New Pictures of Jake Too

Doindogs News update

I have retired Roo and Rose. Mud was confirmed to be pregnant this week, due around 28th of June. Storm won in Bearsford, N.B. last week end giving him 3 points. This was his first show. I have entered him in both conformation and obedience at Lunenburg for next week end.

Don

Ollie update

Hi Don,

Thought you might like to see how big Ollie is getting. He is close to 50 lbs now and loosing his first teeth but still very much a "puppy" at heart. He is a wonderful dog and we are really enjoying him. Thanks to Ollie we now enjoy an hour long walk at the beach each morning at 6:30 which is good for all of us.

Regards,
Ed

New Pics of Nash

Rose expecting pups

Rose is preparing her bed; expect she will have her pups tonight.

db

Moka Pics

Hi Don,

Sorry I'm so long getting back to you, but I got a puppy to walk. Just joking, I have been busy, and Moka does take up a lot of time. She is doing well, she likes to "try" to get her own way, but we won't let her. She is "just about" trained, she will wake me up if she needs to go out at night. She loves the snow, whats left of it, and she has had her first swim.

I'll send more pictures,
Mike

Update on Bigby

Hi Don,

I thought you might appreciate a quick update on Bigby. He made the long drive back to Saint John very well, sleeping most of the way. He made some noise a couple of times when he got up and each time we made a quick pit stop for him to have a pee and then he was good to go again.

He's been fantastic the last couple of days. Lots of energy! He's also done really well with house training and he seems to pick up on things really quickly. I've been really surprised with the house training though. I did not expect him to do so well so quickly.

He's a lot of fun to watch in the yard too. He loves sticks, pieces of bark and twigs. He also loves wading through the tall grass. It makes me wonder if it's hunting instinct. Could just be that he loves the feel of tall grass.

I'll keep you posted on his progress and training. I'm trying to find a good trainer here in the Saint John area. If you know of any, let me know :)

-Greg

Pups ready to go

Both male and female pups ready to go. These pups are from Roo and Beau (second litter)

Call for information 902 462-4333

Don

Kia's First Swim

Hi Don,

I seem to recall that you mentioned Yew's pups can sometimes be a little hesitant during there first exposure to water/swimming. Well not our Kai !!! He bolted in after his stick and swam like a fish and just wanted more and more. He seems better at retrieving in water than land as he kept bringing the stick back to the shore rather than dropping it halfway as he does with his ball on land. I have attached some pictures.

David

Sable update

Hi Don,

I wanted to tell you what Sable just did;

Sometimes the Multiple Sclerosis effects my Equilibrium, I loose my balance and fall.
Unfortunately, that is what just happened.

After I fell, Sable was at my side, licking and nudging me to get up. When I didn't, she went the portable phone. Sable brought it to me...and kept nudging me to get up. I kept thanking her.

Eventually I got up, but she wasn't happy until I SAT down, and then she laid on top of my feet.
I guess that was her way of telling Me to sit/stay.

As I was resting, I thought you should know how wonderful she is .. sometimes.

Janette

Flint

Hi Don,

Flint is doing great. He slept through the last night... which was a bonus! He's already asking to go outside and we are not having too many accidents. We already love him...... even though he is very hard work at the moment. His crate was dry this morning and he went straight outside. I know we still have a long way to go but so far so good! He's a great dog and a tribute to you.

A couple of quick questions...... when can I give him a fresh meat bone? When can he start obedience classes?

Thanks
Gill Macnab.

Storm

Hi Don,

Just saw the new site. It looks great! Very much refreshed. I also saw that you got a new dog. Storm looks great! Are you happy with him so far? I’m in the woods most weekends just now, but once the blackflies pick up I’ll be backing off on that a bit, so if you want pics we can arrange it (although you’ve got some decent ones on there already). Morning or evening works too most days. Had Ruby out to see Don R. for her annual checkup and shots yesterday. All clear and good (I’d go so far as to say GREAT, but perhaps I’m a bit biased). I was in the high Arctic for a week last month in Resolute. There was a bear in town the day before I arrived, so I didn’t get out for too many hikes in that land of ice and sky, but the meetings that I had to plan work for this summer all went very well, and it was neat to see some real Arctic blizzards (from inside my room!!!). The flying was not much fun though – we landed in Nanisivik on northern Baffin and I shot this little video of the poor lads re-fuelling in 85 km wind… It was a bumpy ride for sure!



Cheers,

-Dave

C.J

Mud (Litter in June)

I just brought Mud home from her breeding, I expect a chocolate
litter around 28th June.

Don BATES

Article about CH Banchory Trump of Wingan

I just wanted to let you know I agree and really appreciate this article. Would you mind if I passed this article around, of course giving you credit as author?

I have been in labradors (breeding) for 7 years, but have had them for awhile longer . I do all events (obedience, agility, conformation, and finally field) and am doing my first (sorry to say I am just doing them now) WC's in May. I have some that are "very English" and some that are moderate, which would be a field show cross in my opinion. They are smaller & compact but not cumbersome in any way. They are full of drive but relaxed when not working. They are my favorite as they can do everything and are not completely wore out all the time and are not hyper when not working.

My lines include the old styles such as Cambremer, Rocheby, Poolstead, Could Be, and now I have a Dickendall boy. I breed my dogs to have titles on both ends.

But anyway... I agree with you... at the AKC specialities all I see are overdone, fat, short, tubby dogs. I want to blame the breeders, but actually it's the judges; if the judges wouldn't put those dogs up, I am sure the breeders would be changing their program. However, if you take a more moderate lab (as the standard calls for) in the ring you will not get put up so it is a waste of $27.

I found the UKC and this Kennel Club focusses on dogs that are conformationally correct but can also do what they are bred to do. I have seen a few of the fat, tubby labs compete but they weren't even looked at as the judges felt those dogs would not be able to do what they were bred to do.

Thanks again for this article, I hope many people read it and appreciate the value of its meaning....labs as true retriever!

Best Regards,
Mary Gehlhoff
Golden Path Labradors

Storm DNA Test Report April 21, 2008

DNA Test Report April 21, 2008

Owner's Name and Address:
Don Bates

16 Memorial Drive
Dartmouth, NS B2W 3P1
Canada

Registered Name: Puddleducks Artic Storm
Registration #: SR14485003
Tattoo/Chip #: 4723216374
Call Name: Storm

Breed: Labrador Retriever
Date of Birth: January 11, 2004
Gender: Male

Optigen Accession #: 08-3976


Test Performed: prcd Mutation Test for PRA

Sample Type: Blood

Test Results: Genotype of your dog is Normal/Clear.

Risk for developing prcd-PRA: This dog will never develop the prcd form of PRA (progressive rod-cone degeneration form of Progressive Retinal Atrophy). So far, the only inherited PRA disease known in dogs of your breed is the prcd form of PRA.

Significance for breeding: Genetically Normal/Clear dogs can be bred to any dog and will produce no pups affected with the prcd form of PRA.

For further information, please consult the OptiGen website at http://www.optigen.com.

Hips

Hi. Just cruising around the internet looking up pennhip results and came across your site. I am very impressed with the work you are doing and that you're taking the time and money to do it right. We breed bulldogs and are finding it VERY difficult to find "kennels" that want to do things properly.

How do you go about improving hip quality in your dogs? We are still waiting for our results to come back. We were heartbroken with some of our results but want to build and produce better pups. If you can provide some guidance from your experience it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time,

Teresa

Updating Website

We are updating the site with a new look, you may notice some links, pictures, and other things missing over the next day or so, thanks for your patients!

Paul W (web design)

Yew has started having her pups.

Yew has started having her pups, a yellow male.

Puddleduck's Artic Storm JH

Kai update

Hi Don,

Well Kai is now 6 months old, so I thought I better send you some updated shots. His down/stays are kind of handy for doing portraits !

David

Ruby and I from opening day.

Hi Don,

We tried to get into my favourite trout hole yesterday in the canoe. As you can see, the ice was a problem. We plowed through the first batch OK but then got stuck in heavier stuff and had to turn back. I’ve also included a snowy photo of Ruby and I from opening day.

Cheers,

-Dave

Good News!

I have just learned that Cheryl YOUNG of Makaila labs has decided to sell me a female pup that she had chosen for herself. I consider this to be a very special honor and I will do my best to develop the pup, “Dot” to her fullest potential. Cheryl got her start in labs from Whistlinwings Kennel. Lori and Kerry CURRAN owned Whistlinwings; they have been the only people in North America to produce triple champions. To make it even more remarkable, they were amateurs who did their own breeding, training and handling! Lori CURRAN sold breeding stock to Chris WINCEK of Kerrybrook Kennels, Ohio. I purchased Ada, Yew and Jet from there. Makaila labs has also been interested in producing healthy dogs that will excel both in the field and the show ring. Dot’s mother, and her mother’s litter-mate, are Canadian Show Champions that are running Field Trials, this will be her last litter. Cheryl’s daughter, Taryn, just won the Junior Handling world championships at Crufts in England. Bailee is going to rank the number two Labrador in Canada with Taryn handling the whole way.

Don BATES

Pups

Roo/Beau pups will be ready to go on Tuesday, May 13th.

Fresh Puppy pics

Hi Don,

Here are a few recent pics of Ollie. He is growing like a weed. Sometimes I leave the room and when I return he looks bigger...

Ed

Gem

Hi Don

We have been enjoying keeping up to date with your website. Looks like you are as busy as ever. It is long overdue that we send you some pics for Ada's prodigy page but better late than never. We are sure enjoying Gem!

Take care,
Rhonda Robinson (Ian's wife :-))

Whistle Sits

Hi Don,

I’ve been too busy to get down to Y-towing, but did get a chance to get out with Ruby to work on whistle sits a bit. She’s coming along. I used a 50 foot check cord to correct her at first, using the whistle blast and a verbal “SIT” at first. Now we’re working on the whistle alone without the verbal command and no check cord. The attached video shows one unstopped retrieve first (I do two full retrieves for every one whistle sit – otherwise she tends to stop on her own in anticipation of the whistle – “popping” I think they call it in “Water Dog”). In the second one she stops within a few steps of the whistle command. Seems that the closer she is to the bumper/bird when I stop her the more likely she is to disobey, so we’re working our way closer and closer. A few weeks ago I had her out in the fields and she put up a bunch of hens. I had to re-enforce the whistle with a loud “SIT” but she did it with a bunch of birds in full flush right in front of her, so I was quite pleased!





Hope that all is well.

Cheers,

-Dave

Truro shows

I entered Mud in the Truro shows. The judge for Saturday, Betty McHUGH, placed Muds over the other females which gave her 3 points. She ended up with three ribbons, Winners, Best of Opposite Sex and Best of Winners. The judge today was Teresa GALLO placed Mud first in her class but came in second for points. Mud is the oldest pup from our Rose who is a Canadian Champion. Beau is the second oldest, he is also a Champion. Mutt is the third oldest she won in Halifax and got 3 points.

Don BATES

Mutt's pups at 3 weeks

Sad Easter Bunny