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Bethlehem, Connecticut

Atlas Labradors: 860-393-1257
Atlas Sport Dog Supply: 860-600-7541

FAQ + Policies

A preservation breeder breeds to protect and improve the breed, not simply to produce puppies. Our goal is to breed Labrador Retrievers to the AKC standard in both type and temperament, to keep improving our lines with every generation, and to develop our own multigenerational, bred-by pedigree. In practice, that means:

  • Every breeding dog is fully health tested, with results recorded with the OFA, before it ever produces a litter.

  • Every pairing is planned carefully, studying pedigrees, health, structure, and temperament, and we keep the best puppies to carry our program forward.

  • We stand behind every dog we produce, for life.

Volume and pet breeders produce litters to meet demand and often sell first-come, first-served. We breed thoughtfully, make our own selections from each litter first, and then place every puppy with the family where we believe it will thrive.

Simply, because show-bred dogs make wonderful pets. The qualities we look for in the show ring translate directly to life at home. Beyond producing the healthiest dogs possible, we select for the classic Labrador temperament: biddable, people-loving, eager to please, and happy. 

Watch a champion Labrador in the ring and you'll see a dog that is excited and happy to be there, yet well-mannered, focused on the handler, and unfazed by the dogs and commotion around it. 

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A few more reasons to choose a show breeder:

  • Accountability. Breeders who belong to a breed club agree to a code of ethics that the club's members and officers enforce, such as the Labrador Retriever Club's Breeders Code of Conduct and the AKC Code of Sportsmanship & Civility.

  • Outside expert opinion: Show breeders put their breeding stock in front of judges, many of whom are deeply experienced breeders themselves.

  • Reputation. For a show breeder, reputation matters as much as the dogs. The greatest breeders have worked for decades to earn their reputations.

  • Knowledge and advocacy. A good show breeder is immersed in breed advocacy and knows the health issues in their breed inside and out.

 

One caution: "champion lines" and "champion bred" are often just marketing. Anyone can pay a stud fee to a champion. What matters is the totality of thought behind pairing a particular stud with a particular female, not one title in a pedigree.

Our 8-week-old companion puppies are $6,500 plus Connecticut sales tax. This is a typical price for a well-bred Labrador Retriever from a preservation breeder who shows their dogs and completes all necessary health testing. Service dog prospects and started companion dogs are $8,500+, depending on age, training, and health clearances.

The process begins by filling out our application. When complete, please text us at 860-393-1257. Once you've been approved, you may join by signing our Waitlist & Deposit Agreement and telling us your preferred sex, color, and timeframe.

 

➡ Waitlist Basics:

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  • Timing: About half of our puppies are placed with families on our waitlist and most families are matched with a puppy within 6 months of their desired timeframe.

  • Fees: A $250 waitlist fee to join, then $250 more to reserve a puppy from a matching litter ($500 total deposit). Both count toward your price; all amounts are subject to CT sales tax.

  • Price Lock: Your price is locked for 12 months from the day you sign.

  • Rolling Waitlist: When a litter matches your preferences, we offer you a spot. If you choose to decline and wait for a later litter, your fee rolls forward.

  • Refunds: The waitlist fee is refundable only if we can't offer a matching puppy within your timeframe (refunds are issued within 14 days). Declining a matching puppy within your timeframe makes it non-refundable. Deposits are non-refundable.

  • Payments: Mail a check (payable to Atlas Labradors LLC), send Zelle to 203-240-7265, or pay by credit card with a Shopify invoice we text or email you. The balance is due at pick-up, and Zelle has daily limits, so plan ahead.

  • Transfers: Spots cannot be transferred without our approval.

 

âž¡ Read the full Waitlist & Deposit Agreement

We match puppies to families based on each puppy's temperament and each family's needs. Your preferences are always taken into account, but we make the final decision.

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At 7 weeks, we formally evaluate each litter's conformation and temperament. This is when we make our own picks for our program, and then match each remaining puppy to a family. Because we do not breed solely for the pet market, we appreciate your patience as we decide where each puppy will be placed.

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As for letting your puppy choose you: we understand the feeling, and it's a sweet one. But how a puppy acts during one short visit, when it may be sleepy, hungry, or has just finished playing, isn't a reliable read on who that puppy really is.

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One of the things we are most proud of is our skill at evaluating our puppies and matching each one with the best possible family. By 8 weeks, we have watched every puppy closely since birth. We have raised many litters, and because we own the dam, we know these lines and exactly what to look for. When a family is looking for a service dog prospect, we bring in a service dog trainer for a formal evaluation.

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Letting buyers pick in order of deposit, or selling the "pick" spot for a higher price is unethical and it is not a practice we can accommodate. Your preferences are always part of our matching, and the overwhelming result is a puppy chosen for your family by the people who know that puppy best.

  • When: Puppies go home starting at 8 weeks of age, in accordance with Connecticut State law. Please plan to pick up your puppy no later than 9 weeks of age unless other arrangements have been made with us. Not ready at 8–9 weeks? Many board-and-train options are available.

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  • Paperwork: Once your puppy is matched, we schedule a FaceTime or Google Meet Call to go over all of the paperwork: AKC registration papers, health record, veterinary exam certificate, microchip information, and our Sale Contract & Health Guarantee. Bringing home a puppy is exciting (and distracting!), so handling the paperwork ahead of time means pick-up day can be all about your puppy.

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  • What comes home: Every puppy goes home microchipped, up to date on vaccines and deworming, and with a health certificate from our Veterinarian. Each puppy is covered by our Sale Contract & Health Guarantee, which includes a 30-day return privilege and a lifetime genetic health warranty.

Yes! We can personally deliver a puppy anywhere in the United States or arrange for a trusted Flight Nanny. Contact us for more details.

We understand that breeders deserve scrutiny, and we welcome your questions. However, we are not able to accommodate visitors before pick-up day. Our puppies are raised in our home alongside our five young home-schooled children: hence our very busy schedule. We receive many inquiries every day and if we gave "tours" to everyone who asked, we would have time for nothing else.

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We take biosecurity very seriously: puppies must have limited exposure to bacteria and viruses before their first vaccines at 7 weeks of age, and bringing unfamiliar people in their space is stressful for our dogs, especially a mother who is pregnant or raising a litter.

 

Many of our litters are conceived by artificial insemination with a sire who may live anywhere in the country and some are whelped by co-owned dams who may have returned home by the time puppies are 8 weeks old. If the parents live with us, you are welcome to meet them on pick-up day!

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While we don't host visitors, keep these points in mind:

  • Our vet provides in-home services and is here often!

  • We hold a municipal kennel license and are subject to inspection by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, as well as by the American Kennel Club.

  • Several of our dogs are co-owned with other show breeders who are frequently in our home helping us evaluate puppies and dogs.

  • Many of our families come to us by referral from people who already have an Atlas puppy.

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You can see photos and videos of our puppy-raising setup on our website. Once you have a deposit on a puppy, we are happy to share photos, videos, and can accomodate FaceTime sessions so you can watch your puppy grow.

All companion puppies are sold on a non-breeding contract with AKC Limited Registration. Limited Registration is a tool breeders use to protect their breeding program.

 

We invite established breeders are to inquire, but show-quality puppies usually stay with us or go to breeders we already have a relationship with. 

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If you are brand new to Labradors and want to learn more about showing, sports, or breeding, we are always more than happy to educate and point you in the right direction to get involved in this hobby!

We have bred and placed many successful service dogs, and you are welcome to apply.

 

Keep in mind that service work is not the main goal of our program and we are very selective about placing puppies as service dog prospects.

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We do not personally train service dogs but can refer you to one of our trusted Service Dog trainers such as Centre Stage Dog Training.

There is only one breed standard for Labrador Retrievers. The terms "English & American" are outdated, incorrect terms - typically used by less than reputable breeders as marketing terms. The dogs we produce are what the general public often refers to as "English", but please understand that unless a dog was physically imported from and born in England, they are not actually "English".

 

Our dogs are correct, bred to standard, Labrador Retrievers that possess physical breed type as well as the hallmark Labrador temperament that our breed is known for.

 

There is a distinct split in our breed among conformation/companion bred dogs and field/hunting bred dogs. Although we do not agree that there should be a split since a well-bred Labrador should be able to do everything Labradors are known for, most strictly "field bred" dogs are not suitable for typical companion homes.

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These dogs have a much higher prey drive and do not usually posses the hallmark traits of the breed when it comes to the stocky physical attributes and easy going temperament.

Absolutely not. The only naturally occurring colors in our breed are black, yellow, and chocolate.

 

Dilute colors (silver, charcoal, champagne) trace back to crossbreeding with Weimaraners, usually several generations back, which is why these dogs can still test as purebred on breed tests that only cover three generations.

 

Dilute dogs are prone to serious health problems, most notably color dilution alopecia, which causes permanent, uncomfortable hair loss. They lack the Labrador's correct structure, double coat, "otter" tail and their easy-going temperament.

 

AKC registration does not prove a dilute dog is purebred and it is strictly forbidden for an ethical breeder to produce dogs that carry or express the dilute gene. All of our breeding dogs are tested clear of the dilute gene (D locus).

Health testing helps maximize the chances that your dog will be as healthy as possible. The Labrador Retriever Club and the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals decide the recommended health clearances for Labradors.

 

Before producing puppies, our breeding dogs complete:

  • Hips and Elbows: Passing hip grades are fair, good, and excellent; the only passing elbow grade is normal.

  • Eyes: Examined by a board-certified canine ophthalmologist yearly or every other year.

  • Heart: Echocardiogram by a board-certified canine cardiologist. An auscultation is NOT sufficient.

  • Genetic Panel: Exercise-Induced Collapse, Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis, Centronuclear Myopathy, Degenerative Myelopathy, Progressive Retinal Atrophy (prcd-PRA), Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1, Skeletal Dysplasia 2, and the dilute (D locus) gene.

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You may see that some dogs "carry" specific diseases. Carrier status means that the dog has one copy of a disease gene. Carriers are never affected by that disease and will never be diagnosed with it. Ethical breeders use genetic testing to pair a carrier with a clear mate, so no resulting puppies are affected. Removing carriers would shrink our breed's healthy gene pool and eliminate many outstanding dogs. If your puppy is a carrier, it has no effect on its life as your companion; it is only relevant in a breeding dog.

We offer boarding in our home exclusively for dogs we have bred and their well-behaved "siblings."

 

Boarding costs $70 per day, and is available on a very limited basis. Please contact us with questions or to book a stay at "Camp Atlas".

 

We do not currently offer training (aside from our Started Puppy Program), but we do have trusted relationships with the following trainers:

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Steadfast K9 Services - Bethel, CT

Centre Stage Dog Training - Wethersfield, CT

Mondio Pup, Inc. Dog Training - Dover Plains, NY

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