Looking for my first four legged best friend

[huntsman_trev]

Hello everyone, as you can see by the subject I’m looking for my first dog. I’m looking for a female lab, black or chocolate. I am not interested in paying $1200+ either. I’ve been asking around and looking for people who raise pups, but all are above that price point or only have males. Also what is your advice for choosing the right pup? Thanks! Anything helps

[BD1]

Not sure if you have checked the hunting dog section on this site...lots of info from people asking the same question as you. I bought my Chocolate girl from Ireland Farms, however there are many breeders who members have had good luck with.
Have fun with the process...not having a dog in my life, is not an option 

[Sandberm]

You might shop used.

There was a guy on here last week who was having marital problems and was giving away his dog for free.

[Colin]

www.ofa.org to check health clearances
www.entryexpress.net to check performance records
www.retrieverresults.com to check performance results
www.huntinglabpedigree.com to look at pedigrees

Do your homework. Buy the best dog you can with your budget. Some penny saver labs will hunt well but a lot more labs with titled parents and health clearances will hunt, train and live better longer lives. The initial puppy cost is nothing over the 12 years you'll have your dog.

Just my opinion and I'm sure others may disagree but I put way too much time into training and scouting to hunt over a dog with health problems or low drive. I wanna watch a dog launch into the water after a crippled goose and run big old 400 yard blind retrieves on a wing locked sailer.

Spend the time doing some research and you'll be happy you did. No one ever said, "man I wish my dog didn't have such titled parents or all those health clearances". I asked a similar question as you are a few years ago and I'm so happy that I listened to the advice. I ended up with a great dog who does the work at a high level and he is an absolute joy to hunt over.

[BD1]

 

I am not sure what your situation will be, but my dog is with me nearly every second I am not at work.  She would be with me there too if it was allowed. I had a hard time with the price too, and my wife did as well. None the less I have a family member, not just a dog now. Not to say it isn't possible to find that in a cheaper dog...I just like to have as much of the odds in my favor as possible when taking on the commitment I was making. I found the research interesting and whole process can be fun if you make it that way.
Best of luck
BD1

[vandeman17]

I am not sure what your situation will be, but my dog is with me nearly every second I am not at work.  She would be with me there too if it was allowed. I had a hard time with the price too, and my wife did as well. None the less I have a family member, not just a dog now. Not to say it isn't possible to find that in a cheaper dog...I just like to have as much of the odds in my favor as possible when taking on the commitment I was making. I found the research interesting and whole process can be fun if you make it that way.
Best of luck
BD1

I concur with last two statements. Evaluate what kind of dog you truly want and set your budget accordingly. As stated, you could find a free pup that is a hunting machine but not real likely. In general, higher cost=better bloodlines=higher chance of health/hunting prowess. 

[jagermiester]

I agree with everything that has been said here, but if you don't want to spend $1200 than you picked the right dog. Keep your eyes peeled grab a little nickel or a nickel saver from E. WA talk to people at the skeet and trap range. Find someone who has a hunting bitch and buy one of her puppies. My favorite dog I ever had was a lab that I bought when I was 21 for $250. I've had dog's that outhunted him, but that lab was my first dog we learned a lot together. Have fun and good luck.

[Colin]

I haven't looked in the newspapers so I don't know if there are health cleared litters there or not but for a reasonable price there are litters out there with pretty good genetics.

$800 puppy
http://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/puppy.asp?id=18802

$1000 puppy
http://www.huntinglabpedigree.com/puppy.asp?id=17665

To me it makes a lot of sense to pay a little more to stack the deck in your favor. Most of us won't bat an eye at spending 1200 on a new shotgun that will last us years but 1200 for a dog that you'll spend every day of its life with you people wanna look to save 300 dollars. Doesn't add up to me.

Be patient, know what you want. Visit a few Hunt Tests and talk to a few pro's and folks there. You're in King County so there are a whole slew of Hunt Tests starting in April thru the end of the summer you could go watch. I'm probably generalizing here but a dog from a newspaper isn't being bred to better the breed they are being bred out of sentimentality and that's fine but I don't want a dog from someone else's sentiment I want a dog that's being bred to make a better dog. Titles and Clearances are how that's quantified.

[bearpaw]

Hello everyone, as you can see by the subject I’m looking for my first dog. I’m looking for a female lab, black or chocolate. I am not interested in paying $1200+ either. I’ve been asking around and looking for people who raise pups, but all are above that price point or only have males. Also what is your advice for choosing the right pup? Thanks! Anything helps

If you just want a friend and not needing a well bred hunting dog, you might want to adopt a dog, very little cost to that. My daughter spent a lot of money to get a well bred dog for a pet, later she got another rescue dog for practically nothing, she likes the rescue dog better than the well bred dog, so do I. 

[bigmacc]

LaBrook Labradors, Culdesac Idaho..(close to Lewiston)

[Old Dog]

http://www.forgetmenotshelter.org/Dogs/1188Lucy/

[Bluemoon]

Well spoken Colin...

[colersu22]

http://www.forgetmenotshelter.org/Dogs/1188Lucy/

That looks like a great 4 legged friend.  Her color and size remind me of my first lab when I was a kid.

[ghosthunter]

Another vote for Ireland.

Several on here have his dogs.

Here’s mine.

[vandeman17]

pups just posted on here today. Maybe contact him