There is a curse to being the most popular breed of dog in America. That means there are a lot of Labrador Retrievers that are being bred for money at the initial sale without any thought as how good a potential pet they will make. You can help avoid these so-called Labrador Retriever breeders by asking them some questions about how they do business and what they expect for from a Lab owner.

Although you will think up many more questions depending on your unique home situation, these are the three main questions you need to ask. Always ask when you can visit the kennels, meet the parents, see the contract and meet the breeder. The first two will quickly let you know if you are dealing with a puppy mill owner. Since you can’t legally shoot the puppy mill owner, you can at least not give them any money.

It is absolutely vital that you are able to visit the kennels of any Labrador Retriever breeder. Even if you are at a show and there are literally a littler of pups for sale, resist the temptation and schedule an appointment. The environment your puppy will be raised in will tell you a lot about the health and mental stability of your future puppy. You also should be able to meet dogs related to your puppy.

Take a good sniff when you are at the kennels. It should smell okay, perhaps be a bit musty, but should not smell overpoweringly like decaying meat or like dog poop. Labrador Retrievers need exercise and so should not be kept in crates all day - especially stacked crates. It is okay if they live in outdoor kennels with runs. You need to see how the dogs react and if they are clean and perky. This is a good indication that your puppy will be raised in a good environment.

They are a breed that can do as well outside as inside. It is not okay if they live in stacked crates. That’s a sign of someone who doesn’t care about the quality of dogs he or she breeds.

If there is no contract, then you should not have anything to do with this so-called Labrador Retriever breeder. There should be health certificates of the parents to see, including hip dysplasia scores as well as a contract.

And you need to ask about what Labrador information you need to know in order to comfortably live with a Lab. A good breeder will already pepper you with questions about your knowledge of dogs and past experience with them before you even get a chance to ask this question!

A good breeder will take a long time to learn your personality and lifestyle requirements before selecting a puppy for you.