Background Home / Background / Activities / Photo Gallery Before Emma, I did some research on general dog topics and the Labrador breed. In addition to books and videos, I made good use of the internet. One website I would HIGHLY recommend to any prospective or current dog owners is the: DOG FAQ HOMEPAGE Other webpage links I find very useful are: American Kennel Club DOG-PLAY Fun with your dog The Obedience Homepage INFODOG (Show listings) Working Retriever Central High Performance Labrador Homepage Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Club Sierra Vista Labrador Retriever Club Golden Gate Labrador Rescue LABMED (Labrador-L Emergency Medical Assistance) Orthopedic Foundation of America (OFA) San Joaquin Labrador Retriever Club Central Valley Labrador Rescue From this research I concluded that three good sources for a purebred dog are: a conscientious breeder, a breed rescue society, or a humane society. Say No To Petstores! Please do not consider buying a puppy from a petstore. Petstores support the puppymill mechanism, in which breeder dogs are kept in poor conditions and bred over and over to produce the product: puppies. Dogs are social companion animals, and need loving personal contact and adequate exercise. Cathy Sheeter has compiled an article on this topic: Petstores/Puppymills. I don't purchase anything for my dog in a petstore that sells puppies (and therefore supports puppymills). Responsible breeders will not sell their puppies to petstores to sit in petstore cages and go to anonymous homes - so what does that say about the puppy source for petstores? Please think about it. Public education is the key. Conscientious Breeder I define a conscientious breeder as a person who loves their dogs and wants to improve the breed, who doesn't breed more than 1 or 2 breeds of dogs, who achieves dog competition titles (show, obedience, fieldwork, etc.) to show the quality of their dogs, who obtains health clearances for any common genetic problems of that breed, personally finds a good loving home for each puppy, and remains available to the new owner for the lifespan of the dog. I decided the labrador breed was for me, and I knew I would have vacation time available for a puppy. Having health clearances (dysplasia and retinal problems) was very important to me, so I decided to find a good breeder with the characteristics above. Emma Emma, newly arrived (7 1/2 weeks) Emma was born on April 10, 1997. The first time I picked up this little yellow lump, her tiny otter tail wagged merrily (so fast it was a blur!). I could feel the vibration, but her tail was too short to actually make contact. That friendly temperament is the quality I love most about Emma. I found Emma's breeder through talking with the members of the Golden Gate Labrador Retriever Club. Her sire (dad) is CAN CH Mistypoint Hold That Pose WC (Brady), owned by Diana and Victor Pintel of Mistypoint Labrador Retrievers. He has been used as a stud dog for CCI (Canine Companions for Independence) and is a member of the Labrador Museum. Brady's dam (mom), Katie (SR Panico's Almanor Katie Jo, CD, WC, CGC, JH, Can WC), is also a member of the Labrador Museum. Emma's dam is Sunshine Dusty Drifter (Dusty), bred by Celia and Dan Cuellar. Emma's pedigree is well-rounded, showing the achievement of breed, obedience, and hunting titles. Check her pedigree to see photos of her parents, grandparents and great-grandparents! Besides beauty and brains, Emma also inherited the Labrador trait of "butt-tucking"! Also seen in some other breeds, butt-tucking is a maniacal running conducted with the tail and rear-end "tucked", and with the brain on auto-pilot. Home / Background / Activities / Photo Gallery