If you are considering a Labrador, please do your homework BEFORE you get a dog, and think long and hard about it. This is not a time for spontaneous decisions! One book we recommend on choosing a puppy is "Paws to Consider : Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family", by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson. (We also have other recommended books linked below) So many Labradors purchased end up being placed. Make sure you are prepared before you buy a dog! Please also read, "Why are there so many homeless pets?"

A lot of people want Labradors because of their non-aggressive temperament, but that doesn't mean they don't need exercise and training and management to teach them how to behave. Labradors want to be with people and need lots of attention and love. Please remember that Labradors are dogs and will act like dogs. They barf and eat discusting things and they can shed like crazy. But they still can be wonderful companions, if you put the necessary time and energy into them. A really good summary of the breed can be found at: Liza Lee Miller's & Cindy Tittle Moore's Lab FAQS.

Help with finding a dog, is a good site, as is "Prisoners for Profit: The Shame Of Puppy Mills". Another site talks about Buying A Pure-Bred Puppy, and where do you find a Responsible Breeder?

Many people are taken in by a puppy's cute appearance. "Aw, what a cute puppy!!!" And yes, puppies are cute, but they grow quickly into DOGS, and have special needs and require lots of work, love and attention if they are to become beloved family members. (some people say puppies are over-rated) Many people get puppies for children, not realizing that children, even those who would LOVE to get a dog, in most cases soon loose interest in caring for their dogs. Since dogs are so much work, it usually works best if a parent is willing to take responsibility for the dog and have the child help out.

Many adolescent Labradors end up being placed, especially if a puppy buyer hasn't considered how a "normal" pup will act, and the puppy is growing and mouthing and jumping and counter surfing and peeing and chewing and knocking over young children, and no one is exactly sure what to do or hasn't really considered the time involved in raising a puppy. Remember how a lab could live for fifteen years, so please think carefully about the pet you choose, and if you really want one!

Check out What you should know before adopting a Lab , by the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac, Inc. It's not too long and has some smart info on what it takes to make a Labrador pup or adult a good family companion.

The MID JERSEY LABRADOR RETRIEVER CLUB, Inc. has a Litter Listing's phone number at: 609-714-0098. Mid-Jersey's web site also has a Directory of Breeders.

The The New Jersey Federation of Dog Clubs has a web site and breeder information.

The Pennsylvania Federation of Dog Clubs has a web site and breeder information.

The Labrador Retriever Breeder Links by Jill Ickowski, includes Labrador Retriever Clubs and other links.

The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. (LRC) has a web site and breeder directory.

The AKC also has a Breeder Referral Service.

The International Labrador Review , and Lab Quarterly, have directories of breeders in their publications.

"LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, A DOG IS FOR KEEPS!"

Don't leave without seeing Zoe's Favorite Dog Links!

We thank The Dog Hause for our graphic!

Labrador Retriever Rescue Resources:

If you haven't really thought too much about getting a dog from "Rescue", or if you think rescue dogs mean "misfits" or "defective", you might want to consider reading: "What to Expect from Breed Rescue"

Do you know the reasons people take dogs to shelters? You might be surprised. Check out "NATIONAL STUDIES REVEAL REASONS WHY PET OWNERS TAKE ANIMALS TO SHELTERS AND HOW MANY FIND NEW HOMES"

For a great site, which lists pictures of specific dogs at specific shelters, check out Pet Finder.org. PetFinder has a Breed Index, and you can search under Labradors and Lab mixes currently in New Jersey and surrounding area shelters. Many wonderful Labradors need new homes.

Make sure the shelter you pick assesses it's dogs, before you bring them home.

		Animal	All Bird Cat Dog Horse Pig Rabbit Reptile Small&Furry	Breed		Zip Code

For a complete list of Labrador Retriever rescue contacts: The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc.

Additional resources include:
North East All Retriever Rescue .
The Lab Rescue of the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac.
and the Labrador Retriever Rescue, Inc.

"Recycle Love, Rescue a Labrador"!

I also found a little book called "The Puppy Report--How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog", by Larry Stook, Ballantine Books. In it there is lots of info on "Where Good Dogs Come from", "Hereditary Problems in Purebred Dogs, "Educating Your Puppy", and "Steps of Dog Selection". He also says that before getting a dog, you need to really think and be straight about if you should really own a dog. He says "look into your heart. It will tell you that if there is no space in your life for a dog, if a dog's life with you will be mostly unrelieved solitary confinement, if you will not train your dog, if the essence of a dog is irritating instead of pleasing to you, if you want a dog only as a protective noisemaker or as a banner of the ego, if a voice whispers to you that should things not work out you can always take the dog to the pound, you shouldn't have a dog. You don't need anyone to tell you these things. Let your conscience be your guide."

Visit our Online Bookstore!!
We have great recommendations for Labrador and other doggie related books!!

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