THE BREEDING PROGRAM AT WING-N-WAVE LABRADORS

A. THE WING-N-WAVE PUPPY

Since 1984 I have been involved in raising, showing, obedience training and field working Labrador Retrievers. Wing-N-Wave is a very young kennel in the beginning stages of its breeding program. In reality, I do not even think of Wing-N-Wave as a kennel because all of my dogs are family companions first, and their show or working careers are secondary considerations.

At Wing-N-Wave, the first obligation is to the puppy; that is, to find the best possible home for him that will offer both love and proper care. It follows then that an obligation also extend to the purchaser of each puppy because if the new owner is satisfied, the better the chance that the puppy will be happy in his new home. Therefore, the concern is with finding the right puppy or dog for you, even if it should mean having to refer you to another breeder so that you may find what you are looking for.

B. THE WING-N-WAVE BREEDING GOAL

It is the intention at Wing-N-Wave to breed "all around" quality Labrador Retrievers. Though most Wing-N-Wave puppies will serve as companion dogs to their new families, Wing-N-Wave recognizes that breeding for pet puppies is no excuse for producing mediocrity. For this reason, Labradors used in the Wing-N-Wave breeding program have OFA certification on hips/elbows and ACVO/CERF clearance on eyes. Additonally, I prefer that my bitches are over 2 years of age prior to their first breeding, and I prefer not to use young stud dogs (anything under 4 years of age) because I like to see puppies and adult dogs that the male has produced from past breedings to ensure that he is not only a good producer, but also that what he is producing is genetically "sound".

Temperament is a high priority in the Wing-N-Wave breeding program. Because most people who acquire puppies from Wing-N-Wave are looking for family companions, it is important that both sire and dam exhibit a good disposition. In the past, I have chosen not to breed some Labs that I acquired from dual lines because I felt they exhibited too much "drive" for the average pet owner to handle. For this reason, over the years I have gone more toward the English bench lines and away from my earlier dual breeding program. Dual breeding is difficult both from the conformational standpoint as well as the temperament standpoint. Despite this, Wing-N-Wave is proud of its dual-breeding foundation lines and strives to preserve the working ability and versatility of the Labrador breed by selecting for working traits in its breeding stock.

I prefer not to line-breed or in-breed. Though this practice has the advantage of producing consistency and "type", it also increases risks for hereditary disorders. Therefore, I usually "complimentation" breed--choosing bloodlines which are similar in "type" to get the desired effect. My bitches are shown limitedly before breeding--though I do not consider myself a "show breeder", I do like to take my girls into the ring to see how they hold up to competition and to the breed standard. In this sense, it is not important for me to take "winners" (points), though when I do you won't hear me complain! Competition is so tough in the Lab ring that if my girls take a 1-4th place, or make the cut, then I know I'm on the right track. If a bitch has a particular fault, I evaluate her for breeding based on my answers to the following questions:

If puppies inherit this fault from their parent(s)...

1. will it effect their quality of life?
2. will it place an unanticipated financial burden on their owners?
3. will I be able to afford reimbursing every owner whose puppy is afflicted?
4. will I be able to fulfill my obligation to provide extra time and support to each owner whose dog acquires this fault?
5. will I be able to take back any and all afflicted puppies if their owners choose to return them because of this fault?

Because I ask myself questions 3-5 for every litter I produce, one may understand why breeding at Wing-N-Wave is done on a very limited basis.

C. LIMITED HEALTH WARRANTY

All puppies are examined by a licensed veterinarian, have eyes examined and cleared by an American College of Veterinary Opthamology (ACVO) certified member at 7 weeks of age, are wormed at 2,3,4,6, and 8 weeks of age, are vaccinated with DA2PP + CVK at 6 and 8 weeks of age, and are started on heartworm preventative medication. All puppies are covered by the Wing-N-Wave Limited Health Warranty. Puppies will be released to their new owners no earlier than 8 weeks of age. Each new owner will receive a puppy portfolio containing the following: a record of immunization, a profile on the puppy recording his progress from birth, a feeding schedule, sample food, follow-up care instructions and health booklets, a copy of all contracts and guarantees, a pedigree, AKC application for registration, and other special interest information on the Labrador.