Experience & Credentials

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My involvement with dogs spans 40 years.  I have been active as a breeder for over 20 years.  AKC has honored me with the "AKC Bronze Level Breeder of Merit", which calls for higher qualifications than an entry level Breeder of Merit.  I am an AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator.  I am an AKC judge for Labrador Retrievers and Junior Showmanship.  In Sep of 2025, I was invited to judge internationally in Germany, an experience I will cherish for life.  I am a member of the Labrador Retriever Club Inc (parent club); the Raleigh Durham Labrador Retriever Club (a regional breed club) and the Labrador Retriever Club of the Potomac (LRCP regional breed club).  I am currently a board member for the LRCP where I also participate as a show committtee chair.  I invite you to attend our annual spring specialty, held in early April in Walkersville, MD..  It is the largest single breed specialty of any breed anywhere in the world.

 

Our Labrador Health Credentials

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All of the Labradors in our breeding program are rated OFA good or excellent for hips and OFA normal for elbows.  They are also OFA cleared annually.  They are OFA Advanced Cardiac clear by echo with auscultation, which is extremely important in our breed.

 

At least one (and usually two) parents are cleared for all the diseases listed below, which means a 100% guarantee their offspring cannot have these diseases.

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Achromatopsia (Labrador Type)

Centronuclear Myopathy (CNM)

Chondrodystrophy with Intervertebral Disc Disease (CDDY with IVDD)

Chondrodysplasia (CDPA)

Cone-Rod Degegneration (Labrador Retriever Type)

Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome (Labrador Retriever Type)

Cystinuria (Labrador Retriever Type)

Degenerative Myelopathy (DM)

Dilute (pure for Labrador)

Elliptocytosis

Exercise Induced Collapse (EIC)

Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis (HNPK)

Hyperuricosuria

Ichthyosis (Golden Retriever Type)

Laryngeal Paralysis & Polyneuropathy (Leonberger Type 3)

Long Coat

Macular Corneal Dystrophy (Labrador Retriever Type)(MCD)

Myotonia Congenita (Labrador Retriever Type)

Myotubular Myopathy 1

Narcolepsy (Labrador Retriever Type)

Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Cone-Rod Dystrophy 4 (PRA4)

Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Golden Retriever 2 (PRA-GR2)

Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (PRCD)

Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (Labrador Retriever Type)(PKU)

Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1 (RD/OSD)

Skeletal Dysplasia 2 (SD2)

Stargardt Disease

Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Labrador Retriever Type 2

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Our Puppies:

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- As we do not have kennels and all adults Labs live in our home as part of the family, all puppies are raised in my living room with me sleeping on the couch next to them for the entire 8 weeks.

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- We conduct Early Neuro Stimulation and Early Scent Introduction on each puppy.  The puppies are weighed and handled daily.  A detailed chart is maintained and kept in our permanent files.

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- When their eyes are opened, the puppies are introduced to a puppy gruel that will teach them to eat from their owner individual bowl.  This process takes a couple of weeks.

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- When their ears open is when the real fun begins.  They are introduced to normal every day life.  Televisions, vacuumn cleaners, dogs barking, etc. 

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- At 4 weeks, the puppy living area is expanded and artificial grass is introduced in one specific area.  This begins the process of potty training.  No puppy will come home potty trained at 8 weeks, but they will come home with a preference for doing their business on grass.

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- At 4 weeks all sorts of new and exciting stimulation is introduced.  We use old school crib busy boxes, Baby Einstein Fish Aquarium and other sensory toys.  Weather permitting a play area we call Romper Room is built on our porch using foam tiles and a giant playpen.  In their you will find a puppy pool with water, ball pit, baby seasaw and many toys.  

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- At 7 weeks the puppies own health requirements are address.  As TVD is a genetic heart issue in Labradors and is present at birth, the only way a breeder can tell you that have not produced this disease is by performing a heart echo exam on each puppy.  This disease is dominant (one parent passes it along) and has incomplete penetrance (about 63% of the carrier's offspring will be carries, the other 37% will have the disease.)  I am unaware of any other breeder actually completing this exams, but I do.  At 7 weeks my cardiologist performs a heart echo exam on each pup.  The original results from this exam are sent home with each puppy.

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- Vaccines.  At 7 weeks each puppy is vaccinated for distemper and parvo.  A general well exam is performed by our veterinarian.  An exam letter is sent home with each puppy.  The puppies are also microchipped at this time.

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- At 7 weeks, each pup is tested using the Volhard Puppy Aptitude test to match each family with the right puppy.  While behavior is learned, temperament is 100% genetic.

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All reputations are not equal:

There are varying levels of reputable breeders.  I am not better but I certainly am different.  In addition to everything listed above, we offer the following:

 

- a 24/7 Nest Cam to Watch Your Puppy

- a Private Facebook Puppy Family Group where you can interact with over 100 members.

- a Written Health Guarantee/Warranty that includes 3 options:  Return for a refund, a pup from our next litter or any mutually

  agreed upon solution.  

- a Microchip registered directly to you included in the cost.

- AKC registered directly to you included in the cost.

- Lifetime support, our responsibility to the pup doesn't end the day it goes home, we are responsibile for that puppy for life.    The pup may be returned for any reason at any age.  

 

A Brookhaven puppy comes with so much more than we have time to put on this website.  Please don't hesitate to reach out to us and ask questions.