Russford Labradors

06/16/2024

Happy 10th Birthday to Laney! CH Harbor Run’s All For Leyna at Russford CGC TKN RN

I can’t believe she’s 10 years old. She’s been such a big part of our lives for the past decade. Laney has been on so many adventures, but now she gets to enjoy her retirement on the couch with a nice steak for dinner. Happy Birthday sweet girl! ❤️

05/02/2024

Chocolate puppy available with our friends at Rimfire Retrievers! We have no plans for puppies until late 2024/early 2025.

*She has a home pending pickup! Thanks for all the shares and inquiries!*

This cute chocolate chunk is searching for a family to call her own! Her littermates leave this weekend and she is ready to go.
Vet checked, first shots, age appropriate deworming, microchipped, AKC limited registration.

04/23/2024

We have no chocolate puppies in our future for quite some time. If you’re looking for a chocolate puppy, take a look Rimfire Retrievers!

03/04/2024

Gotcha weekend for the Triton x Jovi pups is in the books. We met two new fabulous families, and had one of our prior Russford families come back for their second pup! We wish all great things for River, Louie and Oliver and can’t wait to see what’s in store for each of them. Thank you to their families for preparing over the last several months, and for trusting us with raising your new family members. We loved this litter so much we thought one should stick around - yellow girl is joining the family!

02/28/2024

When you finally welcome your 8 week old puppies, please keep this picture in mind. Their bones aren’t even touching yet. They walk so beautifully with big, flexible legs and bench movements because their joints are made up entirely of cartilage, muscles, tendons and ligaments covered with skin. Nothing is well adjusted or has real grip yet.

When you make them run excessively or don't limit their exercise to prevent them from overdoing during that time, you're not giving them the chance to grow properly. Every big jump or bounce and excited run creates bone-breaking impacts.
In reasonable quantities, this is not problematic and normal wear and tear will do.

But when you let the puppy jump off the couch or bed, take him for long walks, you damage this joint in training. When you let the puppy move on slippery tiles, you damage the joint.

You only get once to make them grow up. A well built body is something that comes from excellent upbringing and good education. BOTH , not just one

Once you’re an adult, you’ll have the rest of your life to spend playing and engaging in high-impact exercises. So keep him calm while he is still young and give him the gift that can only be given once.
Shared from Clinique Vetérinaire Vetolistic - Dr. Marie Eve Cresci

02/18/2024

The Triton x Jovi pups are seven weeks old. Puppy matchups are coming soon ❤️ We’re so excited for each of their futures - there are big things in store for these little ones! 🥰🐾

01/05/2024

“Don’t Buy A Dog From Me”

*What reputable breeders want you to know*

If you want to buy a dog and walk away, don’t buy one from me.

If you want to pick a puppy because it came to you when you sat down or gave you a cute look, don’t buy one from me.

If you don’t want to take my recommendations on what food to feed or what is best for the health and well being of the dog, after years of experience, don’t buy a dog from me.

If you just want a puppy NOW, because you need it for a Christmas gift or to be in Senior Pictures, don’t buy one from me.

If you never plan to update me on how the dogs is doing or send a picture once in a while, don’t buy a dog from me.

If you want a dog to live in the backyard, run loose on a farm and never share time in the house with your family, definitely don’t buy a dog from me.

If you want a lawn ornament, you can buy one made of cement or plaster, not much care needed.

However, if you want a puppy that has parents with health testing, that was socialized, loved and made a priority from the day it was born.

A puppy whose temperament and activity level has been carefully chosen to fit your lifestyle.

A puppy selectively and purposefully bred to the standard set forth by our breed club, then maybe you do want to buy a dog from me.

If you want a breeder who will at anytime in the dog’s life take them back, no questions asked.

A breeder who is there 24/7 for you and your dog for questions and concerns and will work hard to help you resolve any issues.

Then you might want to buy a dog from me.

If you want a breeder who loves each puppy/dog with all her heart, considers you part of the family and will laugh or cry with you at any time. Well then we might be a match.

Reputable breeders should never be lumped in with puppy mills, backyard breeders or those who broker dogs. A reputable breeder will be able to provide clearances, a five generation pedigree, an explanation as to why they bred the two dogs.

Most of the time they will make little or no money. What money they might get is reinvested into the dogs one way or another.

A reputable breeder knows their dogs, and can realistically tell you what to expect and when. They can guide you toward veterinarians, training facilities and products that will benefit your dog.

A reputable breeder will be your friend, a guiding hand and a strong shoulder. So whatever choice you make, make it with the best interest of the dog in mind and if that’s not your plan….. then don’t buy a dog from me.

Author unknown

01/02/2024

Welcome babies! Just before the end of the year we welcomed a beautiful litter of Triton x Jovi babies. We are so excited to watch this litter grow! No puppies available.

12/25/2023

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
🎄❤️🐾

12/23/2023

12/19/2023

For families searching for an older dog, or for chocolates (we won’t have chocolates for many years) take a look at this handsome guy looking for his forever retirement home!

12/03/2023

We had a heartfelt moment at our Thanksgiving dinner this year.

My niece and nephew have visited a few times each year since they were born, and they know each of the dogs in our family. Bella was easy to remember, since she was "the brown one!" They haven't been to New York to visit since this summer though, before Bella passed away in September at 14 years old.

When they arrived at the house, my four year old niece noticed someone was missing, and asked "Where is Bella?"

Her parents gently reminded her that Bella died, but was in heaven now. At the thought of Bella running around up in heaven she exclaimed “Oh… cool!” And that was that.

Later that evening, we asked if my niece wanted to say grace for Thanksgiving dinner. She was so excited! She sat at the kids' table with her brother, hands folded, eyes closed, and waited for everyone in the room to be silent. The adults all waited to hear what she'd say.

Her little voice began: "Dear God...” and she paused. “Thank you for taking good care of Bella in heaven."

She said thank you for our meal, our family, and our Christmas presents too, but that first line brought tears to the eyes of more than one adult at the table.

How lucky we were to have Bella in our lives. And how blessed we continue to be, to have innocent children in our family to love each of our dogs.

12/02/2023

Feeding pets to obesity isn’t fair. A healthy weight means a healthier, happier life for your pets.

Lets talk kidneys for a second. Both of these are cat kidneys. The right kidney was from a cat of healthy weight. The left kidney was from a very very overweight cat. All of his organs were covered in fat. There’s certainly some other underlying problems that would cause the kidney to be enlarged to this degree, but please use this as a PSA that fat pets are not cute. They’re incredibly unhealthy and will develop a myriad of problems from being overfed.
*posted with owners’ permission to spread awareness

11/28/2023

Canine Respiratory Illness has been reported from coast to coast. Cases have been reported locally; in some cases, otherwise healthy dogs are succumbing to the disease.

This is not the time to drop in for play dates, visiting dog parks or doggy day care. Boarding in kennel environments should be avoided.

When visiting the vet, wait in the car until it’s time to be seen - avoid spending time in the waiting room with sick pets.

If your dog has any symptoms - absolutely do not bring them around other dogs! Consult your veterinarian on next steps.

11/17/2023

Death cap mushrooms, introduced to the Rochester area decades ago, may have caused the death of a resident's weeks-old puppy last month.

11/11/2023

⚠️ RECALL EXPANDED:

All Victor brand dry dog and cat foods, along with Wayne Feeds, Eagle Mountain and Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club brand) dog foods with best buy dates before 10/31/24 have been recalled due to potential salmonella contamination. If you feed any of these, check the best by dates, and discard any unused product. Contact your retailer for how to receive any refunds.

https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mid-america-pet-food-expands-voluntary-recall-include-additional-dog-and-cat-food-products-due

10/07/2023

Laney, Jovi and Tilly had a great time at Wine Country. Laney and Tilly placed well in all of their classes, and Jovi went Select for another major! We’re already looking forward to next year.

09/20/2023

Dogs are not machines, and any repetitive, high impact activity can cause injury. Our dogs get 5 good throws when playing fetch and then we move on to another activity. Most dogs do not know when to “quit” and would go all day if you let them!

As your dog retrieves the first...second...third...maybe fifth or sixth ball, his muscles start to tire and soon they reach overload, where they no longer can fully control and support your dog's movements. Now, when your dog does those amazing athletic maneuvers to snag the ball, soft tissues like the cranial cruciate ligament, iliopsoas muscle and tendon, and the muscles and ligaments that support the vertebrae are overstretching. Minor tears are occurring. Now the ball is thrown 10, 12 times or more and ultimately your dog lies down, exhausted.

That period between when your dog's muscles are in overload, and when your dog lies down exhausted, is the injury zone (Figure 1). But remember, with all that adrenaline, your dog doesn't feel the injuries happening, so you have no idea that the tissues are being used beyond their capacity.

When this game is repeated day after day, month after month, the small tissue tears become large ones, and suddenly it becomes evident that your dog is in pain and has an injury. Of course, it hasn't been sudden at all-what seemed sudden is just the final result of repeated stress and strain until the tissues gave way.

Chris Zink DVM
Discovering Your Dog

09/05/2023

Recall of Victor 5lb bags!

Keep up with VICTOR company news, formula updates, events and so much more.

08/26/2023

Happy National Dog Day!! 🐾❤️

08/15/2023

Today is your annual reminder to check your pet’s microchip!

If the information registered to the chip isn’t kept up-to-date, you risk not be reunited with your pet. Checking the chip is easy!

Ask your vet to scan the chip and be sure the chip hasn’t migrated, or if you don’t have the chip number in your records they can provide it to you.

Check with the company you enrolled the chip with to be sure the contact information is accurate. Our puppies are all registered with Microchip ID/My Buddy ID company (until 2020) and with AKC Reunite (2020 on).

And if you don’t have your pet microchipped yet… it’s time!

07/14/2023

Straight from the heart ❤️ no one has a crystal ball. Love your dogs, and care for them in the best ways possible!

07/13/2023

07/10/2023

Eyes that are speaking without saying a word.
©️ John D. Jackson

07/04/2023

Happy Fourth of July!! 🇺🇸🐾❤️💙

07/02/2023

Keep your pups indoors for the 4th!

06/29/2023

As we approach the holiday weekend, do your pups a favor and leave them safe at home! They won’t miss the parades and fireworks, we promise. Make sure your yards are secure and their microchip information is updated too. Celebrate safely! 🎆🎇🇺🇸🐾

06/28/2023

Happy 14th Birthday to our dear sweet Bella! One of the original “fab four” in our family, Bella was born into our first litter in 2009 to our girl Lucy. She is smart as a whip, always happily working hard for her people. Whether it was obedience, rally, therapy work, trick dog, Junior handling, agility, or her favorite - fetch - she was always up for something new, with a smile on her face. She even had one litter with a few long haired puppies. Bella is an old gal now, and spends most of her days snoring and cuddling with the next senior dog at home (or the cat!) but we’re so thankful to have her here with us today. Happy Birthday sweet girl!