pups are sold & leave. It's almost like there's a pecking order, usually the one to go is the boldest, most outgoing pup. once that pup goes another takes over centre stage & gets bolder. Bar a few surprises, I've found I can usually predict which pup will go before the punters arrive. This falls down when someone turns up that's a proper dog man and he wants the pup that's sat in the corner watching & taking notice of everything that's going on........the one I'm planning on keeping!

 

[Mickeydredd]

It is very difficult to choose a pup, certainly to choose one for some perceived view that it will be the "best" in the litter for the job. Usually something just catches your eye with a pup and that makes the decision for you.

Regarding having almost all your labs having bad hip scores despite selection from different breeders, this is clearly a result of your training methods, probably doing too much with them too soon, especially jumping them.  We had a guy recommended to us to have one of our lab pups who picked up 5 days per week.  He told us upon arrival that he had had about 8 pups from well known breeders and all of them had bad hips.  When he opened the back of his pickup we could see why, absolute sh%thole and we wanted to take the pup back, really never forgave ourselves.

For me, the main criteria is seeing the parents, knowing what work they have done and how they go about it, temperament and the look of a chunky loved dog.  feeding pups well is a very important requirement, I would never buy a lab pup that didnt look chunky.  Runts of the litter are generally more prone to health issues during their life.

A pic of a couple of pups from one of our litters, I still have one in my kennels.

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Mickeydredd

[CaptC]

Sorry but I take issue with your suggestion that all my puppies were over exercised. They were not, no jumping and short walks. It was poor genetics and a bad choice on my behalf. 

[Mickeydredd]

2 hours ago, CaptC said:

Sorry but I take issue with your suggestion that all my puppies were over exercised. They were not, no jumping and short walks. It was poor genetics and a bad choice on my behalf. 

ok, my apologies, but in my defence you stated you researched and bought from reputable breeders.  That suggested the parents would have had low hip scores.  The fact that 7 out of 8 pups you have bought have had bad hips therefore suggested that it was a training issue rather than genetics as it is always one or the other of these reasons.

Where both parents have low hip scores it generally follows that the pups will, all things being equal, reflect a similar score.  You will always get the odd one that may have an issue even from such pairings.

The guy who came to us wanted his dogs in the beating line in their first year, and its my belief that is the cause of many bad hip scores in dogs from low hip score lines.

Edited December 10, 2022 by Mickeydredd

[Mickeydredd]

I have posted this pic before but this is what our lab line looks like, father furthest away in pic and 2 sons from different litters.  Proper labs.

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by Mickeydredd

[Nuke]

On 01/12/2022 at 07:55, 12gauge82 said:

It's not an exact science, but it's certainly not a lottery. 

It is always a lotteri, you never know if the dog will be a good worker or not.

/M

[12gauge82]

7 hours ago, Nuke said:

It is always a lotteri, you never know if the dog will be a good worker or not.

/M

Well I must just have had exceptional luck over the years, either that or you're wrong. I wonder which it is 🤔😂

Edited December 25, 2022 by 12gauge82