All of our breeding stock have OFA and/or Penn Hip and CERF clearances

 

Welcome to Startop Labradors We are a small hobby kennel located in the beautiful Adirondack Region of NY State.

We are about 2.5 hours from the NY/NJ border and under 3 hours from CT, MA, VT, NH, LI, RI and PA.

We raise and show quality English Labrador Retrievers. I am very proud of how far we have come in 17 years of involvement with this breed. We strive to produce correct temperament, health and conformation by carefully selecting and breeding dogs that fit into the Labrador standard as set forth by the National Labrador Retriever Club. Each and every litter we choose to breed is with the intent to keep a puppy for ourselves to show, and with the goal of improving our lines.

We place our pet puppies in pre-approved adoptive homes on non-breeding contracts. Puppies are registered with the American Kennel Club and will come with an AKC Limited Registration.

All breeding dogs are certified clear of radiographic evidence of dysplasia through the *OFA or *Penn Hip programs. Eyes are certified free of genetic defect though *CERF program. We provide official documentation of the sire & dam's clearances, in addition to a 4-generation pedigree to adopting families for their records.

At Startop Labradors, we do the very best we can to produce the healthiest Labradors possible by breeding only sound dogs with sound pedigrees. This involves certifying our dogs to be free of health issues themselves, and also researching our pedigrees and identifying any possible problems in previous generations. Although there is never any way to "guarantee" that a puppy we produce will not have health issues itself, we know that we have done all that is possible to give our puppies the best chance of being free from hereditary defects. 

We provide a written health guarantee to all adopting families.

Our litters are born and raised inside our home.

All puppies will have received their first shots, have been de wormed and have been seen by our veterinarian for a thorough health exam prior to going to their new homes. We do this so you are assured of a happy, healthy addition to your family.

We will replace any pup or dog sold by us which is certified by the OFA to have lifestyle altering Hip or Elbow Dysplasia (with DJD) stemming from genetic, not environmental cause for up to 25 months of age. This guarantee is valid providing your dog has not been altered (spayed or neutered) prior to reaching 12 months of age and your vet can provide proof of good care throughout the time you have had your dog.

All of our puppies are sold with spay/neuter agreements, however we feel very strongly about not doing this too early.

Another question that often comes up is "Do we remove dew claws?" Our answer is "No, we do not". We feel that this practice is both cruel and unnecessary, therefore we will not take part in it. There is veterinarian documented evidence that removing dew claws can cause undo strain on carpal joints resulting in early arthritic changes. Please see this link...

Here are three great articles explaining why we feel this way and what the potential health risks of spaying and neutering too early are link...

 

It is our duty to breed responsibly, and this means....

* using high quality breeding stock that have been temperament tested, are loving, and beautiful specimens, certified free of dysplasia and other common genetic abnormalities.
* placing puppies with families that have been approved only after being interviewed at length, and have demonstrated a willingness and ability to raise a member of this noble breed in a healthy, nurturing environment.

* offering complete follow-up and lifelong support for all puppies produced
* implementing non-breeding agreements to pet-homes (limited registration) including in our contract the stipulation that the dog will be spayed or neutered and not be used for breeding.
* assisting families that are interested in pursuing events especially designed for retrievers by recommendations for training and classes, clubs and associations as well as guidance to get started.

* providing a commitment to each and every dog we produce that if it ever finds itself in need of a home, it is welcomed back into ours, no questions asked, anytime, for any reason.

Good Luck!

 

 

Member Iroquois Labrador Retriever Club

Member National Labrador Retriever Club

 

American Kennel Club Inspected and in Good Standing

 

"Our Home"

 

 

Our pets

"Dusty"

DOB 11/20/2004

Our beloved Dusty was diagnosed with severe hip and elbow dysplasia with Degenerative Joint Disease at just 6 months of age

He was not our breeding and we didn't own him at that time. I found out his breeder was going to euthanize him (she had already made the appointment) so I begged her to give him to me and promised to care for him.

That is exactly what we've done for the last 6 years. Although I have to say, he has required little extra care aside from the obvious food, water, exercise and love.

Sad to think how close he came to dying just because his xrays looked bad.

Dusty is neutered and lives a pampered life with us as a permanent house dog and member of our family

Dusty shows no signs at this time of any lameness or discomfort from his potentially debilitating orthopedic disease.

      

 

 

"Bristol"

Bristol is our rescued Rottie mix

We saved him from euthanasia by the animal control agency in our town in August 2002

He was approx 1 year old at the time

Due to his apparently abusive past he had some major behavioral issues at first but with lots of love and training he learned to overcome his separation anxiety and people/dog aggression

He is our house pet and took over the job of our "protector" after our other Rottie "Buca" passed away

Update: in January 2011, we almost lost Bristol. Against all odds, he is recovering from major emergency surgery from his gall bladder bursting. His liver was also partially removed. Our vet still can't believe he made it after she basically sent him home to die the day after the surgery. With round the clock care from us at home and a nightly trip back to our fabulous vet, he miraculously pulled through and is feeling better than ever!