chromefish,

I was in your exact position 10 years ago. I had a yellow lab with some great lines who showed tons of promise in the field. A few of my hunting partners really enjoyed her temperment and abilities and so I decided to 'share' her with them via breeding. I had her hips ofa'd and her eyes cert'd (there is a great vet down in the u district that can do this if you are interested). I also built a welping box which certainly helped keep some sanity before they were big enough to climb out.

After that came the big question you just faced, which male. I got a little lucky in that a friend had bought a nice lab from a breeder up north. I spoke with the breeder and ended up using one of her champ males as the stud.

With labs, the litter size can be a few up to 14+. My gal threw 10 pups. I had their shots started and dew claws removed. With the great lineage, the extra pups were easily placed via the Seattle Times and I seriously doubt I hurt the lab blood lines.

This was a great experience for those that were around it and very enjoyable. It sounds like you have done your homework and are well on your way down the right path. I wish you nothing but success with it, I think you will really enjoy the whole process. I think breeders typically do a nice job but there are plenty of them that run modified puppy mills as well. I believe responsible private party breeders can do every bit as good a job.

CWU, I understand (I think) where you were coming from here but it was a bit much. Having done this myself, I found myself biting my lip while reading. No offense, but wisdom is learned over years, advise is learned in minutes.