Do you breed white Labradors?  No. With Labradors coming in three colors, you've surely seen "rare" colors advertised or have heard of people breeding "white" Labs. A.K.C. only recognizes three colors: black, yellow, and chocolate. There is no "silver" color in Labradors, nor is there "white". We do not breed for a certain shade of a certain color, there are far more important things to be concerned with. The standards allow for variances within the accepted colors, but not "new" or "rare" colors. Eyes should be dark and the darker the skin pigment, the better.

I've seen silver Labradors advertised, how can that happen?  Our best link on this "rare" color...   "Silvers" - The TRUTH  

Can Labradors be mismarked from breeding the colors together?  The following is an excellent article dealing with what we call "splash" puppies    Mismarks - STILL purebreds  

How often do you bathe your Labs?  Honestly, when they "smell like dog".  Regular (eg: weekly) bathing is damaging to their coat.  Labs have a natural oil to their coat and too frequent bathing removes this oil and creates a soft non-water repellant coat.

How often should you bathe and/or groom a Gordon?  Males, kept in "show coat", need to be bathed twice weekly and, ideally, have the "pee feathers" rinsed daily.  Females, kept in "show coat", need weekly bathing.  Females, in heat need daily rinsing of the rear feathering to keep matting and odors under control.  Both need brushing every few days to keep matting at bay.  Pets can be maintained with bi-weekly bathing and rinsing the feathering on males on the off week.

Why should I microchip my dog?  Here's a story that gives all the reason that you should need.    Deegan's Story    Or for a closer hit to home, my mother's personal story...    Othello's Story  

What questions should I ask, as a prospective buyer, to know that I'm dealing with a reputable breeder?  Follow this link to a list of questions you can print out:    When You Buy... 

Why buy from a breeder and not a pet store?  Isn't a pet store cheaper?    Breeder v Pet Store 

The Gordons shed more than the Labs, don't they?  No.  Labs have a double coat, meaning they have a downy undercoat and a top harder guard coat.  Gordons have a single coat and the amount of shed coat is minimum due to grooming and bathing.  Labs, generally, "blow" coat twice a year, however there is a certain amount of shedding throughout the year.

Does one color in the Labrador shed more than the other?  YES!  Yellows shed the most!  Their coat tends to be softer & everyone we know agrees that they shed the most, by far, of the three colors.  Chocolate sheds the least.

I want my children to experience the miracle of birth with one litter, I don't see what harm there could be.    These are real life stories from breeders with years of experience under their belts....   Breeder's Stories  

I want to purchase a puppy as a Christmas gift, why can't I find a breeder who allows it?   7-8 week old puppies are very susceptible to stress and the holiday's are extremely stressful times; think of how tired you are at the end of the day.  You are taking a puppy, recently weaned, away from it's littermates and away from its home for the first time in his/her life, this is stress enough...then to throw it into a holiday situation is almost a guarantee for a sick puppy.  Christmas is full of dietary indiscretion, decoration, and hustle & bustle....  A puppy cannot handle "Oh, it's just a small piece of turkey".  A puppy WILL eat wrapping paper bits, tinsel pieces, plastic pieces off of gifts, they WILL tear open presents.  Any of these items can cause an intestinal blockage, a very sick puppy and a large vet bill....sometimes, even death.  Health issues aside, do you realize how many puppies are given as gifts to an unsuspecting recipient and that person may or may not actually want the puppy....What if they don't?  Are YOU, the gift giver, prepared to give this puppy the next twelve years of YOUR life?  After all, you are the one who purchased him/her.  Even though you know the recipient very well, are you POSITIVE that you can pick the temperament that the recipient would have picked for his/herself?  Guarantees that you get from reputable breeders are only applicable for the person named in and signing the contract....the puppy is guaranteed to that person only and if that person is not the owner on A.K.C record, the guarantee is null & void.  A very good portion of "gift puppies" end up unwanted and end up in shelter's or back at the breeders; usually untrained and "out of control".  No reputable breeder wants to see this happen to their babies and therefore, will not allow "gift puppies".  I want to know the person that my baby is going to live his/her life with and I want to make the decision that it is or is not a good match.  If you want to give a "gift puppy" and the recipient KNOWS & wants to receive the puppy, purchase the supplies....crate, bowls, collar & lead, bag of food, etc. and place those under the tree.  Contact a reputable breeder, put down a deposit and wrap the contract.  In the end, the recipient chooses their own puppy, but you have still given the gift.  Everyone is happy..........and the puppy is wanted!

I have an older dog and he/she growls at the puppy when the puppy just wants to play, why is he/she doing this? Maybe this article will help you understand just what your older dog is telling the puppy.  It is a long read, but is well worth the time!    He just wants to say "Hi!"     Thank you, Flying Dog Press, for this wonderful article!

Just what should I look for in a guarantee?  What should I avoid?  You want a guarantee to cover health of the puppy, most will require you to take the pup to your veterinarian within 24-48 hours for a general health check up.  You also want health issues, specific to the breed, spelled out in writing.  In Labradors, hips, eyes and elbows and soon probably thyroid and possibly cardiac.  What is the breeder going to do, IF the dog turns out to have one of the covered ailments?  Does the breeder require the dog to be returned?  What will the breeder do with the returned dog?  Does the breeder require the dog to be altered so that it cannot pass this genetic fault on?  Or does the contract state that the dog must be returned un-altered?  Do you get another puppy?  When?  Do you get to pick your  puppy?  Same sex and color as previous puppy?  Do you get a refund of your purchase price?  Will they pay vet expenses up to the purchase price, in place of refunding the money?  You want a MINIMUM of 2 years (24 months) guarantee....one year means NOTHING!  Joints cannot be certified through OFA until 24 months.  Personally, I would avoid ANY guarantee that requires the dog to be returned and certainly any guarantee that requires the dog to be returned un-altered.  WHY would any breeder want a dog with genetic faults to not be altered?  Look for loopholes in the guarantee....pictures sent every six months, only guaranteed after a championship/title is earned, etc.  What you can expect...only guaranteed to the ORIGINAL purchaser who MUST be the owner of A.K.C record, kennel name must be used in registered name of dog, no forced exercise, no sired or whelped litters, not allowed to be overweight, no injury, allowed to verify any and all information with your veterinarian, certification required to prove fault (not your vet's opinion), no surgery performed on area in question (eg: hip surgery to tighten hip joint to "prevent" dysplasia) and required altering (and proof thereof) of said dog.  Finally, you want a guarantee to include that if you are ever unable or unwilling to keep said dog, that the breeder MUST be notified and you can expect that if you find a suitable home that you will be required to supply the breeder with the name, physical address and phone number of the new owner.  If you cannot find a suitable home you will be required to return to the dog, at your expense, to the breeder.  Some breeders may not want you to find another home, instead requiring the dog to be brought back to them.

We have heard two different philosophies on dogs and kids.  The nurse that taught our birthing classes suggested never letting the dog get near the baby.  They should know that the baby is off limits.  Then we have friends who have 4 dogs and a 3 month old baby and they are all for introducing the dog to the baby and allowing sniffing, licking, etc.  What should we do?  Honestly, this question (actually the answer from the nurse) gets my blood boiling. If you were to follow this nurse's "education", you are, in our opinion, just asking for trouble.  The child then, in the dogs mind, becomes more important.  I can't tell you how many dogs I've seen where this "education" was loaded on the expectant parents and now they don't understand why the dog has weird behavior problems (sleeping on furniture, peeing in the baby's room or on things that belong to the baby, peeing in the middle of mommy & daddy's bed, etc.)  The dog and the baby HAVE TO live together for the rest of the dogs life....WHY on earth would you tell the dog that the baby is off limits?  The dog needs to be taught that this new member of the pack is to be treasured, protected and loved.  The only way to do this is through supervised interaction between the two and LOTS of it.  The hardest part to remember is that the dog was here FIRST and they still need special time with each parent with and without the baby.  Have daddy bring home the cap that is put on baby in the hospital to introduce this wonderful new smell to the dog.  When baby comes home, dog knows and will recognize this smell...let the dog check baby out.  Only you know your dog....if you think that the dog is going to harm the baby you know this in your heart.  Kissing/licking the baby, while gross to some, is NORMAL.  My kids and my parents kids were all kissed regularly by all the dogs and never once did we have any problem...wet faces, yes, but also LOTS of love!  Baby will return the favor as soon as the baby can crawl...I can't begin to tell you all the parts of the dog that went into our kids mouths.  Your dog and your child will become inseparable friends, your dog will be your child's best friend and protector and that is how it should be.  (We've had two dogs returned to us as adults/near adult and have seen this reason listed on countless other dogs who ended up in shelters, returned to the breeder, etc because of this kind of "advice" from "professionals" (in other words, usually people with spotless houses & no animals).  The dogs, because they were not allowed to have proper introduction to children got over excited every time they got the chance to get around children and hence, accidents happen.  No one ever hurt, except a bump, bruise or scrape, but then the dog becomes the bad guy and all they truly want is attention from the kids.  Within a day or so here, the two that were returned had respect for our kids and knew how to behave around them, both were again placed in homes with children and love their new lives. It is, after all, about training and love.

I want a female Lab because I've been told that they are easier to train.   This is nothing more than an old wives tale.  There is no difference in trainability between males or females.  A male, left unaltered, may have a tendency to wander; while a female left unaltered, will attract every male within the surrounding mile.  Trainability is strictly individual...it depends upon the dog, the trainer, the methods used, the consistency, the environment, etc....NOT the sex of the dog or the color.  Males, in Labradors, tend to be more concerned with where their people are....if you leave the room; he will follow....she may lift her head.  Neither are "great" watch dogs, once again this is individual.  The big differences?  Males are bigger and pee on the bushes, females are smaller & burn the lawn....  Each is equally trainable, great with children, and loveable...the way the breed was meant to be.

What about a female Gordon?  Is there a difference between the sexes, other than size?  In Gordon's, yes.  Female Gordon Setters tend to be more dominant...not with people, but with other dogs.  If you have another female dog, there is likely to be a dominance struggle; if your older female is mellow and submissive it will be over and the new Gordon will rule the roost; unless you interfere.  Interference from the human pack leader usually only causes the dominance struggle between the canine members of "the pack" to deepen and this is where it can become more of a danger.  Dogs are pack animals by nature and will work out their pack ranking among themselves, 99.9% of the time without anyone ever getting hurt.  One will take over leadership and as long as the human pack leader accepts the dominance order worked out by the canine members all will be well.  If you have a dominant girl, for the average pet owner, we would suggest a male Gordon.

I've been told be other breeders that chocolates are mean/stupid/stubborn/inferior?  Well, my first answer would be to RUN from this "so-called" breeder.  Ask them to tell you.... WHY are chocolates as they describe?  WHAT makes the coat a determining factor in their temperment? Isn't temperment/personality part genetic and part exposure/training?  EXACTLY how many have they bred/owned/trained?  It is a COLOR of coat, nothing more; nothing less.  Breeding a quality chocolate is hard...there are many factors.  BUT, this is a breeding quality chocolate we are talking about, not one that would make a perfect family pet.  It IS hard to get the proper coat color, eye color, pigment, etc in a chocolate....maybe this "breeder" tried and failed therefore they will discredit the color.  This obviously under educated answer is no different than saying that all blonde women are stupid, all redheads are hot tempered or all brunettes are level headed temptress's.  (being that my mother is blonde and I'm somewhere between blonde & brunette; I laugh!)  Think about it....it's a "hair" color....be it dogs or humans.  I can easily think of easy to train chocolates, smart blondes, clueless black Labs and not so bright brunettes....can't you?  All said, chocolates are a hot request item, if you are looking for a quality (even as a pet) chocolate BE SURE you have a quality breeder; not someone cashing in on the color!