Chambray Labradors Q & A
















 

“How does the Partner’s Program work?”

The Partner’s Program For The Betterment of the Breed encompasses all the aspects necessary for producing, placing and competing in the conformation ring with Labradors .   Drawing on our 34-years involvement with the breed, we provide the environment for beginners, intermediates and advanced fanciers to take advantage of our expertise in all the areas necessary to be successful in the realm of dog shows. 

  1. Breeding (the Co-Breeders Program)

  2. Placement (the Puppy Placement Program)

  3. Competition (the Winning Edge® Show Management Program)

 Through our innovative Co-Breeders Program, top conformation quality dogs participate in producing the next generation of winners. Owners of these superior quality Labradors choose to participate in this program to draw on the vast knowledge about breeding, genetics and understanding of what is in the pedigrees of top producers. This program is open to anyone with a top conformation Labrador, as each dog is evaluated for those qualities and then must pass all clearances before they are considered for the program.

 The Puppy Placement Program, this is a very crucial element for success, the ability to evaluate and consistently select the top individual puppies from each litter. Then to take those show quality puppies and place them into selected homes and ownerships that will perpetuate the successes that are now well into the 6th generation. Puppies placed through our system come with the entire Guarantees, Amenities and Training Packages, not to mention the Lifetime Support System all of which are so highly sought after by breeders, exhibitors and new owners.

 The Winning Edgeâ Show Management Program By working with owners, breeders and exhibitors of all levels, we create the Winning Edgeâ in the show ring using the 4 elements needed for maximum success.

(see “The 4 Elements For Success In The Conformation Ring” in the Articles Section (coming soon)) 

v     Conformational Quality

v     Performance Training

v     Competitive Conditioning

v     Top-Notch Handling

 The Show Management Program offers owners, breeders and exhibitors of Labrador Retrievers a unique opportunity to take advantage of the services that are offered to create the most competitive dogs at the dog shows..

 By taking exceptional conformation quality dogs and training them to perform to their very best, then to raise the bar one level higher, condition those same dogs to compete “In working condition” as the breed standard calls for and then to wrap it all up in one package with the absolute best presentation through top-notch handling, you have created the Winning Edgeâ

 That is what the Show Management Program does, take a great example of the breed, put into it the 21 years of training experience that we have with Labrador Retrievers, then condition the dog and hone it as if it were an Olympic athlete and then take it into the show ring with Florida’s most successful handling program for Labradors* 

v     Titled more Labradors (5) than any handler in 2003*

v     Pointed more Labradors (14) than any other handling program in 2003*

 What is created is the Winning Edgeâ
  “Who can participate in the Partner’s Program?”

The Partners Program for the Betterment of the Breed is open to all who own or are looking to own a show quality Labrador Retriever and are into or would like to get into the dog show end of the breed.  We provide the entire environment for beginners, intermediates and even to advanced fanciers as each may participate in as much or as little as they choose to do. Some people may want to become handlers themselves, while others would like to hand over the leash and watch from ringside. There are those that would like to breed their dog and have the thrill of raising puppies, while others may not be so inclined or have the time and energy that puppies need and would rather have someone else do the raising.

Our complete services in this area include: 

  1. Stud dog selection for the bitch

  2. The actual breeding through natural breeding or artificial insemination.

  3. The well-care of the bitch in whelp

  4. The actual birthing process

  5. The raising of the pups to placement

  6. The placement of the pups

  7. All levels of training for the dogs

  8. Handler’s training for those that wish to handle their own dogs.

  9. Total Show Management of the dogs, including training, conditioning, traveling and presentation at the shows.

  10. Advertising and promotions

  11. Stud Dog Management for male dogs.

 Each person in the Partner’s Program is treated individually according to need. Each Partnership is unique according to participation. The one thing that all have in common is the love for the breed and the desire to maintain the highest standards for the breed. For more information on the different training and conditioning programs offered, go to the Winning Edge section.

The bottom line is that there are 3 ways to go about competing at the dog shows and each one has its' percentages of success.

  1. Do It Yourself method - here the breeder and/or owner shows up in the ring with a Conformational Quality dog, has Trained the dog to  Perform, has Conditioned the dog to a Competitive level and can match their Top-Notch Handling Skills against the top handler/professionals in the business. Very rewarding when you ever win.

           Success Rate: Hit & Miss, mostly Miss & Miss

  1. The Handed Over To A Professional method - here you realize that the competitive end of the business is way beyond your level of training, conditioning and skillful handling and you let a professional handler ply his trade with your dog. This is very costly and not as rewarding.

           Success Rate: Good and Costly

  1. The Partner's Program method - here you join in with the most successful program for winning (most Labradors titled and most Labradors pointed in 2003 in Florida and once again, leading the pack in 2004!!!). Very rewarding to be part of a successful effort for the Betterment of the Breed and of course consistent winning has its merits.

           Success Rate: The Best (Florida)

 
  “How does someone know if they would benefit from the Partners Program?”

There is nothing more concrete and solidifying than testimonials from those that have benefited from this unique format for the Betterment of the Breed. The best advertising in the world is "word of mouth" from satisfied clients. Consult with any of the associates listed in the Partners Program Directory, some of these fine folk have been with the program for years, some for over a decade!

There are many levels and forms at which partners and associates participate in. The following are just a few examples of the different arrangements with some of the associates in the program.

  • Placement of a New Puppy - the purchase of a Show Potential puppy from the Puppy Placement Program is the most common way to join in on the Partners Program. Each of these highly sought after puppies comes with the most complete owner's package ever offered by a breeder. These include; Show Quality Guarantee, Lifetime Temperament Guarantees, Genetic Guarantees, Health Guarantees, Micro chip and Lifetime Lost & Found Notification Network, Lifetime Support System, Unlimited Training Classes, Unlimited Private At-Kennel Training, Unlimited Handlers Training, CGC Training & Testing, Basic & Advanced Obedience Training and our exclusive Travel/Care/Handling Package. The entire New Owners Package is listed elsewhere on the Website and is always available for download. It is cast in stone, in bold letters for all to see and read. No fine print and very few exceptions. Our goal is to produce the absolute best in soundness, temperament and in conformational quality our mission is to guarantee and support those puppies for their lifetime.
  • Placement of a Developed Dog - the placement of a started, developed Show Quality dog is another way new and existing associates benefit from the Program. There are several ways that we arrive at these "started dogs.
  • 1) Exceptional puppies from high-potential litters are kept and "Grown Up" at our home with the Development program. These puppies are trained and conditioned until the right situation comes along for the them and then placed with those individuals that value the Conformational Quality, the Performance Training and the Competitive Conditioning of the dog.
  • 2) Exceptional puppies/dogs from our associate's breeding programs are brought into the training, conditioning and handling environment until they have reached a high level of competitiveness and then placed with interested individuals that recognize and appreciate a top conformational show dog that has been trained and conditioned with the Winning Edge program.
  • An Owner's Dog - these are dogs already owned by owners, breeders and exhibitors who wish to take advantage of  all the different programs offered by the Partner's Program. These dogs are evaluated for Conformational Quality and may be accepted into the program according to their value for the Betterment of the Breed and their potential contribution to the Partners Program. They may participate in any or all of the programs offered, from Training, Conditioning, Handling to Breeding and Placement of the puppies.

 

  • Professional Handling & Presentation of Dogs - We offer our services to Conformational Quality dogs worthy of being in the show ring, that can be competitive and that have the potential to be winners with the right management team behind them. We show dogs from all kennels and breeders from across the country, as each is given the absolute best in Training, Conditioning and in Top-Notch handling.

 

“ I bought a show quality dog from a show kennel, can I have it evaluated for participation in the Partners Program ?”

Conformational Quality is of the utmost importance in our consideration of a dog into the Program, however soundness is paramount before we decide whether a dog will contribute to the Betterment of the Breed. The dog should have all its clearances appropriate for its age. Hip and elbow X-rays and eye exams should be performed, before spending time and energy in pursuing any activities in either showing or breeding. On puppies and young dogs, simple evaluations are performed to determine any structural deviations or actual faults. On dogs older than a year old, a very thorough examination and evaluation will be performed. The statistics here for a dog to receive a favorable evaluation is not very high, only 1 out of 10 brought to us actually receives a thumbs up, with very few getting the 2 thumbs up that I would consider to be a dog worthy of perpetuating the breed by either competing at the dog show level or by breeding to produce the next generation of Conformational Quality dogs.

 

“ I am a bit cautious about contracts."

Oh, did I mention that there are no contracts. Yes, you read right, NO CONTRACTS. Each and every participating partner, associate, co-breeder and client need not have a contract to have a WORKING AGREEMENT with us.

A Working Agreement is very simple and works on the premise that whatever we work on together will be for the Betterment of the Breed

  • we work together on a project as long as all involved are benefiting.
  • we do what we each says they are going to do
  • we take all the due credits together when we succeed
  • we remain loyal throughout the entire process

Associations and Partnerships work as long as those involved make them work. It is a 50-50 Proposition, you get what you put into it. One thing is 100% for sure with each and every one of the Working Agreements that I am part of:

  1. I always will do my part.
  2. I will always do what I say I will do.
  3. I will always look out for your benefit in the arrangement
  4. I will always be loyal to each and every Partner and Associate.

For Partnerships to work, the 50-50 Proposition has to work both ways. The participant must do their part, so the following is vital:

  1. Total understanding of the project is a must.
  2. Once put into motion, the Game Plan must be followed.
  3. The Working Agreement is only between the 2 parties at hand....ALL others have OTHER agendas!
  4. Loyalty to the Partnership is paramount.

Any deviations to any of the numbered criteria, especially 5 through 8 could cause the ship to stray of course or worse yet, sink it entirely!

I wish that I could tell you that all Working Agreements and Partnerships have sailed on to new discoveries, but that's not reality.

  1. Lack of understanding of the project is sometimes an issue because of the complexities of the Dog Show World, so some due clarifications along the way might be in order. Since some of the associates are new to the dog world scene at times they are given contradictory and confusing information by others outside the Partners Program. It is at this time that clarifications are in order.
  2. Straying of course sometimes delays the journey, making it a longer one than planned. All sorts of obstacles will present themselves along the journey. The ability to assess and make the necessary corrections will straighten out most route deviations.
  3. The Dog Show World is a "DOG EAT DOG" environment and there are a lot of dogs out there! I need not say more about this criteria.
  4. Lack of Loyalty has sank many a ship..........this is one that I am very particular about these days. If I am to commit to a working relationship with anyone, I expect that person to commit to the relationship in a like manner.

Since the Partners Program commits to many different people, all with the Betterment of the Breed in mind, preservation of the entire program is important. An individual within the program, needs to be able to maintain the proper decorum to be representative of the mission: Betterment of the Breed, first and foremost.

So, for those folk that giving their "word" still means something, like in the good old days, then this is the place to come and share our passion and expertise on the breed, where together we can make a difference for the Betterment of the Breed.

 

“ We are totally new to show dogs ."

"We are beginners", "I have a few dogs", "I have been breeding Labradors for a while now"

Say no more, in the last 34 years with Labradors I have been down all these roads myself. These are statements that repeat themselves countless times by E-mail, at the dog shows and by phone from hundreds of interested people a year. The only difference with my experiences is that the levels of communications were in the dark ages back in the 70's and 80's when I first started with Labradors. Also, to be honest, there were very few breeders with the capacity or expertise to offer all that is offered through our Partners Program. So it makes no difference at what level anyone is right now to be able to take advantage of the different programs that comprise the Partners Program.

We have people join us that are just getting started and we several breeders that have been into Labradors for 20 years or more. There are several people that have been with the program a decade or more, while we have several that just started out with a "show puppy". All have one several things in common:

  • Love for the breed
  • An interest in learning
  • Joining a winning program
  • All for the betterment of the breed
 

For more information email us at labs@chambraylabradors.com
Call at 305 232-5227 or see us personally at any of the dogs shows in Florida and some in Georgia