Four Rivers Kennel & Canine Senior Center

Pet Partners

Happy, Healthy Labrador Retrievers

We currently house about 160 Labrador Retrievers, ranging from 6 month old puppies to 14 year old seniors. Our dogs typically live with us for their entire lives. We have one or two litters per year and we spend many hours socializing and training our puppies in basic obedience. Our Labs tend to be American field bred, meaning that they descend from some of the best hunt test and field trial Labs in the country. Several of the dogs we started with were titled in AKC hunt tests. Besides basic obedience, many of our Labrador Retrievers are trained in the art of retrieving and we spend many hours honing those hunting skills. The dogs go outside to airing yards during the day (weather permitting) in social groups and frequently go for walks or have running time on the property for enrichment and fitness.

Ethical Research

Four Rivers Kennel is passionate about conducting research in a manner that promotes the wellbeing of our canine study participants and is committed to ensuring the ethical treatment and safety of our dogs. All of our dogs receive annual vaccinations, heartworm prevention, flea and tick prevention, dental cleanings, and any veterinary care they need. Due to our careful selection, our colony is free from genetic diseases common in labs, including hip and elbow dysplasia, exercise induced collapse (EIC), and centronuclear myopathy (CNM). All research conducted at Four Rivers is minimally invasive, no painful or distressing procedures are allowed, and all research must be pre-approved by our dedicated oversight committee including veterinarians, outside community members, and animal care staff.

Why Large breed research?

Labrador retrievers are the most popular large breed dog in the country! Differences in physiology compared to the industry standard Beagles can improve our understanding of nutrition for the pet food industry as a whole. Large breed dogs also age faster than small dogs, emphasizing the need for large breed specific aging and longevity research.