I recently lost my hunting companion of 10 years and am trying to find information on where to find a new lab puppie. If anybody has recommendations for a specific kennel, or information as to what to look for when selecting a puppy, I would appreciate the information. Thanks in advance for the help.
Joe
Try Petfinder.com , select Labrador as breed, maybe you will find something, good luck
Try Petfinder.com , select Labrador as breed, maybe you will find something, good luck
JRJ…I see you are located in central mn..Mike Gohman who is a person i worked with and retired to breed labs…which he has been doin for years has some very good dogs…ive hunted with several that came from him and everyone is great…hes just outside of St. Cloud near St. Agusta…I thinks its called Beaver Island Kennels but his number is 320-253-4174…hes a great guy and avid hunter..give him a call…Jay..
JRJ…I see you are located in central mn..Mike Gohman who is a person i worked with and retired to breed labs…which he has been doin for years has some very good dogs…ive hunted with several that came from him and everyone is great…hes just outside of St. Cloud near St. Agusta…I thinks its called Beaver Island Kennels but his number is 320-253-4174…hes a great guy and avid hunter..give him a call…Jay..
Jeff Mature out of Elk River. (can’t remeber the kennel name.) I’ve hunted over 3 of his dogs. MY NEXT will be from him.
Shoot me a PM if you want his number. I’d rather not post his cel on line.
Chris
Jeff Mature out of Elk River. (can’t remeber the kennel name.) I’ve hunted over 3 of his dogs. MY NEXT will be from him.
Shoot me a PM if you want his number. I’d rather not post his cel on line.
Chris
I will not give you a specific breeder but getting a pup from parents that hunt is a big plus.
I will not give you a specific breeder but getting a pup from parents that hunt is a big plus.
You have to check out rainmakerlabs.com. They are located in Northwestern, WI. My next one will be from them. Good luck
You have to check out rainmakerlabs.com. They are located in Northwestern, WI. My next one will be from them. Good luck
http://www.captainskennels.com pm Me with ?s
http://www.captainskennels.com pm Me with ?s
Thanks for the responses. Hopefully I will be able to post a picture of my new buddy soon.
Thanks for the responses. Hopefully I will be able to post a picture of my new buddy soon.
If you are going to take a dog at the barest minimum you need an OFA or Penn Hip test on the hips on the parents and a certification for the eyes to be cataract free.
Way too many people are not paying attention to their breeding and are creating inbreed medical disasters. A lot of the stories you hear about dogs blowing knee’s out and other, “He hunts so hard he hurt himself”, stories are really just a dog who is the equivalent of the guy from the movie deliverance trying to run a decathlon.
When looking for a hunting dog it is all about the breeder… reason? You are much more likely to get a dog whose bloodline has been sifted out for genetic issues. Any reputable breeder does some things that a fly by night operation does not.
If you want a good dog who will be easier (read: cheaper) to train, look for someone whose stud and [censored] have titled. This usually makes a much easier to train dog, learning will generally come faster. Find a breeder who not only hunts, but also offers training to you the handler and has had dogs entered in field competitions.
The mark of a really good breeder is one who will sell you a dog, then as you title the dog in competition they will pay you back in cash or sell you the next pup cheaper.
Talk to Sharon Potter @ Red Branch Kennels in northern Wisconsin. She is one of a very few breeders in this area who is a national level quality breeder.
You can get a Lab anywhere, but if you are anything like me, and you don’t have the extra cash lying around to buy you’re vet’s children’s Christmas gifts, spend the time and money up front and save yourself a lot of dough.
Do you’re home work – it’s worth it.
And NEVER EVER buy a dog from a breeder who wants to deliver the dog you rather than letting you come to the facility to pick it up. The only reason they are doing it is they don’t want you to see what kind of super crappy setup they really have.
GOOD LUCK!
If you are going to take a dog at the barest minimum you need an OFA or Penn Hip test on the hips on the parents and a certification for the eyes to be cataract free.
Way too many people are not paying attention to their breeding and are creating inbreed medical disasters. A lot of the stories you hear about dogs blowing knee’s out and other, “He hunts so hard he hurt himself”, stories are really just a dog who is the equivalent of the guy from the movie deliverance trying to run a decathlon.
When looking for a hunting dog it is all about the breeder… reason? You are much more likely to get a dog whose bloodline has been sifted out for genetic issues. Any reputable breeder does some things that a fly by night operation does not.
If you want a good dog who will be easier (read: cheaper) to train, look for someone whose stud and [censored] have titled. This usually makes a much easier to train dog, learning will generally come faster. Find a breeder who not only hunts, but also offers training to you the handler and has had dogs entered in field competitions.
The mark of a really good breeder is one who will sell you a dog, then as you title the dog in competition they will pay you back in cash or sell you the next pup cheaper.
Talk to Sharon Potter @ Red Branch Kennels in northern Wisconsin. She is one of a very few breeders in this area who is a national level quality breeder.
You can get a Lab anywhere, but if you are anything like me, and you don’t have the extra cash lying around to buy you’re vet’s children’s Christmas gifts, spend the time and money up front and save yourself a lot of dough.
Do you’re home work – it’s worth it.
And NEVER EVER buy a dog from a breeder who wants to deliver the dog you rather than letting you come to the facility to pick it up. The only reason they are doing it is they don’t want you to see what kind of super crappy setup they really have.
GOOD LUCK!
Thanks Renedy. You bring up some very true points. My last lab was one I bought from a family member because he was cheap. I loved that dog to death and he was a good hunter and family member, but he was not cheap in the end. He blew out his knee when he was five which required surgery, not to mention the blankets and carpet that were removed from his stomach. Thanks again for the input, it’s appreciated.
Thanks Renedy. You bring up some very true points. My last lab was one I bought from a family member because he was cheap. I loved that dog to death and he was a good hunter and family member, but he was not cheap in the end. He blew out his knee when he was five which required surgery, not to mention the blankets and carpet that were removed from his stomach. Thanks again for the input, it’s appreciated.
when you get that dog post a pic, everyone likes to see the new pup!
when you get that dog post a pic, everyone likes to see the new pup!
By the way, I meant no offense to anyone with the guy from deliverance comment. I actually met that guy a few years back down in Clayton Georgia, he was very nice, but life dealt him a bad hand – not his choice.
Anyone who is handicapped has enough trouble in life without a knuckle heads like you’rs truley picking on them.
I was just trying to make a point that you need to help the breed by buying from someone who really knows what they are doing. And like anything, breeding a dog takes 10 or fifteen years to really figure out WTH you are doing.
OK – back off my soap box.
By the way, I meant no offense to anyone with the guy from deliverance comment. I actually met that guy a few years back down in Clayton Georgia, he was very nice, but life dealt him a bad hand – not his choice.
Anyone who is handicapped has enough trouble in life without a knuckle heads like you’rs truley picking on them.
I was just trying to make a point that you need to help the breed by buying from someone who really knows what they are doing. And like anything, breeding a dog takes 10 or fifteen years to really figure out WTH you are doing.
OK – back off my soap box.
Renedy,
I have to agree with you on the Labs. I have always loved Labs, but hate to see what has happened with the breed over time. The irresponsible breeders have made many blood lines very poor with hip and eye problems, and they are being bred for house pets more then hunting pets. I think many “labs” you will see for a couple hundred bucks at the roadside are part lab, part sneaky neighbor dog 
Now that being said, there are still some very top quality labs out there, but please do your homework. Make sure you see the parents and their documentation (hip/eye certs, bloodlines, etc), as well as make sure they are a hunting line, not show or undocumented line.
My Bro-in-law got a lab that he thought was from a good blood line, only to have hip problems with it at 4years old. It is heartbreaking to watch a dog of any breed suffer from these problems, especially when it wants to hard to hunt, but cannot 
So please do not give the poor breeders any money, and do your research before you buy a dog. It is a 12-18 year investment, and maybe more if you get lucky 
Renedy,
I have to agree with you on the Labs. I have always loved Labs, but hate to see what has happened with the breed over time. The irresponsible breeders have made many blood lines very poor with hip and eye problems, and they are being bred for house pets more then hunting pets. I think many “labs” you will see for a couple hundred bucks at the roadside are part lab, part sneaky neighbor dog
Now that being said, there are still some very top quality labs out there, but please do your homework. Make sure you see the parents and their documentation (hip/eye certs, bloodlines, etc), as well as make sure they are a hunting line, not show or undocumented line.
My Bro-in-law got a lab that he thought was from a good blood line, only to have hip problems with it at 4years old. It is heartbreaking to watch a dog of any breed suffer from these problems, especially when it wants to hard to hunt, but cannot
So please do not give the poor breeders any money, and do your research before you buy a dog. It is a 12-18 year investment, and maybe more if you get lucky
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