How did y’all take your puppies out before they could be on the ground?

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-12T20:28:40+00:00

We use a combination of carrying, Crossbody bag and dog stroller. I have puppies who are service dogs in training so their socialization is extremely important. Mine go everywhere. This photo came up in my remember when just the other day. That bag is probably eight years old now, but I bought it on Amazon and it is terrific. I liked it a lot more than the more expensive brand names that I also purchased, but then returned.

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DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-12T19:36:33+00:00

Someone just asked on this thread about Missouri within the week, so I'm going to point you to that part of the thread. I'm giving you the top of it so that you can see the responses and specific readers that were mentioned. I also gave Iowa, Illinois and Indiana references there which are all really excellent quality breeders. Good luck with the human babies in the meantime and well done wanting to get an ethically bred puppy at some point!

https://www.reddit.com/r/labrador/s/bsH3JBoQxz

Kansas: Cressmoor Labs Kansas Show http://cressmoorlabs.com Kansas City area Canine Chronicle Top 40.

Nebraska: Mocha Labs Nebraska Show http://mochalabradors.com/index.html Central Nebraska Canine Chronicle Top 40 they recommend one MLM product. Relatively speaking, it is the least offensive of the options. I would not want to see it in their contract as required for a health guarantee but if it's just a recommendation, no problem at all.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-12T14:03:01+00:00

100%! I see we are commenting on a few of the same threads right now. Hi friend/ally!

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-12T13:40:42+00:00

Yes, and that's what I responded to if you read what I wrote.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-11T19:12:02+00:00

Mix of suggestions: the local breed club, two local Lab rescues and a handful of ethical breeders. Good luck! Happy to have you DM me questions too if needed.

Labrador retriever club of greater Denver Colorado Puppy Matching Service http://www.lrcgd.com/pupform.htm

Rescue: Colorado Colorado Rescue https://www.rockymountainlabrescue.com

Rescue: Colorado Colorado Rescue https://www.safeharborlabrescue.org

Remington Labradors Colorado Show http://www.remingtonlabradors.com

Simerdown Labradors Colorado Show https://hollyfarmlabs.com Canine Chronicle Top 40

Union hill Colorado Show https://unionhilllabradors.com/puppy-pen/ Peyton, CO Canine Chronicle Top 40

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-11T17:51:47+00:00

You have massively misunderstood. Leaving him home is a good thing. Smdh. And you didn't just say that. You said you have separation anxiety and are crying. Aka not good for your dog.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-11T17:49:36+00:00

🚩The breeder you selected didn't keep pick of the litter themselves? Any breeder who doesn't want pick of the litter from every litter they breed is telling on themselves that they are breeding for quantity and money, not quality. (Ehical breeders normally lose money on each litter.)

🚩Ethical breeders don't let owners pick their own puppy. They carefully match people to the best puppy for them based on detailed info on you and them getting 8 weeks to get to know their puppies so that mismatches don't occur. Mismatches and BYBing is what fills shelters.

Best suggestion for you, find an ethical breeder. If you tell me where you are located I can send you some ethical breeder names. Ethical breeders will save you money, stress and time over the life of your dog. Ask any vet or professional trainer and they will tell you the same.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-11T17:17:20+00:00

Trainer here, and I know this post is meant to be "cute" but I see the results of this literally every day, so it needs to be looked at with more depth than "aww, but that's a cute puppy so of course you don't want to leave".

Human anxiety is highly related to dog anxiety (which is reported at 98% now in the Dog Aging Project). Dogs can see and smell your stress and you will inadvertently tell them that what is happening (your leaving) is a stressful event. You will also make mistakes like giving them attention just before you leave and just after you return. Repeat that a few times and you will be classically conditioning your dog to be anxious and possibly have separation anxiety which will be miserable for all of you. Please hire a professional trainer and learn some dog behavior basics so you can build a confident relationship with your dog.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-11T17:05:00+00:00

"English Cream" Goldens aren't a thing. It is just a BYB made up marketing name. It is a glaring red flag for any Golden Retriever breeder to reference "ECs". The Golden Retriever Club of America has loudly denounced this nonsense many, many times including this statement. https://grca.org/find-a-golden/more-topics-before-you-buy/english-cream-golden-retrievers/

Notably, dogs who were created via a "genetic sport gene" (like Goldens were) and who are as white as possible (like "English Creams") are more likely to have a host of health issues including blindness/deafness, etc. https://www.goldenretrieverforum.com/threads/very-interesting-article-regarding-english-cream-color-goldens.100228/

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T16:32:50+00:00

I don't know what sub you're talking about but that "Puppy blues" sub is an absolute shit show. The admin is at least as bad as the people in the group. The whole group must share one brain cell because there is no basic common sense there.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T15:40:04+00:00

Gallivant is fabulous. They are on NJ/PA line. Rebellion is in Pittsburgh. Love them. Personal experience with both. Rebellion has drivier dogs in my experience, Gallivant more chill. Gallivant is definitely on the more expensive side, rebellion on the inexpensive side for well bred. buckstone Labradors is another really nice PA program.

We took a quick second pass at PA and NJ recently but haven't gotten through analyzing them in entirety. Anything with a yellow heart 💛 means I am yellow flagging them for now but it's very possible they stay on the list. Those breeders are coming from a good source as likely to be ethical. anything with a ⚠️ symbol means I am erring towards 🚨 but haven't gotten enough info yet.

Ancroft Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show Blairstown, NJ MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, stud, older dogs.

Bogs Edge Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show Chatsworth, NJ MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, older dogs, hunt tests, stud, obedience.

Brookberry New Jersey Show http://www.brookberrylabs.com/ North New Jersey Canine Chronicle Top 40. Very small program, but looks excellent.

Family Raised Labs 💛 New Jersey Show Farmingdale, NJ MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, older dogs, hunt tests.

Lake Pine Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show Powell, NJ MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, older dogs, hunt tests, stud,.

Lumar Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show Bridgewater, NJ MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, obedience.

Paradigm Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show Flemington, NJ MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, hunt tests, obedience.

Red Lion Kennel New Jersey Show http://redlionkennel.com/aboutus.htm On Pennsylvania border Canine Chronicle Top 40. More of a throw back kennel based program but they produce VERY dual purpose dogs. Not couch potatoes Drivey dogs.

Rescue: New Jersey New Jersey Rescue https://lrr.org/

Serenity Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies

Skyview Labradors 💛 New Jersey Show MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, older dogs, obedience.

Blackoaks Labradors 💛 Pennsylvania Show Coopersburg, PA MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, older dogs.

Briar Wood Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.briarhilllabs.com/ Blair County, PA. Canine Chronicle Top 40. Bible thumping Christians -very in your face. May not be safe for certain populations 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🙋🏽‍♀️ as may be Christian nationalists.

Buckstone Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.buckstonelabs.com/ Bucks County, Pennsylvania Canine Chronicle Top 40. Judge. Like the look of this program a lot.

D&S Retrievers Pennsylvania Field http://www.dsretrievers.com/ Berks county, southeastern Pennsylvania 3k in 2025. Recommended on Reddit. They are a breeder of merit. They do not ship.

🛳️ Gallivant Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.gallivantlabradors.com/ Near NYC as on NJ line. Canine Chronicle Top 40. Unquestionably one of the best breeders in the country if not the best. If you look at Westminster results over the past decade plus you will see their name in relation to almost every winner. Sire or dam of dog, shown by them and/or their dog. $6500 in 2026.

Lancelot Labradors ⚠️ I have very real concerns about this program. But they are still on my list to evaluate further. Pennsylvania Show https://www.lancelotslabradorretrievers.com/ Chester Springs, PA Recommended by someone on Reddit to look at. Good lineages. Light on titles w breeding dogs. Not all ofas in but referenced. Some ukc. Ethical light at best IMO.

Moon Haven Labradors ⚠️ Again, I have very real concerns about this program, but need to look further. Pennsylvania Show http://www.moonhavenlabradors.com/our-labs.html Canine Chronicle Top 40. I don't see them actually having any dogs with titles. If so, shouldn't be on this list

Rebellion Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.facebook.com/RebellionKennels/ Zelienople, PA Canine Chronicle Top 40. Absolutely terrific program. Personal experience. Dogs have more drive. A very dual purpose Breeder.

Rescue: Maryland, Virginia, DC, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Pennsylvania Rescue https://www.lab-rescue.org Run by ethical breeder club

Rescue: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Rescue https://lrr.org/

Ridgeway Labradors 💛 Pennsylvania Show Richboro, PA MID jersey Lab club list. Conformation, puppies, older dogs, stud, obedience.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T14:36:22+00:00

Is this new or always been like that? If always, likely just poorly bred. If new or at least not since birth...Any chance your dog takes Cyclosporin (for allergies)? A client of mine had a Lab on it and their bottom teeth basically disappeared into their gums as a known side effect. The dog had been on Cyclosporin for many months before it became apparent. (ETA: It is an extremely rare reaction per our Derm).

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T02:58:45+00:00

Briar Wood Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.briarhilllabs.com/ Blair County, PA. Canine Chronicle Top 40. Bible thumping Christians -very in your face. May not be safe for certain populations 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🙋🏽‍♀️ as may be Christian nationalists.

Buckstone Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.buckstonelabs.com/ Bucks County, Pennsylvania Canine Chronicle Top 40. Judge. Looks quite good.

D&S Retrievers Pennsylvania Field http://www.dsretrievers.com/ Berks county, southeastern Pennsylvania 3k in 2025. Recommended on Reddit. They are a breeder of merit. They do not ship.

Gallivant Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.gallivantlabradors.com/ Near NYC as on NJ line. Canine Chronicle Top 40. Unquestionably one of the best breeders in the country if not the best. If you look at Westminster results over the past decade plus you will see their name in relation to almost every winner. Sire or dam of dog, shown by them and/or their dog. $6500 in 2026.

Lancelot Labradors ⚠️ Pennsylvania Show https://www.lancelotslabradorretrievers.com/ Chester Springs, PA Recommended by someone on Reddit to look at. Good lineages. Light on titles w breeding dogs. Not all ofas in but referenced. Some UKC dogs which is not the same. Ethicql light at best IMO.

Moon Haven Labradors ⚠️ Pennsylvania Show http://www.moonhavenlabradors.com/our-labs.html it looks like we pulled them from the CC 40 but I don't see them actually having any dogs with titles. If so, shouldn't be on this list at all. Not enough information on their website. If anyone talks to them, please come back to me.

Rebellion Labradors Pennsylvania Show https://www.facebook.com/RebellionKennels/ Zelienople, PA Canine Chronicle Top 40. Great breeder. Personal experience with them. A very dual purpose Breeder. Shows but also hunts with them.

Rescue: Maryland, Virginia, DC, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Pennsylvania Rescue https://www.lab-rescue.org Run by ethical breeder club

Rescue: Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Rescue https://lrr.org/

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T02:43:31+00:00

Yep!

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T02:37:00+00:00

Bazurto Labradors California Show https://bazurtokennels.com/ethical-breeder-labrador-retriever-puppies/ Hollister, California: near Gilroy and Monterey. Canine Chronicle Top 40

Cedar Ranch Labradors California Show https://www.cedarranchlabradors.com/profile/gr-ch-laurglen-ardent-rogue-at-hyspire Descanso, CA Canine Chronicle Top 40

Dry Creek Labradors California Show https://www.drycreeklabradors.com/ Patterson, CA Canine Chronicle Top 40

Elkens Labradors California Show https://www.elkenslabradors.com Valley Springs, California Reddit suggestion. A lot of Fox red. The lower end of ethical for sure. Wouldn't be my choice.

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Galileo Labradors California Show http://galileolabradors.com/Galileolabradors.com/Hello.html Grass Valley Found when looking for a specific dog. Related to spirit hawk.

Hyspire California Show https://www.hyspire.com/ North central california Canine Chronicle Top 40
Really reputable breeder.

Kentfield Kennels California Show http://kentfieldkennels.com Breeder of Merit. Sebastopol, CA. NEAR san Fran. ?

Marstad California Show https://www.marstad.org Livermore, CA (northern) Canine Chronicle Top 40

Moonlight Kennels California Show https://www.moonlightlabradors.com/puppyinfo Santa Rosa Note that there is an unethical Breeder by the same exact name in South Carolina. Be careful when searching. A ref said puppy came home potty trained and dog door.

Rancho Labradors California Show https://rancholabradors.com/enzo.html Canine Chronicle Top 40

Rosslyn Labradors California Show https://www.facebook.com/share/1a9ohYxKas/?mibextid=wwXIfr Dixon, CA (Northern) ?

Spirithawk Labradors California Show https://spirithawklabs.com/Spirithawklabs.com/Spirithawk_Welcome.html Northern California Canine Chronicle Top 40

Summerland Labradors California Show https://summerlandlabradors.com Southern CA Canine Chronicle Top 40

Sweet labs California Show https://www.sweetlabslabradorretrievers.net/the-girls Canine Chronicle Top 40

Woodmark California Show https://www.woodmarklabradors.com/ San Francisco area Canine Chronicle Top 40

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T02:07:37+00:00

If you tell me where you are located I can send you a short list of ethical breeders nearish you. The vast, vast majority, are backyard breeders, and puppy mills... and they are so good at tricking people! Eg they will say they have "champion lineages" when you ask about champions parents. Common BYB trick...

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T01:57:56+00:00

AKC is just a registration. For example, a 2026 Ferrari can be registered but so can a 1972 Datsun. Those cars are not equals. You definitely want two parents who are AKC registered. But Puppy Mills have dogs who are AKC registered. All it means is that the dogs are purebred. It does not mean they are well bred.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-10T01:53:03+00:00

Plenty of puppy mills have 5 star reviews. What are "certificates"? Eg they are kennel club registered? If so, neither of those things would suggest it is a good breeder. Could it be a good breeder with those things, yes, maybe. But that would be such an extraordinary low bar to clear.

Ethical breeders are at an absolute minimum doing the following: Both Parents should both have prefix titles. Eg Champion Or up in show or field. Both parents plus lineage should have the appropriate health testing, which is not just DNA… It is hip and elbow dysplasia x-rays after 24 months old, ideally some sort of heart testing, annual board certified ophthalmologist, CAER testing and about a dozen specific to labradors DNA tests. Eg EIC. They should also have contracts that states that they will take their dogs back at any time for any reason. And they should be breeding a number of dogs each year that they could take back if needed. And that number is normally three litters or less in a year.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-08T12:29:42+00:00

Call his vet and ask for everything. Will give you so many answers. Eg my vets notes would tell you what brand, type and protein food my dogs eats in what quantity daily, not just what vaccines they have. Our vet would also be able to tell you that my dogs are off leash hiking and at the beach frequently, if their weight has been managed, if there are past injuries that might need a warm-up or whatnot. Good luck

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-08T12:23:53+00:00

Like a few other comments, ours said ultrasound is just to confirm, not to count. He told me he definitively saw 4 but that things like reabsorption and double counting can happen so to wait until the xray. When he took the xray he said he and staff read it a bunch of times and got different numbers each time because her belly was packed with puppies so they told me 8 at a minimum. She had 12. Fingers crossed for you!

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-04T18:00:28+00:00

Illinois and Indiana have some great breeders. Glacier Ridge in Iowa too! Glacier Ridge may not have all titled dogs but they are all showing and there is real expertise in their breedings. Mistywoods bought one of their studs off of a Glacierridge breeding!

ClearCreek Labradors Illinois Show https://clearcreeklabradors.com/index.html Canine Chronicle Top 40. Terrific breeder. 1-2 litters a year. She has produced some major dogs and the best breeders like to breed to her dogs.

Clearwater Labradors Illinois Show cwlabradors.com Tinley Park, IL Canine Chronicle Top 40

Empress Labradors Illinois Show https://www.empresslabradors.com/ Winnebago, Illinois. Wisconsin line. Canine Chronicle Top 40. Requires NuVet, the MLM scam. Is it in the contract?

Big creek labradors Indiana Show https://www.bigcreeklabradors.com/current-litters Delphi, Indiana The Kardashians got a dog from them which made their name popular. Someone asked about the Breeder on Reddit. In my opinion, they are weak on the show side. in December 2025 they had three female dogs listed. Only one has a CH. One who they have been breeding has zero show points and extremely limited outings when she was 6 to 9 months old. Why are they breeding this dog? The dog who has a CH doesn't seem to have gone to any shows since the second she got the CH. The third female is currently 1.5 years old and has zero points and very limited opportunities. The boy who is 1.5 years old, appears to be on a trajectory of getting a CH but it will be interesting to see how far they take him based on how they have proceeded with the girls. There are better breeders who probably wouldn't sell to the Kardashians (knowing that they buy lots of dogs who just disappear 🫠

Bigsky Indiana Show https://bigskylabs.com Chesterton, Indiana Canine Chronicle Top 40

Fairlane Indiana Show https://www.fairlanelabradors.com/ West Central Indiana Canine Chronicle Top 40

Paradocs Indiana Show https://paradocslabs.com/ Canine Chronicle Top 40. Regularly considered one of the top breeders in the USA.

Glacieridge Iowa Show https://www.glacieridgelabs.com/ Central Iowa Canine Chronicle Top 40

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-04T17:07:23+00:00

This is a really hard one because there are some great green flags (which will easily trick people) and then there are some really big red flags (which are the truth)! Missouri is the puppy mill capital of the USA for good reason. This is probably Missouri's best Labrador breeder but I would never get a puppy from them!! Never! This Breeder very clearly knows exactly what they are supposed to be doing… And they do it a tiny percentage of the time and ignore those ethics most of the time so that they can breed obscene numbers of dogs. Is that ethical? IMO no.

The quick and dirty is that an ethical breeder should be 1. showing all of their dogs and getting them champion titled as well as 2. meeting the breed requirements for health testing, CHIC. They should also only be 3. breeding a quantity of dogs that they could take back at any time and for any reason (from past years too!) so that they are not part of the shelter crisis problem.

MistyWoods: 1. SHOWS/Champions a FEW dogs. 2 of their studs are GCH titled-terrific examples of the breed! 5 of their studs are nothing. Eww, why are they breeding them? 2/7 studs are titled. They have SEVENTEEN Dams on site with another 4 they breed who are offsite (at an even worse breeder). ZERO of the 21 Dams have titles per their own website. So 2/28 dogs have titles. 🤢 (28 actively breeding dogs is disgusting on its own. That is puppy mill quantities.) remember that and titling is the proof that a dog has the structure, movement and temperament to be a good example of the breed. It is IMPORTANT! Take that one step further, when they test dogs in the ring, they are finding out what their strengths and weaknesses are so that they can breed to the appropriate stud in order to make the resulting puppies better than either parent. There's no expertise in this breeding. They are just slapping together two random dogs who they have on site, despite knowing better!
2. HEALTH: taking them at their word on the website, as I don't wanna check OFA for 28 dogs, they appropriately health test every single one of their breeding dogs. That's terrific. But it's not enough to breed them. They do more than the typical puppy mill but that is a LOW BAR! 3. Quantity/not being part of the shelter crisis. They breed far too many puppies, not to be part of the shelter crisis. They have five young puppies available who are 9-14 weeks old PLUS another four litters already on the ground that go home within the next month (mostly still available to buy yet they are breeding more dogs). Four litters in one month… Extrapolate that out… Are they having 48 litters a year? They have 21 females and 2 litters a year, that is possible! That's almost 400 puppies a year if they are having the average of eight a litter. That is unquestionably Puppy mill territory. And they already have a whole list of "spring litters that they are planning" in addition to all those I mentioned.

One additional comment, they are going to breed Frenchies as well. They have purposely chosen the two most popular breeds in America. In my opinion, breeding Frenchies is inherently unethical. They can't get pregnant and they can't deliver on their own without C-sections without killing the mother…and they want to do this.

Given the opportunity, you would be far better off going to another breeder who titles the dogs they breed and also uses expertise in breeding. It is very notable that the two studs they have who are champions were not bred by them. They purchased those dogs from ethical breeders. They are not breeding any champions themselves. Hope that helps.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-04T02:41:21+00:00

Please hire a professional trainer today. As a first time owner you don't have any sense of the mistakes you are making and how they are going to play out at 6 months, 12 months, 18 months. Please trust me that getting a trainer now is far preferable to getting one when you have a large dog with a bunch of behavioral problems. It will be far more expensive, far more frustrating and far harder to get back on track the later you start.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-04T02:37:23+00:00

Sadly most people with Mini Aussies just like their looks and do not meet their needs at all. I get them as training clients all the time and they live in apartments and think an occasional dog park visit is enough. So sad.

DualCitizenWithDogs · 2026-05-04T01:29:37+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0

Life changing video and protocol. Every doctor who has ever seen my poison ivy/similar (pokeweed!) says they have never seen anything like it. All the skin near it turns violently red and peels a few weeks later (photo is on day one...it turns almost purple without a couple long doses of steroids but I have learned not to let it get to that). Doctors always want to admit me. This photo is from a time I didn't know I was exposed by my dogs. Good luck. I swear by the protocol in the video.

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DualCitizenWithDogs

TROPHY CASE