Purchasing Your Labrador Puppy

Puppies cost $3200
Non-refundable down payment of $300

We appreciate your interest in purchasing a Country Labs AKC-registered Labrador Retriever puppy.  We hope all of our beautiful Lab puppies find forever homes with loving people dedicated to their dog’s health and happiness.

We would be delighted to answer any questions you may have and look forward to getting to know you!

Labrador-adoption

When you add a Country Labs puppy to your home, you become part of our extended family with all the support and community that entails. We provide a lifetime of friendship, advice, and education to every family that purchases one of our puppies.

If you cannot care for your Country Labs dog, we are always willing to take them back or help find the perfect loving, forever home.

All puppies have a written health guarantee and have been vet-checked, socialized, vaccinated to date, de-wormed, and above all, very much loved!  We do all this to ensure your Lab puppy is sound in mind and body.

Non-refundable Down Payment to Reserve a Puppy

For down payment instructions, please email me or text / call 661-203-5516.

Your first step is to submit a $300 down payment, which will be applied toward the purchase price of your puppy. The down payment is, in most cases, non-refundable. Refunds may be given if the available puppy develops an issue prohibiting placement. Country Labs reserves the right to hold back the pick of the litter. Picking rights after that are in the order of down payments received.

Time To Go Home

Country Labs puppies stay with their littermates for health evaluation and proper socialization until they are eight weeks old.  Your puppy’s price balance will be due in full at that time. When it is time for your puppy to go home, you will be given the following items:

  • Puppy Purchase Agreement & Health Guarantee
  • Your puppy’s health record, including vaccinations and deworming
  • American Kennel Club (AKC) registration application papers
  • Folder with your puppy’s photos; health certificates and photos of of sire and dam; articles about Labradors, AKC breed standards, and history of the breed
  • A blanket with mom and siblings’ scent on it to help your puppy feel more comfortable and ease the transition to a new home
  • A two-day supply of food the puppy has been eating (to be integrated into the high quality puppy food you choose) and a suggested feeding schedule

We will review each item and inform you of additional vaccinations you must schedule with your veterinarian as your puppy grows.

AKC Registration and Microchips

All Labrador puppies purchased at Country Labs have a limited AKC (American Kennel Club) registration. When purchased, owners will leave here with their puppy’s AKC paperwork. Owners must complete their portion of the paperwork and mail the registration to the AKC along with the proper fee.

As an additional service, we can inject a microchip from AKC Reunite below the skin at the back of the neck, between the shoulder blades of your puppy, for $25. You must then enroll your dog’s microchip ID number with the necessary contact information so that you can be reached if your dog is found. We highly suggest choosing this nearly painless, permanent method of dog identification, as it supports the return of your dog should it ever run loose and get lost.

Visit akcreunite.org for more details.

Traveling Home With Your New Puppy

On the day you pick up your new Labrador puppy, bring a small crate where your puppy can travel home. Otherwise, if you plan to hold your puppy during the drive home, get a few small towels for your lap to protect your clothes.

Puppies tend to get car sick during their first car rides, so bring paper towels for clean-up. Don’t feed or offer water to your puppy on the way home, as this can make your puppy more nauseous.

Your puppy will not have received all of its parvovirus shots yet, so exposing it to areas where other dogs have been increases the risk of your puppy contracting parvo. We highly recommend that you DO NOT stop at rest stops, dog parks, or parks to let your puppy go potty. Instead, we recommend finding places with concrete or hard surfaces, like a paved parking lot.

In the summertime, be conscious of the surface your puppy is walking on. Keep its paws off dark asphalt, which can burn your puppy’s paws on a hot summer day.

At Home Care For Your New Puppy

The first 24 to 36 hours in your new home is an acclimation period for your puppy to get settled in your home. The puppy’s activity level will be minimal to what it will be in the future, so don’t be surprised if your puppy’s energy level is lower during this time.

It is common for your Labrador puppy to have diarrhea or loose stool the first week it is in your new home. It is acclimating to a new world and a different schedule. Be mindful about what kind of dog treats and toys you supply the puppy to chew on. Anything new introduced into the puppy’s diet can cause loose stool. Treats add additional bulk and calories that interfere with your puppy’s nutritional needs at this time. During their acclimation to your new homes, we recommend keeping treats to a minimum or, ideally, none.

Don’t give your puppy bully sticks, rawhide, or bones. These are too rich and too hard on their systems.

Wait at least 24 hours before bathing your puppy.

You are welcome to keep in touch with us during this time and ask questions via email or text. If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Feeding Your Lab Puppy

We will review the amount of food to feed, suggest a schedule when you pick up your puppy, and give you a two-day supply of the puppy’s current diet.  Integrate the puppy’s diet into whatever food you choose to continue feeding.  We recommend soaking kibble for at least 1-2 hours before feeding it. Soaking kibble will allow it to expand in the bowl and not in your puppy’s stomach, thus avoiding discomfort.  Discard any uneaten food after each meal.

If your puppy has a weak appetite during the acclimation period, contact us for advice.

Ensure your puppy has access to fresh, clean water during the day. If you are housebreaking your puppy, remove access to water at least 4 hours before bedtime.

Introducing Your Puppy

If you have other dogs in your home, you should introduce them to the puppy in neutral territory. Ideally, this is in the front yard, not the house or the backyard. Keep your older dog on a leash so you can add corrections if needed.

Remember that your new puppy has yet to get all its shots. Keep your puppy off the grass in parks or neighbor’s yards until your puppy has been fully vaccinated. Keeping your puppy on concrete or asphalt when outside your home is safer.

Health Guarantee

Your Country Labs puppy has been selectively bred for excellent quality, health, soundness, intelligence, and good temperament. Our comprehensive guarantee is written to ensure complete confidence and satisfaction in purchasing a Lab puppy from us.

Country Labs continues to research and guard our breeding program against as many health issues as possible.  While there are some conditions over which a responsible breeder has some control, i.e., good hips and eyes, for some of these issues (such as allergies, cardiac problems, epilepsy, incorrect bites), there is no genetic marker or database of affected or producing Labradors.

Also, conditions in the dog’s environment significantly impact some health issues, or there is only a suspected genetic basis but no clear-cut genetic pattern. For example, elbow problems do not have a clear genetic basis, and elbow X-rays are not always easy to read, even for the OFA. Also, elbow problems may be due to minor puppy injuries, hard play or running, jumping off steps or furniture, leaping on unstable surfaces, etc., all of which may appear harmless, but are not at this early stage of development.

Without a clear-cut genetic basis and a test and database for the condition or those significantly affected by environmental factors, the abovementioned issues cannot be covered by Country Labs’ health guarantee. Even so, for those items we do not cover, we would, under nearly all circumstances, accept the dog’s return without compensation.

Our general health guarantee is for 72 hours (or three business days) from the delivery date, meaning that you are guaranteed to receive a healthy puppy.

 

You may download a copy of our Puppy Purchase Agreement & Health Guarantee.