lol - like Rocco I know Labs sit between 40 and 50K - but from memory - the overall registration figures are a fair bit up on last years - I know quite a few, including myself pulled back on our breeding plans (so I ended up buying in a pup instead )

__________________
What you need to know before buying a Labrador puppy

Its all very sad, way too many dogs being bred

__________________


RIP all my babies.
Monty LabxGSD 1972-1982
Jody Black Lab1982-1999
KizzyLabx Goldie 1983-1994
Larry Yellow Lab 1985-1993
Charlie Black Lab 1986 -1997
Ben Yellow Lab 1985-1999
Pud Choc Lab 1989-2003
Bridgit Black Lab 1991-2004
Floss Yellow Lab1992-2006
Millie Yellow Lab1994-2010
My boy Ted, my first my last my everything.Golden Retriever 1/8/98-28/6/2011

That Disney bloke has a lot to answer for

Just out of interest here are the stats from the AKC (US kennel club). Another win for the Labbies

AKC Dog Registration Statistics

__________________
Anne, owned by Rufus & Tripod

Pet Central site & blog
Join us on FaceBook & Follow us on twitter

"I've seen a look in dogs' eyes, a quickly vanishing look of amazed contempt, and I am convinced that basically dogs think humans are nuts." - John Steinbeck

"If you don't want your dog to bite you, don't be an a**hole to him." ~ Dr. Ian Dunbar

I was wondering how the total number of registrations for pups compared too,
but can see it on there.

__________________

He has, not only with the poor Dallys, Think, Iron will, snow dogs and 8 below
did as much for the poor Siberian Huskies and Malamutes.
Mine were constantly being reffered to as snow dogs after that came out. and round here they were popping up like weeds.

Think whatever seems to win crufts has an influence too most years, Lot of Vislas popped up too after one won last year. Then there seems to be the celebrity influence. When the Obamahs got a Portugese water dog, I remember reading the breeders started getting inundated with enquiries. I think they were pretty rare until then, and probably most people hadnt heard of them.

__________________

Sad reading so many dogs born in the UK, no wonder so many are in rescue.
Poor labs too, wonder how many are from health tested parents and how many will go on the have hip/elbow dysplasia. Bet the old money making machine (KC) are rubbing their sweaty little hands together. Couldn't see them ever only registering litters from health tested parents, think of how much revenue they'd lose!

__________________

Flynn - Kali - Britches - Bruce - T-Bo - Marty



"For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack"

While I can't tell you how many litters of Labs are from health tested parents - what I do know is that the numbers have increased significantly - up to 08 there were 52K dogs hips scored - in the following two years or so a further 18K or so dogs were scored - so 1/3rd of the existing number in just over two years - that's quite a significant uplift.

Add to that that in the early days - just 2/3rd of dogs scored came from two hipscored parents - but in the last two years of the database I analysed - this figure rose to around 97% - so again quite a significant uplift while puppy registrations have decreased - with around 6K pups less born in the last two years compared to the preceding two years.

I don't know about elbows - in 2008 - the number of dogs being scored remained low - and getting litters from elbow scored parents was rare - now it is becoming much more common place - both of my last two dogs have come from two elbow scored parents - and five with at least one elbow scored parent - so again - the message is clearly getting through.

Pretty much the large percentage of litters bred now have at least one PRA clear parent, many two.

In Labs - there are even a small number of breeders producing unregistered litters that health test - and wider use of endorsements has led to much tightening on the registered side.

The deed now is to try and get the message across to people about not buyng from untested parents (which with increasing frequency = unregistered = PF or BYB).

A friend and I have been running the Labrador Health website now for a number of years - and visitors to the site, and enquiries to us continue to increase

Sadly - there are still some reading the site who thinkg - well - we only want a pet, and "it will never happen to us" - or because they have always bought their dogs that way - they feel like the tests are going OTT - it is only when something happens, either to them, or someone they know - that they proceed to then enquire and buy responsibly

What some fail to realise is that actually, if "only wanting a pet" - health tests - particularly PRA, HD and ED are potentially even MORE important - maybe one day the message will get through to people

===========================================

In some ways I am all for mandatory testing of dogs for registration - but in the same breath - I can see unless there is a law made that all pups must be registered - all this would achieve is an increase in the number of unregistered unhealthtested litters - making it more difficult to trace ancestry and identify where problems come from when they do arise.

In fairness, Labradors are by in large a very healthy breed - it's just their high numbers ostensibly does sometimes suggest to the contrary - and where you have forums, by their very nature, you will always find a disproportionate number of dogs from all breeds with health problems.

__________________
What you need to know before buying a Labrador puppy

I want to know why it's so hard to get statistics in the first place. I went on the Kennel club website and they have data from 2006 & 2007. For me the data is both interesting and useful because I sell gifts for pet lovers. Although sometimes registrations don't really mean much in the gift world. I find that the smaller breeds are the most popular. Before Pug & Border Terrier made it up the ranks I could have told you how popular they are; along with Chihuahuas and Dachshunds.

I think that people with smaller breeds are perhaps substituting dogs for babies and they are more willing to dote on them and buy them more.