As labradors have been identified by the ANKC (Australian National Kennel Club) as a breed with known hereditary diseases - hip and elbow dysplagia, puppies cannot be registered unless both parents (post 1997) have been xrayed by a veterinarian and xrays submitted for evaluation by an AVA (Australian Veterinary Association) accreditated veterinarian. Dogs prior to 1997 are not required to have been xrayed.

All our puppies are microchipped at the time of their first vaccination, and come with a health guarantee. All our breeding stock is tested for PRA and we will only be testing their eyes every 18 months.  

OUR HEALTH GUARANTEE

We pride on ourselves on striving to breed healthy well socialised puppies who are as clear of hereditary problems as we can possibly do at this time. We cannot guarantee that a puppy will not develop elbow or hip dysplagia or other eye conditions, but we are doing our best to only breed from sound breeding stock who are capable of leading normal lives.

HIP AND ELBOW DYSPLAGIA

The ANKC has recognised that Labradors have a problem with hip and elbow dysplagia - that is why any puppy that is to be registered must come from parents post 1997 who have been xrayed for hip and elbow dysplagia. However, the ANKC has not embargoed a cut off score, so you could be purchasing a puppy who has parents with elbows and hips that should not be bred from. We also have our dogs eyes checked each year for PRA and other eye problems. Progressively we are testing for PRA which can be eliminated now by using clear breeding stock. To date, they are all PRA clear (normal).

We will not breed from dogs whose elbows are more than 1:1 and hips equal to or lower than the current breed average (12.11). The only exception is that we may occasionally breed from slightly higher hips as long as the total combined score of both parents is less than 20. The lower the elbow score (0 - 3, with 0 best) and hips the lower the better.

We do not guarantee that the puppy you have brought may be suitable for breeding later on, unless this is written into a guarantee. Just because a labrador has good hips, elbows and eyes does not make it a dog worth breeding from. As registered and responsible breeders, a labrador must be bred to the Breed Standard (please see below for the link on the Labrador Breed Standard) look like a labrador, have an excellent temperament and move well and be trainable. All these factors are what makes a good labrador. If they do not have these traits, then the dog is desexed and rehomed. All our puppies are sold on the limit register unless the puppy is to be shown. The limit register means that you cannot breed from your puppy - unless at a later stage the puppy grows into a dog we think is worth breeding from and the dog is transferred to the main register. All our puppy buyers are offered a $50 rebate if they desex their puppy before 12 months of age. For the health of the puppy, we prefer them not to be desexed before 7-9 months to assist with proper growth.

We guarantee all our puppies to lead a normal life. if by some rare chance that the puppy devlops hip/elbow dysplagia, we will refund the cost of the puppy or replace with another puppy (conditions apply - contact us for more details) . It is very upsetting to the puppy buyer and has an emotional and financial affect on us also - we do not want this to happen.

With all our puppy buyers we give a comprehensive guide to rearing their puppy to ensure optimal health and prevent possible environmental issues causing problems eg. over exercising the growing puppy, allowing to run unrestrained on slippery floors, jumping out of cars. Labrador puppies can easily injure themselves in the fast growing stages with their heavy bone structure unless looked after properly.

Potential puppy buyers ask why our puppies are expensive - the reason is because we are striving to do the best we can in our breed and the cost of  hereditary testing is not cheap. We also need to ensure our dogs are regularly wormed, fed properly, exercised, housed and receive appropriate veterinary care. As we show our dogs, there are also extra costs involved.This is not essential, but if you don't show your dog and talk to other breeders, look objectively at your dog in comparison to others. We are always trying to breed to the breed standards. We only breed to add another prospective show puppy to our show team and we strive to use some of the best Labradors around today to achieve this.

Breeding two dogs together is not just about putting X with Y just because they are registered or because they are a certain colour. There are many factors that we look at, pedigrees, how one can complements the other, grand parents hip/elbow scores, current progeny on the ground by the sire, overall structure, movement and showing success. 

We will run youngsters on and if they do not meet the standards we are looking for, we then desex and rehome the dog.

WRITTEN GUARANTEE

We give all our puppy purchasers a written guarantee which is signed by both parties. We want to ensure the new owner fully understands their responsibilities and the responsibities of the breeder. We take breeding and selling our labradors seriously and want to ensure they will be going to the best possible homes.

If you feel you still want a Sybeck Labrador, then you are very welcome to contact us to see what puppies we may have available.

BREED STANDARDS

Please click on the following link:

http://www.labradorclubnsw.com/standard.html