Information
Health Testing
All of our puppies are examined by the veterinarian and vaccinated with their first vaccine. This is generally called "Distemper" but actually includes vaccination against: Distemper, Parainfluenza, Parvo Virus and Adenovirus.
Pups are started on a deworming program at 2 weeks of age. They are dewormed every week because this breaks the life cycle of the worms we are targeting. When you bring your puppy home he/she will have been treated a total of 7 times. Puppies can pick up worms from everywhere - they are young and they are exploring - thus we encourage you keep the puppy on a deworming program as recommended by your veterinarian.
Every puppy is thoroughly examined by the veterinarian prior to vaccination. This includes checking the ears, eyes, nose, mouth (to check for dental issues such as an overbite), as well as examination of the abdomen and joints and hips. Each puppy goes home with their individual health record stating the puppy was healthy on exam.
Each puppy is microchipped for tracking purposes in the event your furry family member goes on a self-guided tour of the neighbourhood.
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Your puppy is guaranteed against the following congenital or hereditary defects/diseases, as my breeding dogs are all health tested at Neogen's PawPrint Genetics, and clear from the following:
Centronuclear Myopathy
Degenerative Myelopathy
Exercise Induced Collapse
Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis
Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration
Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1
Skeletal Dysplasia 2
Pet Insurance - PetSecure
Pet Insurance:
We are offering 6 weeks free pet insurance to each puppy! This is a safety net to have in the first 6 weeks when pups are exploring your home and "taste testing" things they shouldn't. Of course we recommend training and supervision, but pet insurance gives you peace of mind in the event your pup needs to be vetted.
I have pet insurance through PetSecure for all of my dogs, and we have had to use it on occasion. It is nice to know you have some back up if your furry family member ever becomes ill or injured.
Nutrition - Great Canadian
The Chocolates and their pups all eat Great Canadian! This is good wholesome nutrition, no bells and whistles, no additives or colouring agents, and best of all....it's made right here in Ontario, with locally grown ingredients!
Yes, the diet the Chocolates' eat contains corn! Corn, and many other grains are nutritious ingredients. Nutritionists formulate diets based on the nutrients a dog needs...not the ingredients the dog needs. Dogs don't need ingredients - they need nutrition in the form of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and amino acids - all of which can come from any ingredient.
Every pup is sent home with a little bag of Great Canadian to get them started. I always recommend continuing on with the same diet for some time so as to prevent digestive upset. Our dogs do great on these formulations, so there is no reason our pups won't either!
Flea & Tick Prevention
Lets Talk Fleas and Ticks!
These creepy crawlies are no fun for us or our pets.
In our pack, we prevent fleas and ticks naturally! You'll often see little round discs on my dog's collars - those are their Collar Companions.
I use the less is more theory in everything I do with my dogs; I limit the amount of chemicals they are exposed to - and I believe most of the flea and tick treatments offered by veterinarians are chemicals. Many of which have scary side effects (seizures etc).
We use an essential oil blend from Daisy Paw / Collar Companion. They have a few different blends for different purposes, but specifically, "DeBugged" is the one we use for preventing fleas and ticks from attaching onto the dogs. This is an oil blend of Lemon Eucalyptus and Lavender, specifically diluted to a safe concentration for dogs. (All dogs are different, and I do encourage you to research too)
I also use a collar companion - a small metal oil diffuser that attaches onto their collar. Using this "Collar Companion" there is no need to rub the oils on your dogs back. Works quite slick, and is fashionable.
If you are interested in purchasing, please visit the below link. (Note, this isn't a paid advertisement... I just love the product and wanted to share)
Dewclaws + Removal?
Dewclaw Removal:
Dewclaws are rudimentary "thumbs" and rear dewclaws are residual fixtures from the past. They serve no purpose and are situated high on the inside of the leg above the foot. These do not make contact with the ground but are said to brush the dew from the grass and it is thought that this is where they get their name.
Dewclaws may be Bilateral or Unilateral - meaning on both parallel feet, or just a single one on one leg. More commonly seen is bilateral front dewclaws. Rear dewclaws are not as common and are often removed from infant pups when they are present; this is a practice which I support because dewclaws can often times be "dangly" and get caught and rip when the dog plays.
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The Genetics:
Some Geneticists say dewclaws are Dominant and some say they are Recessive, this is unclear because the mode of inheritance seems to behave differently in certain breeds. It is accepted that dewclaws are Dominant Recessive with Incomplete Penetrance meaning they show sometimes, but not others. They are definitely autosomal which means they can be inherited by either sex.
Our Experiences:
Diesel X Hemi = Neither parent has hind dewclaws, and we have never had a pup with dewclaws
Diesel X Caliper = Neither parent has hind dewclaws, and again we have never seen a pup with declaws
Diesel X Chassis = Diesel does not have hind dewclaws, however Chassis has bilateral hind dewclaws. 30% of pups result with hind dewclaws - most commonly bi-lateral, but occasionally it is unilateral.
Diesel X Camber = Neither parent has hind dewclaws, and no pups resulted with dewclaws in the first breeding.
Bolo Pads - What are they?
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In 1916 the Labrador Club was formed in England with support from Lord Knutsford (Munden Kennel line) and Lady Lorna, Countess Howe (Banchory Labradors). Some chocolate labs are said to trace back to FC Banchory Night Light from the Banchory Kennel. He was a black dog born in 1932 in England. Night Light comes from the line of Dual Ch. Banchory Bolo (1915) who appears to be a carrier of the chocolate gene from Buccleuch Avon. Sh. Ch. Banchory Bolo was also known for carrying a trait of white hairs under the feet (Bolo pads).
English Ch. Banchory Bolo (1915-1927) In the late 1930's Chocolate Labradors were known to be at two kennels: Tibshelfs & Cookridge. Some of these lines connect down to NFC-AFC Storm's Riptide Star from Buccleuch Avon and Banchory Bolo.
Bolo Spots/Marks
This is called a "Bolo spot" or bolo mark. It is named after CH. Dual Champion Banchory Bolo one of the early Labs who had these spots and passed them on to his future generations. Bolo spots are found on the back of the leg above the pad. This is NOT considered a mismark.
* Chassis & her son Axel are the only one's in our pack with Bolo Pads.
What is a Dudley Labrador?
A Dudley Lab is a yellow lab with flesh coloured eye rims, lips and nose. Most yellow labs have brown or black colouring in these areas. This Dudley colouring is not recognized by the CKC, but is very interesting and appealing to the eye.
Dudley colouring is 'rare', and is a result of a recessive gene coding for depigmentation. Both parents have to have this recessive gene in order for this colouration to occur; and only 25% of pups will result with this colouring.
Essentially, the puppy has the genetics to be chocolate brown, but another gene completely overrides this and codes for no colouration - hence a Dudley Labrador.
Dudley's come in many different shades, from a Red colour, to caramel and even to nearly a white shade. Most
Dudley's keep their blue eyes, and in some cases the eyes will turn green/hazel.
The website below explains a little bit about the genetics if you are curious
How often do you breed?
I get this question all too often, and I am happy to educate people on my research and beliefs. We begin breeding the girls around 2 years of age. Of course, this is an individual thing, so I also base it on maturity level, and whether or not I think a girl is ready to be a mother.
Many studies have shown that breeding "back to back", or at every heat cycle is in fact BENEFICIAL to the female. My girls are bred at each heat cycle (typically every 6 to 8 months), because it is healthier for their uterus. In University I studied reproduction, and one of the simplest statements a professor made was "a healthy uterus is a busy uterus". If a female is not spayed, and her uterus is not working, you put her at an increased risk for pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus, which can result in death. I'd never wish this on one of my girls, so we breed at each heat cycle; but they retire earlier.
Several studies have examined canine uterus' that have been bred back to back and compared them with uterus' that were bred by skipping cycles. The comparison actually revealed that back to back breeding resulted in a healthier uterus. A link is below if you'd like to read more.
There is a lot of contrary opinions, mostly due to lack of education, and yes many people frown upon my methods - though I am happy to share the information.
Our Position on Dilute Labradors
There are several different stories about Dilute (Silver & Charcoal) Labrador's; some believe they are a crossbreed (and truth be told, I used to believe this!). I educated myself further over the past several years, and found Silver & Charcoal's are true Labradors!
Here are some of the facts:
- DNA Testing & mapping of Silver Labs was completed by investigators in the AKC, and all conclusions were the same - "there is no doubt the dogs were Purebred Labrador Retrievers"
- UC Berkley studied the genetic makeup of the Silver Lab against that of the Weimeraner, and concluded they are not the same. (Some believed a Silver Lab was a cross between a Weimeraner and a Labrador)
- In 1987 (yes 30 years ago!), the AKC and Labrador Retriever Club of America examined Silver Labs and had no doubt they were purebred Labradors. They did however decided they would be better registered as "Chocolate" instead of Silver, because Chocolate is described as ranging from Sedge to Chocolate in colour.
Labradors have been around for 100's of years, and you've likely seen me post that Chassis' lineage is to that of Banchory Bolo - one of the first ever Labs registered into the Labrador Club of England in 1916. Bolo carried the chocolate gene, but you wont see many Chocolates registered in that era because they were often culled, as Chocolates were considered "undesirable". That is a known fact about chocolates, and why for so many years they were 'rare'. My personal suspicion, is that the same happened with Silvers, and we are just now starting to see more of them.
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Silvers' are controversial, but the research tells me they are pure Labradors, and as such I have added Chrome to my pack. I encourage everyone to do their own research and make their own decision about Silvers; I've done that and honestly changed my opinion from where it was 2-3 years ago. Silvers are pure Labradors. I couldn't be happier with the decision to add a Silver to our pack. Genetics tell me that when Chrome is bred with Axle, we will see chocolates & Dudleys.
One of my customers made a comment that I thought was perfect, " Regardless of all the snobbery surrounding Silvers, they are beautiful. Regardless of colour, any pup bred in your house will be adorable for their temperament and love. Finding you on Facebook was pure joy and having one of your babies has given us so much and your continued stories and updates is always fun."
The Genetics Of It All
Genetics are my Favorite!
This spreadsheet explains the genetics behind coat colour:
E/e: Controls the yellow colour.
B/b: Controls the black/brown colour
D/d: Controls the dilution factor
Diesel: EebbDD
Hemi: EEbbDD
Caliper: EebbDD
Chassis: EebbDD
Camber: EebbDD
Axle: EebbDD
Charger: E?bbDD
Aerial: EEbbDD
Chrome: E?bbdd
Gauge: E?Bbdd
Fender: E?bbdd
<-- Those 4 white squares indicate the potential for Dudley pups from a Chocolate X Chocolate breeding. Pretty rare as you can see - BUT, we can do it!