Reputable Lab Breeders SW Ontario - Close\Around London

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Originally Posted by Cass

Seeing a well-brtrainedlab is life changing and they resemble an average lab in looks only. The first time I saw krakadawn's dogs work I was in complete awe... and I still am every time we hunt or train together. It's not something you can describe - you have to see it to understand the difference.

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I agree. Amazing to see the highly trained dogs work, beautiful actually. You would also be impressed to hunt over a fully broke pointing dog that is steady to wing and shot. I have hunted over an all age setter that also retrieves to hand after release and its impressive. A fully broke pointer can be 500yds away, hold a bird on point until you get to it and flush it, you then shoot the bird and the dog will not move until you release it to fetch to hand. That level of performance is the result of expert training and good breeding.

Kriscolands, just east of Ottawa. British-style yellows and blacks. They have a web site. We got a black male from her and he's fantastic.

Here's Bubba at 7 weeks.Attachment 28532 Call her - she may have chocolate pig-dogs too.

Looked at the Krisco web site.
I hope you realize that this is a successful show dog kennel. These dogs are not British style dogs just because they are full body, heavy headed animals.
Unfortunately our show standards continue to depart from athletic dogs.....dogs that are fit and agile to perform in the field.

I am not being critical of this kennel, they have been successful in the ring. Unfortunately dogs bred this way can not and do not compete in the world of Hunt tests or Field trials.....they just do not.

For someone looking for a solidly bred hunting dog that is able to perform in the field , they need to look in other places.

You may want to check out the Retriever Training Forum. Tons of litters posted on their classified section. It's mostly American but you are bound to find some great litters not too far from the border. I drove over 6 hrs from Oshawa to Ohio to get my boy and he was worth it! Definitely something to consider...

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

Here's Bubba at 7 weeks.Attachment 28532 Call her - she may have chocolate pig-dogs too.

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Nice pup Fenelon ! I use to live 25 minutes away from Kriscoland and have been at their kennel a few times. Some of the puppy purchasers do hunt with them more on a recreational bases. The Kriscoland lines go back to the British show lines such as Sandyland,Rocheby and Poolstead. Yes they are far removed from the British field lines but make great family pets and weekend warrior hunting buddies.

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Originally Posted by yellow dog

Nice pup Fenelon ! I use to live 25 minutes away from Kriscoland and have been at their kennel a few times. Some of the puppy purchasers do hunt with them more on a recreational bases. The Kriscoland lines go back to the British show lines such as Sandyland,Rocheby and Poolstead. Yes they are far removed from the British field lines but make great family pets and weekend warrior hunting buddies.

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YD, I can agree with your description of hunting those dogs 'on a recreational bases' but not sure what you mean by 'weekend warrior buddies'

Dogs built like these are not built to perform in the field. They are also greatly handicapped in the marsh. Can you imagine some of these tank like structures trying to climb over logs and handle bog and tules??? I can't.

The use of the term 'British Labs' seems to continually be misused in these discussions.

Krack - I think you have a condition that is known as "trial on the brain". I have friends who do it, and it's almost an obsession. Every waking hour of their existence is spent training their dogs, striving to get certain retriever papers for the dog, and their whole life is spent attending field events. You're obviously biased, as this hobby is your life. To each their own. If you read the original OP, the guy isn't looking for a trial dog. He wants a dog that will make a good family companion, and can be taken out on hunts. I've had three "British-style" labs now (heavy UK/British show lines in their paperwork, all with heavy head, thick otter tails, 80lb males) and they have all been excellent hunters. Everyone has a preference and I personally don't like the appearance of 90% of the trial/field dogs. Usually thinner framed, narrow muzzle, leaner face with less "skull", thinner tail and legs. The few I did like were all stockier dogs that had more of the British style show appearance. For the amount of time I spend training the dog, they've all turned out well. I pull the trigger, I send the dog out, and the dog always brings the duck, goose, or grouse back to me. I couldn't give a crap if the dog is whistle-trained, or if he picks up two ducks in his mouth at the same time, and I've never had to shock them when they're doing their thing. Never had a dog that had problems in the marsh. In fact, I think the stockier dogs do better when it comes to plowing through aquatic veg, swamp mud, etc. Look at the size of their feet ! Only Sally-dogs climb over logs. A real Lab simply bulldozes them out of the way! WTF are "tules"? Good God man !, you live in Canada and they're called bullrushes! Never seen a dog that couldn't walk through bulrush, or do the trial crowd call cattail "tule"?

British show lines are very different than the British field lines and can confuse most people not knowing the difference. Most show stock today if not all are descendants of such famous kennels as the ones mentioned above. I have a couple of British/Irish field stock females coming this summer from the U.K . I like both the British show and British field lines for different reasons.

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Originally Posted by Fenelon

Krack - I think you have a condition that is known as "trial on the brain". I have friends who do it, and it's almost an obsession. Every waking hour of their existence is spent training their dogs, striving to get certain retriever papers for the dog, and their whole life is spent attending field events. You're obviously biased, as this hobby is your life. To each their own. If you read the original OP, the guy isn't looking for a trial dog. He wants a dog that will make a good family companion, and can be taken out on hunts. I've had three "British-style" labs now (heavy UK/British show lines in their paperwork, all with heavy head, thick otter tails, 80lb males) and they have all been excellent hunters. Everyone has a preference and I personally don't like the appearance of 90% of the trial/field dogs. Usually thinner framed, narrow muzzle, leaner face with less "skull", thinner tail and legs. The few I did like were all stockier dogs that had more of the British style show appearance. For the amount of time I spend training the dog, they've all turned out well. I pull the trigger, I send the dog out, and the dog always brings the duck, goose, or grouse back to me. I couldn't give a crap if the dog is whistle-trained, or if he picks up two ducks in his mouth at the same time, and I've never had to shock them when they're doing their thing. Never had a dog that had problems in the marsh. In fact, I think the stockier dogs do better when it comes to plowing through aquatic veg, swamp mud, etc. Look at the size of their feet ! Only Sally-dogs climb over logs. A real Lab simply bulldozes them out of the way! WTF are "tules"? Good God man !, you live in Canada and they're called bullrushes! Never seen a dog that couldn't walk through bulrush, or do the trial crowd call cattail "tule"?

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Fenelon. thank you very much for the life appraisal but sorry to inform you how far off course you are, My bias as you say is just observations over many years of the crap that is out there that are so called labs. I have seen so many that the last thing they are called is 'duck dogs'. Some you can coax to get in the water and swim maybe 5-10 yards for something they can see, those don't equate to the description of duck dogs, I have seen too many of them.

If you dislike the appearance of 90% of field trial dogs then that's fine but you've just told me how few you've really seen. Take a look at the avatars of a few here, if you saw them you'd see many dogs close or over the 80 lb range. They may not have melon size heads but all in all are a very pleasing to the eye animal but hey each to his own.

Your comments about '2 ducks in the mouth and shocked them'......where did that come from??? I think you're just exposing lack of information about training retrievers.

Climbing out of the 'bog' (hope that's ok to say) to get a duck can be very tough on dogs. Non athletic dogs tend not to excel at this and yup you really should see some of the 'sally' type dogs go over logs, requiring strength and stamina. And what's really at stake here is 'drive'. No drive equals no go!

It's not the trial crowd that refers to bulrushes sometime as 'tules', just some dumb folk who I've hunted with across Canada with expanded vocabulary.

To the OP, I realize you are not signing up to compete etc....... but currently the most intelligent dogs exist in the world of hunt tests and field trials, you will find the smartest dogs in lines that are successful. Those dogs can make you phenomenal hunters and house pets......because they have intelligence.