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black lab pups

Waddell Wannabe

Waddell Wannabe

Quick Trigger
I've seen a few posts on here over time showing pictures of you guys hunting dogs. I've wanted a chocolate lab for a long time now, and I think I'm finally to the point (living area, dog food money etc.) that I can get one. So I was doing some lookin' around and found a bunch of pups going for $750 each without papers, and then some that were going for $950 with papers. Since I'm still paying for college, dropping a grand on a pup is out of the question. Just wandering if this is outrageously expensive. What did you guys pay for your pups?
 
I paid $50 for my yellow....but he's not registered. In fact he's not even pure, his dad is a papered yellow, his mom a papered Golden Retreiver. He's actually just a family pet and companion. Before anyone bashes me for not using a dog like him to hunt, he's happy, he lives in the country, never caged, never tied up. I've been out of college now and working for 8 yrs, and can't imagine still to pay $750 for a pup........WOWSERS!
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DoubleDropTines</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I paid 500 for my chocolate lab. But he is a retard /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif </div></div>

hahaha

i hear ya
 
I got my black lab for $100. No papers, but that doesn't matter in my mind. I think you get what you put into your dog. I do believe there are a few dogs out there that just won't cut it, but if you spend the time with your dog, training it for what you want, then 95% of the time you'll be pleased.
I wanted my dog to do a lot of things, but mainly I just wanted her to mind well. And i spent a lot of time just teaching her to listen to me and i think that was the first and most important thing. She is no Grand Champion w/ papers, but she does what i tell her to, so that works for me. IMO, I would not spend the extra dough. I would however try to get a purebred if you can. There are several ways to tell their purebred when their pups. You can find all the info you want on the web on how to tell. Hope this helps. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Got a female black lab pup for free seven years ago. What an awesome dog, superb temperament. Pure dog but no papers. I wouldn't trade her for anything.

$950!!?? I wouldn't pay that kind of money for a dog. Period.
 
I've got a 10 month old half german shorthair half lab. Looks like a purebred black lab without a speck of white on her, jet black. You can have her for free if you want her.
 
We got all our dogs free for breeding our male. But I think they sold for $250-300 which I always thought was the normal price for a lab. Never seen a lab for $750+ dollars, that seems rediculous.
 
Check an animal shelter if there is one around you. I've seen pure breed labs in there before. I believe you just have to pay to get them fixed and then some for the adoption.

Also, check your local newspaper. DSM register has labs anywhere from $150 to about $300.

$950 is outrageous, unless you're buying a field trail champion or something.
 
Not trying to bash anyone here, but you guys must not spend a whole lot of time in the hunting Lab market. $750 bucks is not at all uncommon, and $1000+ isn't unheard of. I paid $850 for my last female and didn't even blink. Here is my advise, take it or leave it. The initial purchase price of a dog will be a drop in the bucket when you figure the lifetime expense of dog ownership. My dogs cost me about $1000 a year each for food, vet bills, and training materials such as bumpers and live birds. So if the lab lives ten years what is the difference between $10,000 and $10,500 over the dogs lifetime? And keep in mind that a puppy mill problem, or a retard as someone said, will cost at least $300. A good dog from a respectable breeder can start at $500. That $200 bucks more seems like a bargain now doesn't it. The most important thing is to talk to the breeder and SEE BOTH PARENTS. If they are good looking, hard working, obidient, and friendly there is a good chance the pups will be also. NO guarantees though. It is much easier to pick a pup from a good litter than to pick a good pup from a bad litter. Also keep in mind that some top end dogs that come from proffesional breeders are going to cost more. The breeders have much more money invested in training, travel, and maintenance of the parents. They recover some of their costs by selling the pups at higher prices. If it is a lab that is someones housepet well, not much time or money invested = cheaper pups. Most quality breeders will tell you they dont net much money on the sale of the pups. They just have too much invested. Bottom line is- check out the parents, spend some time with them, get a good feel. If you like them then you should be ok. If the breeders seems edgy about letting you see the parents, look elsewhere. Sorry about the rant but I have seen too many people try to save a few bucks when buying a pup just to end up miserable down the road. Keep in mind what my Grandpa told me, a man who handled and trained more dogs than I will see in my life. He said "A great dog never lives long enough, but a piece of sh** will live to be fifteen!" And I have found this to be true. I have a fourteen year old GSP to prove it! Hope this helps and good luck with the new pup!
 
Also I wanted to add that you put black lab on the post header then said you were looking at a chocolate litter. Not trying to sway your decision but I am biased against chocolates. Some will say a lab is a lab is a lab. I disagree. I have seen more behavioral problems, skin conditions, food allergies, thyroid problems, and hip and vision problems with chocolates than the other two color phases. This is based on the fact the chocolates are the double recessive genome for coat color. Black is double dominant, and yellow is dominant recessive. This double recessive allows any other weaker traits that might not present in a yellow or black to surface. And it doesn't help that when they were super popular as pets about fifteen years ago they were bred indiscriminately, with no thought to what kind of pup the pair might produce, people only wanted to get more pups out there for profit. Not saying there are no good chocolates out there, I have seen some really good ones, I have just seen many more bad ones. If you want more proof check field trial records and see which ones produce. The chocolate list will be a short one. Just be extra careful if you have your heart set on one. Again good luck to you!
 
My black lab "Scooter" was a freebie.......until he ate a bunch of deer bones without chewing them! He was unable to pass them naturally so the vet only charged me like $650 to do emergency surgery on him. /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/crazy.gif I got even though, I had them snip his boys while he was under the knife. He doesn't care much for bones now. I looked him in the eye and said, "You gonna die if you ever do that again buddy". /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif No bloodline, just born from a family pet but a dang good dog and like a member of the family.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DoubleDropTines</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I paid 500 for my chocolate lab. But he is a retard /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif </div></div>

You two should get along well........... /forum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
Thanks a lot huntcrazy. To be honest, I think I might try to find a lab for around 200 or so, but the information about chocolate labs in particular is helpful. I'll keep my mind open. Anyone had any experience with red fox labs.
I was also told that when looking at labs, that if the roof of their mouth is black, that means they'll have a better temperament and catch on to training quicker. Wives tale???
 
Wannabe, I am a huge fan of Fox Reds, here are my two
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They are diehard hunters. But to clear up any misunderstanding, fox reds are just a dark color phase of yellow, but they are still yellows. Just as Polar (white) Labs are the lightest yellow. A lab can only be registered black, yellow, or chocolate. There are different theories about how they reached their dark color, my favorite is that there is pobably some Vizla somewhere in their heritage. Because Fox Reds are more likely to have some pointing characteristics in their hunting style as opposed to just flushing. The female pup on the left is a great great granddaughter of Helm's Point Doctor, a pretty famous pointing lab, you can google search it for some info. The dark mouth thing- wives tale. There is no real indication of trainability of a pup other than lineage, and observing the parents.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think you get what you put into your dog. I do believe there are a few dogs out there that just won't cut it, but if you spend the time with your dog, training it for what you want, then 95% of the time you'll be pleased.
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Right on. I've seen alot of "top bloodline dogs" that thought the only thing thier nose was for was smelling another dogs pooper. If you want your dog to be good there's no substitue than getting it over a bunch over birds year round.

Do yourself a favor and keep an eye out at the local humane shelter and adopt, or watch the sunday papers. Usually adds in there to give away pets.
 
If you're interested in waiting a few weeks, the "retard" (who really isn't)is going to be a daddy of some of those Chocolate pups you were wanting.

The dad is a retreiving son of a gun, loves the water, and has akc field champs on his papers. Not too sure what the momma can do as she's not ours but it you're interested send me a PM, we'll work something out, the mom's owner hasn't really talked price yet.

They will be eligible for AKC registration.
 
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