Expanding your family...yes, there is an investment involved...

The Balladeer Breeding Program
The cost of a puppy is an investment in your family. We want you to understand what goes into your investment.

Puppies from a Balladeer litter...
--> come from American Kennel Club (AKC) registered parents.
--> come from parents who have undergone extensive genetic testing and receive their clearances for hips, elbows, heart and eyes.
--> come from English Champion blood lines which are the product of generations of breeding programs to meet the breed standard set forth by AKC for Labrador Retrievers
--> come from the best stud dogs throughout the Country that are chosen to enhance our breeding program.
--> are raised in our home, along with all of the Balladeer pack.
--> are provided 24/7 care overseen by a human being during their first four weeks after birth and after.

Our breeding program at Balladeer Labradors follows the “Puppy Culture System” for raising puppies and the Rule of Seven, written by Pat Hastings, AKC judge and author of the Puppy Puzzle.

After birth, on days 3-16...
--> early Neurological Stimulation is provided.
--> some exposure to scent training is also provided.

Presented with development opportunities
Puppies are provided continuous new experiences throughout their first 8 weeks in order to progressively prepare them for their forever homes. We follow “The Rule of 7”.

These exposures include...
--> Sights
--> Exposure to different surfaces
--> Exposure to different challenges
--> Played with different objects
--> Exposed to different locations
--> Eaten from different containers
--> Eaten at different locations
--> Sounds
--> Puppy activity box
--> Socialization from multiple people representing men, women and children
--> Introduction to cats
--> Trips around the property (but not leaving the property as external environments are a risk due to a puppy's immune system being more susceptible until it is fully vaccinated by around 16 weeks)

Puppies are trained to use a litter box. We have found that this makes it much easier for new pet owners to crate train their new puppy. 

Set up for successful placement
We take the placement of our puppies very seriously and require a completed adoption questionnaire and phone discussion to answer your questions and ours.

Puppies are sold on a limited AKC registration and with a spay/neuter contract to a loving home that understands the commitment required to give a Labrador puppy a proper home.

Prior to going to their new homes, puppies will receive a veterinarian check-up, their first round of vaccinations, and will be microchipped. 

What you get for the price
The cost of a Balladeer Labrador puppy reflects our commitment to breeding a puppy that conforms to the standard set forth by AKC for Labrador Retrievers. The cost of our puppies is not in line with the price from a "backyard breeder" program, but neither is the quality of the puppies produced from our efforts to ensure we have a well-bred, breeding program.

Puppies go home:
--> Dewormed
--> Vaccinated with the minimum of their first round of shots
--> With exposure to early house training
--> Microchipped
--> With a flash-drive with helpful information including exercise and feeding instructions, toy and equipment recommendations, training tips and pictures of your puppy throughout their 8 weeks of development.
--> Puppy packets include a health certificate with shot records, puppy papers and health guarantee terms. 

Puppy Guarantee
The initial health exam is our best effort to ensure that our puppies are free of common congenital disorders. However, most congenital disorders have a polygenic mode of inheritance, meaning there is multiple gene involvement, making it impossible to determine with certainty that any puppy will be completely free from any disorder. Nutrition, exercise and other conditions will play a role in determining whether the puppy will develop certain disorders as well as help puppies grow into happy, healthy adults.

All of our puppies are examined by a board-certified veterinarian to ensure that the puppy is in good health before it goes to its new home. We also encourage every puppy buyer to have their new puppy examined by their veterinarian within 5 business days from the date of purchase. If it is determined that the puppy is not in good general health, with a written veterinarian statement and the puppies return, the entire purchase price will be refunded.

Our puppies always have a home at Balladeer Labradors. If for any reason our puppy families are no longer able to provide a home for our puppies/dogs, they will always be welcome back.

You can reach out to us with additional questions about the value of a Balladeer puppy.