Hi, i've spent the last year trying to decide what dog I would like next so would like to ask any experienced labrador/dog owners if they have any advice of what I should be looking for. My last dog of 14 years was a '57' from a rescue centre and I didn't have any of this pedigree/working dog/show dog/kc registration/breeders credentials/innoculations/diet worry. Now that i've decided i'm going to pay for a pup, I might as well make sure I get a good one. I want a black labrador dog as a family pet and playmate for my 5 year old and after looking on the internet, I pretty much know that if i'm looking for a dog that isn't going to have problems when it's old i'm looking for a hip score as low as I can get, down to 0/0 and according to what i've read on this forum, not over 8/8, the rest of it though is probably less science and more experience, something which I don't have with single breed dogs. So if you can help, these are the questions that are stopping me finally picking a pup... Some of this will be barkingly obvious to you but to me it's not i'm afraid.

How do I know that the person i'm buying off is not going to stitch me up? (I read somewhere never to pick the slow one of a litter or the bossy pup that comes running up to you first. What if there's only one left and I get taken advantage of?) I know breeders might tell you to take pups with problems back and they may give you a different one but this animal would be a pet and not so easy to do as if I was simply after a working dog.

What do they mean when they're talking about the clarity of the eyes and how will I know without any experience what i'm looking for and does it really make that much difference?

As I just want my dog as a pet and it's almost a certainty that when he's of age he'll be in for the chop, is his pedigree really relevant?

If I only intend for my dog to be a pet, does it make a difference to it's temperament if it's from a long line of hunting dogs or it's parents/grandparents were all show dogs?

Is there any noticeable differences of temperament/care/health with dogs versus bitches?

I'm happy to go on searching for as long as it takes to find the right animal but it's a bit liking buying a car. I always ask a mechanic for his advice first.

I live in the North East so anyone who can point me in the direction of someone local and with local breeders knowledge who may be willing to guide me through the process would be great. If not though, any advice at all will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Chris