Breeder's General Comments on the Litter:

This litter is Tory's second. I had not intended upon breeding Tory a second time, however, when I saw "Cody" while he was being exhibited the summer of 1996, I admired him greatly and thought a cross between him and Tory would work well on many levels. Because Tory is a small bitch, I had been very surprised that she delivered nine healthy puppies in her first litter, I was, therefore, equally if not more surprised with the twelve she delivered this time. If the number of babies wasn’t enough to shock me, the early arrival and birth in my downstair’s closet was a "first" for me, and though I often look forward to new experiences, this wouldn’t have been one of them. I am just thankful that the whelping went smoothly without any complications.

I am very pleased on how this litter has turned out to this point and am extremely interested in knowing how all the puppies mature. Despite the number of puppies whelped, all the puppies' weights were uniform, with birth weight averaging 5-7 oz.. The subsequent growth of the puppies over the past weeks has been moderate with current average weights of about 5 lbs 8 oz for the females and about 6 lbs for the males. These weights are average with those of Tory’s last litter, however, lower than those litters whelped by her mom, Rogue, where the weights ranged from 12 lbs up to 16 lbs in the 7th week (at birth, Rogue’s puppies, both litters averaging 6 puppies, usually weigh around 1 lb each). This doesn't surprise me, however, and I have fewer concerns about the soundness of this litter on a whole. Usually, the larger the puppies and the more accelerated the growth, the greater the risk for bone disorders. Therefore, I feel that this litter will probably not have an increased risk of developing hip dysplasia, osteochondritis dissecans, etc.

I am very pleased with the "expression" of these pups. They have the classic Labrador head-- the friendly, kind expression. On the average, front ends are well-formed and straight, shoulders could be set back a little more; some puppies are a little straighter in the shoulder than I prefer. Top lines are straight, some a little longer than others, but most of the pups appear well-balanced. Rear angulation in this litter is moderate; some of the pups are straighter in the stifle (knee) than I prefer. Tails are longer than proper length (just touching the hock) in some of the pups; some are carrying their tail a little too high, but this may correct itself as the pups get older. Temperament is perfection in this litter. Usually a breeder will find one or two pups a little standoffish, but these pups are people-oriented and attention-seeking. They are inquisitive and extremely attentive. Trainability should receive high-ratings in this litter.

• Litter Pedigree
• Madison 58K
• Holling 58K
• Jake 68K
• Wishbone 64K
• Casey 72K
• Saranac 56K
• Hayley 69K
• Morgan 90K
• Sunny 85K
• Arthur 64K
• Rocky 84K
• Annie 39K
• More Litter Pics

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  (Copyright 1997 Pamela A. Davol)