Find the Right Labrador
Deciding to bring a Labrador Retriever into your home is a long-term commitment. Labradors are loyal, intelligent, and devoted companions, and choosing the right puppy or dog helps ensure a happy, healthy relationship for 10–15 years. Before searching for puppies, take time to learn about the breed and responsible breeding practices. Visit breeders, ask questions, and observe the dogs to understand true Labrador temperament and structure.
At Greenstone, we are AKC Breeders of Merit and have litters only a few times each year, so only a select few families are able to welcome our puppies. Even if you are not lucky enough to get one of ours, we aim to help guide you toward finding a responsible breeder and the Labrador that is right for your family.
Choose a Breeder Carefully
Serious Hobby Breeders
The best source for well-bred Labradors are ethical hobby breeders, who carefully plan each litter and prioritize health, temperament, and lifelong placement. Key characteristics include:
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Screening prospective owners to ensure a suitable environment.
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Evaluating puppies’ personalities and recommending matches based on family needs.
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Active involvement in the breed through clubs, shows, obedience, or field events.
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Breeding to the AKC breed standard (not non-standard traits)
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Providing health records, vaccination information, and feeding guidance.
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Testing both parents for hereditary conditions.
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Selling puppies with AKC Limited Registration under a spay/neuter contract, ensuring the dogs are placed strictly as companions.
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Offering lifelong guidance and support for owners.
These breeders focus on producing puppies that are healthy, well-socialized, and true to breed standards.
Backyard Breeders
Backyard breeders typically produce litters without long-term planning, proper health screening, or socialization. AKC registration alone does not guarantee quality. Puppies from such sources may be sold online, in newspapers, or parking lots, and should be approached with caution.
Pet Stores and Puppy Mills
Puppy mills are commercial breeding operations that prioritize profit over animal welfare. Dogs are often kept in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, bred continuously, and receive minimal veterinary care. Puppies sold in pet stores are commonly sourced from these mills and should be avoided.
Let's Talk about Adoption.
Ethical Breeding and Rescue: United in Purpose
Ethical breeders and rescue organizations are not in opposition—we are on the same side, working toward the shared goal of healthy, well-cared-for dogs in loving, permanent homes. Sadly, much of the rescue community is exposed almost exclusively to the fallout of irresponsible backyard breeders and puppy mills. As a result, some individuals within rescue—through no fault of their own—have limited exposure to truly responsible breeding programs and may mistakenly view all breeders through the same lens.
In reality, the vast majority of dogs entering rescue originate from irresponsible sources, not from ethical breeders who take lifelong responsibility for the dogs they produce. Millions of dogs enter shelters and rescue organizations in the United States annually, and responsible breeders work to prevent this cycle by prioritizing health and temperament, carefully screening homes, microchipping puppies, and ensuring every dog has a safety net for life. If a family can no longer care for a dog, an ethical breeder will take that dog back rather than allowing it to enter a shelter.
Rescue organizations play a vital role by saving lives and providing second chances for dogs in need. Ethical breeders preserve the future of the Labrador Retriever by producing sound, healthy dogs, placing them in prepared homes, and providing ongoing support, AKC Limited Registration, and spay/neuter agreements. These efforts are complementary—not competitive. Rescue addresses immediate need, while ethical breeding prevents future suffering and stands firmly against irresponsible breeding practices. Together, both are united in opposition to backyard breeders and puppy mills.
Avoid Unethical Breeding Practices
Ethical breeders prioritize health, temperament, and strict adherence to the Labrador Retriever breed standard over rare or trendy colors, ensuring puppies are well-bred, structurally sound, and suited for lifelong companionship. We strongly recommend avoiding breeders who breed specifically for color. Any dog advertised as dilute—such as Silver, Charcoal, or Champagne—is not bred to the Labrador Retriever breed standard and these colors are not recognized by the Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. or the AKC. These dilute colors are the result of crossbreeding with other breeds, most commonly the Weimaraner, which introduced hereditary health risks not typical of purebred Labradors, including color dilution alopecia and other related conditions.