We’ve professionally raised Labrador retriever puppies for over 30 years. We’ve perfected the
Non-hyper Family Labrador Retriever for the past three decades. LABPUPS.COM is a small family Labrador Retriever breeder in Charlotte, North Carolina. We are located right off I-485 and exit 14 on a wooded 5-acre farm close to the Charlotte/Douglas airport, US National Whitewater Center, Uptown.
How to select a Labrador Retriever breeder
The breeder should be friendly and knowledgeable.
Do they care about who buys their Lab puppies?
Can you see the parents, either in-person or in pictures?
How should you select a Labrador Retriever Puppy?
Decide if a male or female Labrador puppy is right for you. Your breeder should be quite helpful in helping you make the right decision.
Ask your breeder if they’ve noticed any specific traits any of the Lab puppies exhibits.
Are you sensitive to a larger adult Lab, or are you open to any size?
Do you have a specific color in mind?
Caring for a new Labrador Retriever Puppy
We are often asked about the common things needed for a new Lab puppy. Here is a list of the top 10 most common things to consider when purchasing a new Labrador Retriever puppy.
Diet – This is a commonly overlooked item as most people are accustomed to going to the store for groceries and probably have noticed the pet food in the grocery store, or they would think they need to go to a pet store to purchase adult dog or puppy food. While this would be conventional wisdom, we have specialized in Labrador Retriever diets. The brand that we recommend is JaxMax.
Vaccinations – Puppies in general inherit their immunity from their mother. However, this will wear off at a certain point, and having an unvaccinated puppy could result in critical health issues down the road. It’s important to vaccinate against Parvovirus, Distemper, Adenovirus Type-2, and Parainfluenza. Those are typically referred to as a 5-way vaccine. Usually, it’s a good idea to build up to a 5-way vaccine over the course of a few weeks, generally, a puppy will start out with Parvovirus only or a combination of Parvovirus and Distemper vaccine, generally referred to as a 2-way vaccine, for the first one or two inoculations.
Water – It’s no secret that the municipal water supply has a plethora of chemicals added in, most commonly chlorine and fluoride. These additives can have a negative impact on the overall health of your new Lab puppy. Bottled water from a natural spring source or a top-of-the-line water filter would be the 1st and 2nd best options.
Sleeping at night – There has been a lot of encouragement to use a crate to housebreak a puppy, however, the crate can cause a puppy to become hyper, thus leading to frustration when having a new Lab puppy in your home. Using a crate at night would be fine, as the puppy will be sleeping and it will prevent the puppy from wandering around your house while you are asleep.
Flea & Tick Preventative – No one would water to have a puppy living in their home that has fleas or ticks, however, the chances are fairly rare. The most common preventatives are topical and can result in a negative impact on the health of the puppy. We recommend using a flea and tick shampoo as a treatment first. You can always use a topical, start off with the first low chemicals first.
Heartworm Preventative – We highly recommend having your puppy on a heartworm preventative during the warmer months of the year with mosquitoes. The Southeastern United States has the highest probability of infected mosquitoes.
Collars & Leashes – For the first couple of weeks, your puppy will be underfoot and won’t leave your side. Once you put a collar on your new Lab puppy, the collar will irritate the hair and could cause the puppy to scratch its neck/head. This could mistakenly cause someone to fear t their new puppy has fleas. This is a totally normal reaction and shouldn’t be mistaken for a parasite infestation.
Food & Water Bowls – Stainless steel is by far the best material to use for food and water bowl. Porcelain (brittle) is another safe alternative. Plastics can be crewed and ingested.
Walking your new Lab puppy out in public – Until your puppy has had several vaccinations, it’s a good idea to refrain from exposing your puppy to high pet traffic areas. This includes designated areas for using the bathroom, pet stores, and vet clinics.
Obedience training – There is nothing more frustrating than a cute puppy that has turned into an adolescent and now refuses to obey any commands they once willingly performed. You will want to refrain from using food rewards (commonly referred to as “treat training”) to train your new puppy, which sets you up for disaster. Positive and negative reinforcement training is the best course to take when training your new Labrador puppy.
Hopefully, you’ve found this information helpful.