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ABOUT OUR DOGS
“Our Dogs” L-R -> Lucy, Hank, Nelli, Rosie, Rip, Betti, Fin.
Our mission is to produce fantastic Labrador Retrievers that go to great homes at an affordable price.
Our dogs are a part of our family and are exposed to a variety of experiences and environments. We believe that solid training and a structured schedule are very beneficial and fair. We start basic obedience training at about 8 weeks of age.
We “test” our dogs a few different ways. The first is hunt test training. At about six months of age, we start force fetch training and then move on to hunt test training and competitions. Hunt tests are our way to keep our dogs active, both mentally and physically, when we aren’t hunting.
The second test is upland bird and waterfowl hunting with our dogs. We personally evaluate all our dogs’ hunting abilities in the environment the Labrador Retriever was bred to perform in.
The third test is their temperament and personality in day-to-day life, whether playing with children, socializing with other dogs, or quiet time at home. Not every client is looking for their dream hunting dog. We feel it’s extremely important for you to find your dream companion, first and foremost, whether hunting or not.
All these tests allow us to understand the differences and similarities between our dogs so we can select the most desirable qualities prior to breeding and pass them on to our clients.
Prior to any breeding, we study pedigrees and examine the physical features, and temperaments of the parents to ensure a good match. We require both parents to have acceptable OFA certifications of their hips (good or excellent), eyes (normal), and elbows (normal). We also do a full DNA analysis to ensure there are no unforeseeable inheritable disorders or conditions present. Both parents will have AKC Hunt Test or Field Trial Titles, or an equivalent, prior to breeding.
Morning Dew Retrievers • Our Dogs
Morning Dew Retrievers • L-R -> Lucy, Rosie, Finn, and Betti.