You definitely know that you want a Labrador puppy with a chocolate coat, so the next step is to begin searching for a chocolate Labrador breeder. Yellow lab breeders would likely be more plentiful than looking through lists and web sites for a chocolate Labrador breeder, but they are out there. A good few places to begin your search would be online, and possibly by attending a few local dog shows.

You might also consider checking with an animal supply store for leads on finding reputable chocolate Labrador breeders. Pet groomers might have some tips and information as well. Many dog breeds have clubs that have been set up by owners to socialize with other like owners. They can often be easily located through directories and through web sites online. Referrals are the best way for any business to thrive, and dog breeders especially rely on their satisfied customers talking to others.

The Search Continues

Many a chocolate Labrador breeder has taken their business online as well; digging through search engine results might yield more than just a few names in the yellow pages. And while you are online, check out the web site for the American Kennel Club; this is one of a few prestigious associations that any good quality chocolate Labrador breeder will want to be a part of.

Find out how active they are in the canine community. “Puppy mill” operators tend to stay away since their breeding practices are looked down on by animal rights groups and other seasoned and respected chocolate Labrador and other breeders. Most of the adorable puppies you see in pet stores are products of the puppy mills, where breeding is more about quantity and not the quality of the lineage.

Once you have found the right chocolate Labrador breeder, you are another step closer to discovering which of those sweet faced puppies is your new home addition. It is okay to take your time when selecting a puppy. Even the breeder will understand your desire not to rush. They want each puppy to find the right home just as much as you want to find the right puppy for your home.

Food And Water

Among the most essential things that need to be addressed with regard to providing proper Labrador dog care, you may include taking good care about feeding your pet as well as keeping them well hydrated. Just like other dog breeds, Labradors too require good food and plenty of water. It is therefore necessary that you set up a schedule for his feeding and this schedule should be established as soon as he becomes your pet. In addition, you need to ensure that your Labrador pet always has easy access to water 24×7x365.

As far as feeding your pet goes, proper Labrador dog care requires that he is fed once or twice in a day and he should also be given good as well as healthy dog food that must be given to him exactly according to instructions on the dog food labels.

A second aspect to providing good Labrador dog care is ensuring that your pet has a place to call his own and this is the place where he will be able to rest and get his sleep without being disturbed. Though it is common to let your pet Labrador share your bed it is nevertheless, always a good idea to give him a bed of his own, and even a big sized kennel that has a blanket or a dog bed in it will do just fine. You may also need to train him to sleep in his bed and it also makes good sense to teach him that his bed is where you would like to see him get his sleep.

Other Labrador dog care tips include training him – either personally or by sending him to a dog training class. Also, you need to groom as well as bathe your Labrador on a regular basis, and you also need to ensure that he is given plenty of exercise on a regular basis.

Finally, proper Labrador dog care also means giving your pet his shots and getting his licenses in good time. Rabies shots as well as heartworm checks must be done in order to ensure his wellbeing because these measures can even end up saving the life of your Labrador.

A very good sign of a high quality Labrador breeder is how much time they take finding out about you. Any breeder that really cares about their pups is not going to sell one to just any person, regardless of how much money is involved. You may be asked to fill out an application, and meet with the Labrador breeders themselves one or twice before ever seeing the puppies. This is a good thing – you want someone who cares that much about their dogs. This can help assure you that you are not getting a poorly bred puppy.

Another plus for a Labrador breeder is whether or not they are certified through the American Kennel Association. This is one club who does not endorse just anyone. You might also check with local dog kennels and veterinarians to find out who they might recommend. This can actually work both ways in finding the best for your puppy; when you are choosing a puppy, ask the breeder what vet office they use.

Just as you researched what kind of dog you wanted, it is a good idea to research which Labrador breeder you will buy from. For what you are spending in time and money for your little pup, you deserve to have the best.

They're cute, they love you, but they use your home as a huge toilet. This happens to any puppy owner, and not just the owner of a Labrador Retriever puppy. Housebreaking any puppy takes persistence and patience, which not a lot of people have. Sadly, many a Labrador Retriever puppy (usually from nine months old on) is abandoned or sent to the pound for housebreaking problems that are not really the fault of the pup, but of the selfish and impatient owners. Housetraining an older dog is just the same as housetraining a Labrador Retriever puppy.

When You Get Your Pup Home

As soon as you get your new Labrador Retriever puppy – or rescue dog – home for the first time, take them right to where you would like them to toilet. Pick them up and plop them there, if you have to. A car ride especially seems to make a dog or puppy have to pee. Be patient and wait until your new Labrador puppy (no matter what his age) squats. Praise lavishly with kind words and affection and then take them inside.

When You Gotta Go…

If you take the time to observe and interact with your rescue dog or Labrador Retriever puppy, you will soon be able to tell when Nature is ringing that little doggie bell. A dog or puppy will often walk in circles, sniffing the floor or the walls when they feel the urge. If you see this behavior, rush them outside and then lavishly praise them when they squat.

Because they are so young, most puppies like a Labrador Retriever puppy will often pee out of excitement or out of fear. They just haven't been able to develop the bladder control yet. You do need to expect this and not be too harsh on them when this happens. Perhaps you could have your puppy spend time in a room with easy to clean floors or with older carpet that needs a few stains in order to improve it's looks.

When Should They Get It?

All dogs and puppies learn housebreaking in their own time. So, it's perfectly normal for your Labrador Retriever puppy to still be having accidents at seven months of age while the neighbor's chocolate Lab puppy is perfectly housebroken as a wee six months of age. Sometimes it can take dogs a year to get the hang of it. Once they do, they are really proud of keeping the house clean.

If your Lab is over a year old and still having housebreaking issues, please see a vet to be sure there isn’t a health problem.

Pay Ahead Scams

Most internet scams involving purebred puppies like Yorkshire Terriers, English Bulldogs and chocolate Lab puppies are variations of what's called the "pay ahead scam".  This is where you read an add or see a notice in the classifieds or on an online bulletin board that you can get a FREE purebred chocolate Lab puppy because of a very heartbreaking circumstance.  All you have to do is send money for the puppy's transportation to you.

Free is free.  Free should never mean "wire $150 to this address at an overseas bank".  Hopefully, you can see how this scam works before I explain it.  There aren't any Yorkshire Terriers, English Bulldogs or a chocolate Lab puppy to be given away.  You pay your money and then never hear anything again.  It is next to impossible to trace the source of an overseas bank address.  NEVER pay money for a puppy you have not held first.

Charity Scams

Another scam happens more in the wake of natural disasters and can be aimed to helping humans as well as pets like a poor, suffering chocolate Lab puppy.  Sadly, these scams exploded with Hurricane Katrina, where cyber criminals pretended to be legitimate charities hitting concerned cyber citizens up for money.  However, the money went right in their pockets and not one cent went to help anybody or their poor, suffering chocolate Lab puppy.

The safest way for you to give money to any kind of charity is to first give through the mail with old-fashioned check or money order.  Don’t send cash because it will usually be stolen before it gets to the charity.  The charity should NEVER contact you by email unless you have asked for them to do so.

If you think you have been the victim of an internet scam, don’t be afraid to admit it.  If you tell your story to the Federal Trade Commission to help them prosecute the criminals.  At least, no chocolate Lab puppy has been hurt.  It may be a small consolation, but it does help to know.

Originally, only black Labs were allowed. Back in the 1800's, colors were often thought to be the sign of sickness. Chocolate and yellow Labrador Retriever puppies were often culled (killed) for being "sickly", even though their only fault was that they were born the wrong color. Fortunately, this prejudice was dropped when the first chocolate Labrador Retriever was allowed to be registered in 1892.

But although the dogs were allowed to live, many "serious" breeders would not show their chocolates. However, finally, in 1964, a chocolate Labrador Retriever named Cookridge Tango won a Best of Breed class in England. Now that genes are better known, it is seen that the chocolate gene is found in all black Labs as a recessive gene.

A Question Of Marketing?

Perhaps one reason for the demand in chocolate Labrador retrievers is the name of their color. It certainly was a stroke of genius for the unknown dog lover who first described the color as "chocolate" rather than "liver". Very few people want liver given to them, but they will gladly embrace chocolate in any way, shape or form, especially if it's a loveable dog.

Chocolate Labrador Retrievers have gone from the rarest color wanted to the one in most demand. Their numbers are also rising, with American Labrador breeders predicting that chocolates will outnumber yellows by 2018. No matter what you call them, they can be brilliant dogs with the right training, care and attention. There are a lot of variances in shading, nose color and height, musculature build and head shape with Labradors, no matter what their color.