Our Work
and the Difference We are Trying to Make
At Mo Ghra' Labrador, we take pride in our unique approach to breeding, focusing on the well-being (the Physical) and temperament (the Mental Health) of our beloved Labradors. We invite you to explore our story and discover what makes us the perfect choice for your next furry family member.
English Labs- Were breed more for show rings & occasional group game hunts. Very calm demeanor good for walks & cuddles. How ever have a hard time keeping up with PNW families. Nicknamed (Bench Labs)​
American Labs- Are sleeker with a higher energy level for longer harder hunts & can swim for hours they are athletes with enthusiasm for exercise constantly. Thus can be over whelming for a working family. Nicknamed (Field Labs)​
Our Difference is balance! We want a calm family member during the work week, but once the weekend arrives they are ready for the adventure hike or whatever the family is doing. Our dogs snuggles and naps with the professionals until the weekend and then they need some fun and adventuring. British Labs Nicknamed (Off Switch labs)
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Our Labs Also run on the smaller side females being 50-55 pounds and males running 60-65 pounds with physical attributes of both English and American. With the genetic diversity that we pull from our goal is healthier dogs !
Why we don't remove the Dewclaw -A New Perspective on an Old Adage -Form Follows Function.
Dewclaws provide extra stability and leg stabilization when they’re running
Dogs use their dewclaws in tough environmental conditions.
Give a dog a bone and you’ll see him use his dewclaws for manipulation. The paw and claw combination resembles our hand and fingers. The dewclaw functions as the thumb.
Potential to mitigate injury over the long hall by supporting the elbow and shoulder.
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M. Christine Zink, DVM, PhD, DACVSMR, is a veterinarian with Johns Hopkins University, has extensively studied dewclaws. Her research suggests that dewclaws are essential to a dog’s mobility. The dewclaw digs into the ground and prevent the legs from twisting and torquing which enhances and strengthens forward movement. As a result, she believes that dewclaws should NOT be removed. When a dog runs, the entire foot, from the carpus to the toes, contacts the ground. If the dog then turns, it can dig the dewclaw (the equivalent of our thumb) into the ground to stabilize the leg and reduce torque on the rest of the leg. Further more this in the long run may help with arthritis and joint pain. There are two major tendons that connect muscles of the lower limb to the dewclaw. Of course, that means that if you cut off the dewclaws, the major muscle bundles that will become atrophied from disused. Thus, for dogs it is best for the dewclaws not to be amputated. If you want to know what it’s like then try doing pushups with just four fingers. It’s not as easy as it is with five, is it?
Hips - Good
Elbows - Normal
Eyes - Normal
Heart - Normal
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We challenge you to find another breeder doing all the genetic DNA testing we do. 21 different tests. We use Paw Print Genetics laboratories for our testing.
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Positive Reinforcement Train
Absolutely Positively Gundog Training, Milner
Diamond Naturals Extreme Athlete is specifically formulated with optimal levels of protein, fat and whole grain to fuel your hard-working dog. Omega fatty acids and antioxidants help support ideal muscle condition, helping your dog stay active, strong and fit. - Ideal for highly active and sporting dogs- Chicken and rice formula- Optimal levels of protein and fat- Enhanced with super foods and probiotics- No corn, no wheat, no soy
But as long as you do your research that is what is key https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/labrador-retrievers/
Master’s Voice offers four unique training systems to meet the needs of you and your dogs. Our systems can be used to treat and prevent gunshyness, cure noiseshyness, and sooth your dogs.
Through a process called systematic desensitization, the Master's Voice dog training system will gradually expose your dog to offending noise, counter-conditioning the dog. Meanwhile, through the process of extinguishing, the system uses calming music to erase negative behaviors your dog has learned.
Early scent introduction (ESI) is a training program for puppies designed to enhance their ability to identify and react to specific scents. Everyday we introduce a strong scent to the puppy for brief intervals and record the puppy’s reaction. The reaction is considered to be positive when the puppy shows interest in the scent, moving toward it. A negative reaction is recorded when the puppy tries to get away from the scent. And finally, when a puppy is neither interested nor disinterested in the scent, this is a neutral reaction.
For practical purposes, these results mean the potential for even better companion, service, and therapy dogs. Scent abilities are often very important.
Service dogs can also use scent to identify the early stages of diabetic reaction, or the onset of a seizure. All these skills enhanced by ESI. Of course, not all dogs are going to be service or therapy animals.
The ENS program was developed by the US Military as part of their “bio-sensor” or “super puppy” program, and further studied and popularized by Dr. Carmen Battaglia.The ENS program involves five different exercises done with each puppy once a day. Puppies are tickled on the bottom of their paws and between their toes. They are held straight with their tails down, held upside down with their tails up, laid on their backs, and placed on a cold washcloth. The program recommends staying in each position for 3-5 seconds. This is so the brief changes are enough to stimulate the puppies’ brains but not enough to stress them out too much.ENS is done while the puppies are in their early developmental stage. The stage that follows early development is their socialization period, which is another critical stage to ensure puppies grow and adapt as optimally as possible. ENS helps prepares them for their socialization period, when they learn how to interact with and trust humans, other dogs, and other species. Using ENS, we ensure your puppies have the emotional development to handle and meet the challenges of socialization.We choose to use the ENS method developed by Dr. Battaglia because it helps produce dogs who have greater tolerance of stress throughout their lifetimes. They also have more resistance to disease, a more responsive adrenal system, and a stronger heart rate and heartbeat. The methods we use are proven by science and experience to promote the best outcomes for our puppies.