more articles like this

Tell them you found them on Edhat!
www.edhat.com/referrals

Black Lab Breeder
updated: Sep 28, 2011, 11:27 AM

I am looking for a good black lab breeder in the Santa Barbara area. Has anyone had luck around here?

Places People Are Talking About:

Channel Cities Kennel Club	County Animal Services	K9PALS
Santa Barbara Kennel Club	The Search Dog Foundation

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 217988	2011-09-28 11:35 AM
Ut oh. Hold onto your hats.
COMMENT 217990	2011-09-28 11:42 AM
There's plenty of dogs at the pound that would love to be part of your household.
COMMENT 217992	2011-09-28 11:43 AM
Rescue a nice dog at the pound.
COMMENT 217995	2011-09-28 11:49 AM
this person asked for a name of a breeder, not your opinions on where to find a dog
COMMENT 217996	2011-09-28 11:54 AM
Statistically speaking, black rescue dogs are the most difficult to find homes for. Please try Petfinder and be willing to drive for a couple of hours for the right companion. There are many wonderful animals who could really use a good "forever home" due to no fault of their own. They won't be the tiny puppy type you think you want, but their temperament will be more clearly defined/established and you'll likely be able to avoid many puppy "issues" like house-breaking.
COMMENT 217998P	2011-09-28 11:57 AM
Do not be so prejudiced; just call K9PALS or County Animal Services.
COMMENT 218001P	2011-09-28 12:03 PM
Adopting a dog is the best reward for you both!
COMMENT 218003	2011-09-28 12:08 PM
Contact either the Santa Barbara Kennel Club or the Channel Cities Kennel Club, both local groups of owners of purebred dogs, affiliated with the AKC. They can offer referrals to reputable breeders who perform health testing, and don't breed more dogs than they have homes for. Yes adoption is nice, and there are purebred labs in rescue groups (as well as every breed imaginable), which is another route to go, but some people have specific reasons for wanting a well-bred dog that they know the background of.
COMMENT 218007	2011-09-28 12:23 PM
I own and show Labrador Retrievers, so I know all of the reputable Lab breeders in the area. There are only two I am aware of in Santa Barbara, and both breed primarily chocolate Labs. I know of a couple more in SLO County, LA, Riverside, and Orange Counties if you are interested. I do not breed my Labs. Reputable breeders breed one or two litters a year, so be prepared to wait for a quality puppy. You cannot possibly make money on breeding dogs, and it is so much work that very few people do it. I have two suggestions. 1. Contact the Labrador Retriever Club of Southern California (lrcsocal) or the High Desert Labrador Retriever Club (hdlrc) puppy referral email contact. or 2. Contact Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue. (sclrr) or look in a shelter. I know of several quality Labs who have been found in shelters. But be careful to check health and temperament of long term shelter dogs and be careful.
COMMENT 218024P	2011-09-28 01:14 PM
I know you are looking for a black lab breeder, and I know that is not what this dog is, but please check out the current Edhat dog of the week Andre.
COMMENT 218036P	2011-09-28 01:41 PM
I love the first comment!! I will not give into temptation and pile on the rescue theme. I will say that the best way to find a good breeder is to attend a dog show. Even if you do not meet the breeder you will buy a puppy from, you will see examples of different traits, temperaments, and philosophies. After talking to people, you will learn more about how to choose. And really good breeders will always tell you about other ones who have litters...ones you would never learn about online, or trying to purchase locally.
COMMENT 218042P	2011-09-28 02:02 PM
988 ~ lol! when I saw this post I couldn't wait to see the comments and yours was first ~ you clearly follow the comments too ~ how about those c-section posts?! egads!
COMMENT 218049	2011-09-28 02:25 PM
I second the suggestions of contacting Channel Cities Kennel Club and Santa Barbara Kennel Club and going to a dog show. Dog show exhibitors are often very helpful when discussing their breed and referring to reputable breeders. They are truly interested in the betterment of the breed. The next show in the area will be in Ventura in January. If you are willing to drive to other parts of California your options will be more numerous. Excellent breeders include Hyspire, Hathersage, Lawsons, Sounders, Saddlehill, Wynmar. Google them and you will find contact information.
FANGIRL	2011-09-28 02:40 PM
My sister found a wonderful purebred black lab at the shelter in Lompoc about 6 years ago. He was only 5 months old and had been found wandering the streets. Cajun has grown into the most wonderful dog and is very much a part of our extended family here in SB.
COMMENT 218065	2011-09-28 02:48 PM
I found the best dog ever at a dog show. In the breed's area was a section for rescues of that breed. Best dog ever.
COMMENT 218066	2011-09-28 02:54 PM
I didn't think there was one snarky or rude comment to this question.....just heartfelt opinions from those who are familiar with the overpopulation in our humane societies. Adoption might not be the answer for this person, but maybe someone else will be motivated to adopt. All answers that are not accusatory or rude are helpful in some way to someone and yes every one of my dogs was a rescue.
COMMENT 218067P	2011-09-28 03:03 PM
I'm sitting here with my two dogs - one is a purebred from a breeder and one is an adoption dog. Neither answer is wrong. As long as you go into dog ownership wisely, intentionally and you are clear about the reasons for doing what you are doing and have educated yourself about the breed and what to expect, you will be fine. The advice given already about how to buy a dog from a breeder is spot on. Expect to wait for a well-bred puppy and realize it won't be cheap. Also, any decent breeder will offer a health guarantee against congenital defects and it will be well beyond the crappy guarantees given by pet stores and puppy mills. Congenital problems such as hip dysplasia often don't show up in the first couple years of life, so you want a breeder that will stand behind the health and temperament of their puppies.
COMMENT 218083	2011-09-28 03:37 PM
I wanted a dog who's health no one would stand behind. A loser. A reject. A creature with a slim chance of having a good life. A purebred dumped at the pound for having defects that disqualified him from winning blue ribbons. I adored that dog. Best dog ever.
COMMENT 218084	2011-09-28 03:38 PM
988's comment just made my day! LOL
SMARTYPANTS	2011-09-28 04:46 PM
I rescued my black lab from a woman who was not able to keep her . I found Liberty on craigslist. I had held out for a black lab for many reasons. ( I had aggresively searched shelters county-wide for 8 months) Having immediately replied to this exciting CL post... I put my cell phone in a waterproof baggie by the shower, luckily the phone rang, I dried off, drove to the Valley and in one hour I was at a park in Solvang, meeting Liberty, the love of my dog lovin life! Upon meeting her, I asked for a 48 hours trial, then called again for another 24 hours. It was more her decision than mine and I respected that. She had gone from a pack of four somewhat loved pups to a one dog home with a new owner who could give her all of the attention a 2 year old lab requires, with lots of room to run and play. Please don't give up on what it is you want. Liberty is a friend to all and many remark that I was very, very lucky to have become her owner in this way . NOTE: Please be very careful with your rely of craigslist animal posts
COMMENT 218334P	2011-09-29 11:24 AM
Take a look at Kelley Green Labradors' web site. They are located in Nevada but do send puppies by air. I have gotten two labs from them and can couch for the fact that they breed labs for low key personalities.
COMMENT 218381	2011-09-29 01:28 PM
I am a volunteer with a non profit Labrador Retriever rescue. Please go to our web site and see not only the available to adopt labs, but also go to our adopted labradors and scroll down and see these beautiful pure bred Lab's. Many are from top breeders sold to families who lost homes and dumped them at high kill shelters. Please just look indilabrescue.org Thank you, JCBurton ILRR
COMMENT 218401P	2011-09-29 02:30 PM
You should check out the pound in Camarillo. They have purebreads all the time that are thrown out like garbage. I went there to adopt a cat and came home with a cat and a dog ( and she is a purebred, not that it mattered) that I would not take a million dollars for. That place is a concentration camp for animals. It's heartbreaking to see all of the beautiful animals that are going to be destroyed because people are so irresponsible. BTW the cat and the dog turned out to be the best of friends and are more fun to watch than t.v. Honestly, what is wrong with adopting from the pound? Unless you are planning to "show" the dog, you will save a thousand dollars and save a life. :)
COMMENT 218502	2011-09-29 10:28 PM
@218067P: What does the breeder with the guarantees and extended warranties and return policies, the one who sold you a costly purebred, do with the returns? Perhaps the breeders who don’t dump them in the pound don’t mind defective merchandise hanging around for 12-14 years eating expensive pet food meant for show dogs. I haven’t met a single breeder who is that kind-hearted. And I have met many, including those who will actually box a puppy and send it off as checked baggage to an out-of-state buyer. Buying a dog from a breeder is never the right answer. Never.
COMMENT 218505	2011-09-29 10:59 PM
comment 21840 Good comment, just thought you should know that it is not 1,000 it is much more between 3 to 7 depending on the blood lines, and many never stand behind their promises. Many do not wait until the mother is old enough to show weakness in the blood line, and breed her before age 2, more interested in money than healthy pups. The breed dogs live in the saddest conditions imaginable, kennels with concrete floors. I know this first hand. I adopted one of my fosters who was 9 and lived her entire life in a kennel. She still has elbows that bleed but is the most loving sweet beautiful girl. She is so happy sleeping in my bedroom on her bed and having 2 and a half fenced acres to explore and more love in a day than she had in her whole life. I have only had her for a few months and can't imagine life before her. Her beautiful Lab brother is also a rescue dog that I was fostering but adopted. All my fosters are pure bred Labradors and many are adopted in Santa Barbara. Others have family's come from San Diego and north to San Francisco just to get one of our wonderful Labs. They know when you rescue them from places like the Ventura Shelter that you have saved their life and give you so much in return. We even have pure bred puppies in my rescue. I have much disdain for the breeders and how they treat their animals. I also believe in Karma and saving the life of a Lab, or any breed that you rescue.
SMARTYPANTS	2011-09-30 05:30 PM
The Search Dog Foundation based in Ojai, has sucessufully placed many "high drive" ( not mellow) labs in foster homes for training before they are introduced to their search specialists for more trainig. They in turn having formed a "team", travel to disaster sites all over the world to search for missing people. My friends dog wanted to jump over the fence into the neighbors yard, and more... til he drove everyone nuts. He was is a great dog, very, very smart but not suited for civilian life. After all of the drama...she realized that he was much more suited for this kind of work..and now he is so happy ( results have shown) to have a real "job"!