Backwoods Labradors

My name is Heather Ward and I am an Ohio native with a passion for all animals.  I have had animals of all kinds from the time I was little.  I currently have Field Bred. American  Labrador Retrievers. We have 6 females in our breeding program (Bang, Laila, Pepper, Bonnie, Karma, and Zara), several upcoming girls (Frankie,& Sadie, and Fendi), and 5 males (Boone(neutered), Bo, Maverick(neutered), Wesson, and Diesel).  I am a Marshall University PharmD graduate.  We also have our retired girls (Bayleigh, Bella, & Dixie). 

​

We are a family oriented breeder located in Lucasville, Ohio. We are dedicated to responsibly preserving and improving the health of purebred Labrador Retrievers. Our dogs are OFA/CERF at normal or above as well as genetic disease tested with non-affected carrier or clear results before we even consider breeding.  i, as breeder, strive to go above and beyond with health testing.  As a part of that all of the dogs in our breeding program have or are working on getting 8 OFA clearances and are tested for 15 genetic diseases and the dilute gene.  Most of all, our dogs are members of our family and loved like our own children. 

​​

The 8 OFAs that all of our dogs are working towards are: Hips, Elbows, Eyes, Heart, Patella, Thyroid, Shoulder, and Full Dentition.  By checking these on all of the dogs we breed we are trying to minimize the chance of our puppies having issues with these down the road.  Eyes and heart are checked annually by a board certified OFA veterinarian. Hip, elbow, thyroid, patella, and shoulderchecks are done once and check for the potential for dysplasia in those 5 areas. Dentition is checked once and it checks to ensure the dogs have a full set of teeth and that everything looks good.  

​​

The genetic traits we test for are: Centronuclear Myopathy (CNM), degenerative myelopathy (DM),  Exercise-Induced Collapse (EIC), Hereditary Nasal Parakeratosis (HNPK), Progressive Retinal Atrophy/Progressive Rod-Cone Degeneration (PRA/PRCD), Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1 (RD/OSD-1), Skeletal Dysplasia 2(SD2), Cystinuria, Elliptocytosis,  Hyperuricosuria (HUU), Myotubular Myopathy 1 (MTM-1), Narcolepsy, Progressive Retinal Atrophy/Cone-Rod Dystrophy 4 (PRA/PRCD-4), Progressive Retinal Atrophy/Golden Retriever 2 (PRA/PRCD-2), Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PKD), and dilute (D locus). 

​

With genetic disease testing there are 3 possible results: clear, non-affected carrier, and affected.  All dogs get 2 copies of their genes, 1 copy from their dam (mom) and 1 copy from their sire (dad).  If they get 2 clear copies from their parents for a gene then they are clear.  This can happen by breeding clear to clear or clear to non-affected carrier.  If 1 parent carries a copy or is affected by a genetic disease their offspring can get the mutated copy.  When they get 1 mutated copy and 1 clear copy they are a non-affected carrier for that genetic disease.  Non-affected carriers of a disease do not have the disease and are not affected by the disease, but like the parents they have the possibility of passing it on to their puppies if bred later.  When you look at genetic diseases no 2 carriers for the same disease should be bred to each other because that is one way to have a puppy affected by a genetic disease.  When you breed 2 non-affected carriers, a non-affected carrier to an affected, or 2 affected parents with the same genetic disease that is when you have a puppy that can be affected by the disease.  

​

There is an exception to this rule with the genetic disease Retinal Dysplasia/Oculoskeletal Dysplasia 1 (RD/OSD-1). Retinal Dysplasia-retinal folds (RD) is a common clinical observation in many dog breeds. Since many retinal folds are benign and of unknown heritability, veterinary ophthalmologists will often advise that breeding dogs with RD is an acceptable option. However in two breeds, the Labrador retriever and the Samoyed, RD is of much greater concern. RD in Labradors and Samoyeds will cause a dog to fail a CERF examination, the recommended annual eye examination that is done in North America by certified veterinary ophthalmologists, diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology (ACVO). In such cases, breeding is not advised because RD in these breeds can be an indication that the dog is a carrier of a serious inherited syndrome called OculoSkeletal Dysplasia (OSD). OSD is a severe condition in which the dogs show a variety of skeletal malformations, including shortened limbs (dwarfism), and blindness at an early age; the blindness results from a generalized malformation of the retina that causes a partial or full retinal detachment and cataracts.

​​

All of our puppies are raised in my home and are socialized at an early age as well as started with early neurological stimulation (ENS).  The US Military developed this method, designed to improve the performance of future military working dogs, according to the Breeding Better Dogs program developed by Dr. Carmen Battaglia, esteemed breeder, judge, seminar presenter, and AKC board member.   ENS requires handling the puppies one at a time while performing a series of five exercises. Listed in order of preference, the handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before starting with the next pup.  The handling of each pup once per day involves the following exercises:

1. Tactile stimulation: Holding the pup in one hand, the handler gently stimulates (tickles) the pup between the toes on any one foot using a Q-tip. It is not necessary to see that the pup is feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

2. Head held erect: Using both hands, the pup is held perpendicular to the ground (straight up), so that its head is directly above its tail. This is an upwards position. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

3. Head pointed down: Holding the pup firmly with both hands the head is reversed and is pointed downward so that it is pointing towards the ground. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

4. Supine position: Hold the pup so that its back is resting in the palm of both hands with its muzzle facing the ceiling. The pup while on its back is allowed to sleep. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

5. Thermal stimulation: Use a damp towel that has been cooled in a refrigerator for at least five minutes. Place the pup on the towel, feet down. Do not restrain it from moving. Time of stimulation 3-5 seconds.

When performed correctly, ENS is believed to impact the neurological system by kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected, the result being an increased capacity that later will help to make the difference in its performance, according to Breeding Better Dogs. ENS is time sensitive and must be performed from the third to the 16th days of a puppy’s life.  The ENS exercises are not a substitution for daily handling and stroking of young puppies.  Five benefits have been observed in dogs that were exposed to ENS, including improved cardiovascular performance (heart rate); stronger heart beats; stronger adrenal glands; more tolerance to stress; and greater resistance to disease.   In tests of learning, ENS stimulated pups were more active and exploratory than their non-stimulated littermates, according to Breeding Better Dogs.  We also raise our puppies with puppy culture to ensure the best, well rounded puppy that we can.

 

Along with socialization and ENS all puppies have: a vet visit, a clear fecal exam before leaving, started on potty and crate training, introduced to water and wings if the weather permits, 1st vaccination, and de-wormed at 2,4,6, & 8 weeks of age.