Welcome to The Labrador Club

Labrador Breeding

Breeding is more than making puppies; it involves knowing that you are becoming a guardian of the breed and that you have a genuine desire to produce quality Labradors. To register your puppies and maintain the bloodlines, you will need to become a member of the New Zealand Kennel Club and an affiliated breed club. You will also need a registered kennel name. These steps are important and will ensure that your new puppy owners will have all the right documentation to go with their dog.

There will always be uneducated and inexperienced breeders who take short cuts, perhaps because they are motivated by the dollar, or they are just ignorant, or they just haven’t yet had to deal with the distress caused by the results of their irresponsible breeding. There is now no excuse, with all the screening available, not to breed from the soundest stock possible – all good breeders do.

FIRST STEPS

Talk with the breeder of your bitch and let their experience guide you in the selection of the ideal stud dog and the steps you will need to take to become a registered breeder. Your puppy may have been sold to you with conditions which restrict using her for breeding. Check your contract and registration papers and then contact the breeder to talk about your options.

Choose your stud dog well prior to the onset of your bitch’s season. The stud dog owner can inform you of his requirements regarding fees, kennelling and transport arrangements. An owner of a registered Labrador dog should require you to meet the conditions of the Litter Registration Limitation.

It is a mistake to choose a stud dog for your bitch merely because he is a pure-bred Labrador, because he has done well at dog shows or field trials, or because he is often used for stud purposes. The bloodlines of your bitch should be considered carefully as well as her virtues and faults. A good breeder does not breed from two dogs with the same faults.