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OUR PHILOSOPHY
WHY WE CHOOSE BRITISH LABRADORS
The Labrador Breed was originally developed in the United Kingdom and became an official breed in the 1880’s. You could say all Labradors are of British decent. When we talk about British vs. American labs, we are not talking about two distinct breeds. We are discussing various characteristics that can be easily distinguished between field-bred British/Irish and field-bred American Labradors.
Why do we chose Labradors that are directly imported from Great Britain/Ireland or direct descendants from Labradors raised in Great Britain/Ireland?
We often refer to the “On and Off” switch the British Labradors have. More specifically they are required to run hard toward game, both marked and blind retrieves during UK field trials. And also be very quiet, steady, and calm on the line. It requires a lot of patience from the dogs to keep steady and quiet while watching other dogs retrieve. Game-finding, or using their nose, is also of primary importance in a British or Irish trial. The British Labrador is generally around 45-75 pounds. Trials in the UK are actually a live hunt on various types of game, so no dog gets the exact same retrieve.
We believe the traits and characteristics of British Labradors are more desirable when placing a dog in a home as a family hunting companion. This is why we breed UK imported Labrador Retrievers with outstanding field champion pedigrees.
How We Select Our British Labradors
We often get the question on how we select our Labradors for our breeding program. To ensure we select only the best Labradors for our program, we carefully examine every aspect of the dog.
Our number one rule:
We do not breed any dog that we wouldn’t want to personally own and hunt over. If a Labrador has an undesirable trait, their offspring likely will, too. There are several non-negotiable evaluations that take place before considering a dog for our program, such as sound hips and elbows, a clear eye test, size within the breed standard, a proven pedigree, etc. Once these boxes are checked, we look at the overall personality of the dog. We want dogs who have great social skills, good drive and style in the field, and a true off-switch when not working. This off-switch extends beyond napping in the kennel. We want to see the dog’s ability to sit behind the line and quietly watch other dogs work without making noise or creeping.
On top of the above mentioned standards, we evaluate several aspects of field work. We want to breed Labrador retrievers who love the water, have a natural delivery to hand, charge hard going out and coming back for a retrieve, and are able to use their noses to work heavy cover. All our Labradors are part of our family and hunted over by us. Our most important goal is to provide you a healthy Labrador that will sit on your lap along with a strong desire to retrieve.
Labrador Health
Our most important goal is to provide you a healthy Labrador puppy. Therefor we closely examine our breeding stock’s hips, elbows, eyes, and DNA before entering our breeding program. These tests are done in order to give our very best effort in producing healthy puppies.
Our Labrador puppies are guaranteed to be non-affected by Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), Centronuclear Myopathy (CNM), and Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC). Our puppies’ hips and elbows are guaranteed a passing OFA score (normal elbows – fair, good, or excellent hips) for up to 24 months.
Eyes are also guaranteed up to 24 months to pass a CERF eye exam. If any dog should fail to meet any of these guaranteed health qualifications, please contact us as soon as possible, and a credit will be given for the value of the original puppy toward another puppy from our kennel.
Please note, our replacement guarantee is toward a replacement puppy, NOT a refund. This replacement credit does not expire. We do not refund money for puppies. Guaranteed Labradors do not need to be returned in order to receive a replacement.
OUR HEALTH GUARANTEE
GUARANTEED LABRADORS MUST:
- Be in possession of the original owner.
If you sell a Berry Creek Labrador to another individual or purchase one from someone other than Berry Creek Labs, the health guarantee for that dog is void.
- Be kept in healthy living conditions, not neglected.
- Be examined by a certified veterinarian, ophthalmologist, or DNA interpretation lab.
- Not have been neutered or spayed prior to 24 months of age.
- Not have been bred.
- Not exhibit injuries due to trauma.
Important Notice about Sales Tax
As of January 1, 2025, the Illinois sales tax of 7.25% on puppies will be charged separately from the total purchase price, rather than being included in the total cost. This tax applies to all retail puppy purchases made within Illinois, including those picked up at our facility or delivered within the state.
Please note that puppies delivered outside of Illinois are exempt from Illinois sales tax.
If you are a pet breeder purchasing a puppy for resale, you are not required to pay sales tax. To be exempt, we require a copy of your Certificate of Resale to document the transaction.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Our Contact
We LOVE Berry Creek Labs Boarding!!They are soooo accomodating and take such good care of Benni!..The kennels are so clean and warm!It is a top Notch place if you need a Home away from Home for your Pets!Give them a try and you wont be disappointed!!!
Rita Ferguson Customer