Beyond “I Just Want a Pet”
Most of the puppies I produce will never set foot in a show ring. They’ll be family companions. They’ll go on vacations, swim at the lake, hike, play in the yard and take up entirely too much room on the couch.
So if you just want a nice Labrador to share your life with, it’s fair to wonder why dog shows, titles or competition should matter to you at all. Your puppy doesn’t need to be a show dog. But I encourage you to consider whether the breeder has done the work to evaluate the dogs behind that puppy.
What Makes a Labrador a Labrador?
A Labrador Retriever is more than a dog with a certain look. Like all purebred dogs, Labradors have a breed standard that describes what they should be, and that includes much more than appearance.
Structure, movement, coat, substance and temperament are all part of it. The standard describes the characteristics that make a Labrador recognizable as a Labrador and reflect the work the breed was developed to do. It gives breeders a common reference point for what we are trying to preserve from one generation to the next.
Without the standard as a reference point, breeding can very easily become a matter of personal preference. I like this dog. You like that dog. They’re both nice pets, so let’s breed them. Breed that way for enough generations without evaluating what you’re producing against the breed standard, and eventually you’re likely to end up with a generic dog that has lost much of what makes a Labrador distinctly a Labrador.
The Role of Conformation Dog Shows
Dog shows can look a little strange from the outside. People run dogs around a ring, stand them in very specific ways and a judge eventually points at one. Conformation was designed as an evaluation of breeding stock. The question being asked in that ring is how well a dog conforms to its breed standard. A judge is evaluating the dog’s overall breed type, structure, movement and other characteristics described by that standard.
This doesn’t mean every dog worthy of being bred must become a champion. It also doesn’t mean a championship makes a dog perfect or automatically means that dog should be bred. There is a lot more that goes into a breeding decision than what happens in a show ring.
I value conformation because it puts our dogs in front of someone else and asks how well they measure up to the same standard we say we are breeding toward. Our own opinion shouldn’t be the only one that counts.
Prove the Dogs You Breed
Puppy buyers should look for breeders who actually do something with their dogs.
Conformation is particularly important to me because it is specifically designed to evaluate dogs against the breed standard—its origin was to evaluate breeding stock.
Other sports can tell us different things. Hunt tests, obedience, agility and other activities can demonstrate working ability, trainability, athleticism and the relationship between dog and handler. They aren’t interchangeable with conformation. A dog can be well outside the Labrador standard and still be an outstanding performance dog. That doesn’t make the accomplishment less valuable; it simply tells us something different about the dog.
For me, the bigger issue is that breeding shouldn’t begin and end with, “We love our dogs and think they’d make beautiful puppies.” If you are going to breed dogs, prove the dogs in your program.
“Champion Bloodlines” Aren’t the Same Thing as Proven Parents
The phrase “champion bloodlines” doesn’t tell me very much on its own. Pedigree matters. The dogs behind a breeding matter. But “champion bloodlines” can also mean that someone, somewhere in that pedigree did the work. I want to know what the breeder producing this litter is doing with the dogs in front of them.
A champion three generations back was a dog someone bred, raised, trained, conditioned, showed and put in front of judges. Pointing to that dog generations later isn’t the same thing as continuing the work.
If a breeder advertises “champion bloodlines,” look at the parents of the litter. What has the breeder done with them? Have they been shown? Have they competed? Have they been evaluated outside the breeder’s own home? What does the breeder know about their strengths and weaknesses, and why were these two dogs chosen for each other?
A pedigree can tell you a lot. But accomplishments elsewhere in that pedigree don’t prove the two dogs standing in front of you.
Your Pet Still Comes From Breeding Stock
There isn’t one standard for puppies destined for the show ring and another for puppies headed for someone’s couch. Of course, puppies within a litter aren’t identical. Some may have qualities that make them more promising for the show ring or a particular sport. Most will go on to be family companions—but they all came from the same breeding decision.
You aren’t getting a different kind of Labrador because you don’t intend to show your puppy. The health testing, pedigree research, evaluation of structure and temperament, training, showing or competing and knowledge of the dogs behind the pedigree all happened before anyone knew which puppy would sleep on whose couch.
None of that guarantees a perfect puppy. Breeding doesn’t work that way. But there is a considerable difference between deliberately evaluating the dogs you breed and simply owning two Labradors that can produce puppies.
What This Means for a Puppy Buyer
There is absolutely nothing lesser about wanting a family pet. That’s what most of my puppies will be. I want them swimming at the lake, going on family trips, hanging out with the kids, learning things with their people and eventually becoming the old Labrador curled up in the middle of the living room, happiest simply being where his people are.
They may never earn a title or set foot in a show ring. That’s fine. The work I’m talking about happened before they were born. When you’re choosing a breeder, look beyond whether they have two nice dogs and a litter of cute puppies. Look at what they’ve done with the dogs they breed. Look at what they’ve learned about them. Look at whether they’re participating in the breed rather than simply producing it. These things matter even when all you want is a pet.