North of the River Family Labs

08/18/2026

Recon PUPDATE!!!
Look at his cute little face! 🥹

08/18/2026

Miss Rosie PUPDATE!
This is why labs are such amazing dogs to have…. Being raised around our 5 kids makes a huge impact on their dispositions and temperaments when they make their ways into their forever homes. ♥️

08/18/2026

Miss Willow PUPDATE!
Isn’t she just beautiful?!

08/18/2026

PUPDATE on Rev!
He’s still the biggest ham out there! ♥️

07/04/2026

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July everyone!

06/30/2026

Babies are growing!!! Look at those faces🥹♥️🐾

06/30/2026

If you wouldn’t want to swim in it, don’t let your dogs….

THAT GREEN STUFF COULD KILL YOUR DOG. 💚🐾

As the weather warms up, ponds, lakes, stock tanks, retention ponds, and other slow-moving bodies of water become the perfect environment for blue-green algae to grow.

Despite its name, blue-green algae isn’t actually algae. It’s a type of bacteria called cyanobacteria that can produce powerful toxins. Those toxins can make dogs critically ill within minutes of exposure.

The scary part? It doesn’t always look dangerous.

Sometimes it appears as a thick green mat on the surface. Other times it may look like spilled paint, pea soup, floating grass clippings, or just a thin green film on the water. If you aren’t sure, don’t let your dog swim or drink from it.

At Best Retrievers, our dogs spend countless hours in the water. Water work is an important part of developing a retriever. That also means we pay close attention to the conditions before we ever send a dog.

Not every pond or lake is unsafe. The key is learning to recognize the warning signs and making good decisions before your dog enters the water.

Signs of blue-green algae toxicity can include excessive drooling, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, stumbling, difficulty breathing, seizures, or collapse. If you suspect your dog has been exposed, rinse them with clean water as soon as possible and contact your veterinarian immediately. Don’t wait to see if they improve. Early treatment gives your dog the best chance.

One of the easiest ways to help protect your dog is to bring fresh water whenever you’re training, hunting, hiking, or spending time around natural bodies of water. Many dogs drink from ponds simply because they’re thirsty.

When it comes to blue-green algae, if you’re unsure about the water, don’t take the chance.

A few minutes spent evaluating the conditions could save your dog’s life. Please share this post. You never know who might need to see it.

06/08/2026

Happy 10th Birthday to Grizz!!!

06/06/2026

Not the color ratio I was expecting, but all pups and mama Cinnamon are doing well!

Got mama cleaned up after pup #7 and then she decided to have #8!

**ALL MALES so far🤯
-I’ve never had this happen, lol.

06/06/2026

As a licensed breeder.
I always find it top priority to stay with my girls the whole time during their whelping process, evening potty breaks!

Today was a great example why, Cinnamon gave birth to a healthy yellow/red boy ( #7) while she was p*eing outside.

Also, as a breeder, I understand it might involve getting a little messy.
*I always wear gloves, but this situation was a little different…
I grabbed the pup right away (p*e, blood, placenta and everything else, lol) and brought him inside, mama in hot pursuit behind us as we came back to her pen. I got him dried up quick and rubbed down for stimulation, sucked out his nostrils and throat and got him weighed.
He will be just fine and is currently nursing on mama♥️🐾

**Cinnamon and all pups are doing fantastic right now. 🙏🏻