Need some info on labs

[rdjustham]

Im kicking around the idea of getting a lab for duck, dove, snipe quail.  And i have no clue about labs.  Anybody know a good place to start or some proven lines out there that would be a good spot to start lookin?  Really just lookin for a line of dogs that have good retrievers.  Where i have to hunt dove etc.  a find dog really wouldnt help much.

[jon]

Wolf creek retriever's guys name is orie Matthews
wolfcreekretrievers.com

[Steven M.]

Tejas retrievers has some good dogs just remember your black lab is the smartest. And if you go with a yellow or white make sure it has a black nose and feet or it will be tenderfoot. I wouldn't mess with a chocolate they're generally dumber than a box of rocks. Your northern imports are better hunters but can't really take the texas summers well you get what you pay for get something from proven stock and don't buy a 300 dollar non papered pup. It may or may not turn out but that's a chance you take you may pay more in the beginning but in the end it's worth it to drop a little more up front

[boone823]

I trained labs for about 8 years and the best dog I have ever put my hands on came from Stewarts Brittish Kennels rear Oxford Mississippi. The dog had more drive and natural ability than any hunting dog I ever seen period! Bobby Stewart was an awesome man with a wealth of knowledge. He even taught University classes on dog training. He may even be dead who knows? He was getting up in age. I do know some people took over His Kennels.
Let me know if you need anymore help or info.

[jon]

hey easy on the chocolates lol
mine gets anything that hits the ground after a gun shot no matter what it is he'll get your decoys back for ya too

[rdjustham]

IM down in south Florida so standing up to texas elements shouldnt be a problem  

Boone i been searchin the web and havent even come accross a lab forum, maybe i should start lookin for duck hunting forums. lol  What im really lookin for is names in a pedigree that would show me the dogs outta hunting lines.  i really really have no clue about papers but no one i hunt with has duck dogs sothe old go with what ya know aint gonna help a dern bit..

AS far as color goes, im partial to yellow dogs but saw on the web fox somethin red colored labs, gotta admmit they look GOOODDDD

[rdjustham]

but we all know color dont make the dog.

[boone823]

Color doesn't make a dog but. Many people breed for a specific color with little regards for superior genetics. They generally breed the retrieving gene out over time. Been a problem with labs since the early 80's

[boone823]

Key thing with any animal. Do your homework and buy from a reputable breeder that breeds for the specific traits you are looking for.

[Reuben]

Tejas retrievers has some good dogs just remember your black lab is the smartest. And if you go with a yellow or white make sure it has a black nose and feet or it will be tenderfoot. I wouldn't mess with a chocolate they're generally dumber than a box of rocks. Your northern imports are better hunters but can't really take the texas summers well you get what you pay for get something from proven stock and don't buy a 300 dollar non papered pup. It may or may not turn out but that's a chance you take you may pay more in the beginning but in the end it's worth it to drop a little more up front

a retriever trainer told me on averages...the chocolate labs aren't as smart as the black and yellow labs...

[Hutch33]

a retriever trainer told me on averages...the chocolate labs aren't as smart as the black and yellow labs...
[/quote]

I've heard this too. I've been told chocolate labs are way energetic and have a short attention span, but I'm sure there are some good ones out there too.

[rdjustham]

Key thing with any animal. Do your homework and buy from a reputable breeder that breeds for the specific traits you are looking for.

Thats the info i was hopin to get a head start on.

[Reuben]

Key thing with any animal. Do your homework and buy from a reputable breeder that breeds for the specific traits you are looking for.

Thats the info i was hopin to get a head start on.

I am not into the retriever or bird dogs but I do know that if I were to get one for hunting I would buy one from a hunting line and not from s field trial line of dogs...

[CutNShootHD]

Kt Bristish labs in Minnesota, i got my lab from Kim, and trained several for him.   Theyre smaller, which means ur dog doesnt equal another person in the boat, and can still handle any bird u want retrieved including the big canada geese.  Neither my lab, or any of the ones Kim has sent me for training, have never had problems with the heat per se, its justlike huntin any other dog, be aware of it.  The british labs are generally calmer but it doesnt impair their hunting abilities, just easier to handle.  Personally i would never get a lab if it had any chocolate anywhere in its backround, i am not a fan of the chocolates.  No offense to anyone, thats just my preference.  Kim has terrific dogs, but u will pay for one, papered.  I traced my dog back to 1877 to some of the greats, his lines are quality.

[Cajun]

River road Kennels in laplace, La. has always had good labs.
  Back in the day & we are talking 25-30 years ago I had yellow labs that were line bred on River Oaks Corky & Super chief.  My labs were on the hyper side & I liked them that way. They left out going full bore & came back with the meat running full bore. Cant stand a dog that when he retrieves a bird, just trots in but that is just me.
  For hunting, jmo you cannot beat a field trial bred lab. Stay away from any show bred labs. They are basically two different breeds today. Also, make sure they are OFA certified as to having good hips.(hip Dysplasia is very prevalent in all retriever breeds.)
  Fact: More black Labs win more field Trials because there are more blacks then Yellows or chocolates. It's a numbers game, just like more treeing Walkers win in the coonhunts because there are more Walkers then other breeds of Coonhounds.
  Yellow Labs can take the heat better than Blacks or Chocolates, especially when you are Dove hunting when it it still hot.

[rdjustham]

Thanks Cajun.  I guess what im really looking for is what are some names i should be looking for?  Most kennels on the net show the pedigrees of their dogs and they are all greek to me.

[Cajun]

Dont really know of the more recent lines but here is something to consider too. If you are going to be hunting quail or upland birds, you might want to consider a german wirehair pointer. They are strong retrievers & I have seen some do some excellent duck work. The wirehair has a better coat & can take the cold better in the winter than a shorthair but both are really smart dogs.

[rdjustham]

you know i thought of getting a pointer type dog.  but most of the work ill be doing is retrieving.  Not many places where a find style bird dog would excell in the swamps of South Fl.  Alotta hunting (except duck) is just walk huntin where you can or sittin in a field shootin doves.  So i think the pointer style dog would not be as efficient for what im looking to do. And im not about to get two more dogs for two more different styles of hunting. Im pretty sure the boss is fixin to kill me for lookin at labs, but she likes shootin dove too so i may survive 

[justincorbell]

Tejas retrievers has some good dogs just remember your black lab is the smartest. And if you go with a yellow or white make sure it has a black nose and feet or it will be tenderfoot. I wouldn't mess with a chocolate they're generally dumber than a box of rocks. Your northern imports are better hunters but can't really take the texas summers well you get what you pay for get something from proven stock and don't buy a 300 dollar non papered pup. It may or may not turn out but that's a chance you take you may pay more in the beginning but in the end it's worth it to drop a little more up front

You do realize that your outlook on color is .....well.......pretty silly........... To say one color is smarter than the other makes absolutely no sense........2 black dogs out of proven lines can have a litter of pups with chocs. Blacks and yellows......how would it make any sense that the choc. Is the least intellegent? .......just sayin

[Steven M.]

Tejas retrievers has some good dogs just remember your black lab is the smartest. And if you go with a yellow or white make sure it has a black nose and feet or it will be tenderfoot. I wouldn't mess with a chocolate they're generally dumber than a box of rocks. Your northern imports are better hunters but can't really take the texas summers well you get what you pay for get something from proven stock and don't buy a 300 dollar non papered pup. It may or may not turn out but that's a chance you take you may pay more in the beginning but in the end it's worth it to drop a little more up front

You do realize that your outlook on color is .....well.......pretty silly........... To say one color is smarter than the other makes absolutely no sense........2 black dogs out of proven lines can have a litter of pups with chocs. Blacks and yellows......how would it make any sense that the choc. Is the least intellegent? .......just sayin

Before buying my lab I did a lot of research not only on the Internet but asked all they dog trainers around my area and north texas and three quarter of them don't care for a chocolate because they aren't as intelligent as for the black labs throwing chocolates it's not likely if you find a line that goes back and is proven to have nothing but black sires and dams. The chocolate color didn't emerge until the 1930's and people liked it so much they bred them specifically for that color and therefore they lost some of their intelligence in that time