Many people choose a puppy not being certain what to look for in the litter to find the best dog for their needs/desires. Families who want a "pet" dog have different needs that families who want a hunting dog. Although nearly every Lab will hunt, they all have varying degrees of demeanor that are established while together in their pack for the 7-8 weeks before going to forever homes. Most long term breeders will be able to tell clients which puppies have temperaments best suited for family life (more docile within their pack) and which are best suited for hunting (more aggressive in their pack. Always be aware that docile behavior can diminish as puppies grow and become accustomed to their new living environment. Here are things we consider important to look for in selecting your puppy: 1) Friendliness: Does the puppy come quickly to you when you call it? We use the command "here" to call puppies because that is where we want them when we call, so that is what they understand at that point. 2) Curiosity / Lack of Fear: We will place a metal pie pan or small bowl on the ground and bring the puppy / puppies outside. After spending time on the ground we will bring them close to use, then drop a set of keys into the pan/bowl and watch the reaction. Aggressive / less fearful dogs will charge the pan/bowl or even pick up the keys. If a puppy does not do this does it mean it is a less desirable puppy? Absolutely not; however, it does mean there is more work to be done to bring out drive/desire so the pup can become a satisfactory hunting dog. We usually use live birds to bring the drive /desire out. 3) Puppy Health: Conscientious breeders will have health clearances for the parents - hips, elbows, eyes, and genetic anomalies. If a dog is a carrier of a genetic anomaly it means nothing if you are not breeding it later in life; however, if you plan on breeding you must ensure that the paired dog is NOT a carrier of the anomaly your dogs has, otherwise they will produce puppies that are affected by the anomaly. typical anomalies known to Labrador Retrievers include but are not limited to: Exercise Induce Collapse (EIC), Centronuclear myopathy (CNM), Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Retinal Dysplasia / Occular Skeletal Dysplasia (RD/OSD), and Skeletal Dysplasia Type 2 (SD2). Clearances of anomalies are typically done through testing, but can also be determined through parentage. Does Breeder provide a Replacement Guarantee: Responsible breeders will be an open book regarding the health of your puppy's parents, and will offer some type of a replacement guarantee. In the world of Labs many breeders - like us - offer a replacement guarantee on certain issues, such as hips and eyes, or hips, elbows and eyes. Hips are graded by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA ) as (1) excellent, (2) good, (3) fair or (4( mildly dysplastic, (5) moderately dysplastic 0r (6) severely dysplastic. Elbows are graded either (1) normal or (2) mildly, moderately or severely dysplastic. Many breeders such as us offer a hip guarantee of fair or better in your puppy, and also offer replacement guarantee that your puppy will not be affected by any eye anomalies. These issues are usually spelled out in a responsible breeder's purchase contract, so be sure to look for it before you sign on the dotted line. (4) color versus performance: Many families pick a dog exclusively based on color. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, be aware of the expectations you have for your puppy and be ready to either pick a pup based on performance over color, or to wait until the opportunity presents itself for you to pick out of a single colored litter. Are these all the issues to consider? No; however, we feel that these are extremely important tidbits that will help you make a more informed decision on which puppy in a litter will be best suited for your needs.

We are starting a blog on our website. posts will include training tips and various items of interest relevant to your East Harbor Gundog puppy. Stay tuned for more - we're just beginning this and don't have a lot of time right now, but wanted to get this up on the web so you know it exists and can review this blog occasionally to see what we have to offer.