Labradors

9 Pages 2257 Words

tle siblings will more than occupy him. He will also be taken to Mendon Ponds Park, in Mendon NY, once a week. There he will be able to swim and interact with other dogs, as he would in the wild.

Breeding Plan:
I will breed my dog to a bitch that has been cleared with either the OFA (orthopedic foundation for animals) or Wind-Morgan because Labradors from clear parents have a better chance of not developing many common Lab ailments such as hip and elbow Dysplasia, Progressive Retinal Atrophy and Retinal Dysplasia (www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu). I will also breed to a show line bitch because I am looking for a pup with good confirmation and temperament versus a field line dog that would be more heavily bred for hunting and retrieving abilities. A good show line dog should have a sound, athletic and well-balanced conformation. I will select for a short dense coat, an otter-like tail, a clean-cut head with broad back skull and moderate stop; powerful jaws, and its “kind friendly” eyes, expressing character, intelligence and good temperament (akc.com). All of these characteristics are necessities to the future of the Labrador because they are required to perform both in the show rin!
g and in hunting. Because the Lab is considered a sporting dog it is assumed that he should have the desired muscular build of most sporting dogs and his temperament is required to make him a good family dog. (Locke, 1994)
Future generations of my Labrador should have good size, proportion and substance. They come in three main coat colors: black, yellow and chocolate. Standards require that they show little variation from these pure colors. They have large well-defined skulls that should show development but not exaggeration. The height at the withers for a dog is 22 ½ inches and for a bitch 21 ½ inches. They should be short coupled the body must be of sufficient length to permit a straight, free and efficient stride. Most ...