Im going to be headin to the breeder to pick out my male yellow lab puppy out to be picked up in a few weeks. Just wanted to know if you guys had any tips on picking a good one or any red flags I should look for when doing so. He'll be used mainly for dove hunting and a good friend!

Do a search on here for your topic. IronSpike had a post on here a while back with real good tips. In fact, I copied it all and saved it. If you PM me your email address, I'll send it you. It's a long read.

lol... As my posts usually are! Hey, PM it to me, too! I'm adding a "tips" page to my new site and that's a very common question. Don't want to re-invent my own wheel!

Could you send me those tips as well? Thanks

i always look for the best eye contact... hasnt failed me yet

If anyone has that post of Ironspike's or the link id appreciate it!

Here's the post I had put up. I'm not sure how to link to it, so I hope this is right...

http://www.texashuntingforum.com/forum/u..._to#Post2681483

Fellows, I know most of the time Labs are pretty much a given and
will hunt, and make good companions ect...I've raised and hunted
and trained dogs litterally all of my life...and that includes
bird dogs, hounds, cow dogs, ect...Yet I am certainly no authority..several yrs. ago I traded about $1500 (supposed to have been $500) in gate work for a Choc. Lab from Champion Hunting Lines..raised as all of my huntig dogs..and he wouldn't
hunt..or retrieve..he did get older, larger, slip his collar and
jump on my GSP who finally killed him...My hunting bud pick some
stray off the side of the road that hunts...Sometimes you just do
not know..but most breeders do really try to please..Don

Y'know Don, I have to agree. We carry several bloodlines here - some big name imported British/Irish lines (which are great and I love them), some great American Field Trial lines (also great and I love them as well) and then.... we have our own line - the Commando's (Sarge, Commander, Bear, et.al.)

These "no-name" dogs are a bloodline we developed from a process of picking, choosing, crossing & culling dogs that were out there getting it done. They are dogs we hunted over, really liked and had what we wanted in our gene pool. It wasn't JUST performance we wanted in a hunting dog, but also dogs that were hardy with lots of heart and very easy to train. Dogs that would stay strong/healthy, perform well & consistently, and have calm and loyal temperaments to make great family dogs. And finally - handsome with "traditional Lab" looks (blocky heads, round barrel, muscled up, solid bone, etc.)

Sure, I love, appreciate, and enjoy the dogs we have whose pedigrees are riddled with titles, but that alone doesn't "make" the dog. There's got to be something to the fact that, time and again, when folks come out here and compare the litters side-by-side, almost always the little "no-name" Commandos are the first to go - and years later, those folks come back for another.

Pick the one you like... you get as much out of dog as what you put in it. Last go round I picked one that always whinned when away from the litter. Years later doesn't like to be alone (without people or dogs... if he is left alone he falls asleep quickly) and is always by my side when I'm around. Not sure if that is good or bad or always the case, but there you go.