Dam: Orion's Wingmaster AKC Reg. No.: SR77842603 |
Sire: Cashman’s They Call Me the Seeker AKC: SR72892002 DOB: 05/08/2012 Weight: 65 lbs OFA: Excellent LR-210113E26M-VP Elbows: LR-EL64140M26-VPI Normal PENNHIP: .31; .23 90 percentile CERF: Normal LR-2708/18M-VPI EIC,CNM & PRA: Clear by Parentage |
As a breeder I strive to produce Labs that embody the traits I value. I was truly blessed when Remi (Orion’s Wingmaster) arrived in May of 2013. She demonstrates nearly every trait I want in an Orion Labrador. Her temperament is wonderful! She’s outgoing and self-confident, very people oriented, loves children, has tons of drive, and birdiness galore; all of which is tempered by the desire to please her master. In the house and kennel she’s relaxed and quiet; something that’s becoming uncommon among field bred Labs. Remi’s physical conformation is excellent! She has a compact, soundly built, well-balanced body which is clothed with an excellent coat. Her head is classic Labrador . . . beautiful! And she sports a true otter tail; a rarity among field bred Labs these days. To top it off her abilities in the field are impressive. She’s a great marking dog with an excellent nose who has the tenacity to dig out the tough birds. She has an excellent memory on marks and is cooperative in the field; she’s a real team player. The closer I get to my ideal Labrador the harder it is to find a stud dog worthy of using in my breeding program. Being blessed with a gift such as Remi, I knew I couldn’t breed her to just any dog. Her mate had to be a great Labrador who’s able to contribute his own superior traits and not detract from the rare confluence of virtues Remi possesses. I found such a dog in Minnesota at Cashman Kennels. His name is Seeker. http://www.cashmankennels.com/S__Seeker.html I’ve known Karen Cashman for several years and we tend to favor a similar type of Labrador. When Karen first introduced me to Seeker she said, “This is my special dog”. Karen’s been breeding field Labradors for many years and she’s produced some exceptional dogs. When she says Seeker is “special”, that means something to me! Seeker isn’t your typical field-bred Labrador. He’s got a blocky head and is squarely built with a wonderful balance that’s sound and functional. He’s a beautiful Labrador retriever! Here’s what Karen has to say about Seeker’s temperament: Seeker is the quality of Labrador that anyone would be proud to own. He is extremely calm, quiet, attentive and very easy to live with in the house and kennel. He loves to be with all dogs and people. But when you are hunting or training he will not quit. The focus, drive and intensity is second to none. He is an exceptional marker, great water dog and pointed everything at seven weeks old. His trainers have seen what we have been noticing all along. A great balance between high drive, intelligence, and easy to live with. I’m extremely excited about the planned breeding of Seeker and Remi! Both dogs personify my image of an Orion Labrador retriever. Physically they’re both solidly built, well balanced dogs of moderate size who possess classic Labrador heads, good coats, and nice otter tails. Their size and build is ideal for a working retriever and they possess the talent in the field you’d expect from top field bred Labradors. Although they’re both young and still working on their hunt test titles, I have no doubt they possess the natural field abilities needed in the duck blind or in the upland field. As I write this in May of 2015 Seeker has passed two AKC Master hunt tests and Remi has passed four UKC Started hunt tests. Both dogs should earn hunt test titles before they are bred this fall. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the health clearances for Seeker and Remi. Both dogs have had their hips evaluated using the PennHip method and both received exceptional scores which placed Seeker in the 90th percentile and Remi in the >90th percentile. Additionally, Seeker has OFA Excellent Hips and Normal Elbows, is CERF Clear, and is EIC, CNM, and PRA clear by parentage. Remi just turned two years of age and will be getting her Elbows and Eyes cleared very soon. She is also EIC, CNM, and PRA clear by parentage, though we will soon be getting her tested for those as well as for RD/OSD so she will have her own clearance numbers. Therefore, I expect both parents to have complete up-to-date health clearances before they are bred. So, if you’re looking for a Black or Yellow Labrador who has
the complete package; talent in the field and a calm relaxed temperament
in the house which is contained in a sound physical package that’s
classic Labrador I urge you to reserve one of these special puppies
before they’re all spoken for! You may contact me for additional
information or to schedule a visit at: jeff@orionlabradors.com |
Orion Puppy Care
Superior nutrition for the dam and her pups is essential to insure that they are able to express their full genetic potential, so our mothers and puppies are nourished with Orijen dog food. I believe it is the best quality commercial dry dog food available. It is expensive, but your puppy only grows up once! I believe he deserves an opportunity to be all he can be.
Proper socialization and environmental enrichment is important in raising puppies. When young puppies are exposed to a variety of people and new stimuli they more readily adapt to new experiences they encounter when they are grown. One tool I use expose the puppies to new sounds is a CD entitled “Puppy Socialization Sounds”. Another is “Master’s Voice Gundog Conditioning System” which gradually conditions puppies to the sound of gunfire. I also spend a great deal of time interacting with my puppies on a daily basis and I recruit children and adults of all ages, shapes, and sizes to visit my kennel when the pups are ready for socializing. I provide a variety of toys for them to play with and we allow the pups to frolic in the yard. My flower beds may look weedy to most people, but to a puppy they are a wilderness that’s just his size; a place to explore where discovery and adventure waits behind every leaf! The great amount of time spent with each puppy and the variety of stimuli they receive helps them to become confident, well adjusted dogs when they mature.
Orion pups are treated for intestinal parasites at three, five, and seven weeks of age. The pups will also have their eyes examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist before they are sent home to ensure that they are free of congenital eye defects. When you purchase an Orion puppy you will receive a written thirty-month guarantee against hip dysplasia and hereditary eye disease. They receive their first vaccinations at seven to eight weeks of age. I recommend and follow the vaccination guidelines outlined at the following website:
www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/VaccineGuidelines06Revised.pdf
In addition to providing quality nutrition, socialization, medical care, and environmental enrichment I provide our pups with “early neurological stimulation” (ENS). This series of stimuli was developed by the U.S. military for their “Bio Sensor” program which is used to produce guard dogs, bomb detection dogs, and other canines used in the military. ENS is designed to stimulate the nervous systems of neonatal pups with mild stressors. Dogs who received ENS as puppies show improved cardiovascular performance, stronger heart beats, stronger adrenal glands, a greater tolerance to stress, and greater disease resistance. Studies have also shown that dogs who received ENS performed better at certain problem solving tests than their non-stimulated mates. This is just another example of the measures I take to provide our pups with the ultimate in care, so that you can have the ultimate Labrador puppy!
Orion puppies aren’t allowed to leave their littermates until they are 8 weeks old. They learn numerous canine social lessons when interacting with their siblings which are impossible to replicate at a later time. Pups need to be with their littermates longer than seven weeks in order to acquire all of the needed canine social graces.
