Dog Breeding TermsLine breeding - The ethical practice of selectively mating dogs within a family line to produce and/or maintain consistent qualities, such as health, temperament, instinct, physical characteristics, etc.
Dam - The female parent of a litter.
Sire or Stud - The male parent of a litter.
Litter - All of the puppies born together from one pregnancy.
Whelp - A newborn puppy.
Whelping - When the dam is giving birth to her litter.
Whelping box - A box or pen where the dam gives birth so the puppies are safely contained.
Dog Health Screening TermsOFA - The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is a nonprofit organization working to improve genetic health in dogs and cats. The OFA health screening is an x-ray for hip dysplasia, which is performed by a veterinarian and sent to the OFA for grading and certification. A rating of Excellent, Good, or Fair is within normal limits.
OFEL - The OFEL health screening is an x-ray for elbow dysplasia performed by a veterinarian and sent to OFA for grading and certification. An elbow is either graded normal or abnormal with three progressive grades.
EIC - The Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC) health screening is a DNA test that identifies whether a dog has inherited the abnormal genes that can cause a loss of motor control and collapse during strenuous exercise. Signs of this hereditary disease typically begin to show after five months of age.
CNM - The Centronuclear Myopathy (CNM) health screening is a DNA test that identifies whether a dog has inherited abnormal genes that can cause a loss of muscle tone and control, exercise intolerance, and an awkward gait. This hereditary disease typically manifests in puppies at 2-5 months of age.
PRA-prcd - The Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (PRA-prcd) health screening is a DNA test that identifies whether a dog or, more rarely, a cat, has inherited the genes that cause retina degeneration and blindness.
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Helpful resources, services, and products
Dog Training & Resources
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Service Dog Information & Training
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Dog Hunting Supplies & Training
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Supplements & Food We Recommend
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Our Veterinarian
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English Lab Breeders We've Worked With
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Additional Resources
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Frequently Asked QuestionsQ. How much are your puppies?
A. Please refer to our Puppy Process & Policies page for our most current pricing, the required deposit amount, and our deposit refund policies. Q. Can I visit your kennel to see the puppies in person?
A. To ensure the wellness and safety of our puppies, we do not allow in-person visits to our kennel until a litter is at least 6 weeks old. You may contact us to schedule a visit to pick out and reserve a puppy, or you can always select your English Lab sooner through photos and phone conversations with us. Q. How do I put down a deposit on a puppy?
A. We ask that you get in touch with us first so that we can give you some information about the litter, answer any questions you may have, and make sure the puppy you’ve chosen is available and a good fit. Q. Do your English Labrador puppies come with full registration?
A. All of our puppies are sold with limited registration. If we choose to sell you a dog with full registration for $2500, it will be at our discretion. Q. What happens if I can’t keep my puppy?
A. Although our goal is always to place every puppy with their forever family, we know sometimes things happen in life. We always welcome any of our puppies back home at Companion Retrievers with no questions asked. However, please understand that we are unable to provide refunds or replacement puppies simply because you changed your mind or because your puppy didn’t meet your expectations. Q. Are your dams and sires DNA tested?
A. If you look at our Sires and Dams pages, you will see their DNA testing (EIC, CNM, and PRA-PRCD) as well as the results of their hips and elbows tests (OFA and OFEL). We will not breed any dog that does not have health clearances for the above specified tests. Q. Do your puppies come with a health guarantee?
A. Companion Retrievers will provide you with our Limited AKC Registration, a verification of health by our veterinarian, and our Buyer Contract, in its entirety, when you pick up your pup. Feel free to contact us with any questions. Q. Will my puppy be fully vaccinated before I bring it home?
A. We take puppies to the veterinarian just before they reach eight weeks for a checkup and their first four-part shot. They will need to have a second round of shots by 12 weeks and their last round of shots by 16 weeks. At that time the vet will usually do the rabies vaccination as well. Your dog will then be good for the next year. Q. Will the puppy be given a worming preventative before we pick it up?
A. We give our pups a dewormer and a Coccidia preventative at 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Up to 4 weeks of age, the pups have immunity from their mother as she is given a heartworm preventive monthly year-round. Q. Do you recommend crate/kennel training when we bring our puppy home?
A. Absolutely! It’s best to get a kennel or crate that will be big enough your dog when they are an adult and then you won’t have to buy multiple kennels as you go. Use it anytime you are not playing or working directly with your puppy. We recommend you spend the first several days with your new pup, handling it, loving it, teaching it, and bonding with it. This will ease the stress the pup may feel leaving their first home and family. Only when you can’t be with your puppy should you put it in the crate. You can cover the crate with a blanket at bedtime, and you should leave the crate door open during the day (provided you’re at home) so your pup can enter and take a nap on their own if they choose to. Q. When should I spay or neuter my puppy?
A. Our veterinarian has recommended waiting until the pup is at least a year old before spaying or neutering as their hormones provide a benefit in preventing certain diseases in the dog in the future. We strongly recommend following this advice. Q. What dog food should I feed my puppy?
A. Once new puppies are weaned at 6 weeks, we feed them Diamond Puppy Food. We also feed our adult dogs Diamond Dog Food. We will send a bag of our puppy food with you when you pick up your pup so you can slowly transition your pup to their new food, should you choose to change brands. We recommend feeding your pup Diamond Puppy Food for at least the first three days after you bring your dog home and then slowly blending into whatever food you decide to use after that. Q. Should I give my puppy a nutritional supplement?
A. We started using Nuvet Labs supplements with our adult dogs, mainly to support our pregnant dams. I have found, however, that this is a great supplement for all my dogs! Nuvet sells a powder for puppies and wafers for adult dogs, as well as a variety of other nutritional supplements and products for joints, stomach, ear wash, etc. There is a convenient link for the NuVet website on our Resources page. |
Ready to pick out your forever friend?If you’re interested in placing a deposit on a puppy, make sure to read through our Puppy Process & Policies page to familiarize yourself with our reservation and deposit process. Then just reach out and we’ll help you select your new BFF.
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