Tapua

Gottcha Dame DD, Persephone & Hankdog

And after a big 'feed' one must rest ....

The gang ready waiting.... The first onslaught The prey is subdued ... mission accomplished He he he too cute eh!

Meet Croftie Dog CD (AKA Steven) he is our beautiful boy little hero ( for other reasons) and the 'Grandpa" for all our Lab litters. 9 year of Steven will snuggle up to the pups when the mums go outside for a break and as they grow older he will play with the pups endlessly. He is amazingly gentle and tolerant even when the pups tug at his fur. We love our boy

Always had females until the last 18 months - now I have my boy he is the most devoted dog - the girls are a bit more independent IMO. The boys are absolute love puppies. :)

The finished product!

Probably not we both work full time and it was a squeeze to get this done. Though I have to say looking about at what is being made as dog crates they are woefully. Pete is a perfectionist he does a grand job. He is currently making the UV 90 sunshade which will be laced above the roof. I will get a photo of it all finished and in the ute later.

Yep Pete is definitely a keeper :) We both erected all the enclosures and interior fencing on the property and I have acquired knowledge and skills with metal fabrication I never ever wanted. But every gate swings true, locks shut and I know I and our dogs are safe :) Love my ever practical man :)

We like to take the dogs down to the river for a swim and while I am more than happy for them to be in the back seat I hate the soggy doggies on the way home - so look what my clever hubby made for our ute.

Ring and ask mate there should not be a problem. The breeder will need the microchip number to register which is requirement in NSW.

Hi Brooke I could get him checked out by a vet who has some idea about canine behaviour - firstly to eliminate any health issues then to focus on the behavioural aspects. You may need a canine behavouralist so they can observe you with you dog. I suspect is may be connected to his sensitivity to your hormone levers as well. But I suggest start with a vet check.

It depends on position of your house on you property. Council, Police, Utility all have right of access without risk of attack or injury. So gates separating the front half of the house from the rear are great - in our case we have double gate system which enables us to drive in and out and the front 1/3 or the property ( the house block is 1/2 acre) readily accessible.

And I am sure you do a great job looking after your pets… People need to be realistic. What is next… Placing a permit on how many children you should have? Well, this may be a good idea! …. The world is going mad. Hi Karentrimbo just for the record my 'pets' as you say are part of a very specific breeding program where we are the preferred supplier for organisations who trained our dogs as guide dogs, assistance dogs for the physically and intellectually disabled, blind, diabetes alert bio-security drug detection, bomb detection for both private and government organisations. EVERY stud or brood bitch has full health, DNA testing, eye testes, temperament and ability tested independently of us. People looking for a family dog can be waiting up to 2 years for 'pet' dog puppy or a re-homed adult from us. You can only purchase our dogs after you have proven you have had a home assessment are linked with a puppy pre-school private trainer or obedience school. And yes we look after our dogs well all dogs are worthy of love - some are well loved and have an important job to do. It is the ONLY reason why I continue to breed.

No need to clip a Lab in summer, groom any dead hair our and keep up a good supply of water so you Lab can cool down.

I hear what you are saying GrufLife, I think every breeder needs to consider the dogs first but also consider thie human limitations to meet their needs! That's why I am annoyed that 2 stud dogs (1 Lab & 1 Springer) and 5 entire bitches (4 Labs & 1 Springer) constitute a commercial set up.... and I am in NSW!

Great article Steve interesting that so much of the important socialising/desensitising and enhancement opportunities are available to breeders to set their puppy up to deal well with the outside world rather than owners and trainers having to compensate for their inadequate start. I try to give our pups the best start we can then find people who can utilise and appreciate their potential. I use NILIF all the time but if I may can I Cut & Paste a copy of your interpretation of NILIF - it is IMO far superior than the standard presentation. :)

Let me put this scenario to you all. I have an ANKC breeding prefix since 1991. Originally I bred Australian Kelpies. Bench dogs - persevered through all blah blah yabber about working vs bench dog for temperament/health/ability etc. Pups went to various homes ranging from companion, service, working, show and some to other kennels as breeding stock. If you look at the results of Sydney Royal and current top winners you will find my past Prefix behind them (Mimbil). But long ago decided that when I breed what I bring into my kennel and what goes from my kennels is my responsibility. I bred maybe 10 litters between 1991 and 2006. I often wouldn't breed for a few years. I am not sure I qualified as a puppy farmer. So in 2006 after becoming disillusioned with the attitude of bench dog breeders I changed to Labs. Now here is an interesting thing, because I choose to breed dogs that experienced Early Neurological Stimulation, are raised in an enriched environment, are highly socialised and who are desensitised to sounds I started to attract a clientele who sought service dogs for people with special needs. Via the growing success of this we were approached to breed Labs & Springers for the ADF and now the Police are looking at our dogs too. Wonderful they have a purposeful life :) I am a happy breeder. Then the other weekend a nob neighbour ... 3 1/2 acre blocks away from us, put a complaint into council our dogs are barking - after we were away for the weekend. The direct neighbours were looking after our dogs for us while we were away. Council visited, they very impressed with set up but have decided that because we supply service dogs were are a commercial set up and have to apply for 'Approval as a Breeding Complex'. Now council are not being jerk,s it is actually about shutting up the serial whinger and allowing us to continue what we are doing. That's sounds good doesn't it? But I would argue that while I may now be breeding say 1-3 litters a year - I don't consider myself to be a 'Puppy Farmer' but technically being classified as a commercial business I am. Do I make money - yep - and sometimes a profit but my set up costs exceed $90K so it will be a long time before I see clear profits. So before people righteously judge registered breeder it is damn hard and expensive to do it right. Yes some breeders are definitely not ethical - and their dogs are suffering for it - however I think I am an ethical breeder. Julie is right - the people who are doing the right thing are the ones who will pay for the blanket thrown over the much slighted term 'Breeder'

YES YES YES

I think there is a Lab rescue service in each eastern coast state. just google Lab Rescue for your state

First time I have heard of hearing problems in Labs. Definitely check with the breeder, ring the initial assessing vet if needed and definitely get the pup BAER tested. Get a second opinion from a more experienced vet. Where are you located BTW?

Guided by a good obedience club or private group training organisation your Goldie will thrive. The quality of your dogs compliance is dependant, IMO, on the quality of the relationship you have with your own dog which is why you need to learn how to train your own dog. I know life is busy but it is all worth the effort.

If you get stuck let me know I have some contacts too.

That's cool

You can check with the state you are in to see if they are registered with their state control body. If they are not and ANKC breeder I would contact local council and other than that there is not much else you can do if pups are housed in a healthy environment and approved by local council they don't need to be a registered ANKC breeder - plus there are other acknowledged canine registry organisations.

I'm on night duty now and all I can think about was earlier today while I was trying to have a sleep I kept on giggling because I could hear my husband who was laying in the puppy pen with the pups talking to and singing nursery rhymes to our 4 week olds, I will be able to sleep tomorrow but geez he was so cute to listen too. :laugh: