buyerbeware

"Bargain Hunting" for your new family member can be a disaster. Trying to
save a couple hundred dollars on your new puppy can cost you more money in
future vet bills and unnecessary anguish and stress. Poor breedings usually
produce poor results. I hate to say it, but sometimes you get what you pay for.
Most of the time, the only difference between a poorly bred dog and a well
bred dog is a couple hundred dollars. You can pay now or pay later. Many
people buy puppies and take pride in the fact that their new dog has "papers" .
The papers that these people are referring to, state the puppy is AKC
registered. A dog being AKC registered tells you one thing, and one thing
only; that the dog is purebred. There are a lot of "purebred" dogs being bred
with very unhealthy genetics; hip dysplasia, retinal eye dysplasia, seizures and
bad temperaments. Don't get us wrong, all of our dogs are AKC registered.
The AKc is the only registry in the United States we have to be certain our
dogs come from purebred ancestors. An AKC pedigree is a very vital tool in
researching the ancestors or family tree of your dog and finding out it's
background, ie; whether it is from American/field or English/show lineage.
Being certain your dog is purebred with a family tree that can be researched is
very important, just realize there are more "papers"/documents you should be
looking for in addition. The "papers" you should seek in addition to the AKC
papers, are the certifications/documents certifying the hips and eyes free of
genetic disorders (hip dysplasia and retinal eye dysplasia). Being that hip
dysplasia and retinal eye dysplasia are primarily genetic traits, the only way to
be sure you are dealing with a genetically sound family tree is to research the
ancestors of the puppy you are buying. If you cannot research the ancestors of
your puppy, (not just the parents, but grandparents and great grandparents)
then you should look for another breeder or litter.

There is only one organization in the United States that the AKC recognizes
for certifying hips, and that is the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation For Animals).
The OFA has a database of any and all dogs who's hips are certified free of hip
dysplasia. Anyone can go to their website and just type in the AKC name or
number of any dogs and find out the status of that dog and it's ancestors.
www.offa.org Click on the "vertical pedigree" button or link on the dog's page
and it will bring up the status of it's ancestors also. This website is one of the
strongest tools/aides you have at your disposal when searching for a well bred
animal.
Some breeders claim to have certified hips on their breeding stock with a
method called Penn Hip. Penn Hip will certify a dogs hips at four months old.
Four months is an absurd age to consider a dog done growing and free of hip
dysplasia, they are still just a puppy. The OFA will do a preliminary evaluation
on a dog as young as six months old, but will have to be evaluated again at the
age of two years old to be certified. The AKC does not recognize or endorse
the Penn Hip method, nor do we. Penn Hip also does not have a database or
registry to research a dog in question or it's ancestors.
The Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF) is a centralized national
registry of dogs certified free of heritable eye disease by members of the
American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologist. Once a dog's eyes have been
evaluated by a licensed Ophthalmologist, results are submitted and maintained
by CERF where a certificate/document is issued for dog evaluated.
Most "backyard breeders" you will find in the local newspapers do not have
these clearances of the hips and eyes evaluated on their dogs. Most of the
people have no concern of breeding genetically sound animals or would never
entertain the notion of eliminating a dog with bad genetics from their breeding
program. Most "backyard breeders" fall into the $250.00-$400.00 range. Their
only concern is money- there is nothing wrong with a breeder breeding for
money or profit, as long as they are breeding genetically sound animals. The
more genetically sound animals bred, the better the breed is.
Price ranges you will see on Labs and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers:
$250.00 to $400.00 - Usually no health certifications on parents or ancestors.
Steer clear of these breedings.
$500.00 to $600.00 - You should be able to find a well bred puppy in this price
range with certifications on the parents or ancestors. Make sure breeder
provides you with this documentation.
$800.00 to $1,500.00 - Expect to pay this price range for a puppy having one or
both parents a titled champion. These are the prices we pay for our breeding
stock. Most of our breeding stock are sired or grand sired by a champion. (
Field or Show )
*Do not assume it is a superior or well bred litter just because they are
advertising in the $600.00 to $800.00 price range. There are some breeders
advertising having "rare" colors for high prices with no health certifications or
titled ancestors. There is nothing wrong with buying a puppy based on a color
or shading that you like, just make sure they have their certifications. Don't let
a unique color make you look the other way on sound genetics! There are well
bred litters in the "unique" shades of yellow Labradors. ( the creamy white or
fox reds ) You may have to get on a waiting list, plan ahead. Avoid breeders
claiming to have silver labs, there are only three colors recognized by the AKC,
black, yellow and chocolate.
A sound pedigree is a must when searching for your new family companion.