van Dalen Labradors

The dog house!

We have a small sized show kennel of Labrador Retriever. I have been breeding pure breed dogs and participating in dog shows and events for more than 30 years. I've own, bred and shown other breeds, such as Belgian sheepdogs, Golden retrievers, Bassett Hound and Shar Pei.

My easy going and always happy English type Labrador Retrievers are my companions, and they are a pleasure to live with. My bloodlines are very laid back, and very trainable; yes, they are also very pretty!

I show them in conformation, and work in obedience. I also breed a few litters a year with the sole purpose of improving the breed, and keep a puppy or two.

Most of my puppies will go to pet homes as wonderful family companions. These puppies are sold with limited registration, some others will go as obedience and weekend hunting partners. Very few will go to approved show homes with friends that share my passion. I do not place puppies with open registration with people I don't know. If you are new to the dog shows and wish to get involved with a show puppy, go to the shows, and talk to the different breeders.

My commitment as a responsible breeder and as a veterinarian is, first and foremost, to provide a healthy puppy that will be enjoyed by its new family for a very long time. In order to produce a show dog who will also be a working partner and an excellent companion, I also emphasize my breeding program in temperament and type.

My breeding boys and girls are all checked, tested and/or certified to be free from genetic diseases or disorders. I check my breeding stock For hips, elbows, eyes, Knees, and heart. They are cleared through OFFA and CERF. We also test for PRA and EIC. They are socialized and temperament tested prior to the first breeding. No aggression, excessive shyness or hyper temperament is kept in our bloodlines. Trainability is a must for my Labs.

I'm definitely not a backyard breeder. I keep in my home around 10 dogs and some puppies and hopefuls, and of course, our retired couch potatoes.

All my dogs have access to the house. They eat and sleep indoors, and the rest of the time they enjoy the outdoors in our large back yard.

Each of my litters are planned way ahead of time, even years. Researching pedigrees takes me as much time as raising a litter. Each litter is the product of hours and hours of research and hard work.

If you want to see all this in person, come and give us a visit. You might even get lucky and see some of these things: