WAITLIST

Hello and thank you for your interest in Birchmeier Star Labs! My name is Renee Birchmeier, I am a geriatric nurse practitioner. Our family has been raising labs for over twenty-five years and we sincerely believe they are the best family dogs! In both my professional and personal life, I’ve seen the amazing work Labrador retrievers do, from service work to raising my children. Before I decided to start breeding, I spent years researching interventions and whelping philosophies that result in smart, attentive, eager-to-please puppies. Furthermore, I am committed to responsible breeding as I have beloved pets that have genetic health problems. In short, my goal is to raise healthy puppies with the foundation to become a great companion/service dog, a great hunter, or “just” a great family pet that is attentive and easy to train. We raise our pups a little differently, so it is important for potential owners to understand and appreciate why we do what we do. 

The first question I often get is "How much?". Please understand that this approach undermines our philosophy, our puppies' value, our time, and quality of our pups. It is important to us to have conversations about your expectations, experience, lifestyle, and goals for your pup. Finding the right family for our pups is our first priority. My pups are $1800, with a $500 non-refundable down payment. The order in which down payments are received determines picking order, although I place my pups based on personality and family needs versus color or sex. I reserve two puppies from every litter for potential service work placement. 

Please note: we do NOT consider ourselves “professional” breeders. We all have professions and, as a family, we dedicate our time, energy and LOVE to (about) two litters a year. We are creating a community of lab-loving people and sharing stories about our pups! We are very proud of the work we do and the work our pups go on to do. Many of our pups have gone on to do service-type work. We have great stories and references.

If this sounds like something you are interested in learning more about and becoming part of, continue to read and proceed to the application below. Otherwise, thank you for your time. Continue to follow Birchmeier Star Labs on Facebook and birchmeierstarlabs.com for serotonin-filled cuteness!!!


What to expect from a Birchmeier Star Lab puppy and our family:

For those who know our family personally, you know our work ethic, commitment to community, communication, and values. We do everything as a family and are always eager for a new adventure and challenge. Considering our love of our dogs, it made sense that we embark on the path to breeding, training, and raising high quality labs (if you don’t know us personally, we have many references!).

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Start with genetics. Our girls have excellent OFA rated hips and genetic testing. Although OFA testing cannot rule out birth defects, it is important to AVOID breeding a lab with any form of hip dysplasia or a poor rating. Additionally, being a carrier of a genetic condition does not disqualify a dog from breeding, it just means both parents cannot be carriers.

We look for calm, loving temperaments in our studs. Our current studs are excellent hunters, which complement our girls (we do not own studs). Our pregnant moms are pampered and loved since the research shows that, like a human fetus, the health of a pup begins prenatally. Diet and exercise are important for expecting moms!

We believe, as the research shows, that the way a pup is whelped is very important! Our pups are handled from the time they are born. They start Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS) on day three of life--to improve their stress response, strengthen the heart and immune system,  and to develop faster learners and problem solving skills. Before being able to see or hear, other senses are stimulated. Sensory training includes an introduction to a different scent every day--cats, chickens, coffee, babies, spices, grass, pine, and scented oils, to name a few. Stimulating their sense of smell is important for hunting as well as for dogs who may go on to detect seizure activity, for example. Scent walks can also become a reward and can be incorporated in training your pup. Pups know me by the lotion I use before their eyes are even open. Puppies are also exposed to as a variety of experiences and loud noises (pan banging, thunder, gun shots, etc.). Puppy Culture is a program focused on raising well-adjusted, healthy, confident pups! Puppy Culture focuses on ENS, socialization, positive reinforcement, which creates a strong foundation for a young puppy’s future training. It is important for prospective owners to familiarize themselves with this philosophy. Our pups are raised as part of our family: in our home, exposed to children, grandbabies, dogs, and cats. We believe this is an important intervention; they are not raised in a garage or kennel. Our pups are very smart! Puppies are introduced to  clicker-training and learn commands before going home, including (but not limited to): sit, down, and come. They are crate trained. They know eye contact. We start potty-training…to name a few (all this happens in the first eight weeks!!).

All puppies have dew claws removed (there is research both ways on this topic. I follow my personal preference and have our pups’ dew claws removed. I’m happy to discuss my rationale). Pups are immunized at six weeks, are dewormed twice, and are microchipped. They come with a limited AKC registration, which means they do not come with breeding rights (this is negotiable for additional fees and appropriate testing). Our pups have a two-year health guarantee to protect against potential genetic defects. This guarantee does not apply to acute issues (such as broken bones) or as a result of something done to the puppy (giving the puppy antibiotics with subsequent belly issues, for example). I do have in my contract that pups cannot be rehomed without notifying me. This is simply because I would rather take on the responsibility of rehoming a pup/dog than see it go to an animal shelter. 

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Please note: I make sure the puppy you are receiving is the best fit for your family dynamics and potential service needs. To do that, I place the puppies based on personality and family needs, although color and sex are taken into consideration. 

Adding a family member should be a wonderful and exciting experience! If you are interested in one of our pups, please proceed to completing the below application to set up a phone interview. Texting and email are an easy way to relay information and weed out those not interested in my pups (saving us both time), but not an adequate form of communication. 

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Kind regards,
Renee Birchmeier