Puppies

Breeding Criteria

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At Duckhill Kennels we conduct a selective breeding program aimed at producing puppies that will become excellent gundogs and excellent family dogs. Further, we strive to breed dogs that the average novice trainer can train with gentle training methods.

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Our major breeding selection criteria are:
1. Hunting and Gamefinding Initiative
2. Calm pleasant demeanor
3. Intelligence and ease of training
4. Natural Delivery to hand

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Robert Milner personally selects and trains all our prospective breeding stock to insure that they have the behavioral traits needed to attain our breeding program goals. Robert has been training and breeding gentle gundogs since 1972.

During that time, he has trained well over 2000 gundogs, including a good number of puppies from his breeding programs. Thus he is quite well educated in recognizing the puppy behavioral traits that translate into excellence in the grown gundog. He is also quite good at picking parents with the behavioral traits important to an excellent gundog. Retention of a large number of our puppies in our headstart program offers us another opportunity to "fine tune" our breeding selection process.

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Health Screening

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Hips: We Xray the hips of breeding stock and have them evaluated by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFFA.org) However, prospective puppy owners should be aware that hip dysplasia is one of the most studied of retriever medical issues, though the research is still fuzzy and sparse compared to research in the human sector. Many studies have shown that hip dysplasia is not 100% genetic - there are environmental factors that can affect malformation in the joints.

Eyes: We DNA screen for Progressive Retinal Atrophy. PRA has been a lurking problem in the British Field Labrador population in the past, but has been greatly improved in the last few years by a partnership between the British Veterinary Association and the Kennel Club to make is mandatory that PRA results and Hip results be posted on the individual dog's registration certificate.

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Vaccinations & Healthcare

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While in our care, puppies receive DA2PP-L vaccination boosters at 5, 7, 11, and 15 weeks of age. (If the puppy is picked up at 8 weeks, they will have completed 2/4 rounds of boosters. If they stay for Headstart Training, they will receive all 4). Rabies shots must be administered by a veterinarian after 16 weeks of age. Microchips are implanted at 8 weeks of age. Puppies receive routine dewormers and treatments against common intestinal parasites every 3 weeks (Panacur, Strongid, Metronidazole, Baycox, Praziquantel).

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Puppy Headstart Training

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Duckhill Kennels is proud to offer our puppies one of the only early learning programs for working dogs in the country. We highly recommend this Headstart Training program to all of our customers, regardless of whether their pup will be a gundog, detection dog, or simply a fantastic family pet. Puppy Headstart Video Puppies are exposed to a variety of sights, sounds, socialization in addition to capturing the earliest learning time in a dog's life to introduce basic obedience, gundog behaviors, or search & rescue behaviors. The puppy headstart program runs from the age of 8 weeks to the age of 16 weeks.We highly recommend that customers pick up their puppy in conjunction with attending one of our monthly Gundog Training Seminars. A planned, organized training program is a necessity to achieve an excellent gundog. Seminar schedule is here.