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Thinking of getting me a lab. This will be my first one. Anyone know of some reputable breeders ? And any advice ?

First question you gotta ask yourself is do you want a pet or a tool?

Robert Authement is a reputable breeder around your part of the world. I can pm you his number. And when you do get your pup, buy a proven program and stick with it. Evan Graham, Mike Lardy, Rick Stawski, and Bill Hillman all have good stuff. Little sticker shock, but you wont regret it.

X2 on the program, also look for a dog with all of them certification things, they have them for a reason

What if you use your pet as a tool during duck season?

I fall under this category

That's what mine were..... I never had many problems.

What do you mean buy a proven program? And thanks everyone for the info. I want it to retrieve and listen to the basic commands. Nothing fancy with the whistles and hand commands.

Programs are step by step procedures taught through dvd format, with tips and tricks along the way. You dont move on until that step is complete thus avoiding "holes" aka problems, with said dog. If you follow the program with a dog with drive and desire the results should be a well mannered hunting partner with the potential for hunt tests or even field trials. He'll do "whistles and hand signals" known as casting and handling along with cold blinds, diversions, doubles and triples. Answers to questions are always free here so when in doubt ask away...fyi I prefer Mike Lardy's Total Retriever Training.

Robert is my older brother. He has some great dogs. Usually has puppies.

10 months out of the year I want to kill my dog. Then huntin season starts and I remember why I keep here around.

I have definitely learned my lesson for what I need to do for my next dog.

Ok thanks for the info. I'm going to look into the different ones. And can you pm Roberts number. And do you have any tips on how to pick a puppy with drive and desire ?

Here's a clip from Evan Graham's Smartworks for retrievers.
http://youtu.be/qnNSMLPYLJc

Drive and desire, lets see....maybe flip a coin or bring a magic 8 ball, possibly tarrot cards. On the serious note as I hope you already know there are no guarantees in life so a puupy with a lot of young trained wrong could lose it anyways. Some say bring a tennis ball and pick the fastest retrieving one others use duck wings hoping for a birdy pup. Its kind of a go fish thing. You would have to see the pup on multiple days to get a good idea of his attitude.

X2 on This. But like you stated earlier, a titled pedigree stacks the deck in your favor. When you find a litter with a good pedigree and a dam and sire you like, pick the one that pooped last.

No doubt, dont want no puppy poop in your truck on the ride home

Make sure the pup is eic clear at minimum a carrier. Always ask for the for the test to at least be done on the parents to find out what they are. If you choose to go with Roberts pups he will have this test done. Do some research on the bloodlines it will pay off I the future. If you say you don't want the pup to do hand signals ask yourself if you drive without power steering? Once you have you won't go back, unless you like to keep a bag of rocks in the blind??? Ps, before you check for EIC. Watch the episodes on YouTube and you won't be sorry.

This is the certifications that I was talking about earlier. And x2 on bag of rocks lol, once knew a guy that threw unshot shotgun shells. Talk about some expensive ducks!

All this is really good info. I'd rather be fully prepared then be blindsided down the road.

Good luck and post a pic of the new pup when u find him

First and foremost.....the cheapest part of owning a lab is buying it!

Whatever you do just make sure you get one of them silver labs!

Me and my tab at Gundogsupply.com can 2nd this.

:rotfl:

I'm hoping for a christmas card from them and LCSupply.com!

Now that is a true statement Shawn

I have trained plenty that were "Tools";)

Was wonderin where you were for this thread

Raymond where u been?

Like Cajuin said eic clear good eyes and hips also good pedigree I went almost to tenn to get my pup waited a year for them to breed litter he has a on off switch.laid back at home but fast as lightning in field.talk to Cajuin or mr Raymond they can get u what u want and remember it will cost more for a pup but you get what u pay for

Robert has a litter being born this weekend. They will be ready for Christmas.

Contact Info
 

Would you please pm contact info for Robert. I too am interested in lab. Thanks.

I'm in the market also, I'll take Roberts info if you don't mind. Is it better to buy a pup in the spring instead of the winter so that you can introduce it to water?

I would think now is a great time for a pup. I gave my daughter one for Christmas 12 years ago. The pup was ready to hunt the next season. She was swimming and retrieving at 8 weeks.

Depends on what your going to do with it. Take whelp date and add 6 months, then add 6 more months maybe 2 more. This will be the approximate time it takes to get any dog through the Basic Program. A dog welled in November will be approximately 6 months old in may of 2013, which is the worst time to ever start a training program in the south but if your trainer goes north for the summer it works. Of course none of this matters if it's going to be a "Rock Dog".;)

My pup was born 11-11-11 and boy was it a task Force Fetching in the summer. It's hard to train a lab in South Louisiana heat but not impossible. You'll have to pick the time of day you train.

why not save yourself the trouble of trying to find the right pup, training it, raising it, etc. and just buy a finished dog. Will be a bit more pricey but all things considered you will have a dog to use immediately. You can get a good finished dog for around $5,000. Its like buying a boat or a 4 wheeler.

Not a bad idea here, also you can test run said dog to see if he/shehas ghe qualities that you're looking for

That is the way I plan to do my next one. Then you get to see the end product.

4 yrs ago I sold a finished female from an NFCxFC/AFC breeding for $3,500 and was glad to get rid of her. The market has not come down on trained dogs, nice finished dogs start at $5,000 for 2 yrs and under. The puppy/finished $$ are pretty much even for the first time in my 15 yrs and hope it stays that way. I will have a trained dog forsale in may if anyone is interested if not he will go in oct.

I wish I could drop that kind of money on a dog

I hate to hijack Expressboy's thread, but I'm in the same boat. I want an obedient hunting dog and companion. I will not be putting my dog into any trials, with that being said how much time should I expect to put in a week training? and what program would be best?

I'd really like a finished dog. But I want the pleasure of saying that I trained it. Even if its not the best there ever was but it would be a accomplishment for me.

Most folks confuse hunt test with field trials, it's like comparing 5A football with the NFL. Total Retriever Training is one of the best out there but not the only program. Don't waste your $$ on anything from Mike Stewart or the British lab Charlatans. I can walk just about anyone through the basic program if they have the DVD training program, it's not rocket surgery. Plan to dedicate 30 min a day 5-6 days a week for 10 months. It also helps if you can find a local pro to mentor you when you hit a wall. Most will be willing to help for your sweat equity but be prepared to keep your mouth shut and ears open. PM me if you need to find a Good pro in your area, they aren't all good.

Great attitude! It can be done, several here have managed to train some pretty good hounds with limited knowledge. Head down to Morse and introduce yourself to Ed Thibodeaux at Satin Belle Retrievers. He's the best in the Lafayette area and willing to help.

Good Luck

saw a couple finished dogs on ACE kennels. one was 6K and one was 9K. I am seriously thinking about buying TANK, he is the 6K dog.

Now what if you work away and someone else is helping train ? Would that make a big difference if you show them how you do it?

Thank you, Raymond. That's what I needed to know.

That is my dilemma, I've got a new pup i'm working with but I work 7&7. My kids play with him while I'm gone but I have no one to work with him. He is more pet than anything else but I still would like him to fetch birds and be obedient enough to sit in a blind.

The main thing is set a standard and stick to it. Everyone's standards are different. So if someone else is training or helping you train, you both need to be on the same page of music. Because if you send a dog mixed messages, it will only confuse him, and corrections (e-collar) become counter-productive. "You own what you condone" Mike Lardy