Breeder in the South West?

BassiBabes · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 10:48 am Post subject: Breeder in the South West?

Hello people!

I've decided to buy a puppy after years of deliberation and we've settled on a lab. So I'm now looking for a breeder in the South West (Bristol, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Bath, Cirencester, Chippenham primarily) who will have a litter ready to be homed in January/February. I'm not sure how long a pup stays with Mum (is it about 8 weeks?) so a litter due around Christmas is ideal...

I've seen the list of available pups in the area on the KC website and have emailed them about litters due later but don't really know how to go about introducing myself to breeders who don't have pups available now...?

In the meantime I'll obviously brush up on my knowledge of the breed and start harrassing the Breed Society for the West of England! hehe...

thanks

michelle

Diana · Posted: Fri Oct 06, 2006 1:46 pm Post subject:

Hi Michelle, as you rightly say, The West of England LRC is a good start as they do run a puppy register. The problem you may have is that few breeders of any quality breed around Christmas time - NOt because of the 'don't give dogs as gifts' type thing because Christmas born pups don't go for 8 weeks as you say, BUT because a winter litter is hell.

Breakfast, Tea and Supper feeds are all in the dark and often the wet and cold. Puppies don't tend to thrive so well and its all heat pads and whelping lamps rather than sunshine and puppies on the patio of spring/summer litters Wink

That said, some do, but just know that April/May would be a more common time for a depth of quality litters to be about. You might be lucky.

be aware the KC list is very out of date and you will have to do a lot more work than finding a breeder through the breed club. The KC do not ask that dogs are healthchecked/scored and they happily register and advertise litters from commercial breeders and unethical breeders. Indeed may I gently hazard the suggestion that decent breeders avoid the KC puppy list as a place to advertise like the plague usually BECAUSE it is chock full of pet bitches and commercial breeders as they don't have a waiting list and don't know where else to go to sell their pups.

So the WofE LRC is a great place to start. You could possibly also look at the Labrador Club of Wales and maybe the Cotswolds and Wyvern LRC although they don't run puppy registers they certainly may have members in your area range.

Do you have their details?
COTSWOLD & WYEVERN LABRADOR CLUB. Sec. Mr K Gawthorpe - 01932 874539
EAST ANGLIAN LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mrs J Cole. Tel No: 01354 680375
KENT, SURREY & SUSSEX LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mrs K Walsh. Tel No: 01483 797653
LABRADOR CLUB OF SCOTLAND. Sec. Miss Farquarson. Tel No: 01382 459099
LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mr A Ellis. Tel No: 01766 522146
LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB OF NORTHERN IRELAND. Sec. Mrs Hughes. Tel No: 028926 38603
LABRADOR RETRIEVER OF WALES. Sec. Mrs M Barker. Tel No: 01443 842585
MIDLAND COUNTIES LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mrs J Lewis. Tel No: 01484 680123
NORTH WEST LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mrs S M Saunt. Tel No: 01942 212280
NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mr P A Smith. Tel No: 01642 292965
THREE RIDINGS LABRADOR CLUB. Sec. Mrs P Gill. Tel No: 01943 467926
WEST OF ENGLAND LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB. Sec. Mr G Cox. Tel No: 01566 785121
YELLOW LABRADOR CLUB. Sec. Mrs Wiles. Tel No: 01895 823227

Best
Di

nico · Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:27 pm Post subject: Re: Breeder in the South West?

sue51 · Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:44 pm Post subject:

Funny you should post now - have just heard there is pups from a VERY good breeder in Gloucestershire - if you can e-mail me at

arghishalee@white-webs.co.uk - can check out the details in the morning and come back to you.

Also know of a litter of chocs in Worcestershire ready for homes Very Happy

nico · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:33 am Post subject: Re: Breeder in the South West?

Diana · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 7:38 am Post subject:

Nic and Sandra,

Can I ask - is there a reason you only breed for one colour?
Do you find the depth of the chocolate stud dog gene pool enables you to do this and keep what you are producing high quality (and these days clear of GPRA with so many chocolate carriers in the quality lines)? Are you finding all your Optigen tests are coming back as you want them to?

Do you dip into other gene pools when it benefits keeping the best of the best of the best?

Di

BassiBabes · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:30 am Post subject:

Thanks for all your help guys but I'm looking for puppies who are to be born around Christmas time as we won't be in our new house until December and want to settle in before Pup arrives!...

So I'm looking for a breeder who's looking to get pregnant about now?...absolutely love the pippins though!!

xx

Diana · Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 1:52 pm Post subject:

Have you an email address as the forum rightly so doesn't allow folks to discuss their own litters, and lthough *I* don't have one to match your timeframe, I do know a couple of very good people who might/will.

My email is wylanbriarlabs@aol.com, if you drop me a line i'll mail you straight back.

Di