Breeding and our dogs

 
At the present, we have seven labradors, varying in age from 7 months to twelve years old.   Besides our labradors, we have an one year old schipperke.  All our labradors receive basic field training, and if they decide that they like to have a career,  then the training is maintained until  they retire.  If their goal in life is to be part of a close knit family, we try to accommodate them, by finding them that type of a home.  Any dog leaving us, will make a wonderful companion or hunting buddy.   We do not believe in having dogs around for nothing else but breeding!
Twenty-four years ago we laid out a breeding plan, the goal of which was, and still is, to produce a sound labrador with a high level of intelligence and trainability, as well as good looks;  a labrador that will make a good field trial-, hunt trial-, hunting dog, or just a wonderful  friend.   Our dogs have also proven to be extremely fit for detection work, like drug,  money and bomb detection.  The first labrador used by the RCMP in British Columbia for bomb detection was one of ours.  One of the first money detection dogs, working for Canada Customs, was one of ours as well.
There are two dogs in particular that we have used as a foundation in our program;  Tamarack, a black male, with the recessive color chocolate, and Pella, a black female, who is dominant black.  They both were dogs of exceptional quality, highly intelligent, trainable and pleasing dogs.  In our breeding of the chocolate labrador we have out crossed the chocolate background of Tamarack with other strong chocolate carrying black bloodlines.  Then we have line bred back into our own line.  The result has been a very hard going, water loving retriever with beautiful dark, reddish brown coat color, brown eyes of various shades and good pigmentation.  Most of our litters in the past  have been split color, i.e. black and chocolate and, more rare, black and yellow.
 

"Tamarack"
Tamarack
  FTCH/AFTCH
 Tribe's Knotty Tamarack
Oct. 25, 1980 - July 12, 1994

                "Timber"
Timber
    Mariachi's Timber  WCX
   March 30, 1987 - Sept. 12,  1999

                   

"Pella"
Pella
Westwind Treasure Pella***
  March 21, 1983 - Nov. 29, 1993

      

 
Timber, a son of Tamarack and Pella, has played a major part in our breeding, and he is the sire of our very first chocolates, "Bugsy" and "Sis".  Our other very important dog is "Skookum", who passed away in 2006, a month short of seventeen years old.  She was the last direct offspring we had from Tamarack.  Skookum was a carrier of the chocolate as well as the yellow coat color and has given us some exceptional pups.  The following pages contain an excerpt from our photo gallery.  Press Skookum to start. 

Home Breeding Skookum

Shaddow's 
kids

Rascal's 
kids

Boys & Girls 

More labs

Nellie Schipperkes

Puppies

Motown's story

A young Yodel

Big Valley Labradors
 652 Mallory Road
 Enderby, BC
  Canada V0E 1V3 
Phone / Fax:  250-832-2819
  e-mail:
labs@bigvalleykennel.com

Anders and Saskia

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