Part of the variation is to do with the types of breeders you get, there's also geographical variations, Labs are more expensive darn sarf, generally speaking Then you get the game keeper with a bitch, that he uses a proven picking up dog on, no health tests, and sticks them on a free ad site for a couple of hundred pounds. Or you get pet breeders who do similar, and the amount of times you get variations for bitches/dogs, different colours within litters, fox reds are becoming popular now, they're the new discovery for the public with Labs and everyone wants one, so of course, there are those willing to breed to satisfy demand. You do get more expensive pups, but then they're often booked way in advanced because of the parents. If I used a chocolate stud dog on Tau, I could easily sell the pups, the majority of people I get asking for pups are asking for chocolate Labs, partly because of where I have my info, but also because they are more popular with the buying public, simply because of the name. I always offer to help people find a good breeder when they contact me, unfortunately, I'm only ever taken up by a few people, and the rest will just buy from whoever they can

Glad he is in your hands and not someone who would not have the breeds interests at heart.

When you hear of the money that can be made, it is easy to see why some people with less scruples use dogs as cash-cows, to the detriment of the breed

I've been staggered at some of these figures!!

Its a shame so many people are perpared to go to any breeder just for colours. I dont understand it, what happened to colour being one of the less important factors when choosing a breeder/pup
You get BYB's in Chinese Cresteds that will sell for a couple of hundred pounds and as their cheap people will pay it, then you get the BYB's that charge mega amounts, and people seem to believe that as the dog costs so much it must be good or something? I guess the decent breeders are charging somewhere in the middle of the two. There are the top show kennels that no doubt charge rather alot, although do not put about just how much. Its good you help people looking, but what a pain is it when they dont listen and you find they went to one of the worst breeders? Rather upsetting actually. I swear they think other breeders dont talk to each other as well.

Its amazing the money that can be made from a stud dog. People go on about making money from breeding litters but overlook the profit being made by stud dog owners

We genuinely only imported our boy with the intention of using him ourselves as historically american imports have not gone down favourably within the breed but he seems to have made a very good impression on people But yeah, we could easily make up the substantial cost we had to get him over here in stud fees alone so i can see why a lot of people offer their dogs to whoever will pay - easy money

Unfortunately, you're right on the money Jessica, even with my level of experience and knowledge, I've come across some stud dog owners that are less than ethical, in my view, and yet they are well thought of generally because of their dogs. Some of those who appear on the surface to be very respectable, don't seem to have very high standards when it comes to accepting bitches for their stud dogs to cover. You can only assume it's the cash, it can't be for anything else really.

I've definitely seen this with Labradors. Kennels that are quite well respected, but with 3-4 stud dogs with multiple litters by each stud available all year round. All they seem to ask for is that the bitch is hip scored and has a current eye certificate. I dread to think the amount of profit these stud dog owners are making...it isn't hard to work out.

Also, with Labradors, the gene pool is big enough that breeders can get away with using their stud dogs a ridiculous number of times...unlike breeds that are smaller in numbers, such as highlighted by the Hungarian Vizsla which won Crufts.

Totally agree,some will even allow there dogs to cover unregistered, untested bitches.