In keeping with the Philosophy of the Club, to protect and further the advancement of the Labrador Retriever breed, the following guidelines have been established. The SMLRC strongly recommends that its members adhere to the following guidelines:

Stud Dogs and Brood Bitches:

  • Must be AKC registered Labrador Retrievers.
  • Should be examined and certified free of CPRA and PRA by a board certified veterinary ophthalmologist prior to and within one year of each breeding .
  • If two years of age or more, must be certified radiographically free of hip and elbow dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) . If under two years should undergo a radiographic examination of hips and elbows and be evaluated free from dysplasia by the OFA. To further reduce the possibility of hip dysplasia it is also recommended that breeding stock evaluated or certified with a rating of “fair” by the OFA be bred only to a mate with the higher rating of “good” or “excellent”.
  • Should be found free of an overshot/undershot jaw, no past history of cleft palate or hair lip. A full dentition is preferred.
  • No previous history of genetic or phenotypic abnormalities including but not limited to:
    • Known hereditary umbilical hernia;
    • Inguinal hernia;
    • Idiopathic epilepsy;
    • Open fontanelle (hole in skull);
    • Polydactylism (dew claws on back legs);
    • Color abnormalities of the sire or dam e.g. black and tan or any color other than what is standard for the breed and registrable by the AKC.
  • A breeder should guarantee the general health of a sire and dam at the time of mating. Specifically, stud dogs must be free of brucellosis and venereal tumors and dams free of brucellosis.
  • Should evaluate temperament of sire and dam before breeding, noting that shyness over-aggressiveness, etc. are not desirable Labrador Retriever traits.
  • Ideally, stud dogs and brood bitches should have earned at least one of the following:
    • Two (2) championship points as awarded by the American Kennel Cub;
    • A Companion Dog (CD) Companion Dog Excellent (CDX) or Utility Dog (UD) Title or Canine Good Citizen (CGC) Certificate as recognized by the American Kennel Club;
    • A Judges Award of Merit (JAM) or placement in a Derby Qualifying or Open Stake of a Sanctioned or Licensed Field Trial;
    • A Labrador Retriever Club Inc. Working Certificate and/or a SMLRC Working Certificate or Working Certificate Excellent;
    • A Junior, Senior, or Master Hunter title as awarded by the American Kennel Club;
    • or a Foreign Title.
  • Puppies
    • In accordance with state law the breeder should guarantee the general health of the puppies at the time of sale and the puppies should be properly inoculated for their age.
    • Should be generally sound, conforming to the standard for the breed in all essentials especially including good temperament.
    • Should be well socialized and not removed from the litter prior to six weeks of age, preferably 7-8 weeks.
    • Should be guaranteed to be as represented.
    • Adequate instructions to be provided on the care of the puppy.
    • Breeder must not supply puppies for resale through pet stores or other wholesaler outlets.
  • The purpose of these guidelines is to ensure that stud dogs, brood bitches and their progeny have demonstrated basic characteristics of soundness and natural ability, to assist the breeder in evaluating his stock, and to encourage high ethical standards. These guidelines are also recommended for stud dogs used by, and brood bitches serviced by club members’ breeding stock.

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