Buying a Puppy

Our dogs and puppies are very special to us, and we want them to live incredible lives filled with love and adventure.  Raising a puppy is a big responsibility, much like children! Most of our pups are sold as companions (family pets), but some go to homes in Service Dog/Emotional Support Animal roles, some as hunting partners and outdoor adventure buddies, and some to show/performance homes.  We do our best to match up the right puppy with each family's needs.  If you are considering adding a Labrador to your family, please send us an email.  We do have a questionnaire to fill out which can be found here on our website in the "Puppies" section.  We ask for professional references (from your veterinarian, trainer, groomer, boarding kennel, previous breeder, etc.) or personal character references, as well as a video interview.  Puppies are picked up locally from our home.  We do not ship puppies to buyers out of area, sight unseen.  

Once you have completed the above process and perused our contract, you will be placed on our waiting list with a $100 non-refundable registration fee.  (This fee will be applied toward the price of your puppy.)  When the pups are born, we will contact the families on our waiting list with the opportunity to reserve their puppy with a $400 deposit.  The remainder of the balance is due when puppies go home.  

Due to the number of requests we get for Service Dog prospects from our lines, we begin matching puppies up with their families at 8-9 weeks, after their temperaments have been evaluated by a professional Service Dog trainer.  This allows us to identify Service Dog prospects and place those puppies accordingly.  

We know that people love to come visit their new pup and watch it grow.  However, we don't allow visits before the pups are vaccinated, due to their vulnerability to disease and parasites.  We just want to protect the puppies.  At this time, early meetings and observing puppies' growth and development are being done via video calls and our private Facebook group.  We will schedule a day following the first vaccinations when families with a reservation may come meet the puppies.  Puppies must be picked up in person, unless other arrangements are made ahead of time (in extenuating circumstances only, not client convenience).

Our pups are sold on Limited AKC registration and a spay/neuter contract, with occasional exceptions for show and performance prospects, which should be arranged well in advance of the breeding.  

Our pups come vet checked, vaccinated, microchipped, and are stool checked routinely.  We use NeoTech vaccines (NeoPar and NeoVac DA2), which you can read more about here: https://neotechvaccines.com/  This is a different vaccine protocol and schedule than many local veterinarians use; we ensure puppies receive their first 2 doses with us, and will provide the 3rd dose to you at the appropriate age at no extra cost if you choose (local Anchorage/Mat-Su families).  We have carefully researched our chosen vaccine and parasite protocol and carry it out under the supervision of our veterinarians.  We ask that you research vaccines (especially the dangers of over-vaccination), in case your chosen veterinarian recommends that you simply start over from the beginning with puppy vaccines because they don't understand/agree with our vaccine schedule, or don't trust breeders who administer their own vaccines. 

Our puppies are well socialized to humans, other dogs, cats, and many new places and noises during their time with us.  They are started on foundational training, including but not limited to: bite inhibition (starting as teeth erupt), impulse control, house training, crate training, noise acclimation, and basic commands.  Weather/season permitting, they may be exposed to open water.  In our experience, the transition to new homes goes most smoothly when pups stay together until 9 to 10 weeks, rather than the traditional 8 week minimum.  Much depends on the experience level of the buyer, whether there are other dogs in the home, and other factors.  

We are seeking like-minded families for our puppies.  There are very few holistically-minded breeders around, let alone locally, in this popular breed.  In our experience, if a buyer is unsure of, doesn't understand, or is not in agreement with our Natural Rearing philosophies and practices, it creates unnecessary friction, and opportunity for misunderstanding or disagreement.  We are always happy to answer questions, and to provide links and resources for your own research.  We are not offended to be told that someone, after doing their own research, disagrees with something we promote, and plans to do differently with their pup... but we do ask that if you are not satisfied by our answers, or are still unsure whether you agree with our practices, please let us know!  We will be happy to discuss the topic to your satisfaction and/or refer you to a number of other reputable breeders in our area whose practices and/or philosophies may better suit your own.  

Here is a quick reference list of many of our beliefs and practices.  We: