Labrador Retriever is a breed of dog that is becoming more and more popular every year. Such a dog can become a faithful and loyal friend and a great helper. If you plan to have this magnificent four-legged companion, it is important to know how to choose a healthy Labrador puppy, from which a real handsome and clever girl will grow.
Having opted for the Labrador Retriever breed, you should have an elementary idea of it. Future owners need to know that Labrador puppies are not suitable for everyone. You will need a lot of patience, time and love to turn a Labrador puppy into a smart and well-bred dog.
Shedding wool, the desire to constantly chew on something, a difficult accustoming to behavior on the street - these are just some of the aspects that you need to pay attention to. For people who want to have a dog, but cannot devote enough time to raising a puppy, dog handlers recommend purchasing an adult Labrador. We will talk about what to look for and how to choose a Labrador puppy in this article.
Choosing a nursery and a bona fide breeder
Puppies of this breed can also be sold in the markets, however, if you want to get a healthy animal, it is important that the kids have comfortable conditions. That is why it is necessary to choose well-established nurseries:
- Rus Yuklas (Moscow, Academician Anokhin St. 26, building 3);
- “Amar Vasant” (Moscow, Teply Stan, 3, building 2);
- “Nevsky Favorite” (St. Petersburg, Kobrino, 14).
Today in almost all cities there are nurseries of Labradors. How to choose a Labrador puppy, we will tell further.
It is equally important not to make mistakes in choosing a breeder. Often, a good and responsible specialist can be determined from the first meeting - he loves his animals, so he is pleased to introduce potential owners with his pets, their pedigrees, and talks about the intricacies of education.
What to look for when buying a puppy?
For the future owner, it is important to know how to choose the right Labrador Retriever puppy. True, experienced dog handlers argue that even a specialist is hard to predict how the animal will grow, because it depends on many factors, including the care of the puppy. Nevertheless, it is important to imagine what a perfectly healthy baby of this breed looks like.
External features
An experienced dog breeder who knows how to choose a Labrador puppy, first of all pays attention to the following indicators:
- Coat. In accordance with the standard of this breed, the top coat should be coarse and hard, and the undercoat should be silky and smooth. Too long coat, rare undercoat, are disqualifying factors.
- The tail of an animal. Look at the photos of dogs presented in this material. Labrador puppies have a tail that looks like an otter's tail. It is he who allows the animal to swim perfectly. The tail, short and thick at the base, is slightly narrowed downward. When moving, it is usually lowered and does not rise above the level of the back. Usually, such a tail is formed in animals with a short back, so you should pay special attention to this. Too thin or long tail is unlikely to be appreciated by experts at the exhibition.
- The puppy of the Labrador Retriever should look as friendly as possible. How to choose a baby, so as not to miss any disease? Pay attention to the eyes and ears of the animal. In the process of choosing a four-legged friend, they play an important role. Both eyes and ears should be in perfect condition - clean, with no signs of accumulated mucus or plaque. Sour eyes or dirty ears indicate the presence of infection or poor animal welfare.
- Torso. People who know how to choose a Labrador puppy always pay attention to this indicator. The baby should have a wide and deep chest, a rather long neck and a large, but proportional to the body head.
The health and nature of the animal largely depends on the conditions in which it grew. Therefore, you must ensure that your future pet is kept clean. The room in which the puppies are located should be dry, clean, without pronounced unpleasant odors. Stale air, dirt on the floor and walls are grounds for refusing a sale.
Animal health
It is no secret that every future owner who is interested in how to choose a Labrador puppy wants to get a healthy and strong dog. Like most large breeds, Labradors are prone to some hereditary diseases. One of them is hip dysplasia, as well as ocular pathologies. The breeder's task is to control the genetic factors that are responsible for the development of these diseases.
Of great importance in this matter is the state of health of the parents of the baby, which must be taken into account when assessing the requirements of the standard. Answering the question: "How to choose a Labrador puppy?", Dog handlers and veterinarians recommend buying a baby only with x-rays of the hips - these animals can be used for breeding. It should be understood that this method has some limitations, but if your task is to acquire a healthy baby, you must require all the documents from the breeder.
Puppy behavior
Labrador is a large dog and it is very important that this wonderful dog becomes a full member of your family. This largely depends on the nature of the animal. To decide whether to buy a baby, pay attention to his behavior - normally he is friendly and active. The puppy should not be aggressive or afraid if you pick it up.
Carry out a simple test - slap a newspaper on the palm of your head above the puppy’s head and watch his reaction - if he’s very scared, you shouldn’t take such a puppy.
Black, golden or brown?
It is this color that the purebred representatives of the breed have. Sometimes breeders claim that there are no golden labradors, there are golden retrievers. But the differences between these dogs are so insignificant that they do not allow dog handlers to officially divide these dogs into separate breeds.
Beginner breeders are often interested in: “Does the color of the dog affect the intellect, the learning ability of the animal?” The answer of experts is negative. This indicator does not have any effect on the characteristics of the dog, so choose the color that you like best.
Many breeders prefer black labradors. Most likely this is due to the fact that this, the very first color, has proven itself over the years. However, golden labradors are very popular today. Chocolate color has recently gained popularity. As with early yellow flowers, brown animals initially had pedigree physical disabilities. But thanks to the efforts of breeders, the chocolate labrador is rapidly gaining popularity in all areas: hunting, shows, obedience.
Boy or girl - whom to choose?
This question also worries future owners. How to choose a labrador puppy taking into account sexual characteristics and do they matter? In fact, the difference is not significant, although you need to know about some of the nuances.
The owner of the girl may encounter one problem - estrus. Damaged furniture, unwanted pregnancy can be its consequences. But since Labradors are very clean animals, problems with soiled furniture are extremely rare. In order to avoid an unwanted pregnancy, you should carefully monitor the dog during estrus and drive away the yard "suitors". Dog handlers believe that girls have a softer character, easier to train.
The boys are much larger. They are much harder to train. When meeting with a bitch during estrus, they are difficult to control. One thing is good when choosing a male: he will definitely not bring puppies in the hem.
Purchase Rules
Before choosing a puppy, you should decide what you need a dog for. If you plan to represent your friend at exhibitions, then you need a dog with ideal characteristics. And if you just need a smart, loyal four-legged friend, you do not have to buy a puppy from parents-champions.
Nobody sells or buys newborn puppies. The optimal age of the animal for acquiring new owners is 3-6 months. At this age, you can already at least approximately determine what the dog will be like when he grows up. If you decide to purchase a Labrador, try not to save, because the risk of buying a sick puppy at a low price is very high. In the nursery, you must be issued a veterinary passport and a canine club card. In addition, the breeder provides all the necessary recommendations for caring for animals (feed selection, antihistamine treatment, vaccinations). Responsible breeder advises to contact him in case of any problems.
How much can a puppy cost?
The cost of babies of this breed varies quite significantly: puppies are sold at affordable and sky-high prices. An unvaccinated baby without documents can be bought for 5-15 thousand rubles. A puppy with a passport will cost 20–35 thousand rubles. True, this does not guarantee participation, let alone victory at exhibitions. Labrador, who predicted an exhibition career, will cost you at least 60 thousand rubles. Such dogs have all the necessary "dog" documents and fully meet the requirements of the standard.