Originally Posted by
labguy
Any training system, properly applied in conjunction with proper socialization should produce a well rounded family oriented/hunting dog.........the key here is balance and being fair to the dog during training.
The dogs you see that are more robotic and not really enjoying themselves, are probably poorly trained by someone who doesn't know how........and this includes many so-called professional trainers.
The training methods most used by knowlegable Retriever people are: Mike Lardy, Bill Hillman, Evan Graham, and a few others. They are fairly similar and will produce a well trained, happy Retriever if properly followed.
As far as "breeders" are concerned, there are not very many I would purchase a dog from because of the emphasis on profit at the expense of ethics. In addition, some breeders charge premium prices for mediocre breeding.
When the time comes I can provide knowlegable feedback as I have no horse in race.
At the bare minimum, insure that any dog you purchase comes from lines where both parents have been tested for:
-OFA Certification of hips and elbows with a minimum of a good or better rating on both parents.
-CERF....this test rules out certain genetic eye diseases
-EIC (exercise induced collapse)......a horrible affliction brought about by poor breeding practices......look it up.
-CNM ( Centronucular Myopathy).....similar to mad cow disease........again....look it up.
In addition to the above, insure that there is no history of Cruciate ligament tears in either parent as this is thought to have a genetic component to it.
Ive had both Males and Females and talent wise, there isn't a lot of difference. Females (much as I hate to admit it)
tend to be smarter and easier to train but can be a bit "soft" when compared to males.....not always.
I prefer males because they don't come into heat at inconvenient times.....
The above barely scratches the surface of the things I would look for but will give you a starting point. Good luck and if you need specific advice PM me.