Thursday, March 24, 2011

Breeder or Pet Store


Recently, we were in a pet store in West Hartford and noticed it had puppies for sale in the $1,700 to $2,500 range. We were curious... where do the puppies come from? What is the pedigree of the parents? What environment were the puppies raised in? What kind of service does the pet store provide once the puppy has been sold? If one is going to invest in a new family pet a new owner should have answers that they can be comfortable with--and have confidence in.

Our puppies come with an AKC registration which verifies their pedigree and lineage. The parents have had their hips and elbows certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, and their eyes have been checked and registered with the Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF), meaning our dogs have a low probability of genetic defects such as hips dysplasia or ocular disorders. We hand raise our puppies, giving them stimulation and loving care from day one to the day they go to their new homes. They're exposed to other dogs, cats, children, vacuum noise, and other household stimulations which help them to become a well-adjusted adult.

We take pride in providing help and advise to our new owners as well as a one-year health guarantee (against genetic defects). The first few months of puppyhood often generate many questions from new owners ("My puppy threw up, what do I do?" or "How do you stop the biting when we try and play?"). We're a phone call or email away. We're proud to have several repeat customers and love getting birthday and holiday cards and pictures from puppy owners!

As breeders, we've invested considerable time and treasure into raising our adult labs and their offspring. We've been breeding since 2002 and have a wealth of experience that goes into each and every puppy.

We do not sell over the internet and we take the time to interview prospective owners to see if our lab puppies are a good fit for the owner and dog both. Labrador retrievers are wonderful dogs but they're not for everyone, and sometimes it takes some reflection upon the prospective owner to understand what's best for them. We monitor the growth and development of each puppy and give guidance as to what family circumstance may be best for each.

Can you get this service from a pet store? Let us know!

Friday, March 11, 2011

First week changes


When the pups are first born we've got to admit... they look pretty ugly! Little moles with pink faces and feet and slug like in their movement. Now, nearly a week later, these features are turning dark and the pups are looking more 'dog-like'. They're also putting on weight, nearly doubling in size since they were born. Snoozers all, even mother Sedona spends much of her time in the whelping box sleeping, with puppies attached nearly constantly.

Tuesday, March 08, 2011

Seven "Gems" - Sedona's litter


Our yellow lab, Sedona, gave birth to seven puppies on Saturday, March 5th. Sired by Legacy's Willcare's Nicholas of Carmel, NY. First pup born at 6 AM, quickly followed by four others in the next two hours; then a long and challenging afternoon of on-again, off-again labor that produced two more healthy pups, for a total of four girls and three boys. All pups are yellow in color, with some having the darker markings that are characteristic of Sedona.

As is our custom, each litter has a theme for which each pup is named. This litter's theme is gemstones, so we have names (and sex) as follows: "Diamond" (M), Amethyst (M), Ruby (F), Peridot (M), Aquamarine (F), Amber(F), and Tourmaline (F).

To learn more please contact us via email or phone.