Search Results

Aisling Labradors of N.E. Florida, Lab Puppies For Sale in Jacksonville, Fl. Established in 2017 Breeding Traditional Dual Purpose, AKC Registered Labrador Retriever Puppies from Health Tested Parents. Champion Lines. Located near St. Augustine and Jacksonville Florida. One of the best professional breeders in Florida. Chocolate, Yellow, Black Labrador Puppies. Aisling Labradors of N.E. Florida Traditional Dual Purpose Labrador Puppies for sale f rom AKC Registered Champion Lines Aisling - dream, vision - Old Irish "aislinge" Located in North Florida near St. Augustine's beautiful beaches and the city of Jacksonville. Aisling Labrador's puppies for sale are bred for their health, temperament, the traditional retrieving and water drive. We also strive for the more moderate build of Labradors of the past. Parents are health tested, screened for joint health and inbreeding co-efficiency is calculated in our program. The child of breeders myself, I have lived with and loved Labradors since 1967. Breeding Philosophy at Aisling About Us (Slide Show) More on Aisling's Socialization Puppy Pick Out and Up Days are part of why we do this. The joy on the faces of each family member as they meet or arrive to take home their puppy makes lasting memories for all of us. Background audio on video Artist: Seven Nations Song: Waters Wide See the full version of this and other videos on our Video Page and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more! Availability Yellow Litter Aila x Roamin' - Anticipated June '25 Females - 1 Reservations Available Males - 3 Reservations Available Yellow Litter Georgia x Roamin -Anticipated Sept. '25 Females - 2 Reservations Available Males - 3 Reservations Available Waiting Lists are opened up after all reservations are sold. Black Litter Latte X Roamin' Anticipated July '25 Males - 1 Reservation Available Females - Waiting List Available Waiting lists are opened after all reservations have been sold. Chocolate Litter Anticpated 2026 Female - 1 Reservation Available Male - Waiting List Available Waiting lists open when all reservations have been sold. More Info On Breeding Home Reservations About About Us Our pack Socialization - A MUST! Visitation Policy One Puppy Policy Videos Available Older Dogs Documents/Photos Aisling Litter Photos Pupdates from our Aisling Families Roamin's Documents & Photos Jackson's Documents & Photos Latte's Documents & Photos Jette's Documents & Photos Aila's Documents & Photos Ceilidh's Documents & Photos Puppy Care First Things First - Puppy Care New Puppy Shopping List Know Your Breed Training Spaying/Neutering Responsible Breeding HIP DYSPLASIA IN LABRADORS Elbow Dysplasia Genetic Health Testing Genetics of Color COI - Coefficienct of Inbreeding Weaning and Feeding

The best photos from each our girl's litters; from birth to eight weeks. Jette's Litter Photos Latte's Litter Photos Mocha x Little Cain Litter Bree's Litter Photos Dreama's Litter Photos Kona's Litter Photos

Videos of Life 'Round Aisling - from trips to the beach to litters in the paddock and adults racing the yard with links to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. From "Good Mornings" in the Gazebo (when it's not freezing!) to afternoons in the yard or paddock, we make lots of videos 'round Aisling! Although Instagram and Facebook are updated more frequently than ou r website , a few of our most popular videos are shared here! Aisling Labradors Videos Please follow us on Instagram & Facebook Reels I've been working on converting old footage to Reels for the past few months preparing for using that medium for litter movies going forward. It's been a great deal of fun watching the older movies and making a few new ones as my understanding of this new form of sharing has grown. Life 'Round Aisling Between litters, we take every opportunity to take each Labrador out for some one on one attention. Whether it's to our favorite Pub for some music and fellowship; to Lowes or Home Depot to buy for the unending list of things we need for this old farmhouse, or to the beach. This was Roamin's first time at the beach; he loved it as should a Labrador! "Watch Them Grow" We post photos almost daily and try for a video at least every two weeks for each of our litters. This allows our Aisling Families to see their progress from birth to going home day! More Organized Chaos at Aisling and Raising A Little Cain Learning through play One of our first litters here at Aisling, this video shows the litter during their Health Certification where they receive their first round of vaccinations, and their microchips. Many folks ask us if the girls enjoy being Mothers, I think this video answers that question! Dreama X Raising Cain Puppy Paddock While the puppies play in the paddock, outside of it our pack is having their own good time (see the end of the video!). Much has changed over the years, there is now a screened pool where the pump house used to be but there are still plenty of trees for these energetic labs to race around on a daily basis. This was Dreama's last litter (with Roamin') before her retirement and has been our most popular video on Facebook. Background Music is from Seven Nations An Oldie But A Goodie A Kona x Shadybry's Raising Cain at Terremere Litter. Again, much has changed over the years; puppies now play in a much larger paddock (seen in the previous video). HOME

About Us, Our Pack, Socialization of the litters, Dr. Dodd's Vaccine Protocol and Aisling's policies! All "About Us" Pages Learn how we got started, meet our pack and see the policies we have evolved to over the years of our experience as breeders. About Us I was an Air Force Brat. My husband a Navy Brat. His family had GSD's. Mine bred Labradors! Read our story to learn about whether we breed English or American Labradors..... Our Pack Meet the Labradors with whom we share our life! Socialization Socialization is one of the most important things a Breeder provides a litter. It sets the stage for the rest of their lives. Read about how we socialize the litters at each stage of their growth. Doctor Dodd's Vaccine Protocol Read about it here so you can prepare to bring home your Aisling Puppy. Visitation Policy Biosecurity is a issue for all breeders, but especially for those of us who don't house our Labradors in concrete kennel runs. Learn about our policy here. One Puppy At A Time Policy We would love for you to have two (or more!) Aisling puppies share your life. But we ask that there be a minimum of four months difference in age. See why.... Videos Our favorite videos of Life 'Round Aisling and of our "Watch Them Grow" Series on Facebook. Social Media Like and Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram for the most up-to-the-minute photos!

How to care for your growing Labrador Puppy to protect their overall health. How much to feed and when (feeding schedule). Puppy Care - First Things First Why is crate training good for dogs? Are crate trained dogs happy? Why does having a schedule provide structure for your puppy or dog? How important is play in learning? How much do you feed a labrador puppy and when are the best times to feed? Read on to see our recommendations.... Crate Training ~ We recommend that prior to bringing your puppy home, you acquire an 42" Crate that will serve your puppy through all life stages. Crates come with a divider that allows you to limit the available space for the puppy until such time as they require the entire crate for comfort. Crate training provides safety and security for puppy during the "rapid growth" period (from 8 weeks until approximately 9 months) it aids in "house breaking" the puppy as most will not soil their "den" and it allows for the confinement of the dog after spaying, neutering, or recovery from illness or injury. Labrador's are "piranha puppies" - the crate offers a safe place will limit the chance that shoes, books and other items will be destroyed by puppy teeth And it protects your puppy from any older dogs you may have in your home; from over-stimulating attention that might be given to the puppy by your children or visitors to your home; and finally, it is a sure way to protect them from ingesting things that are dangerous or that may require surgery to remove. Raising a puppy is very similar to raising a toddler; silence is not always golden and nap-time is looked forward to by the parents! Feeding Schedule and Weight The rapid rate of growth plus the high energy levels of most Labrador Puppies means that they are burning off calories at a near constant rate. Feed three - four times per day; multiple small meals act like a time-release capsule, ensuring that their energy is fed by the calories they take in each day with no slumps. 7 a.m. Breakfast 10 a.m. Stuffed Kong (Crate Noon - Lunch 2:00 Stuffed Kong (Crate) 5 p.m. - Dinner Split their daily ration between the dish and the kongs. Weight: Your puppy should weigh 2 pounds per week of life on average until nearly reaching their adult weight. Don't over-feed: 8 week old puppies need about 1440 Kcal per day. You can find the kcal per cup on the bag of food (if not, give the company a call). Divide however many cups equal this amount over the number of meals you have decided to feed. If your puppy seems to be growing too fast, immediately lessen the daily caloric intake by switching to an ALL LIFE STAGES food - NOT an adult food! And remember that TREATS count towards their daily calorie limits. If you must use "high value treats" in your training, give them less of their kibble during meals. Our Puppies weigh between 65 lb. and 85 lb. at about 12 months of age. This is your goal for your own Aisling Puppy. A Lab that weighs 100 lbs is very likely over-weight - a heavy Lab is NOT a bragging point and in fact, may contribute to join issues. At 24 months, your Lab may weigh closer to 100 lbs but this will depend upon not only muscles but bones of the mature Labrador. Use a Body Condition Chart to determine if 100 plus lbs is a good weight for YOUR mature dog. Most Vets will allow you to stop in and weigh your puppy during the rapid growth period. In the beginning you can use your own scale by weighing yourself alone, then the puppy and doing the math to see how much your puppy weighs. Protect Hips & Elbows~ 5 Minute Rule: Limit forced exercise (leashed walking, retrieving etc.) to 5 minutes per month of age. (8 week old - 10 minutes/12 week old -15 minutes and so on. Don't rush the "trick" training either; it is much more important that your puppy learn the house rules the first month home than it is that they learn to roll-over or shake paws. Monitor Free Play~ Free play is important and allows the dog to adjust its own turns and stops safely. Swimming is a great energy burner. Labradors have a very high pain tolerance and love to have fun so regulating their exercise will be up to you! They WILL continue playing even after an injury unless it is very severe. Setting a schedule ~ Use the natural sleep wake play routine to set the schedule. Young puppies sleep 18 - 20 hours a day, make sure it is done in the crate and house training is going to be so much easier. Sleep then Wake/Potty, Eat/Potty, Play/Potty and Repeat - Set your schedule according to that already ingrained schedule. Out of the crate - Outside for potty on demand (no play until potty is done/praise and say "free"), Outside or inside play for 20 - 30 minutes and (after potty if it was inside play) pop into the crate with a Kong because he is going to be ready to go sleep. As the days go by, work towards a schedule like this: 10 a.m. - Noon = Crate Nap 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. = Crate Nap. These forced rest periods will go a long way to avoid over-stimulating your young puppy and provide you with breaks for your own sanity! At about six - seven months, move to a 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. = Crate Rest schedule which we continue until 18 months to 2 years of age depending upon the energy level and reliability of the individual dog to behave. Continue to crate at night until at least 12 months. A Safe Environment~ In the context of raising a puppy, environment consists of everything that is not genetic. Exercise and Nutrition are included under the term "environment". Dysplasia is 30% a genetic predisposition and 70% the environment provided from birth to eight weeks by the Breeder and from 8 weeks to 12 months by the new family. Flooring: We highly recommend you place secure area rugs in rooms your puppy will be walking, running and playing in. TEACH them to stay "on the carpet" from DAY ONE. The slipping and sliding as a puppy runs through the home, making sharp turns as they go through a doorway can cause repetitive trauma to their growing joints. DON'T overdo leash training with lots of sits and turns during the early months. Never push on your puppy's hips to force a sit. Exercise: Are you a jogger? If so, when your puppy reaches maturity (18 months - 2 years), he or she will be a wonderful partner on those jogs...but not until then. Forced running on hard surfaces, and even grassy runs, are very damaging to a young dogs joints. Some Vets STILL recommend jogging with a Labrador under the age of two who is high energy - DO NOT LISTEN to that advice. Deal with excess energy with feed cubes, puzzle feeders and training sessions Mental exercise is as exhausting to a young puppy as physical exercise. No Stairs until 12 Weeks! Carry your puppy up and down staircases until after 12 weeks; then progress to walking them up and down while on a short leash to control their speed. Teach your dog to WALK up stairs and not to run or jump down them; if they begin to run up or down when they reach adolescence (8 months or so), go back to the leash until they are in the habit of walking the staircase in both directions. Restrict the use of stairs to only when it is necessary i.e. down in the morning and up for bedtime. We have a crate on each floor for our puppies. Retrieving~ Introduce this early but limit the number of times you request a retrieval and the distance required for it to what is appropriate for the age and development of your puppy. There are some studies that show that dogs that retrieve every day are more prone to dysplasia....so limit this until they are at least 12 months old. ROLL a ball rather than throwing it; save the frisbee until they are two years old; teach them to retrieve a thrown stick or bumper AFTER it hits the ground by training to a release command - all of this helps to protect your puppy's growing bones and muscles AND allows it to still have fun! Learning thru play~Toys I mentioned earlier that Labradors are piranha puppies! Having a wide variety of toys available (along with crate training) will go a long way to helping you stay sane! Anything KONG. Just make sure it is for "the strong chewer" Nylabones Pull Toys Balls of all sizes Frozen Ropes. These help with teething pain. Ice Cubes. They also help with teething pain. An old milk carton. Just remove the cap and ring. Try to have as many textures as possible available for your puppy. You can substitute a nyabone when your puppy is chewing on a hard surface and a softer toy when they are chewing on your throw. For more ideas, check out our New Puppy Shopping List. Teach House Rules FIRST House Rules include but are not limited to the following: Not being allowed on the furniture No running from room to room No jumping up at feeding time "Just Be" - Encourage puppy to just be beside you rather than demanding attention Play Dates ~ Many people schedule play dates or dog park visits into their week to help socialize their dog. Again, this is very good but must be done with caution. Try to match the age of the dogs your puppy will be playing with; research shows that there is much less damage to the joints, tendons and muscles when growing puppies play with others at or near the same age. Also, evaluate the play style of the dogs involved; some dogs play much more aggressively, mouth grabbing legs or deliberately taking the feet out from under their playmate. This need for caution is not permanent....but is necessary to give your puppy every advantage in attaining maturity without longterm physical damage. Avoid being a weekend warrior! If you work full time and your dog spends 40 - 50 hours a week alone or crated with about an hour each evening devoted to exercise, don't exercise it for several hours on Saturday and Sunday. Remember the "5 Minute Rule". A consistent schedule of balanced exercise and activity is best for the growing Labrador. Of course, this doesn't mean that you can't take them to the beach on Saturday (take plenty of fresh water and limit the beach trip to about two hours) or on a hike on Sunday. It just means that you need to be careful not to overdo the activity. If they get an hour a day Monday - Friday, then they should have only a hour or two a day of heavy exercise on Saturday and Sunday until they are 2 years old. Consider a RAMP~ Jumping in and out of your truck may cause repetitive trauma to the knees and elbows. Along these same lines, do NOT allow your puppy to jump off beds, couches and chairs. Their joints cannot take repeated trauma without some damage occurring during their growth period. Hip and Elbow Dysplasia are not the only issues that this type of behavior can lead to; OCD is another concern. All large breed dogs, and some medium breeds, are susceptible to these conditions through repeated trauma throughout the rapid growth period and until maturity. Remember, healthy joints and bones are 30% genetic predisposition and 70% the environment you are providing them. Next: Shopping List

Learn more about Aisling Labradors of N.E. Florida and get in touch with us. Reservations Aisling offers Labrador puppies for sale through a process in which we get to know you and the environment our puppies will be living in once they leave our home. But before we get to the Contact Form, we want you to understand our policies and procedures. Thanks for taking the time to read this page through. Communication! At Aisling Labradors of NE Florida, it is our goal to treat our customers as we wish to be treated and we expect the same from those to whom we extend this courtesy . Once a reservation has been placed, we will communicate with you throughout the entire process. And we ask that in return, a prompt reply to our emails is received to confirm your ability to provide a home for the puppy being held for you. Those on our waiting lists receive all the same communications as our reservation holders. An email when.... our girl comes into season.... You will receive an email on day one of a heat so that you can begin to prepare for your puppy's arrival! An email when.... She has been bred and another when we have confirmed the pregnancy! Once the breeding has taken place, you will be provided with the approximate date of birth of your puppy. You will also hear the tentative dates of Puppy Pick Out and Go Home days so you can mark your calendars! An email when .... your puppy has been born! This is the most exciting email of all! This is when the dates for Pick Out and Pick Up will be made firm so you can clear your schedules and be ready to choose your puppy and then finally, welcome your new family member into your home. And the communication doesn't stop there. Our Facebook and Instagram page are updated several times each week with updates on the litter's progress and with weekly videos in our "Watch Them Grow" series. Puppy Pick Out Day! Appointment Email When the litter reaches 4 weeks of age, we schedule the appointments for Puppy Pick Out. Appointments are scheduled in the order of the receipt of reservations. We ask that you confirm your appointment by the Monday following this email. Pick Out Day Using the information you have provided us through the journey from approval, we guide your choice of puppy based upon our assessment of temperament. If you have a name already chosen for your new family member, we begin to call the puppy by that name. After Puppy Pick Out Day We send out our Puppy Care Packet via email before you bring home your new puppy. While you wait for Pick Up Day, this packet helps prepare you for the puppy's transition from our home to yours! Pick UP Day! Aisling Labradors puppies go home at 8 weeks of age with their first round of vaccinations completed and Health Certification as required by Florida Law. Appointments are nearly always scheduled on the Saturday following their 8 week birthday. Going home on a Saturday allows the weekend for the family to help the pup transition before returning to work and school on Monday. Microchips Your puppy comes home already microchipped. We recommend registering with AKC ReUnite as it is the most used database for Pure Bred Dogs in the U.S.; a one-time registration fee allows you to update your information for the lifetime of your dog. 30 Days of Free Insurance We provide 30 days of free insurance with no waiting period for accident and injury via Trupanion. You will also be offered an additional 30 days of free coverage when you register your puppy with the AKC. We HIGHLY recommend that your puppy is insured for at least the first two years as this is when injury and illness are most likely. Lifetime Support You will receive a puppy care packet in pdf form before Pick UP day to allow you time to learn or remember the best ways to feed, train and socialize your new family member. And we are always a phone call or email away! The Approval Process Reservations We accept 3 reservations per gender per litter; in a dual colored litter, we accept 2 reservations per gender of each color expected. Puppies are considered sold when a reservation is made and is no longer made available to others, therefore reservations are non-refundable but transferrable one time. Contact Form The approval process begins with the contact form below. We will respond via email within 24 hours in most cases. If you are interested in moving forward in the approval process, please respond to the email. Available Older Dogs Approval Once the approval process has been completed and you have confirmed that you want to reserve a puppy from a specific litter, the reservation fee must be received within 24 hours. We consider the reservation closed upon receiving your confirmation; after that 24 hours, the reservation will be opened and made available to others. Reservation fees are paid via Zelle. If you are interested in an older puppy or dog, please use the contact form on Available Older Dogs YOU MUST FILL OUT EVERY FIELD IN THE FORM BELOW TO SUCCESSFULLY SUBMIT IT. IF YOUR FORM DOES NOT GO THROUGH, BE CERTAIN YOU HAVE FILLED OUT THE FIRST BOX ON THE SECOND PAGE AND RETRY SUBMISSION. THANK YOU. Contact Us (Puppy Approval Process) First name Email Last name Phone City and State Gender Color Continue We reserve the right to use a different stud for any breeding. There may be times when a stud is not available due to health or other issues which may result in a litter of a different color due to the coat color genes all Labradors carry. The health and well-being of our Labradors comes first in all things. Thank you for your understanding. We also reserve the right to choose to keep any puppy that shows promise for our breeding program and to transfer or refund any reservation for any reason. Next: About Us Proud to register with the AKC Puppies are sold with a Limited AKC Registration and must be spayed or neutered at the appropriate age unless otherwise agreed. Full Registration is available to approved families interested in showing or breeding their Labrador under additional terms and conditions. The registered name of your puppy must include the prefix "Aisling's" to preserve your health warranty.

Meet the Aisling Labradors who are sharing the dream with us and discover what the breed temperament is in answer to the question "can a Labrador be aggressive?" Our Pack! The Labradors We Share Our Life With ! Kindly, outgoing, eager to please and non-aggressive True Labrador Retriever temperament is as much a hallmark of the breed as the "otter" tail. Labrador Breed Standard Quail Meadow's Dunroamin' at Aisling English/Show Champion Lines Grandquest, Ridge View, Lubberline, Call Name: "Roamin" Phenotype: Yellow Genotype: eeBB (no hidden Chocolate {b}) Roamin's Pedigree Quail Meadows General Jackson (at Aisling) English/Show Champion Lines WILCARE, BELLEQUEST, LUBBERLINE, GRANDQUEST Call Name: Jackson Phenotype: Chocolate Genotype: bbEE (no hidden yellow) Jackson's Pedigree Aisling's Cocoa Latte Dam: Kona (Retired) Sire: Little Cain (Retired) English/Show Champion Lines Willcare, Chambray, Weikenlin, Venetian Call Name Latte English/Bench Plus Field Lines for a more traditional build Phenotype: Chocolate Genotype: bbEE (no hidden Yellow) Latte's Pedigree Aila-Bringer of Light to Aisling Sire: Ashe XVI Labroland International Champions/Windup International Champions/Sureshot/Razzle Dazzle Dam: Winter IG Labs Danfer Labs/Chablais/Ranbourne/Sandylands Phenotype: Yellow Genotype: B*ee Aila's Pedigree Terremere's Georgia (at Aisling) Introducing Georgia Home to Aisling February 13th 2025 Our new girl was bred and raised by our Reproductive Vet who has taken a break from breeding while focusing on raising his very active children! Pedigree coming soon Phenotype: Yellow Genotype: B*ee Georgia and Roamin' will have puppies for sale summer 2025 Georgia's Pedigree Introducing Ceilidh (Kaylee) Von Haus CK&B Labradors Moana at Aisling CEILIDH = GATHERING OR PARTY! International Show Lines Sire: Rosslyn's Vogue Herbu Zadora Hoffmann's, Saddlehill, Dickendall, Lobuff, Zinfindel, Hyspire Dam: Formosa Herbu Zadora Mambrinos, Kimvalley, Jayncourt, Sandylands, Langshott, Phenotype: Black Genotype: B*E* Ceilidh begins her health testing in the new year (2025) and if cleared, will have puppies for sale in late Fall 2025. Ceilidh's Pedigree Introducing Harley Aisling's Blackberry Moonshine International Show Lines Sire: Sampson's Mighty MacArthur at Quail Meadow Greenstone, Epoch, Quail Chase, Banners, Willcare, Simmerdown, Stoneyknoll Dam: Aisling's Jette Black to the Future (Retired) Grandquest, Ridge View, Lubberline, Phenotype: Black Genotype: B*E* Harley will have puppies for sale in 2026 Our Retired Dogs Day after day, the whole day through -- Wherever my road inclined -- Four-feet said, "I am coming with you!" And trotted along behind. Rudyard Kipling Aisling's Jette Black to the Future Terremere's Raising a Little Cain at Aisling Passport's Breagha Lass at Aisling Tru-Heart's More Organized Chaos at Aisling Terremere's Dream A Little Dream At Aisling Tru-Heart's Kona of the Storm (at Aisling) Next: Socialization~A Must!

Accessibility Statement - We are committed to making this page accessible to everyone

Read about our journey to becoming Labrador Breeders and find answers to questions like "which Labrador breed is best" - there is only one breed but we can help you discover more about the type of Labrador and what, if any, differences there are between those types. Our goal is to produce Dual Purpose Labradors that embody both the working traits and moderate body structure of the Traditional Labrador Retriever. Our Labradors are family members; litters are whelped and weaned in our home where socialization and the groundwork for training begins immediately. This leads to secure, well adjusted, easy to train Labrador puppies for sale that will be your perfect companion. Our Story I was an Air Force Brat. My husband was a Navy Brat. His family raised German Shepherd Dogs while mine bred and raised Labradors. Our first dog together was a German Shepherd. After his passing, I convinced my husband to try a Labrador; her name was Jenna and she was soon joined by Shanna. By 2005, we had adopted / rescued two black Labs in need of re-homing who personified the opposite ends of where the Breed had been taken since my parents had retired their breeding program. Our Murphy was the size of a Shetland Pony but long bodied and thin legged; loved retrieving and water. The other boy was short, heavy and obsessed with retrieving but would tire quickly; he could live without ever setting a toe in water. Adopted at 2 and 3 respectively, we adored both these lads but neither of them resembled the Labs I had grown up with. I began to talk to Breeders about working with them to establish our own breeding program. Finally finding one willing to grant us full registration, in the spring of 2006, we brought home our Callie, the daughter of an International Champion. Raising her for the purpose of breeding her, I quickly realized that she had no water drive and very little retrieve drive either. A wonderful and gorgeous companion, she too was not the Labrador I had known in my childhood. I began to research just what had been going on in the breeding world; here is what I learned...Although there is only ONE standard of the breed for Labradors, over the years, years of breeding with a goal of producing Labs that fit both the working traits and conformation requirements needed for the potential of becoming a Dual Champion, had morphed into two types of Breeders - typically known as American (Field) or English (Show). Field bred Labs are bred with the working traits in mind to be competitive in field-trial events; when I was a child, my parents referred to these as “American Labs” with a lighter bone structure, longer legs, a thinner or single layer coat, a longer muzzle and heads not as broad (our Murphy was a Field bred Labrador). Breeders looked for dogs that exhibited these working traits very strongly; the "look" was not as important as those traits. Show (or sometimes "Bench") bred Labs are bred with a “look” in mind; a look that would satisfy the Conformation Judging. Subjective judging had led to the more moderate looking Labrador that I knew as a child gradually being replaced with a stockier dog, heavier bone structure and shorter legs, with a coat so much more dense that it adds an appearance of an even heavier dog, and the "block head” I knew as a child becoming more square and the muzzle shorter. Concerned primarily with winning in a show ring, breeders cared less about the working traits of their dogs. Although there are those who say that the two "types" of Labradors differ in energy levels, in my experience, that difference is not in one being "hyper" and the other "laid back". It is the body type affecting the length of time energy is sustained. But more concerning to me was the appearance of a loss of drive for retrieving and water play in the Show lines as well as the fact that both Indie and Callie were fearful; neither ever became comfortable leaving our home despite consistent socializing. We made the decision not to breed Callie. Six years after deciding that we would not breed our Callie, we began to look for Breeders who shared our vision to produce traditional Labrador Retrievers that embodied all the physical and working traits of the dogs who were the companions of my childhood - in other words, more moderate in stature and retaining all the working traits and the fearless nature of the traditional Labrador. On June 20th 2013 we brought home Angus Demetrius planning on his being the foundation of our program. Unfortunately, despite the Excellent and Normal ratings of both his Sire and Dam; Angus was diagnosed with mild to moderate Hip Dysplasia at the age of 10 months and the decision was made to neuter him. With heavy hearts, we moved forward raising Kona and Dreama with the goal of slow growth and a controlled environment. In 2016/17, both were certified with Excellent hips and Normal elbows and our breeding journey began. Finally, a Dream more than 30 years in the making came true. The dogs that influenced our goals MURPHY INDIE CALLIE Meet Our Current Pack

Oops Aisling Labradors of NE Florida The page you are looking for may still be under construction....please check later! Back to Homepage

Genetics of color in Labrador Retrievers. Can a Yellow Lab have Black puppies? White spots on Black or Chocolate Labs. Black spots on a Yellow Lab? What genes are responsible for the coat color of a Labrador. The Genetics of Color Pictured are our Yellow Roamin' with his Black daughter Jette and with Latte (Chocolate) AKC and Parent Club Breed Standard: The Labrador Retriever coat colors are black, yellow and chocolate. Any other color or a combination of colors is a disqualification. White hairs from aging or scarring are not to be misinterpreted as brindling. Black - Blacks are all black. A small white area on the chest is permissible This comes from the ancestor of the Labrador Retriever, the St. Johns Water Dog. The earliest photo of a Labrador Retriever is of "Nell" taken in 1899 (see "Know Your Breed"). You will also sometimes see white spots on the feet; this is found in the descendants of English Dual Champion Banchory Bolo (1915 – 1927) and are called "bolo marks". Yellow - Yellows may range in color from fox-red to light cream, with variations in shading on the ears, back, and underparts of the dog. There is no such thing as a "White" Labrador; it is a Yellow Lab with a white or cream colored coat; likewise, there is no such thing as a "Fox Red" Labrador; it is a Yellow Lab with a reddish coat. A Yellow Lab with a dark chocolate nose is actually genetically a Chocolate dog with a yellow coat. Chocolate - Chocolates can vary in shade from light to dark chocolate; a white "ring" around the tail is common and typically falls out with the puppy coat. Chocolate with brindle or tan markings is a disqualification. Chocolates have "chocolate" noses (formerly called Liver), eye rims and pads. Disqualifications from the Breed Standard cannot be "shown" in Conformation Competitions A black with brindle markings or a black with tan markings is a disqualification. (A small white spot on the chest is permissible.) Eye rims without pigment. A thoroughlyy pink nose or one lacking in any pigment. (Traditionally called a "Dudley".) Any other color or a combination of colors other than black, yellow or chocolate as described in the Standard. Any other color or a combination of colors other than black, yellow or chocolate as described in the Standard. It is important to note that brindling, tan points, white blazes on the chest or on the rear of the feet and mosaics are still Pure Blooded Labrador retrievers. Before we were able to understand the genetics of color, it was said that these were the product of “miss-mates” or accidental breedings with a dog other than a Labrador. Now we know that that is not the reality. 
As time goes on, we are able to genetically test for more of the color genes. Note: Disqualified dogs (from Breed Competitions) are still Purebred Labradors and still make wonderful companions, however, breeders should not be purposefully breeding to produce the off-standard traits. Sales Gimicks! Beware of those selling puppies of a "rare color" and usually asking for more money for the privilege of taking one of those puppies home. The most recent one I've been contacted about is "caramel" colored Labradors. While there are apparently Caramel Labradoodles, this is the result of a recessive gene in the poodle portion of the dog. The Chocolate Labrador, like the Yellow, will show shades of brown - light to dark or milk chocolate to dark chocolate. The proper eye color is going to be light golden brown, not blue or green or yellow. English Cream is also a new gimick to trick buyers into thinking they are getting a "rare" Labrador color. Cream is simply a shade of the Yellow Labrador's coat which can be white to gold so dark as to be called "Fox Red". Understanding genes and how there are risks in doubling up on genes to produce specific colors or traits is essential in any breeder continuing to produce dogs that embody the Breed Standard and continue the temperament traits the Labrador is known for. Predicting a Litter's Colors I am often asked how we know the colors of the puppies in any given litter. The short answer is that we genetically test most of our Labradors to see what colors they may carry. But usually, there are a few follow up questions. This page hopefully helps to answer those follow ups..... Let's begin with the color of the nose, eye rims and pads of the feet. A Black or Yellow Lab with black Nose, eye rims and pads carries a visible "B" gene and second "hidden" copy of that gene. The hidden copy may be either "B" or "b". Phenotype is what we see and genotype is what we don't see. Each Labrador has their visible color and each has their hidden color or colors. A Black or Yellow Labrador carries the dominant "B" inherited from one of the parents. The second copy of B is hidden. It may be either the dominant "B" or the recessive "b". This B gene determines the color of the Labradors nose, pads and eye rims. "BB" will look the same as "Bb" in this Labrador, but the Labrador who carries "Bb" instead of "BB" is hiding the color Chocolate. If the Labrador who carries "Bb" is mated to another Labrador who carries "BB", all the puppies will have black noses, pads and eye rims. BUT, if the Labrador is mated to another "Bb", some of the puppies will have a chocolate nose, pads and eye rims. This is because some of the puppies will get a "B" from each parent; some will get "B" from one and a "b" from the other while others will get a "b" from both parents - these ("bb") are the ones who will have chocolate noses, pads and eye rims. The "E" gene determines the coat color of the Labrador. E will express black as long as the dog carries a dominant B. Two copies of the recessive "e" will shut of black and the coat will be Yellow. There is a second gene that we test to determine the color of a litter of puppies. This is the "E" gene. It works in same manner as the "B" gene but it actually determines the color of the coat and it works with the "B" gene . The Black Labrador in the "B" gene example above carries the dominate "E" gene. We know this because we can see his Black coat. The Yellow Labrador with the black nose, eye rims and pads has inherited two copies of the recessive "e" which shuts off the ability of the "B" gene to express itself as a Black coat; again we know this because we can see her Yellow Coat. From this we can make a pretty good start at guessing at the Genotype of each of the three Labradors in the "B" gene example above but we cannot know the full Genotype just yet. The "*" indicates what we don't yet know. The Black Lab is B*E* The Yellow Lab with the black nose, eye rims and pads is B*ee The Yellow Lab with the chocolate nose, eye rims and pads is "bbee" But now, we also have the fourth example....the Chocolate Lab The Chocolate Lab is bbE* Note that we don't know the mode of inheritance in all but one example above. There are two ways to learn what should be in the place of the "*". The old fashioned way was to simply breed a dog to other dogs and wait to see what colors they would throw. A Black Dam mated to one Black Stud might throw just Black coated puppies; but, with another Black Stud, she might throw two colors and with a third, maybe all three colors. In the latter case, we would know that her Genotype was BbEe. The way we do it now is to genetically test the B and E genes in our dogs (of course, we don't need to test the E gene in a Yellow dog because we already know that the Genotype is "ee".) If you'd like more information on how we can attempt a guess as to how many of each color puppy would be born to a pairing of genotypes, see the chart linked below. But, that is just the start of genetic testing for coat colors. Other genes determine the shading of the Yellow coated Labrador (from Fox Red to White) as well as determine whether the Labrador will have white spotting or the rare brindling and mosaic coat. You read about Genetic Panel Testing on our Genetic Health Testing Page and how it is changing how breeders can determine things such as the co-efficient of inbreeding more accurately; well, it is also helping us discover why, every so often, we have these rare coat colors pop up in a breeding. The link above opens on a new page so you can quickly find your way back here to read the rest of this page.... S- Locus - White Spotting in the Pure-bred Labrador retriever K Locus - Solid Color A - Locus - "Reds" Genotype is hidden while Phenotype is seen B = Black; b = Chocolate; E - no Yellow; e = Yellow; KB = solid; S=White (There is also "A" which is responsible for the red tint seen in some dogs and for the tan point, brindle and mosaic labradors and "C" which determines the shading in the Yellow coats, but for the purpose of this page, we are focusing only on the genes named above.) In the first part of this page, we learned about Genotype as it pertains to Black, Yellow and Chocolate Labradors. So, let's take a look at the full genotype where color and pattern are concerned. A Black Labrador can have one of the following genotypes: BB/EE/KB-KB/SS - no hidden Chocolate or Yellow, Solid Colored, may express a few white hairs Bb/EE/KB-KB/SS - hidden Chocolate, no hidden Yellow, Solid Colored, may express a few white hairs BB/Ee/KB-KB/SS - no hidden Chocolate, hidden Yellow, Solid Colored, may express a few white hairs Bb/Ee/KB-KB/SS - hidden Chocolate, hidden Yellow, Solid Colored, may express a few white hairs BB/EE/KB-KB/Ss - no hidden Chocolate or Yellow, Solid Colored but with white spotting Bb/EE/KB-KB/Ss - hidden Chocolate, no hidden Yellow, Solid Colored but with white spotting BB/Ee/KB-KB/Ss- no hidden Chocolate, hidden Yellow, Solid Colored but with white spotting Bb/Ee/KB-KB/Ss - hidden Chocolate, hidden Yellow, Solid Colored but with white spotting I'm not going to list all the genotypes for a Chocolate or Yellow Labrador, but you have gotten a good idea of the process, so let's move on to those white spots and the rare brindle or mosaic Labradors and the genes responsible for them. 1/1 The Genetics of Color in the Labrador retriever DNA has proven that these miss-marked dogs are pure-bred Labradors with the health and temperament of their solid colored siblings. The Tan Point, Brindle, or Mosaic Labrador are rare. This page focuses more on the White Spotting which is more commonly seen. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Many a breeder and many a poor Dam has been accused of miss-mating when a litter includes a few Black or Chocolate Dogs with white spotting on their chest or when a puppy or two were born with tan points, brindling, or even those very rare "mosaics". No matter how the Breeder might protest that there was no way any puppy in the litter couldn’t be from the Sire they had used, the accusers would walk away shaking their heads still believing that puppy just couldn’t be a pure-bred lab. Buyers walked away and Breeders scorned other breeders…until it would happen in one of their own litters. You will even see debate raging on various social media platforms today despite all the knowledge that we have gained from genetic testing. Those who still maintain that a miss-marked Labrador is the result of an accidental pairing do so out of an ignorance of the science which proves them wrong. If you’ve ever learned the history of the Breed, you know that the ancestors of the Labrador were black and white coated St. Johns Water Dogs. With the goal of producing a solid black dog, the old-timers would only breed dogs with the most black in their coats; eventually, they were able to breed solid black to solid black until they consistently were producing litters with mostly solid black dogs. But even then, there would be a few “liver coated” dogs or “yellow coated” dogs; and sometimes, a black dog with white on its chest. Those old-timers continued for many generations to breed black to black removing the other colored dogs from their breeding programs but the gene responsible for the expression of white hairs was still being passed down generation to generation just as the genes for liver (chocolate) and yellow coated dogs were. Because the old-time breeders bred only black to black, the gene pool was small enough that most of those solid black dogs carried two copies of "S" and no copy of "s" so the white inherited from the St. Johns Water Dog did not “express” itself very often. And this rarity is what led to the common belief that a “miss-mating” had taken place and the poor black or chocolate lab with the white on its chest or the yellow with a lot of white expressed was a “mutt”. Eventually, a closed kennel which produced litters bound to provide some service, would from time to time see white spots on the chests of Labrador puppies born under strict controls; controls that meant that there was no possibility of a miss-mating. This was evidence that there was some recessive gene that was causing pure-bred dogs to express those white hairs. Science eventually proved that to be true, but even before that, the AKC and Labrador Retriever Clubs rewrote the Breed Standard to state that “a white spot on the chest is acceptable but not desirable” in dogs that were shown in breed competitions acknowledging that these dogs were in fact, pure-bred Labradors. We know now that white hairs originate from the S Locus. The non-mutated form (S) makes it possible for a dog to express a few white hairs or none at all. It is a roll of the dice. The recessive version (s) of the gene means that the dog will express what is known as “white spotting”. And a dog with two copies of the mutated version (ss) will be solid white. The two main genes for coat color in Labradors are "B" and "E" and each puppy receives one copy of each gene from each parent; these genes follow the Dominant/Recessive expression where "B" cancels "b" and "E" cancels "e". So, a puppy getting BB is not going to be Chocolate nor is a puppy getting Bb because the "B" cancels or hides the "b". It is the same for the "E" gene; in order for a dog to be yellow, it must get two copies of "e". The "S" gene however is co-dominant and therefore only one copy of the mutated "s" will result in expression of the recessive which is the expression of white. And we also know now that the “red” that is sometimes seen in a Black or Chocolate coat and quite often in the traditional Yellow coat in what is known as the “Fox Red” comes from the “A” locus as does the more rare tan points and brindling and even perhaps the mosaic. We even know now that a SINGLE CELL can experience a mutation during the gestation process turning , for example, "ee" into "Ee" in just that one cell! How does this express itself in the coat of a Yellow Labrador? Through a Black spot of hair! So, if someone tells you that your pure-bred puppy with some white on it's chest or a white ring around its tail isn’t pure-bred, all you need to reply is “DNA says differently”. Your puppy is every ounce a pure-bred Labrador from genetically tested parents descended from the black and white St. Johns Water Dog - the first Labrador retrievers. NEXT: COI - THE CO-EFFICIENT OF INBREEDING Coat Color Inheritance Chart for Labrador retrievers

Why do so many dogs end up in shelters? Behavioral problems. Are Labrador puppies hard work? Like any breed or even mixed breed, they are individuals who need proper socialization and training; read about the training method we recommend to all our puppy families. Training your Aisling Puppy Why do so many dogs end up in shelters? Behavioral problems. The greatest cause of death in dogs under the age of three is because of the dogs behavior. Early socialization is a MUST. But, after that comes training! ....we tend to use human psychology to "train" our dogs when we should be using the psychology of dogs! The best advise I ever got was this....training is working toward a goal of your dogs UNDERSTANDING what it is you want them to do! A Labrador grown up and properly trained is one of the most wonderful things one can experience in this life. They love to be with their humans no matter what is going on at any given moment - it can be at the beach, in a boat, on a paddle board, hiking through the woods or sitting in front of the proverbial hearth while you read or watch a film. But how do you get from the adorable but over excited puppy that a Labrador is to that ideal companion? The honest truth is that some of them just naturally become that wonderful companion with not much more effort made other than simply socializing them to the experiences from an early age, but others will need lots of patient training to get there, especially it seems if they have some of the more energetic Field Labrador in their pedigree. Here at Aisling, you won't find us spending a great deal of time training "tricks"; sharing our home with so many Labradors means that we focus on house/outdoor rules that keep us ALL safe. We use "one word" training to maintain order and calm. Our dogs know that when they hear "paddock" they are to head there immediately even when they are running crazy 'round and 'round a tree. We do not use their names when giving these commands as we want a pack response and not an individual response. To aid us in this, we have found Dan's methods to be the best methods! Follow "Five Golden Rules" that will help you train your puppy to be the companion you dream of! The Training of the Aisling Pack We've all heard about the importance of being a Pack Leader to our dogs, but some of the trainers rely on adverse training (take downs with the collar, roll overs, electric collars etc.) -the reality is that those don't really work. What does work is gaining your dog's trust so that they understand that you are in charge and they themselves don't need to be the protector in your place or be afraid for themselves or their pack mates! Your puppy already knows how to sit, lay down and stand when he or she comes home to you at eight weeks of age and truthfully, getting them to do it on command is nothing more than "trick training" just as "shake", "paw", and "high fives" are! What your puppy really needs (besides lots of appropriate socialization) is to understand the house rules. These are the building blocks for that perfect Labrador companion we all dream of - not trick training. In 2018, we brought in two more puppies to our pack and I realized that there were a few things that I had never succeeded in achieving reliable results from our Labradors. The biggest issue? The pack's excitement when David came home from his 14 hours away for work! They barked and danced and generally knocked each other about in their excitement. Since we had a rather long drive, and a gate that must be manually opened and closed, this chorus of six Labradors went on for several minutes each time...my telling them to stop just seemed to egg them on. I then heard from my Mom about Doggy Dan; she simply told me about "Golden Rule #2 - Danger" from his online training series. That very evening, as David pulled up to the mailbox across our street, the chorus began. I said "Thank you" just loud enough for them to hear me and they all quieted down for a minute but soon began again. I got up and walked to the front window and said "Thank you, I know Dad's home". Silence. Golden silence. I tried again the next night and got the same result. And the third night...again, silence reigned once I'd acknowledged that Dad was out there. I was amazed. That third night I asked David if he'd noticed anything different about our then 6 pack of dogs over the past three evenings. He thought for a minute and replied "no barking!". The next day, I went looking for Doggy Dan online and began to fully implement Golden Rule #1 along with #2. Over the next few weeks, visitors to our home were amazed at how calm the dogs were during their visit.... Much of Doggy Dan's training methods I'd learned watching my Grandfather as a child. He had grown up as the Head Groom's son in an Estate in England, taking over for a time as a young adult when his Dad retired. When he'd visit us here in the U.S. at our mini farms - which included pigs, chickens, horses and always several dogs and cats, he'd immediately take over their care and I'd watch in amazement as these animals, no matter the species, followed his every move and responded to his infrequent words. What I learned at my Grandfather's side allowed me to have so many dogs living with us and not have them ruling the house, but, I never was fully satisfied with what we achieved; there was always something that needed to be worked on. Doggy Dan's methods and the psychology behind them have allowed me to move to the next level. We're always working at it, but if we saw a difference with 2 puppies, an 18 month old and (now) 2 adults, imagine the possibilities! The thing to understand is that we tend to use human psychology to "train" our dogs when we should be using the psychology of dogs! They have 98% of the DNA of a wolf and when we understand that, internalize it, and implement Doggy Dan's "5 Golden Rules", it is amazing how fast they are suddenly "trained"! Think for a minute about how quickly our six dogs stopped barking when David and Hunter come home from work in only ONE session of my saying "Thank you. I know that Dad is home (or Hunter)". Whether you have just brought home an Aisling Lab, have been raising one for awhile now, or have just come here to have a gander, check out Doggy Dan. You won't be disappointed! Next: Spaying and Neutering